DreamWorks Pictures and Pacific Data Images' computer-animated feature film, "Antz" opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 2. The film's 78 minutes of animation (112,320 frames) took two and a half years and a staff of over 200 people to produce. Character voices featured in the film include Woody Allen, Dan Akroyd, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Walken.
Czech production and distribution company Kratky Film Praha a.s., which owns the Bratri v triku and Jiri Trnka animation studios, has been substantially restructured. The company has been struggling financially since 1994, and has been facing possible bankruptcy since 1997, a measure prevented by a recent investment from insurance company Ceska Pojistovna, now the majority shareholder in Kratky Film. The restructuring has also caused a management shake-out.
The Independent Feature Project (IFP) and the Independent Film Channel (IFC) have announced the winners of their first student film competition, IFC2000. The U.S. $2,500 "Outstanding Achievement in Animation" prize has been awarded to "Hisao" by Masahiro Sugano, a student from the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Art & Design.
Animator Mark Osborne is wrapping up production on a new short film. Titled More, the film is believed to be the first stop-motion animated large-format film. It is being shot on 65mm film that will be printed on 70mm for projection in large-format cinemas such as the IMAX chains. The film, a co-production of Swell Productions and Bad Clams Productions, is being funded by a private investor, was shown in trailer form at last weeks International Space Theater Consortium conference in Australia.
The second Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, held September 11-13, selected Mike Johnsons stop-motion music video The Devil Went Down to Georgia as Best Animation Film. It competed with 12 other animated films in the festival. For information about the festival and the next call for entries, visit www.lashortsfest.com.
The Nashville Independent Film Festival (NIFF) (formerly known as Sinking Creek) is accepting submissions for its next edition, June 9-13, 1999. A first prize in the animation category at this festival will qualify your film for Academy Award consideration. Entry fees vary, and the deadline is December 4. The first 100 entries will receive a free pass to the festival. For entry forms and information, visit www.nashvillefilmfestival.org or e-mail niffilm@bellsouth.net(link sends e-mail).
Hollywood Shorts, a monthly short film series that presents new shorts andtheir directors to the Hollywood film community, is seeking submissions.Three shorts, including one animated film, will be featured each month; thenext screenings are October 11, November 15 and December 13, 1998. Eachfilm must be no longer than 40 minutes and the entry fee is $5 per film.The deadline for the October screening is September 15, however, lateentries will be considered for future screenings. For information, contact
Mike Lyons takes a look at Walt Disney Television Animation's proven strategy for adapting the company's animated features as television series such as the upcoming Hercules.
William Moritz discusses Richard Reeves' Linear Dreams and Bbel Neubauer's Moonlight and helps to put them in perspective. Includes Quicktime movies of both films.
Bbel Neubauer divulges her creative process and discusses the production of Roots, her drawn-on-film short abstract work. Includes a Quicktime movie.
The fourth installment of Barry Purves' production diary as he chronicles producing a series of animated shorts for Channel 4. An Animation World Magazine exclusive.
JON VEIN has been promoted from senior to executive vice president at FILM ROMAN, a role in which he will continue to oversee the company's reach into feature films, including "There Goes the Neighborhood," a live-action/animation film in development with Universal.
JIM KEESHEN has joined FILM ROMAN as a director on the animated series, "Family Guy." This spring, his company Jim Keeshen Productions produced the show's pilot with creator Seth MacFarlane.
Nickelodeon Movies has acquired the feature film rights to Jeff Smiths comic book, Bone for an unspecified amount of money in the high six-figure range. The property is being developed as an animated feature film to be directed by Smith.
The 7th biennial Hiroshima International Animation Festival ended on Monday, August 24 with a grand awards ceremony. The top winners are:
Grand Prize: "The Old Lady and the Pigeons" by Sylvain Chomet (Canada).
Hiroshima Prize: The Mermaid by Alexander Petrov (Russia).
Debut (first film) Prize: Busby by Anna Henckel-Donners-Marck (Germany).
Renzo Kinoshita Prize: "L'Aréne (Série "Vermillion")" by Nicolas Jacquet (France).
ANNE SWEENEY has been named president of DISNEY/ABC CABLE NETWORKS, filling a position left vacant when Geraldine Laybourne left in June to form her own media company. Since 1996, Sweeney has been president of the Disney Channel, a title she will retain with the promotion, which will add several programming outlets under her wing: Lifetime, A&E, The History Channel and E! Entertainment Television, as well as ABCs Saturday morning line-up. Prior to Disney, Sweeney was at FX for three years and at Nickelodeon for 12. . . .
A tool to find almost any animated short in the world, David Kilmer's long-awaited The Animated Film Collector's Guide is reviewed by Emru Townsend.
SIGGRAPH's Computer Animation Festival was once again the showcase for the past year's best computer graphics work. This year's festival showcased more than 150 pieces of all types including scientific, mathematic and visualization animations, motion-capture demonstrations, visual effects sequences, location-based entertainment films, television commercials, animation shorts, student films, clips from CG feature films and "SIGGRAPH in-betweens," customized animations interspersed in the program. Films were selected from 650 submissions by a five-person jury made up of Thomas Linehan,...
How is Barry Purves getting on with his Channel 4 production? Find out in this month's installment.
Dr. John A. Lent puts Ram Mohan and his new company RM-USL into perspective as India enters a new phase of development.
Peter Chung examines the flaws of today's comics as he reveals the basic nature of visual narrative.
On the 30th anniversary of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, Karl Cohen speaks with the two key TVC production figures behind the film, John Coates and Norman Kauffman.
Andy Klein reviews Disney's latest masterpiece and finds some nice changes in the new Mulan.
Buzz Potamkin tells us how the much-awaited first annual Annecy International Animated Film Festival faired.
The second installment of Barry Purves' production diary as he chronicles producing a series of animated shorts for Channel 4. An Animation World Magazine exclusive.
