Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Watch: ‘Camp Camp’ Returns to Rooster Teeth with Long-Awaited 5th Season

    Watch: ‘Camp Camp’ Returns to Rooster Teeth with Long-Awaited 5th Season

    After a four-year hiatus, Rooster Teeth is welcoming back the plucky kids of Camp Campbell for a fifth season of original animated series Camp Camp. The news was shared with a special live-action video featuring the series cast — including Krishna Kumar, Lindsay Jones and Elizabeth Maxwell — portraying various characters in the show. Watch it here!

    The new episodes were first announced with the drop of a special one-off earlier this year, released as part of the studio-platform’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

    Created by Jordan Cwierz and Miles Luna, the adult animated comedy centers on a jaded 10-year-old named Max, who finds himself stuck at a dysfunctional summer camp run by a shady business mogul who is looking to turn a profit any way he can. The cynical Max must survive annoyingly cheerful counselor David, the weird cast of campers and bizarre surprises at every turn before he can escape for home.

    Camp Camp is one of the popular shows that Rooster Teeth pulled from its YouTube channel this fall, to screen exclusively on its own platform. The new episodes are produced with the support of funding from Rooster Teeth FIRST patrons.

    Season 5 will begin rolling out March 1, 2024, available to watch for free on roosterteeth.com.

    Camp Camp S5 promo

  • Cartoon Movie Selects 55 Projects for 2024 Co-Pro Event

    Cartoon Movie Selects 55 Projects for 2024 Co-Pro Event

    Cartoon Movie, the co-production and pitching event for European animated feature films, has revealed the 55 projects selected to participate in the next edition, taking place March 5-7 in Bordeaux, France.

    France is once again the leading national toon representation (out of 16 involved in the projects as main producing country) with 15 projects, followed by Belgium, Germany and Spain with five each, Norway with four, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland with three each, Czechia, Denmark, Ireland and Sweden with two each, and Finland, Hungary, Netherlands and Portugal with one each.

    The majority of projects are in the development stage (33, 60%), and most of the pics are aimed at family audiences (31, 54%).

    Bordeaux’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine surroundings are home to four of the projects. Three are supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region: Picasso in Royan by Benoît Laure, Into the Wonderwoods by Vincent Parronaud & Alexis Ducord, and Living Large by Kristina Dufkovà. Picasso in Royan as well as The Line are supported by the Département Charente.

    Seasoned directors will present their latest projects at Cartoon Movie 2024, including the In Concept works Alain Ughetto (director of No Dogs or Italians Allowed, 2022) with Rose and the Marmots, or Alessandro Rak (director and co-writer of The Art of Happiness, 2013 – Winner of the 2014 European Film Awards for European Animated Feature Film) with The Little Prince of Shangri-La.

    The Little Prince of Shangri-La (MAD Entertainment, Italy)

    In Development, attendees will be introduced to Dog my cats! by Alain Gagnol (co-director of Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret, 2023), Out of Frame by Toby Genkel (director of The Amazing Maurice, 2022), Summer in the Hood by Jean-Pascal Zadi (actor, director and writer) & Louis Clichy (co-director of Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, 2014), The Wild Inside by Patrick Imbert (writer and director of The Summit of the Gods, 2021).

    First-look images and footage of films In Production will be shown by Alexis Ducord (co-director of Zombillénium, 2017) & Vincent Parronaud (writer-director of Persepolis) with Into the Wonderwoods, as well as directing duo Kari Juusonen & Jørgen Lerdam (The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear, 2017) with Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights.

    Summer in the Hood (Silex / Douze Doigts Productions, France)

    And in the Sneak Preview section, audiences will discover Elli directed by Jesper Møller, Piet de Rycker & Jens Møller, as well as Kensuke’s Kingdom (nominated for the Annecy Cristal Award in 2023) by Neil Boyle & Kirk Hendry, Living Large directed by Kristina Dufková, and SuperKlaus by Steven Majaury (Mission Kathmandu: The Adventures of Nelly & Simon, 2017) & Andrea Sebastiá.

    View all the selected projects here. Registration for Cartoon Movie 2024 is now open at cartoon-media.eu.

    Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights (Animaker, Finland / Ulysses Filmproduktion, Germany / Moetion Films, Ireland / A. Film Production, Denmark)
  • Animated Horror Anthology ‘Red Iron Road’ Rolls to AVOD

    Animated Horror Anthology ‘Red Iron Road’ Rolls to AVOD

    Next week, home audiences around the world can take a harrowing trip down 200 years of European horror fiction as Lakeside Animation and Vortex Media release Red Iron Road on AVOD. The first season of the award-winning animated anthology will be available to stream starting December 19 on various platforms, including:

    • Prime Video –Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand
    • Tubi — Canada, U.S., Australia, New Zealand
    • Plex — Canada, U.S.

    Created by Aljosha Klimov and Iouri Stepanov, Red Iron Road’s first season showcases six installments, each with a different director adapting a different author’s tale of terror with a distinct animated style. Stepanov and his studio Lakeside Animation co-produced the series with Metrafilms in Moldova. Production began in early 2020, with creative teams across Canada and Europe working in close collaboration with the producing studios.

    “Lakeside is thrilled to share our new series with the world,” said Stepanov, “We are immensely proud of the series and all the hard work all the directors and creative teams have put into it. Audiences will never forget their journey along the Red Iron Road.”

    Episodes of Red Iron Road have screened around on the festival circuit, picking up numerous awards and recognitions. Segments have been selected for Annecy Festival, Screamfest LA, FilmQuest, Toronto After Dark, Blood in the Snow, New York City Horror Film Festival, Tokyo Anime Awards Festival, Crystal Palace Film Festival in London and the Phoenix International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, to name a few.

    A second season of Red Iron Road is already in the works. The first episode, In The Heat, was recently completed and competed in the Annecy Festival and the Ottawa International Animation Festival. The remaining five episodes of season to are now in pre-production will be available in Q4 of 2024.

    Season 1 episodes are:

    • VRDLK: Family of Vurdulak — Directed by Sam Chou of Look Mom! Productions (Canada) — A traveller caught in a snowstorm is forced to take shelter with a poor Serbian family. When the family warns him of “beasts” that hunt in the night, he mistakenly dismisses their fears as superstition and fairy tales.
    • The Forest King — Directed by Lubomir Arsov (Canada) — A young boy’s desire for success and status in a VR game leads him into a terrifying new reality
    • The Ratcatcher’s Daughter — Directed by Adam Jeffcoat & Jim Bryson of Studio NX (Canada) — Using defining moments in history, rats are trying to seize power all over the world. 1920, in Petrograd, the rats decide it is time to rise from the underground.
    • The Undertaker — Directed by Sergei Kibus of Nukufilm (Estonia) — Adrian the Undertaker, a gloomy and silent man, doesn’t have many friends. Nevertheless he decides to throw a party and invites only his favorite people: his deceased clientele.
    • Lord — Directed by Aljosha Klimov (Germany) & Hirofumi Nakada (Japan) — Environmental disasters, wars and epidemics led to the near destruction of human civilization. The survivors of the disaster have built new cities and settlements and battle mutant foes for supremacy.
    • No. 8 Reporting — Directed by Aljosha Klimov (Germany) & Matthew Lyon (Canada) — Citizens from the well-fed, fenced off city can only venture beyond the walls on a train that distributes humanitarian aid. One reporter is determined to find out what really happens outside the city.

    Learn more at lakesideanimation.com/redironroad.

  • ‘IF’ Teaser & BTS Footage Reveal the Magic of John Krasinski’s Imaginary Friends

    ‘IF’ Teaser & BTS Footage Reveal the Magic of John Krasinski’s Imaginary Friends

    IF poster

    Paramount Pictures today unveiled a teaser trailer and behind-the-scenes featurette for IF, the new live-action/animation hybrid movie about what happens to the imaginary friends we leave behind when we grow up. Written and directed by John Krasinski, the movie will hit theaters on May 17, 2024.

    Synopsis: IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.

    IF stars Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.

    The cast also features Alan Kim and Liza Colón-Zayas.

    Producers are Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinsk; executive producers are John J. Kelly and George Dewy. Paramount Pictures Presents a Sunday Night / Maximum Effort production, a John Krasinski film.

  • World of Wonder Unwraps Cult Classic ‘Thunderbirds’ for Christmas

    World of Wonder Unwraps Cult Classic ‘Thunderbirds’ for Christmas

    Emmy-winning multi-platform media company World of Wonder (RuPaul’s Drag Race) has licensed the cult-classic Gerry Anderson marionette series, Thunderbirds, marking a pivotal expansion of WOWPP’s licensed content library. All 32 episodes of the 1965 series will drop on WOW Presents Plus in the U.S. and Canada on Christmas Eve (December 24).

    Thunderbirds originally debuted on the ITV network in 1965. The series gained notoriety for its pioneering artform called “supermarionation” (a mashup of “super,” “marionette,” and “animation”). The process relied on specially constructed marionettes with manually manipulated bodies and electrically controlled mouths. The series follows the Tracy family in the year 2026 as they run ‘International Rescue’ — a top-secret organization whose ongoing mission is to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations using their advanced Thunderbirds machines.

    “Part of our mission with WOW Presents Plus is to bring viewers classics that deserve another look,” said World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. “The artistry and humor of Thunderbirds is as fresh as the day it was made. Barbie is not the only doll who loves pink. Growing up, Thunderbirds was appointment viewing, especially with Lady Penelope swishing around in her pink Rolls Royce with the license plate FAB 1. Thunderbirds is must-see TV!”

    Thunderbirds will join the WOW Presents Plus content library of more than 1,500 hours of diverse programing, including the entire international Drag Race franchise, WOW Presents Plus’ original series, World of Wonder’s award-winning documentary films, and more.

  • Colin Bohm Named CEO of Toon Boom

    Colin Bohm Named CEO of Toon Boom

    Leading storyboard and 2D animation software developer Toon Boom Animation Inc. has appointed Colin Bohm as its new Chief Executive Officer. Bohm has a long track record of success in the content production and entertainment industry. He joins Toon Boom from Corus Entertainment, where he most recently served as EVP of Content and Corporate Strategy.

    Bohm’s appointment follows Integrated Media Company’s (IMC’s) purchase of Toon Boom from Corus earlier this year. Bohm held a diverse range of positions over his two-decade tenure at Corus, most recently responsible for its original content businesses including Nelvana, Corus Studios, Aircraft Pictures, Kids Can Press and previously, Toon Boom, in addition to overseeing business development, global strategic partnerships and several M&A initiatives.

    “I’ve been fortunate to witness Toon Boom’s growth and impact over the past decade, and it’s a privilege to now lead the company into its exciting next chapter as an independent company,” said Bohm. “I look forward to partnering closely with the talented Toon Boom team and IMC to provide robust and comprehensive solutions for content creators everywhere.”

    “Colin is an exceptional leader and seasoned operator with an invaluable blend of leadership skills, strategic thinking, and deep industry experience,” said Ori Winitizer, Partner at IMC. “We eagerly anticipate collaborating with Colin and witnessing his significant contributions in the days ahead. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Toon Boom and IMC family.”

    Yuning Zhang of IMC, added, “As we build a world-class platform for content creation and production workflow tools, Colin’s leadership, insight, and decades of experience will be integral to realizing our vision for a broader and more innovative ecosystem. With his guidance, we are confident that the Toon Boom team will continue to thrive.”

    Following the acquisition by IMC, Toon Boom has taken important steps toward expanding its creative software business in new markets and verticals, with new product launches planned for 2024.

    For additional information and the latest updates, visit toonboom.com.

  • ‘Grimsburg’ Sets Special Preview on FOX with Christina Hendricks, Rosie Perez, Patton Oswalt & More on Board

    ‘Grimsburg’ Sets Special Preview on FOX with Christina Hendricks, Rosie Perez, Patton Oswalt & More on Board

    FOX unveiled its chief suspects — or guest stars — set to lend their talents to the first season of Grimsburg, the detective procedural spoof marking the latest addition to the Sunday night Animation Domination lineup. Viewers will get a special preview of the new show, which has already been renewed for a second season, on Sunday, January 7 following the FOX NFL Doubleheader (8-8:30 p.m. ET / 5-5:30 p.m. PT, live to all time zones).

    Grimsburg will make its time slot premiere on Sunday, February 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

    Grimsburg

    The series is executive produced by and stars Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Marvin Flute, who may be the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown and correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there’s one mystery he still can’t crack — himself. To do that he must return to Grimsburg, a town where everyone has a secret or three, and redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow detectives, his ferocious ex-wife and his lovably unstable son.

    The series also features the voices of Erinn Hayes as Harmony Flute, Rachel Dratch as Stan Flute, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Rufis Pentos and Mr. Flesh, Kevin Michael Richardson as Detective Greg Summers and Greg Chun as Lieutenant John Kang.

    Newly announced Season 1 guest stars include Rosie Perez as Detective Martina Martinez, Kaniehtiio Horn as Wynona Whitecloud, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Chief Stamos, Jaime Camil as Mayor Dilquez, Christina Hendricks as Anna, Amy Sedaris as Lil’ Betsy and Patton Oswalt as Slasher.

    Grimsburg is produced by FOX Entertainment’s Emmy-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment. The program is fully owned by FOX Entertainment. Chadd Gindin is executive producer and showrunner. Jon Hamm, Gail Berman, Hend Baghdady and Connie Tavel are executive producers. Catlan McClelland and Matthew Schlissel created the series and serve as co-executive producers.

  • ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Filmmakers, ProdCos Team with Reel Start & Exceptional Minds to Debut ‘Tree’s Blood’ Animated Short

    ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Filmmakers, ProdCos Team with Reel Start & Exceptional Minds to Debut ‘Tree’s Blood’ Animated Short

    Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Animation and key members of the filmmaking team behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem —  writer/producer/actor Seth Rogen, writer/producer Evan Goldberg (Point Grey Pictures), producer James Weaver and cinematographer Kent Seki — returned to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank for a special debut screening of Tree’s Blood.

    The new animated short is a production of non-profit after school program Reel Start and the Exceptional Minds studio-academy, launched in partnership with the studios and filmmakers of the latest Turtles adventure. The film also features the voices of TMNT:MM stars Rose Byrne and Ayo Edebiri.

    Seth Rogen talks to student filmmakers at the ‘Tree’s Blood’ premiere event at Nickelodeon Animation Studios.

    Reel Start is a non-profit organization co-founded by Goldberg (Superbad, The Boys, Gen V) and educator Adrienne Slover. Reel Start focuses on introducing career paths in entertainment to the next generation of diverse creators and craftspeople. Since 2016, Reel Start has served over 125 public school students in Los Angeles and Toronto via its 22-week afterschool program. Through the classroom, students learn from and collaborate with industry volunteers while developing and producing a professional-level short film.

    Exceptional Minds is an academy and studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation, visual effects and other related fields in the entertainment industry.

    Both organizations are committed to developing the next generation of creators and craftspeople serving communities underrepresented in the entertainment industry. A partnership between both organizations has resulted in Exceptional Minds providing animation services for two short films produced by Reel Start students.

    reelstart.org | exceptional-minds.org

  • Zach Woods, Mike Judge & Brandon Gardner’s ‘In The Know’ Drops Premiere Date, Character Posters

    Zach Woods, Mike Judge & Brandon Gardner’s ‘In The Know’ Drops Premiere Date, Character Posters

    New character portraits were unveiled today for In The Know, the new adult puppet-animated series from Zach Woods (Silicon Valley, The Office), Brandon Gardner and Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill). The public radio workplace comedy will premiere January 25 on Peacock with all episodes )6 x 30′) available to stream.

    Synopsis: Lauren Caspian is NPR’s third most popular host. He’s a well-meaning, hypocritical nimrod, just like you and me. He’s also a stop motion puppet. Each episode follows the making of an episode of Lauren’s show In the Know, in which Lauren conducts in-depth interviews with real world human guests. Lauren collaborates with a diverse crew of NPR staff. They are also puppets and nimrods.

    Woods and Gardner are creators, executive producers and showrunners for the series, and Judge is creator and executive producer for Bandera Entertainment. Woods and Judge also provide key character voice-overs. The creator team offered the following illuminating statement:

    “We love public radio. It’s engaging and comforting. But it also reflects aspects of ourselves that we’re embarrassed by. Which is why we created a show about an NPR host who is, sadly, an only slightly exaggerated version of ourselves.

    We’re privileged, well intentioned, guilty hypocrites. We buy ethically-sourced dog treats and have them delivered by people who are penalized for bathroom breaks. We put “No Justice No Peace” signs next to our home security lawn decals. We’re sanctimonious doofuses who should be ridiculed more.

    As we get more isolated in our respective echo chambers, we’re desperate to connect with people who are different from us through honest conversation and humor. We try to provide both on the show. (And even if you think our comedy is literal trash, we hope you’ll enjoy the gorgeous animation from the stop-motion geniuses at ShadowMachine.)

    We want this show to start funny, scary, friendly conversations. We want to portray people who are possibly irredeemable but hopefully still loveable. And at the center of all of this is a frail overconfident male puppet with a woman’s name: Lauren Caspian.”

    In The Know is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, with animation by ShadowMachine (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio).

    Cast & Character descriptions:

    • Zach Woods voices Lauren Caspian, host of the In The Know radio program.
    • Caitlin Reilly (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Hacks) voices Fabian, researcher and fact checker.
    • Charlie Bushnell (Diary of a Future President, upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians)  voices Chase, college intern.
    • J. Smith-Cameron (Succession, Margaret) voices Barb, co-executive producer of In The Know.
    • Carl Tart (Star Trek: Lower Decks, Grand Crew) voices Carl, sound engineer.
    • Mike Judge voices Sandy, culture critic.
  • Teaser: ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Roar Back for S2 on February 2 with Super Guest Stars

    Teaser: ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Roar Back for S2 on February 2 with Super Guest Stars

    Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur s2 key art

    Season 2 of Disney Branded Television’s Emmy Award-nominated Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is set to debut Friday, February 2 (8 p.m. EST), on Disney Channel and Disney XD with two episodes. The first batch of new episodes will be available on Saturday, February 3 on Disney+, where the first season is now streaming.

    In their second season of animated adventures, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur are in their element as super heroes; however, as Moon Girl’s super hero-ing intertwines more with her personal life, she must decide if the cost of keeping her identity a secret is worth the toll it takes on her family.

    New guest stars for Season 2 include:

    • Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
    • SungWon Cho (internet personality)
    • Cynthia Erivo (Wicked – The Motion Picture)
    • Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
    • Andy Garcia (The Godfather Part III)
    • Arsenio Hall (Coming to America)
    • Ann Harada (Avenue Q)
    • Jackée Harry (Sister, Sister)
    • Manny Jacinto (The Good Place)
    • Carol Kane (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
    • Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai)
    • Alex Newell (Glee)
    • Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)
    • Parker Posey (Best in Show)
    • Ephraim Sykes (Broadway’s Hamilton)
    • David Tennant (Doctor Who)
    • Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show)
    • Peter Weller (RoboCop)

    Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq serves as the series executive music producer. Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Season 2 Original Soundtrack, from Walt Disney Records, is set for release on February 2 and will feature 12 songs from the new season.

    Based on Marvel’s hit comic books, the series follows the adventures of 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White) and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore), as they protect her Lower East Side neighborhood from danger.

    The series also stars Libe Barer as Casey, Alfre Woodard as Mimi, Sasheer Zamata as Adria, Jermaine Fowler as James Jr., Gary Anthony Williams as Pops and executive producer Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder.

    Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is produced by Disney Television Animation, and is executive produced by Fishburne and Helen Sugland’s Cinema Gypsy Productions and Steve Loter. Rodney Clouden and Pilar Flynn are co-executive producers; Kate Kondell is co-executive producer and story editor; Halima Lucas is co-producer and story editor; Ben Juwono is co-producer and supervising director; and Rafael Chaidez is producer.

  • Official ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Trailer Previews Prime’s Faustian Musical

    Official ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Trailer Previews Prime’s Faustian Musical

    Today, Prime Video released the official trailer for Season 1 of the adult animated musical comedy Hazbin Hotel. The spot features a new original song, “Ready For This,” from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg, who contributed original music and lyrics for the series.

    The first season of Hazbin Hotel consists of eight episodes, with four episodes premiering on Prime Video January 19 and two episodes rolling out weekly through February 2. The series will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

    Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie, the princess of Hell, as she pursues her seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating demons to peacefully reduce overpopulation in her kingdom. After a yearly extermination imposed by angels, she opens a hotel in the hopes that patrons will be “checking out” into Heaven. While most of Hell mocks her goal, her devoted partner Vaggie, and their first test subject, adult-film star Angel Dust, stick by her side. When a powerful entity known as the “Radio Demon” reaches out to assist Charlie in her endeavors, her crazy dream is given a chance to become a reality.

    Watch the trailer below:

    Fans can continue to visit HazbinHotel.com to pre-order special packages that include exclusive Season 1 merchandise until January 12, when early access to the first two episodes will be available to stream on the A24 App one week before they release on Prime Video, along with a virtual Q&A event with Vivienne Medrano and special guests.

    Created by Medrano, Hazbin Hotel is based on her popular animated pilot released on YouTube in 2019, which quickly gained over 92 million views and a worldwide fan base. Medrano serves as executive producer and directed all episodes of Season 1. Joel Kuwahara, Dana Tafoya-Cameron and Scott Greenberg (Season 1) also serve as executive producers.

    Hazbin Hotel is produced by A24 and FOX Entertainment’s Emmy Award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.

    Don’t miss our story on the making of Hazbin Hotel in the February ’24 issue of Animation Magazine, available in early January.

  • Jodi Benson Sings Original Song from ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ (Exclusive First Look)

    Jodi Benson Sings Original Song from ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ (Exclusive First Look)

    Angel Studios is debuting a new behind-the-scenes music video featuring Jodi Benson — known to generations of animation lovers as the voice of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid — performing an original song from the animated series The Wingfeather Saga. The video was shared exclusively with Animation Magazine by showrunner J. Chris Wall ahead of the official livestream premiere Tuesday night.

    Benson sings the emotional ballad “My Love Has Gone Across the Sea,” adding her vocal gifts to the magic of Wingfeather‘s fantastical animated world of Aerwiar. Season 2 of the series based on the bestselling books by Andrew Peterson is currently in production.

    Supported by community backers through the Angel platform, The Wingfeather Saga is produced by Angel Studios with animation from Nashville-based animation startup Shining Isle Productions. The series follows Janner, Tink and Leeli Igiby on their quest to escape the tyranny of lizard invaders of their land and uncover the secrets of their family.

    The series features the voices of Benson, Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, The 100), with the young heroes played by Alkaio Thiele, Romy Fay, Griffin Robert Faulkner. New cast members for Season 2 include Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings), Eva Whittaker (Wolfwalkers) and Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey). Wall is creator, executive producer and showrunner, Peterson serves as an executive producer.

    The Wingfeather Saga Season 1 is available to stream at angel.com and on the Angel Studios app.

  • Marvel Previews ‘What If’ S2, Teases ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Animated Series

    Marvel Previews ‘What If’ S2, Teases ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Animated Series

    At the Walt Disney Studios lot on Monday night, industry guests, press and Marvel Studios creators gathered for a special advance screening of two episodes from What If…? Season 2, streaming on Disney+ beginning December 22. The event also offered the first looks at a newly announced animated series inspired by Black Panther and other upcoming Marvel toons.

    The What If…? screening, introduced by executive producer Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television & Animation for Marvel Studios, was followed by a Q&A with filmmakers including director/executive producer Bryan Andrews, writer/EP AC Bradley and writer/producer Matthew Chauncey. 

    What If…? Season 2 continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.

    Featuring fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan, episodes are directed by Bryan Andrews (eps 2-9) and Stephan Franck (ep 1) and written by AC Bradley (eps 3, 4, 5, 8), Matthew Chauncey (eps 1-3, 7, 9) and Ryan Little (eps 6, 8). The animated series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley.

    The advance episodes screened on the Disney Lot were:

    • Episode 1: “What If… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” — In a world where Ronan deposes Thanos long before the events of “Infinity War,” Nebula is recruited to join the Nova Corps. Desperate to escape her father’s shadow, she sets out to prove her detective chops.
    • Episode 3: “What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?” — When Justin Hammer lays siege to Avengers Tower during the annual holiday party, there’s only one person left on site to stop him—Happy Hogan. But in setting out to prove his hero chops, Iron Man’s errand boy may end up transforming himself in more ways than one.

    What’s Next After What If…? 

    As a surprise for those in the room, Winderbaum shared a sizzle reel highlighting three of the studio’s upcoming animated series:

    • Eyes of Wakanda was revealed for the first time. Logline: Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story.
    • Previously announced X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (previously titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year) were also part of the lineup featured. 
    Wakanda hero Black Panther as he appears in the Season 2 trailer for ‘Marvel’s What If…?’
  • Alliance for OpenUSD Unveils Roadmap, Welcomes 12 New Members at SIGGRAPH Asia

    Alliance for OpenUSD Unveils Roadmap, Welcomes 12 New Members at SIGGRAPH Asia

    The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), an organization dedicated to fostering the standardization, development, evolution, and growth of OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description), today unveiled its roadmap toward becoming a standard, as well as a new collaboration and a dozen new members. The announcement came out of SIGGRAPH Asia, taking place in Sydney, Australia this week (December 12-15).

    Created by Pixar, OpenUSD is a high-performance 3D scene description technology that offers robust interoperability across tools, data, and workflows. AOUSD, launched in August, is establishing OpenUSD as an international, cross-industry standard with written specifications as part of the new roadmap that will enable greater compatibility and wider adoption, integration and implementation.

    Launch of Core Specification Roadmap

    The Alliance’s two-year roadmap sets out the path toward becoming an international, cross-industry standard for interoperability of disparate data types to describe 3D scenes and environments.

    AOUSD’s Core Specification working group will first define the foundation of OpenUSD, specifying how low-level data is structured and interpreted, ensuring portability and interoperability across software platforms and devices. Establishing a foundation means developers and users of a tool or platform that supports OpenUSD will be able to easily access and work with their OpenUSD data consistently and predictably.

    “The AOUSD mission is to promote greater interoperability of 3D tools and data, enabling developers and content creators — including all of us at Pixar — to describe, compose, and simulate large-scale projects and build an ever-widening range of 3D-enabled products and services,” said Steve May, Chief Technology Officer at Pixar and Chairperson of AOUSD. “The new roadmap shared today shows the progress the alliance is making and unveils milestones and planned expansions over the next year to ensure interoperability and collaboration.”

    AOUSD can iterate further on the foundations laid by the Core Specification work group, building rules and guidelines for higher-level data types like 3D meshes and materials. The Alliance aims to deliver final approval of the core specification at the end of 2025.

    AOUSD

    New Members & Collaboration

    Demand for interoperability across 3D workflows continues to drive interest in the Alliance for OpenUSD across industries. AOUSD now welcomes 12 new general members: Cesium, Chaos, Epic Games, Foundry, Hexagon, IKEA, Lowe’s, Meta, OTOY, SideFX, Spatial and Unity. AOUSD has also announced a new liaison relationship with the Khronos Group, which will foster better support within the community through the sharing of ideas and support.

    “Being a member of AOUSD allows us to participate in the creation of the specifications for USD and related projects, which is of huge importance to our customers,” said Vladimir Koylazov, Co-Founder and Head of Innovation at Chaos. “Taking part in the alliance will also help us to continue improving our products as we gain a forum to discuss in detail changes requested by both our own development teams and our customers. We are looking forward to exchanging ideas and discussing challenges with all the members of AOUSD.”

    The Khronos Group and AOUSD will collaborate to maximize alignment and interoperability between OpenUSD for advanced 3D scene composition and authoring, and Khronos’ glTF, a widely adopted 3D asset open standard for efficient delivery and loading of 3D scenes on diverse platforms, including the web. This collaboration will help coordinate the roadmaps of OpenUSD and glTF to avoid needless incompatibilities and better enable interoperation between the two technologies, to facilitate robust tooling pipelines that generate sophisticated 3D content that can be pervasively experienced on a wide range of platforms and engines.

    “The Khronos Group warmly welcomes AOUSD to the community of open standard organizations. We look forward to a close cooperation so that Khronos standards, including glTF, can support and synergize with AOUSD’s mission for the good of the industry,” commented Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group and VP of Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA

    Learn more at aousd.org.

  • Sundance Selects 10 Animated Shorts for 2024 Competition

    Sundance Selects 10 Animated Shorts for 2024 Competition

    Today, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the Short Films and 40th Edition Celebration Screenings and Events that will be a part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival programming. The Festival will take place January 18–28, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28. The official competition includes 10 films in the animation section.

    The Festival will introduce new short films for 2024 across eight curated programs. Special 40th Edition Celebration Screenings and Events — including new 4K restorations of Napoleon Dynamite (20th anniversary), Go Fish (30th anniversary), Three Seasons (25th anniversary) and an extended version of DIG! (20th anniversary), as well as a short film retrospective and 40th Edition trivia night — are set for the second half of the Festival and kick off on January 23, with a slate of retrospective programming that will bring alumni artists together for conversations and gatherings, while also allowing audiences to revisit iconic films from Sundance history through archive screenings followed by Q&As with members of the films.

    In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes, including a special short films online pass, are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

    Animation Short Films

    27 / France, Hungary (Director and Screenwriter: Flóra Anna Buda, Producers: Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Pierre Baussaron, Gábor Osváth, Péter Benjámin Lukács) — Alice is 27 years old today. Even though she is suffocating a bit, she still lives with her parents and tends to live in her dreams to escape her dreary everyday life. Available online for Public. 

    Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal / Canada, Germany (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Alisi Telengut) — The formation of Lake Baikal in Siberia is reimagined, featuring the voice of a Buryat woman who can still recall some words in her endangered Buryat language (a Mongolian dialect). U.S. Premiere. 

    The Bleacher / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Nicole Daddona, Adam Wilder, Producer: Zeus Kontoyannis) — The disappearance of her sock at a local laundromat sends a fragile Rita over the edge. Hellbent on finding it, she searches deep and gets sucked into a washing machine, entering an otherworldly cycle from which she may never escape. Cast: Kate Micucci, Ben Sinclair, Sky Elobar. World Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Bug Diner / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Phoebe Jane Hart) — A dissatisfied marriage, a secret crush, and workplace fantasies come to a head in a diner run by a mole with a hot ass. Cast: Jacob Levy, Phoebe Hart. World Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Dona Beatriz Ñsîmba Vita / Brazil (Director and Screenwriter: Catapreta, Producer: Miriam Rolim) — Kimpa Vita fulfills the prophetic mission of leading her people in a racist and unequal society. Set in contemporary Brazil and inspired by the true story of Kimpa Vita, a 17th-century Congolese religious leader. North American Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Drago / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Daniel Zvereff) — A young boy’s dream of becoming a doctor is challenged when war forces him and his mother to flee their village and start a new life in New York City. World Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Larry / U.S.A. (Directors: Takeshi Murata, Christopher Rutledge, Screenwriter: Takeshi Murata) — A dog loses its grasp of shape and time while balling like Shaq. Available online for Public.

    Martyr’s Guidebook / Poland (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Maks Rzontkowski) — Tony is the ultimate good guy, sometimes to a fault. From nabbing the smallest slice of cake in grade school to guiding lost strangers in the city, his kindness knows no bounds. He also lives with an angel. Cast: Maks Rzontkowski, Julia Woronowicz, Jaś Dąbrówka. International Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Matta and Matto / Switzerland (Directors and Screenwriters: Bianca Caderas, Kerstin Zemp, Producer: Joder von Rotz) — In a time when all interpersonal closeness is forbidden, the hourly hotel Vaip offers wondrous rooms where guests snuggle up to devices built with great skill and let themselves fall into the perfect illusion of human touch. Cast: Bianca Caderas, Kerstin Zemp, Etienne Mory, Amélie Cochet, Danay Gijzen, Martine Ulmer. North American Premiere. Available online for Public.

    Miisufy / Estonia (Director: Liisi Grünberg, Screenwriter and Producer: Aurelia Aasa) — Digital pet cat Miisu gets tired of her owner and starts to revolt. Inspired by Tamagotchi — observing the world through the eyes of digital pets. Cast: Maria Ehrenberg. Available online for Public.

    Audiences can also catch the hybrid short Bob’s Funeral by director, screenwriter, animator and producer Jack Dunphy in the Nonfiction Short Films competition.

  • L.A. Animation Fest Celebrates Winners at Jaxx Theater (Photos)

    L.A. Animation Fest Celebrates Winners at Jaxx Theater (Photos)

    In an awards ceremony Sunday evening, December 10, at the Jaxx Theater in Hollywood, the long-running LAAF (Los Angeles Animation Festival) competition announced winners of its top animated short and feature awards in several categories. The event was hosted by festival co-founder Miles Flanagan and comedian Adam Sartain.

    “Once again we had a successful event and provided a great forum for filmmakers to share their work, meet and mingle and receive recognition for their contributions to our animation community,” said Flanagan.

    Miguel Ortega, director of ‘The Voice in the Hollow,’ gets some help carrying his award certificates from LAAF ceremony co-host Adam Sartain. [Photos c/o LAAF 2023]
    Bill Plympton (right) with actor friend Daniel Knight.

    Topping the list of winning submissions, judged by a panel of professionals, was Best of the Fest winner The Voice in the Hollow from Colombian director Manuel Ortega, who also won Best Short Film Director, and Best Feature winner Slide, the ninth feature from independent film favorite Bill Plympton. Plympton won a Best Feature Director nod and a Best Music Video prize as well.

    “LAAF is America’s best animation festival,” commented Plympton. “The brilliant LAAF team has curated the next wave of world animation into a very hospitable fest that is crackling with high energy! I networked a ton and will definitely be back next year.”

    Yoo Lee, director of ‘The Nectar Instead’

    The Winner for Best International Short Film was La Fille au Béret Rouge (The Girl with the Red Beret) from director Janet Perlman and the animation studio of the French program of the National Film Board of Canada. Best International Feature went to The Other Shape, directed by Diego Felipe Guzmán of Colombia.

    The winner of Best Student Director was Yoo Lee for the short film The Nectar Instead. Lee also won for Best Student Comedy, which carried a prize of Storyboard Pro software from Toon Boom — one of three prizes offered by the company. The winning 2D student short Braided, from director Chenxi Zhang, received prize software from TVPaint.

    The full list of LAAF 2023 winners is posted here. 

    The nine programs over two days included a well-attended Night of Cartoon Voices on Saturday, which boasted a screening of the yet-to-be-released-to-streaming, first-ever Looney Tunes stop-motion short Daffy in Wackyland from the Warner Bros. Animation story team of Peter Browngardt and writer/director Max Winston, who appeared on the panel.

    The short was voiced by panel participant Eric Bauza, who was interviewed along with Cheryl Chase, known as the voice of Angelica Pickles in Nickelodeon’s Rugrats, and Tracy Grandstaff, the Universal executive who was the voice of MTV’s Daria throughout its run. The group performed live as their cartoon alter-egos in scenes from Pulp Fiction and When Harry Met Sally. Appearing opposite Chase was TikTok star Jeremy Olenski. The Saturday event was hosted by festival co-founder John Andrews, former MTV and Klasky-Csupo vice president and supervising producer of both Daria and Beavis & Butt-Head in their original MTV runs.

    LAAF panelists
    L-R: Panelists Max Winston, Eric Bauza, Jeremy Olenski, Tracy Grandstaff John Andrews and Cheryl Chase.

     

  • ‘Undead Unluck’ English Cast Revealed Ahead of Dub Drop on Hulu

    ‘Undead Unluck’ English Cast Revealed Ahead of Dub Drop on Hulu

    TMS Entertainment has announced the English voice cast for Undead Unluck, a Hulu original anime,  ahead of its dub release on December 13. The characters and cast list follows:

    • Andy – Ben Balmaceda (Hanamichi Sakuragi from The First Slam Dunk)
    • Fuko Izumo – Jackie Lastra (Komekko from KONOSUBA)
    • Shen – Aleks Le (Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer)
    • Void – Daniel Walton (Masashi Kawata from The First Slam Dunk)
    • Gena – Amber Lee Connors (Shoko Komi from Komi Can’t Communicate)

    Additionally, Eurie Nam, winner of the Anime Expo 2023 Open Auditions, will have guest roles in the series. More cast members will be revealed at a later date.

    Bang Zoom! Studios, who presented the Open Auditions at Anime Expo along with TMS, will be handling the production of the English dub. Tony Oliver (voice of Lupin III; director of LUPIN THE 3rd PART 6), will direct the dub series premiering December 13, exclusively on Hulu. Fans can continue to watch the show in the original Japanese with English subtitles.

    Undead Unluck will release worldwide starting December 13 in all Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar and Star+ markets internationally.

    Synopsis: What happens when an unlucky girl meets an undead guy? Pure chaos! Tired of inadvertently killing people with her special ability Unluck, Fuko Izumo sets out to end it all. But when she meets Andy, a man who longs for death but can’t die, she finds a reason to live—and he finds someone capable of giving him the death he’s been longing for.

    The anime series is based on the manga created by Yoshifumi Tozuka (Uchuu Kankou C-Arc), which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in January 2020.

    More info at tmsanime.com/undead-unluck

  • Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Launches Real-Time Production Tech Line ViewScreen

    Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Launches Real-Time Production Tech Line ViewScreen

    Fuzzy Door Tech, a division of Seth MacFarlane’s (Family Guy, The Orville, Ted) production company Fuzzy Door, today launched the ViewScreen family of products which includes ViewScreen Studio and ViewScreen Scout. ViewScreen is a suite of production visualization tools that simultaneously integrates visual effects and the real world to accelerate television and film production.

    ViewScreen Studio is built for full-scale productions to let filmmakers visualize and animate an entire scene, including digital assets, in real time, across multiple cameras. And ViewScreen Scout is a real-time scouting app for the iPhone that lets people record how digital assets will look on location or on a soundstage — before filming begins.

    Historically, working with digital assets required a lot of imagination and guesswork to visualize what should be in the empty space while filming a scene. ViewScreen is transforming storytelling by making the invisible visible. The products use augmented reality to display VFX components in a live scene so the director, director of photography, camera operators and extended crew can see the entire scene and react instantly to what’s happening on set. ViewScreen runs on off-the-shelf iOS/macOS and Windows consumer hardware that’s cost-effective and easy to use no matter where you’re filming.

    “ViewScreen takes the guesswork out of the directing process. Now, you can see VFX elements, in real time, as you’re shooting. It’s a true advantage for every facet of filmmaking because it accelerates everything we do,” said MacFarlane. “It allows for faster decision-making, quicker visualizations, and provides a clear framework for post-production to ensure the director’s vision is accurately achieved.”

    ViewScreen Scout – Waypoints

    The ViewScreen products have already made their mark in entertainment, transforming MacFarlane’s production process. ViewScreen Scout was critical for planning and blocking shuttle landings as part of Hulu’s The Orville: New Horizons. ViewScreen Studio allowed MacFarlane to direct and animate Ted’s face and body movements during the filming of the Ted TV series (airing on Peacock January 11, 2024) and gave the extended team visibility to evaluate shots in real time.

    “The ViewScreen suite of tools is focused on production visualization, or ProVis for short. ProVis is the ability to visualize digital assets in a live scene in real time — any time during production,” said Faith Sedlin, President of Fuzzy Door Tech. “Ultimately, with ViewScreen, you can evaluate, animate, and fine-tune every aspect of your production to capture the perfect shots in fewer takes.”

    Viewscreen Studio can be used anytime during filming to visualize props, characters, and environments, on set or on location in real time. Now camera operators know where to position shots because they can see an entire scene, including digital assets, in their viewfinder while filming — synchronized by timecode across multiple cameras. Actors can animate digital characters using just an iPhone — no cumbersome gear is needed. By removing the guesswork, ViewScreen Studio improves the creative process and lets everyone feel confident that the right shots are being captured during production.

    ViewScreen Scout lets you pre-visualize scenes, virtually walk through sets, block movement, visualize lighting and more before filming begins. With ViewScreen Scout, the crew can collaborate through shared rooms. For example, while an assistant director is on location scouting, a lighting designer can join a shared room remotely and adjust the lighting. The ability to visualize and animate digital assets and VFX in situ and react directly to what you see on your iPhone means getting the right shot in fewer takes.

    ViewScreen Scout can be run on iPhone OS, offering ProVis on the go.

    ViewScreen Studio is compatible with the latest macOS (Sonoma) and Windows 11. It can be used with any cinema camera. ViewScreen Scout runs on iOS devices including any iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max and higher or any iPad Pro M1 and higher.

    The ViewScreen suite of tools, ViewScreen Studio and ViewScreen Scout, are available today for use on film and TV productions in North America (US and Canada). ViewScreen Scout is included with ViewScreen Studio and can also be purchased separately. Pricing for ViewScreen varies based on the requirements and complexity of the production.

    viewscreen.com

    ‘The Orville’ before and after
  • ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Continues Quest for Revenge with Season 2 Renewal

    ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Continues Quest for Revenge with Season 2 Renewal

    Today, Netflix confirmed a second season of the critically acclaimed animated series, Blue Eye Samurai, which was recently named by Vanity Fair as one of the Best TV Series of 2023.

    “When we started this project, we made a commitment to take this very personal story set in Edo-period Japan and bring it to life in the most authentic and beautiful way possible. Our animators, historians, musicians, martial artists and voice cast made this a reality beyond our expectations,” said series creators Amber Noizumi and Michael Green. “We are thankful to our entire team and to our viewers from all over the world who have shown such passion for Mizu and her path of revenge. Mizu has a lot more blood to spill! We are deeply grateful to our incredible partners at Netflix for letting the journey continue.”

    Details of Season 2 have yet to be announced.

    Blue Eye Samurai is an adult animated action-drama set in Edo-period Japan. The story centers on Mizu, a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise seeking the deliverance of revenge.

    Noizumi and Green are creators, executive producers and writers on the series. Erwin Stoff is executive producer. Jane Wu is supervising director and producer. Blue Spirit is the animation studio.

    The Season 1 voice cast includes Maya Erskine (Mizu), George Takei (Seki), Masi Oka (Ringo), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Swordmaker), Brenda Song (Akemi), Darren Barnet (Taigen), Randall Park (Heiji Shindo), and Kenneth Branagh (Abijah Fowler). Supporting voice cast includes Stephanie Hsu (Ise), Ming-Na Wen (Madame Kaji), Harry Shum Jr. (Takayoshi) and Mark Dacascos (Chiaki), among others.

    Blue Eye Samurai Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

    https://youtu.be/Gk2cmXcJJTI?si=Wn8n6JPhzfNxFBU9

  • 172 Shorts Selected for Anima Brussels Festival

    172 Shorts Selected for Anima Brussels Festival

    After reviewing more than 1,700 submissions, the selection committee of the Brussels International Animation Film Festival – Anima have chosen 172 short films to run in competition; 82 international titles and 24 new works from Belgium. In addition, 66 out-of-competition films will round out the selection and make up Anima 2024’s various thematic programs.

    The 43rd edition of Anima is scheduled to take place February 23 to March 3, 2024.

    27 © Miyu Distribution
    27 © Miyu Distribution

    The films in international competition, from 39 countries including 21 European countries, illustrate the diversity of contemporary animation. The selection includes a number of films that have already been honored at other international festivals, such as 27 by Flóra Anna Buda, winner of the Cristal for Best Short Film at the Annecy Festival, and A Kind of Testament by Stephen Vuillemin, winner of the Best First Film Award at Animafest Zagreb.

    In terms of short films by students, Oscar nominated stop-motion artist Daria Kashcheeva is making a strong comeback with Electra, a multi-technique film with a powerful message.

    Maurice's Bar © Sacrebleu Productions
    Maurice’s Bar © Sacrebleu Productions

    For its special programming lineup, this 43rd edition brings back the animated documentary spotlight Real-Life Stories, the music program Watch & Dance, and the in-demand Queer Stories and Women’s Perspective tracks, which both sold out last year.

    Two brand-new programs will also be presented for the first time: New Talents, which highlights up-and-coming European animation filmmakers, as well as two short-film programs with a focus on science fiction.

    Beautiful Men © Miyu Distribution
    Beautiful Men © Miyu Distribution

    The latest in Belgian animation is also on display at Anima, with 31 films selected for the  from 123 submissions, including 24 in national competition. Among them, Nicolas Keppens, who has twice won the Award for Best Belgian Short Film at Anima with his short films Wildebeest (2018) and Easter Eggs (2021), returns with Beautiful Men, his first short film made in stop motion, while The Miracle heralds the return of Nienke Deutz, winner of numerous international awards, including the Cristal for Best Short Film at the Annecy Festival in 2018 for Bloeistraat 11.

    Belgian animation schools are also represented, with 11 selected films. And 2024 marks the return of Nicolas Gemoets — a regular at Anima, with his films Un Eldorado (2020) and Woods (2021) — who will present his graduation film. Muscle Man in: Metal Mayhem.

    Barry Purves | Rocío Alvarez | Steven Henderson

    The jury of the international competition for short films will include Barry Purves, Oscar-nominated director, animator and screenwriter of animated films; Rocío Alvarez, painter, illustrator and director; and Steven Henderson, director of the Manchester Animation Festival and editor of U.K. animation news site Skwigly.

    Catherine Totems | Raman Djafari |Muriel Andrin

    The jury of the national competition will be made up of Catherine Totems, storyboard artist, illustrator and former teacher at Atelier de Sèvres; Raman Djafari, Berlin-based director, illustrator and animator; and Muriel Andrin, doctor in film and professor at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

    The juries for the Films for a Young Audience and Feature Films competitions will be revealed at a later date, along with further announcements about the selection.

    Anima will run from February 23 to March 3, 2024 at Flagey, Marni and Cinematek as well as in a dozen towns across Wallonia and Flanders.

    A selection of Anima films will also be available to stream online on Sooner.

    animafestival.be