Adult Swim announced today that new episodes of Rick and Morty, the hit adult animated series that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe, will premiere around the world and across the multiverse starting on Sunday, October 15 at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
No new information was shared about recasting for the main characters following co-creator Justin Roiland’s ouster.
Synopsis: Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever! It’s season seven, and the possibilities are endless: What’s up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let’s find out! There’s probably less piss than last season. Rick and Morty, 100 years! Or at least until season 10!
The seventh season of the global phenomenon will debut in over 134 countries in 38 languages. In the U.S., new episodes will be available for purchase from digital retailers the day after they premiere on Adult Swim. The new season will also be available to stream in 2024.
“It’s happening,” confirmed Michael Ouweleen, President of Adult Swim. “Thanks to the talent of the entire show team, we can all enjoy 10 new episodes that yet again raise the bar for comedy and animation. This season proves that the geniuses at work on Rick and Morty are just getting started.”
Rick and Morty was the #1 comedy across all of cable during seasons three, four, five and six, and has become a multi-platform sensation not just on television, but across digital, gaming, livestreaming, retail and fan experiences. The series reached over 19 million viewers on linear broadcast in 2022 and remains a top series on Max. The adult sci-fi comedy has garnered two Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program and is currently nominated for a third.
DreamWorks Animation’s action-packed aquatic adventure gets a home video release of epic proportions with Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Collector’s Edition, available on Digital August 29 and on Blu-ray and DVD September 26, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Called “one of the best family films of the year,” (Nell Minow, Roger Ebert), fans can dive back into the unlikely hero tale with over an hour of bonus content.
Synopsis: Dive into the turbulent waters of high school with this heartwarming action comedy about a shy teenager who discovers that she’s part of a legendary royal lineage of mythical sea krakens and that her destiny, in the depths of the oceans, is bigger than she ever dreamed. Learning to be an all-powerful sea creature while hiding among humans is hard enough for Ruby, but to make matters worse, her super popular new bestie, Chelsea, is secretly a mermaid! Mermaids have been battling the Krakens for eons to rule the ocean, but Chelsea has come to land to finally put an end to that conflict. However, when Chelsea double-crosses her, Ruby will ultimately need to embrace who she is and GO BIG to protect those she loves most.
The film is directed by Kirk DeMicco (Vivo, The Croods), produced by Kelly Cooney Cilella (Trolls World Tour), co-directed by Faryn Pearl (story artist, The Croods: A New Age, Trolls World Tour) and written by Pam Brady (South Park).
The all-star cast includes Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise), Golden Globe winner Toni Collette (The Boxtrolls, Knives Out), Emmy winner Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), Emmy winner Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Emmy nominee Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso), Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Emmy nominee Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth), Jaboukie Young-White (Strange World, Ralph Breaks the Internet), Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things), Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever, Legends of Tomorrow) and Academy Award winner Jane Fonda (Book Club: The Next Chapter, 80 For Brady).
Read more about Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken in Animation Magazine‘s feature story here.
Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Bonus Features:
Deleted Scenes – Introductions by co-director Faryn Pearl
“Prologue”
“Walk to School”
“Crab ‘n Skate”
Oceanside Drawing Guide – Head of story Glenn Harmon will teach everyone how to draw characters from the film.
Ruby Gillman
Kraken Ruby
Grandmamah
Chelsea van der Zee
Mermaid Chelsea
Make Your Own Aquarium – With a few simple products and a little imagination, you can bring the undersea world into your own home.
Krakenarium
Well of Seas
Squad Solidarity: Adventures in ADR
The Kraken: Myth or Monster – In this animated piece narrated by Lana Condor and Annie Murphy, we dive deep into the mysteries of krakens and discover how stories of these mythical beasts have evolved over hundreds and hundreds of years.
Meet the Gillman Cast – Meet the cast behind your favorite Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken characters and discover what they loved about lending their voices to this aquatic adventure!
The Kraken Krew: Meet the Humans behind the Gillmans
Prom Stories – Ruby’s greatest wish was to attend prom with her friends and crush Connor! Here, the cast of the movie share their own prom stories and explain how they would design a promposal.
Super Sea Girl Besties – If you can see it, you can be it! In this piece we meet the talented women involved in the making of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.
Feature Commentary – With director Kirk DeMicco, co-director Faryn Pearl, producer Kelly Cooney Cilella, head of character animation Carlos Fernandez Puertolas and head of cinematography/layout Jon Gutman.
With the purchase of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken on disc or digital, fans are eligible to earn points towards digital movies via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. More information at myuniversalrewards.com.
Following its U.K. television premiere on POP, Mattel’s new animated series Barbie: A Touch of Magic will make its U.S. streaming debut on Netflix on September 14. The 13 x 22′ first season is also slated to air on SuperRTL (Germany), Cartoonito & Boing (Italy), Minimax (Eastern Europe), with additional broadcast and streaming partners to be announced.
Synopsis: While enjoying life by the beach in Malibu, Barbie and Barbie stumble upon a mysterious baby horse and work together to find where their new friend came from. It soon comes to light that the mysterious little horse is Peggy, a baby Pegasus, sent to Malibu on a mysterious mission. Barbie and Barbie must look to their friends and family to help keep their new friend safe from the clutches of Rocki, a magical being with her own mystical agenda.
Featuring all-new original music, Barbie and Barbie find the magic in the world around them in Barbie: A Touch of Magic.
“More than ever before, Barbie is a cultural phenomenon, showcasing the brand’s global message that anybody can be anything through content that consistently appeals to the creativity and wonder within our worldwide audience,” said Alex Godfrey, VP of Content Distribution, Mattel Television. “Our animated Netflix content has always been a focal point for the reinvigoration of the Barbie brand, and A Touch of Magic promises to bring the same level of fantasy fans have enjoyed in our previous series and specials to the forefront once again by delivering all new adventures focused on fun, friendship and all things Barbie.”
When Barbie: A Touch of Magic debuts this fall, it will mark a return to the series environment introduced in 2018’s Barbie DreamHouse Adventures, with Barbie and Barbie interacting with many of the same friends and places seen in the successful series.
The plucky, clucky barnyard heroes of Aardman’s Chicken Run are ready to fly the coop in a new adventure at the end of the year. Ahead of its official launch, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will have its World Premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival (October 4-15), presented in partnership with American Express. The gala screening on Saturday, October 14 at Southbank Center’s Royal Festival Hall is supported by the Mayor of London and Film London.
“What an honor to world premiere our film on home turf at the London Film Festival this year,” said director Sam Fell. “Dawn of the Nugget showcases the amazing talent and ingenuity of the crew at Aardman backed by the enduring passion of the team at Netflix. We’ve poured everything we’ve got into making this a treat for both die-hard fans and the new generation of families discovering Chicken Run for the first time.”
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival director, added, “We are so excited to be sharing the magic and artistry of the Aardman studio and their favorite feathered friends with audiences this October with a film that’s brimming with fun and has such enormous heart.”
Synopsis: Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
From the multi-Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep) and Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), the film is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the beloved and highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, Chicken Run.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget stars Thandiwe Newton as Ginger, Zachary Levi as Rocky, Bella Ramsey as Molly, Imelda Staunton as Bunty, Lynn Ferguson as Mac, David Bradley as Fowler, Jane Horrocks as Babs, Romesh Ranganathan as Nick, Daniel Mays as Fetcher, Josie Sedgwick-Davies as Frizzle and Nick Mohammed as Dr. Fry.
“I am delighted that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will receive its world premiere at the gala screening at this year’s BFI London Film Festival,” said Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries. “This highly anticipated sequel to the hugely successful Chicken Run features an all-star cast and shows off Aardman’s award-winning creativity in a family film that is packed with fun and laughter. London’s annual film festival shows why our capital is a global hub for film and television, and, after a hugely successful summer for our big screens, I’m determined to continue doing all I can to support the growth of the industry as we build a better London for everyone.”
Timed to the World Premiere at BFI London Film Festival (bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival), there will also be simultaneous preview screenings of the film taking place at multiple cinemas across the U.K. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget debuts globally on Netflix on December 15 (netflix.com/chickenrundawnofthenugget).
Like A Photon Creative (LAPC) in partnership with Screen Queensland has announced the voice cast of Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back. The tech-themed sequel sees the return of key characters from the 3D CG ‘Aussie-mation’ as well as the debut of some new additions.
AACTA Award winner Deborah Mailman (Total Control, Scarygirl) and young AACTA- and Critics Choice Award-nominated actor Ed Oxenbould (Wildlife, Julian) return to save Sanctuary City from a new threat as the voices of lead character and superhero aficionado Maggie and her side-kick Sweetie, respectively.
Joining the film, acclaimed Australian actor David Wenham (Elvis, The Lord of the Rings, Peter Rabbit films, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole) will voice new character and secret super-villain Lenny, Elizabeth Cullen (The Bureau of Magical Things, Bali 2002, Elvis) joins as Skylar, Mark Coles Smith (Last Cab to Darwin, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Occupation: Rainfall, Savage River, Sweet As) as Reginald, Dan Brumm takes a break from Uncle Stripe on Bluey to voice Chief Furbank, and Grant Denyer returns to The Tales from Sanctuary City franchise as Grant Quokka (Daisy Quokka: World’s Scariest Animal).
Clockwise from top left: Elizabeth Cullen, Mark Coles Smith, Grant Denyer and Dan Brumm join the cast for ‘Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back’
Synopsis: Following on from her heroic debut as Sanctuary City’s onesie-wearing caped crusader, Maggie Diggins (Mailman) and trusty Sugar Glider sidekick Sweetie (Oxenbould), are faced with a new threat to Sanctuary City.
One year on from the events of the first film, the crime fighting pair are rewarded for their heroism with a statue in the town square, along with an app that allows local citizens to call on the duo for any problem, great or small, anytime.
Whilst created with the very best of intentions, citizens begin taking advantage of the app, requesting help to carry out the most basic of tasks. Without any real ‘superhero work’ to stay busy with, Maggie is on the verge of giving up on the superhero game altogether.
Enter tech genius/entrepreneur Lenny Glick (Wenham), the founder of local tech company Chamele Online and his new exciting immersive platform. Whilst this tech takes the citizens of Sanctuary city by storm, mysterious crimes start being committed by an unlikely bunch of senior citizens. CombatWombat, Gallant Glider, and their new friends are thrown into investigating why the elderly are suddenly so unruly leaving Lenny to enact his secret plan to permanently transport the entire city into a digital simulation, Sanctuary +.
Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back marks the sequel to the 2020 film Combat Wombat, the second film in The Tales from Sanctuary City animated film franchise, created by Australia’s only female-led animation studio, Like A Photon Creative.
The film is directed by Ricard Cussó (Combat Wombat, Daisy Quokka, Scarygirl) and Tania Vincent (Scarygirl, Smiling Mind Creek) from a script by Dominic Morris, produced by Ryan Greaves, Kristen Souvlis and Nadine Bates. Lead animator Rebecca O’Brien previously worked on Disney Television Animation’s Monsters at Work, Elena of Avalor and Alice’s Wonderland Bakery.
Supported by financial partners Alceon Entertainment and through Screen Queensland’s Screen Finance investment, Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back is distributed globally by Sola Media, excluding Australia, New Zealand and Latin America. Sola Media announced in February, ahead of EFM, that it had acquired international distribution rights to the next three Sanctuary City films, which also covers untitled adventures centered on a sloth family with a hyper-active daughter and a tiger who believes he is the last of his kind.
Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back will be released by Universal Pictures in Australia in Spring 2024.
Brooklyn’s Animation Block Party wrapped a successful 20th edition this weekend, after celebrating three days of short film competition, special screenings and unique events. The 2023 festival enjoyed ABP’s biggest turnout in years, according to founder Casey Safron.
The festival awarded two prizes to outstanding short films:
Audience Award Winner — Snif & Snüf by Michael Ruocco (California, U.S.)
Two characters discover an interesting new object, and learn about what it means to share.
HEY! Here’s an EXCITING, ACTION-PACKED, ADRENALINE-FUELED sneak peek of my short film, “Snif & Snüf”! COMING SOON(ish)! pic.twitter.com/y8GPDKxIXe
Student Film Winner — Sleep Modeby Emmet Zabor (College for Creative Studies, Michigan, U.S.)
A little robot must arrive at his destination before his timer runs out.
As detailed ahead of the event, ABP 2023 was highlighted by feature length classics Tokyo Godfathers and The Triplets of Belleville, the documentary Cartoon Carnival, retrospective of Sublo and Tangy Mustard and a presentation by Malt Adult NYC, in addition to the shorts competition programs.
Learn more about Animation Block Party and find information on past editions at animationblock.com.
Reconnect with the emotional intelligent ETs of Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet in the new episode launching today (Wednesday). Based on the New York Times #1 bestselling graphic novel and social media phenomenon of the same name, the series premiered globally on August 9 with three episodes, and new episodes are rolling out weekly through September 27.
In Episode 6, “Key Change,” an older being considers performing at a talent show. Meanwhile, Careful Now’s manager and structural engineer make a perilous journey. In the sneak peek clip, we witness a tender and encouraging bathroom scene in which on Being encourages another who is grappling with stage fright.
Synopsis: Strange Planet is a hilarious and perceptive look at a distant world not unlike our own. Set in a whimsical world of cotton candy pinks and purples, relatable blue beings explore the absurdity of everyday human traditions.
The voice cast features Gotham Award nominee Tunde Adebimpe (Rachel Getting Married), Emmy Award nominee Demi Adejuyigbe (The Amber Ruffin Show), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Critics Choice Award nominee Danny Pudi (Community) and Emmy Award nominee Hannah Einbinder (Hacks).
Strange Planet is co-created and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) and Pyle, and produced by Apple Studios and ShadowMachine. The series is executive produced by Academy Award winner Alex Bulkley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), Emmy Award winner Corey Campodonico for ShadowMachine (BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie), Lauren Pomerantz (Saturday Night Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show), Emmy Award winner Amalia Levari (Over the Garden Wall, Harvey Beaks), Steve Levy (Rick and Morty, Community) and Taylor Alexy Pyle.
Roughly a year since introducing Blocks — a simplified sharing platform for 3D media and content across devices — Looking Glass has facilitated more than 6,000 holograms uploaded from its growing user base. Now, the company is ready to bring Blocks out of beta and introduce it to the wider world with its own image to hologram conversion service, making it even easier for users to create and share.
“Looking back on the early days of the internet, where static 2D images dominated our screens, to dynamic GIFs that added a touch of life, and now to Blocks making holograms commonplace, it’s clear that we’re on the cusp of a 3D revolution — developments in AI, ML and NeRFs notwithstanding,” Nikki Chan, VP Customer Experience for Looking Glass, writes in the official blog announcement.
“The progression from 2D to 3D content isn’t merely a technological step forward; it’s a transformation in how we perceive and interact with digital content. Just as we all now naturally expect videos to playback with a single click (eight-year-old me would be shocked), we’re venturing into a decade where 3D will be the expected default dimension.”
Built from scratch on Blocks, the new image to hologram converter allows users to seamlessly upload and share holograms generated from any single 2D image — from original artwork or generative AI images to personal snapshots. The 3D conversions can be viewed on the physical Looking Glass display (headset free) or in your web browser. New and existing users can convert 20 images for free every month, starting today.
Canadian kids’ & family entertainment co. WildBrain has partnered with Tencent Video and animation studio Miaow’s House as the exclusive worldwide distributor outside of mainland China of the new animated series, Pet Hotel (26 x 11’, kids 7–9).
“With ‘companionship’ as its core theme, Pet Hotel features characters Nai Nai, Vicky, Lili and Bubu, who are all based on real stray animals that I rescued in my daily life. Living together with these adorable animals inspired me to create this animated series,” explained Robin Guo, series director and chairman of the board of Miaow’s House. “I aim to create a comedy that revolves around the unexpected intelligence of pets, showcasing their cuteness through exaggerated physical performances and concise dialogue, as well as the harmonious coexistence with humans. Kindness, tolerance, sharing and giving ultimately triumph over all difficulties. The concept of ‘love’ permeates every episode of Pet Hotel, making it a family-friendly and innovative animated sitcom series.”
The series follows the comedic antics of Lili the dog, Bubu the guinea pig and cats Nai Nai and Vicky as they welcome new animal friends to their home at the Pet Hotel.
Unlike other hotels, the Pet Hotel — which has been converted from an old grocery store — is filled with high-tech inventions created by the pets’ caregiver and hotel owner, Robin; from massage tables to automatic feeders! The animal buddies and their young owner face various quirky customers and their wacky pets every day, giving rise to numerous entertaining stories. It’s no question that every guest at the Pet Hotel will leave happy, having made a new set of friends.
Leveraging the unique characteristics of different animals, Pet Hotel creates entertainment and humor while also promoting scientific knowledge about animals and pet care.
“This exciting partnership with Tencent Video and Miaow’s House represents the continued expansion of our business in China and underscores WildBrain’s international reach as we introduce audiences around the world to Pet Hotel,” said Caroline Tyre, VP Global Sales and Rights Strategy at WildBrain. “These laugh-out-loud tales of the Pet Hotel crew have universal appeal and are sure to delight kids and families through their compelling storylines and endearing characters.”
Selina She, Director of Kids’ IP Development and Programming at Tencent Video, commented, “We are delighted to be teaming up with WildBrain to bring this beloved show to a broader international audience. We can’t wait to see children across the globe delight in the madcap exploits of Robin and his menagerie of guests.”
Pet Hotel is produced by Tencent Video, Miaow’s House and GZ Art-land. The series is directed by Robin Guo (Olympic Adventures of Fuwa, Cosmic Escort) and written by Michael Ryan (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Thomas Krajewski (Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?). Vicky Zeng (Five Thousand Years of Flying, Panda and Little Mole), Selina She and GZ Art Land President Eddie Ng (Deer Squad) serve as executive producers.
Buyers attending MIPJunior and MIPCOM (October 13–19) are invited to screen Pet Hotel and visit WildBrain at stand #R7.N13 to learn more.
Online cannabis marketplace Weedmaps has partnered with notorious comix stoners The Freak Brothers to further destigmatize and celebrate weed culture through the animated series’ second half launch of Season 2, which streams Sunday, September 24 on Tubi.
The collab will consist of in-episode Weedmaps integrations in the new episodes, as well as exclusive “Smoke & Screen” events throughout the U.S., which will bring together industry influencers and tastemakers at the intersection of cannabis and entertainment.
“We know comedy has the power to influence culture, and we are excited to partner with The Freak Brothers to amplify our message that weed is something to be celebrated,” said Randa McMinn, Chief Marketing Officer at Weedmaps. “Since our company’s founding, Weedmaps has been committed to elevating stoner culture everywhere, challenging outdated stereotypes and bringing the plant to the forefront of mainstream conversations. Now, 15 years later, to see the Freak Brothers’ characters themselves embrace Weedmaps as their ‘go to’ for weed in the series is indicative of society’s broader acceptance of the plant and the industry at large.”
“Embracing the essence of stoner culture before it was mainstream, Freak Brothers and Weedmaps are united in blazing the trail toward a more inclusive and enlightened cannabis landscape” said Greg Goldner, Chief Brand & Strategy Officer of The Freak Brothers. “We’re excited about this partnership as it’s a convergence of the psychedelic past and the digital present, and I have no doubt that if Weedmaps was around in the 1960s, The Freak Brothers would have been their most valuable customers.”
Based on Gilbert Shelton’s cult classic underground comic series The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, The Freak Brothers animated series returns with Season 2 featuring the show’s all-star voice cast — Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, Tiffany Haddish, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Andrea Savage, La La Anthony and ScHoolboy Q. Additionally, Joe Sikora joins this season with a special guest appearance. The series is produced by WTG Enterprises.
The Freak Brothers chronicles the escapades of a trio of stoner anti-establishment characters and their cat who wake up from a 50-year nap after smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969 and must adjust to life with a new family in present-day San Francisco. In the second season, the Freaks’ Mary Jane-fueled misadventures will take them from their high school reunion to matching wits with Mark Zuckerberg, settling old scores with Mitch McConnell and battling Seth Rogen in a Pot Brownie Bake-Off contest.
You can watch The Freak Brothers on Tubi (tubitv.com) and source your next weed stash refill with weedmaps.com. For more on The Freak Brothers, visit the official website at thefreakbrothers.com.
Netflix today debuted a teaser trailer for Leo, the new 3D CG-animated musical comedy-adventure starring Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania, The Wedding Singer) as a disgruntled classroom pet who dreams of life beyond the terrarium. The spot sneak peeks the charming animated adventures that await when the feature film debuts November 21.
Synopsis: Jaded 74-year-old lizard Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle. When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
Adam Sandler stars as the voice of Leo, alongside Bill Burr as his turtle roommate, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, RobertSmigel, Jo Koy and Stephanie Hsu.
Leo is directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel and David Wachtenheim, written by Smigel, Sandler and Paul Sado. The Netflix original movie is produced by Sandler’s Happy Madison label.
The Academy has announced the finalist films in the 50th Student Academy Awards competition, naming eight films in the unified international Animation category.
This year’s race is packed with French student films from some of the nation’s most respected animation programs, accounting for half of the finalists. The United States is represented by two films from stalwarts CalArts and SCAD, with the remaining spots filled by Israel’s Bezalel Academy and U.K.’s NFTS.
French students captured a majority of the nominations in last year’s SAAs (three out of seven), capturing the Bronze Medal with The Seine’s Tears. In the prior year, when the Academy still separated the categories into International and Domestic Film Schools, all three International nominees were French — Louis’ Shoes won the Gold for 2021.
Medalists in the Student Academy Awards are automatically qualified for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar category at the main Academy Awards. While an SAA winner has yet to take home the coveted statuette (John Minnis’ film Charade produced at Sheridan College was not in the Student race before winning the Academy Award in 1984), recent medalists turned Oscar nominees include An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It by Lachlan Pendragon (Griffith Film School, Australia) this year, Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva (FAMU, Czechia) in 2019 and 9 by Shane Acker back in 2005.
You can find the full list of Student Academy Awards for 2023 here. The semi-finalist list is also online here.
50th Student Academy Awards Finalists: Animation
Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier & Yannick Jacquin, Boom, École des Nouvelles Images (France)
A couple of dumb birds tries its best to protect its eggs from a volcano eruption. (CGI)
Boom
César Luton, Achille Pasquier & Clémence Bailly, Diplomatie de l’Éclipse /The Diplomacy of the Eclipse, MoPA 3D Animation School (France)
At the moment of alignment, of total eclipse, humanity will vanish, this was the message sent by the Sun and the Moon. The World Council decides to send his best negotiator to stop the end of the world. (CGI)
Tom Koryto Blumen, Friendly Fire, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem (Israel)
A Palestinian boy’s mistimed kick sparks a friendly game of football with an IDF guard. The unequal contest escalates and the line between a friendly game and war begins to blur. (Paint Mural Animation)
Justine King, The Little Poet, California Institute of the Arts (United States)
The Little Poet sits in the museum sketching, imagining what it would be like to live in a painting as a little girl and a little boy explore the brushstroke worlds of Van Gogh, Monet, Miró, Seurat… (2D)
Lisa Kenney, Mum’s Spaghetti, National Film and Television School (United Kingdom)
MC mastermind Poppy and her beatboxing border terrier Snoop are the new kids in town — and they’re ready to make their reputation known. Straight As and bubble baths are their way of life — but when confronted by an older crew en route to her first day at school, Poppy quickly changes her tune. (Stop-Motion)
Maxime Wattrelos, Jérémy Trochet & Marie Heribel, Samara Op.4, Pôle 3D Digital & Creative School (France)
An old automaton sculptor retraces his own life throughout the four seasons. (CGI)
Rachel Mow, The Sun Is Bad, Savannah College of Art & Design (United States)
In Hong Kong during the late 80s, an angry girl sets out to destroy the sun as he wrecks and melts her city. (2D)
A young bee must overcome her condition if she is to survive the destructive hornet that has invaded her hive. This adventure allows us to discover the dark side of a colony that is utopian at first glance. The film also explores the world of bees in more depth, with a story that highlights the fear of the unknown, of the dark, of claustrophobia, pushed in that by a macro camera which follows the character, in an alternative and frightening documented universe. (CGI)
Note: Boom, The Diplomacy of the Eclipse and Tear Off are available to watch in SIGGRAPH’s Electronic Theater virtual screenings, tickets available now.
Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the visual effects industry’s professional global honorary society, announced the Society’s newest Lifetime members and this year’s recipient of the VES Founders Award. The honorees will be celebrated at a special event in October.
Oscar-winning VFX supervisor and founding VES member Tim McGovern was named recipient of the 2023 VES Founders Award. The Society designated archivist and curator Sandra Joy Aguilar; producer and AMPAS Governor Brooke Breton, VES; VFX artist agent and executive Bob Coleman; and Tim McGovern with Lifetime VES memberships. Additional honorees to be announced.
“Our VES honorees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects, our industry and the Society,” said VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”
Tim McGovern
Founders Award recipient and Lifetime VES Member: Tim McGovern for his sustained contributions to the art, science or business of visual effects and meritorious service to the Society.
An acclaimed visual effects supervisor and creative director, McGovern began his career at the inception of digital/computer visual effects, in the otherwise analog VFX industry, doing award-winning, groundbreaking work in VFX and computer animation. In addition to winning an Academy Award for Digital Visual Effects for Total Recall, he garnered five Clios, a Hugo and a Mobius award. He was a founding member of Sony Pictures Imageworks, and ran it as Senior VFX Supervisor, as well as the SVP of Creative and Technical Affairs.
Since leaving Sony, McGovern has worked as an independent visual effects supervisor and filmmaker and has shot for films all over the world. He has supervised VFX for Hollywood Films in Mumbai, and now works at DNEG Mumbai, while also serving as Chief Creative Officer at Whisper Pictures, a development and production company focused on animated family films.
McGovern has played a number of key leadership roles with the VES over the last 20 years. He has been a member of the global Board of Directors for almost 20 years and has served as the Board’s Vice Chair, as a founding Co-Chair of the VES Awards Committee and member of the Virtual Production Committee. McGovern’s insights and tireless volunteer leadership have been key to the Society’s flourishing global expansion as the founding Chair of the VES Committee for Outreach to Developing Regions. He has greatly contributed to the organization’s growth in multiple regions on four continents, including working with VES members to form Sections in Washington State, Georgia, France, Germany, India and assisting to help Montreal and Toronto achieve Section-hood.
Sandra Joy Aguilar
Lifetime VES Member: Sandra Joy Aguilar for meritorious service to the Society and the global industry.
Aguilar is a renowned archivist and curator, who currently oversees metadata and indexing at University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education, an online educational resource which showcases video life histories of individuals who survived the Holocaust or other genocides.
She previously served as Digital Curator at CBS Digital, Director of Archives for USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Warner Bros. and Moving Image Archives and Media Librarian at Industrial Light & Magic, where she served as the company’s first archivist for a 150,000-item post-production visual effects archive and reference library.
Aguilar has played a pivotal role in developing the VES library, digital museum and archive projects for the past 20 years. She has had a long tenure on the VES global Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the VES Archives Committee, and most recently is serving as a consultant on the forthcoming VES Roth Museum of Visual Effects and as a member of the Tech History Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Brooke Breton
Lifetime VES Member: Brooke Breton, VES for meritorious service to the Society and the global industry.
Breton has been principally involved in a wide variety of prominent live action films, animated films, television series and theme park projects which have received Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, Annie and VES awards and nominations. Recently, Breton served as a producer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum, where she focused on modern filmmaking techniques and acquisitions.
During her career, Breton played an instrumental role in launching James Cameron’s effects house Digital Domain, where she served as Senior Vice President of Production, and was Senior Production Executive and in-house producer for Illumination Entertainment, where she produced the film content for the Annie and VES Award-winning Despicable Me theme park attraction, Minion Mayhem.
Breton is an AMPAS governor representing the Visual Effects Branch and chair of the Academy’s Education and Outreach Committee, is a VES Fellow and has served as a three-term member on the VES global Board of Directors.
Bob Coleman
Lifetime VES Member: Bob Coleman for meritorious service to the Society and the global industry.
Coleman is the President and Founder of Digital Artists Agency. With a roster of VFX talent that includes Academy Award, VES Award and Emmy Award winning artisans, DAA is recognized as a preeminent below-the-line agency, exclusively representing VFX artists for feature films, television and commercials.
His tenure working in film production, visual effects and post production spans over 40 years and includes senior leadership positions with Victor Duncan Inc., Optimus Inc., Editel Chicago, Lucas Arts, Skywalker Sound, Digital Magic, and Virgin Digital Studios entities 525 and Virgin Television de Mexico.
Coleman has served on the VES Awards Committee for 23 years, including nine years as Chair. He has had a long tenure on the VES global Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, as well as providing significant contributions and leadership for the VES Business Labor and Law, Benefits, VES Summit and Membership Committees.
The VES Honors Celebration will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Friday, October 13. Learn more about the Visual Effects Society at vesglobal.org.
Nipping at the heels of the debut of new super hero styled character posters for the movie, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and Spin Master Entertainment have unleashed a new clip from PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie — only in theaters September 29.
In the clip, we see how the pieces of a strange space rock fuse with the pups’ collars to imbue them with out of this world powers: Marshall (voiced by Kingsley Marshall) can conjure fire with his paws, Chase (Christian Convery) gets lightning speed, Rubble (Luxton Handspiker) rolls into a wrecking ball of smashing strength and we get a brief peek at Rocky’s magnetic new personality.
Synopsis: When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty PUps! For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the superpowers and turn themselves into supervillains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pupshave tostop the supervillains before it’s too late, and Skye will need to learn that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.
The voice cast also features Mckenna Grace as Skye, Callum Shoniker as Rocky, Nylan Parthipan as Zuma, Marsai Martin as Liberty, Taraji P. Henson, Ron Pardo, Lil Rel Howery, Kim Kardashian, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, Alan Kim, Brice Gonzalez,North West, Saint West, Christian Corrao, with James Marsden and Kristen Bell, introducing Finn Lee-Epp.
Based on the television series created by Keith Chapman, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies and Spin Master Entertainment present a Spin Master Entertainment production: PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Produced by Jennifer Dodge, p.g.a., Laura Clunie, p.g.a. and Toni Stevens, p.g.a.; executive producers RonnenHarary, AdamBeder and PeterSchlessel.
Today, Rooster Teeth and Warner Bros. Discovery Access announced the finalists for their Rooster Teeth Digital Creators Program, now in its second year. Out of more than 400 applicants, eight aspiring and emerging digital talent content creators were selected to widen diverse, equitable and inclusive representation.
The Rooster Teeth Digital Creators Program was established to provide underrepresented digital talent a platform to break through to new audiences, while also providing them with the tools and opportunities to succeed as content creators. The paid mentorship and training from Rooster Teeth and Warner Bros. Discovery will occur over three months, including a one-month residency in Austin. Chosen creators may also be eligible for a one-year Rooster Teeth talent contract.
“We’re immensely proud to introduce the standout creators selected for year two of the Rooster Teeth Digital Creators Program,” said Jejuan Guillory, Rooster Teeth’s Head of Programming & Development. “This remarkable cohort epitomizes our commitment to fostering diverse voices. We’re excited to support their growth as content creators and to provide new opportunities for experience through partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Access.”
The 2023 finalists for the Rooster Teeth Digital Creators Program are:
Josh Aries (“josharies”): Vancouver-based filmmaker that makes action-packed, fan-favorite films, striving to tell stories that exemplify perseverance, hope and absurdity.
Goofywise (“goofywise”): Sacramento-based variety creator spreading laughter and inspiration online through TikTok and Twitch. Charismatic, hilarious and uplifting.
Madi DuVernay (“madiduvernay”): Austin-based, queer, disabled Twitch streamer and TikToker who puts their focus on breaking the boundaries for creators like her.
Adrianah Lee (“adrianahlee”): Austin-based queer model, creator and gamer who loves producing satirical skit comedy, embodying various characters in interviews and in Omegle.
Alluux (“alluux”): San Diego-based passionate streamer and content creator, bringing variety to the online world. Engaging, energetic and community-driven.
Krystal Reed (“krystalshanelle”): Los Angeles-based versatile content creator, influencer and entrepreneur who empowers others to embrace uniqueness and spread joy in the digital realm.
Alejandro (“alejmrod”): Florida-based content creator and actor who incorporates his love for gaming and geek culture into each of his YouTube videos.
Frankey Smith (“fantasticfrankey”): N.Y.C.-based creator, analyzing and critiquing fandom content. Challenging peers, she champions normalizing the Black Female voice in the Nerd Space.
The selected finalists embody diverse voices with passions for pop culture, comedy, gaming and animation across the U.S. and Canada. They will gain hands-on experience on professional sets, sponsored productions, and exposure to Warner Bros. Discovery executives. Finalists will also receive education and training encompassing production, marketing, business growth, technical skills, content development, partnerships, writing, improv, media training and more.
For the 2023 program, over 400 submissions were received and vetted. To qualify for the program, applicants must have a minimum aggregate of 1,000 followers across relevant content platforms (YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Snap, and/or Facebook), but not to exceed 300,000 followers. For podcasters, applicant’s podcasts must average a minimum of 1,000 downloads per episode. Participants were chosen by a distinguished panel of Rooster Teeth and Warner Bros. Discovery executives.
The 2023 Advisory Council is made up of executives across Warner Bros. Discovery’s many brands and businesses. Council members and other prominent guests will deliver Masterclasses and workshops throughout the program and work with the cohort on branded content activations, giving them invaluable hands-on experience.
Rooster Teeth is celebrating its 20th year as a leading digital content platform with roots among the first-ever viral video creators online with Red vs. Blue in 2003. Participants will shadow Rooster Teeth producers on-set and appear as guests on-camera across Rooster Teeth’s portfolio of channel brands, including Achievement Hunter, Funhaus, All Good No Worries and Inside Gaming. Creators will also gain experience across some of their most popular podcasts, including 30 Morbid Minutes, Red Web, Face Jam and the Rooster Teeth Podcast.
The program will culminate with a Talent Showcase event, where industry execs will view participants’ work. At the end of the three-month program, some participants may be eligible to receive an offer for a one-year Rooster Teeth talent contract.
The official trailer and Japanese voice cast roster have been revealed The Imaginary, the second full feature film from eight-year-old Studio Ponoc. Like its first movie, Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017), this fantasy adventure is inspired by a British children’s book — in this case, A. F. Harrold’s 2014 novel of the same name. The Imaginary is scheduled for release in Japan on December 15, followed by a global rollout in 2024.
Synopsis: His name is Rudger. A boy no one can see. An Imaginary, imagined by Amanda, who has lost love. But Imaginaries disappear when they are forgotten by humans. Lost without hope, Rudger arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where Imaginaries once forgotten by humans live together…
In the announcement, the studio stated, “We are very happy to share this peek at our new animated feature film with you, a hint at the marvelous story told through Studio Ponoc’s splendidly beautiful hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds and some new innovative techniques that both honor our heritage and help us create even more exquisite storytelling.”
The Japanese voice cast includes Kokoro Terada as Rudger; Rio Suzuki as Amanda; Sakura Ando as Amanda’s mother, Lizzie; Riisa Naka as Emily, a girl Rudger meets in The Town of Imagineries; Takayuki Yamada as Zinzan, a mysterious cat; Atsuko Takahata as Amanda’s grandmother, Granny Downbeat; and Issey Ogata as Mr. Bunting, a mysterious man who follows Rudger. Additional cast to be announced.
The Imaginary is being directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, who joined Studio Ghibli as a key animator on Grave of the Fireflies (1988) and worked his way up to lead storyboard for Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994) and the CG portions of Princess Mononoke (1997); leading key animator on Spirited Away (2001) and sequence director for My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). After making his theatrical directorial debut with the Ghiblies:Episode 2 (2002), Momose was in charge of scene design for Isao Takahata’s final masterpiece, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013).
At Studio Ponoc, Momose directed Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, one of the shorts in Modest Heroes – Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1 (2018). His latest work as director is Tomorrow’s Leaves (2021), an animated short film created in collaboration with the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage.
Founded in 2015 by Studio Ghibli alum Yoshiaki Nishimura (lead producer on Howl’s Moving Castle, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There), Studio Ponoc introduced itself to the global cinema scene with warmly received Mary and the Witch’s Flower, based on Mary Stewart’s book The Little Broom Stick and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arietty, When Marnie WasThere). The film was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation Film and received two Annie Award nominations.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower was followed in 2018 by the three-part anthology Modest Heroes, which featured segments written and directed by Yonebayashi, Momose and longtime Ghibli character designer Akihiko Yamashita, who previously directed the Ghibli Museum Short A Sumo Wrestler’s Tale.
Oni Press is joining modern digital comic store and reader app Omnibus to bring the multiple Eisner- and Harvey Award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher’s library to a brand-new frontier of the digital comics arena.
More than 250 of Oni Press’s most revered singles and graphic novels will be available on Omnibus at launch, including award-winning titles such as Scott Pilgrim by Eisner Award winner Bryan Lee O’Malley, The Tea Dragon Society by Eisner Award winner K. O’Neill, Sheetsand Delicatesby acclaimed creator Brenna Thummler, Gender Queer by Ignatz Award nominee Maia Kobabe, The Sixth Gun by Eisner Award winner Cullen Bunn and acclaimed artist Brian Hurtt, and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™, alongside many dozens more
“It’s always incredibly exciting to bring one of the deepest and most revered libraries in comics to a new audience,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “Omnibus has ambitious plans for expanding the digital comics marketplace, and we’re glad to join them in efforts with a far-reaching array of beloved titles by some of the most influential creative voices that comics has to offer.”
Additional Oni Press titles will be released by Omnibus in the coming months.
Other publishers available through the app include Image Comics, Dark Horse, Ablaze, Valiant, Titan, Vault, Boom! Studios, Humanoids, Silver Sprocket and more. Omnibus is now available for iPad in the Apple App Store. More information at omnibus.app.
ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum (AEF) has announced the six recipients of the 2023 AEF Faculty Grants program. This year’s recipients were selected from a pool of creative, talented artists and filmmakers from across the United States. Applications for this series were received from educators from Australia, Canada, the West Indies, Wales and the United States.
AEF Faculty Grants are designed to provide support for individuals or groups with reasonable expenditures associated with research, scholarly activity or creative projects in the field of animation. Grants are open to both full- and part-time faculty at accredited post-secondary institutions.
In alphabetical order, the recipients of this year’s AEF Faculty Grants are:
Catriona Baker, Associate Professor and Chair of Animation and VFX at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design (Massachusetts, U.S.A.), was given an award to support her 2D fine art frame-by-frame animated short film Ball Lightning, which follows a German refugee who immigrated to the United States after being forced to leave behind her infant daughter during WWII.
Mari Jaye Blanchard, Associate Professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (New York, U.S.A.), was awarded funds to support the completion of her animated short film (re)TIRED, a 2D hand-drawn animated short film exploring themes of aging, employment and the planet’s changing climate.
Mindy Johnson, award-winning author and Adjunct Professor at California Institute of the Arts (California, U.S.A.), was given funds to support development to bring century-old artwork by the earliest known female animator to life for her documentary film, The Only Woman Animator – Bessie Mae Kelley & Women at the Dawn of Industry.
Stephan Leeper, Professor of Animation at Central Michigan University (Michigan, U.S.A.), was given an award to support development on The Creation Poem Project, an eight-minute animated film with original musical score and spoken-word performance, based on African American poet James Weldon Johnson’s well-known piece.
Sujin Kim, Assistant Professor at Arizona State University (Arizona, U.S.A.), was provided funds to assist in the completion of her 3D animated short film Cunabula, a story of a mixed-race adoptee’s struggles for acceptance into society in the aftermath of the Korean War.
Zachary Zezima, Associate Professor at California State University (California, U.S.A.), was given an award to support animation work on his short documentary film The Inevitable Return of an Atomic Being, which explores the effects of military technology and atomic testing on surf culture in the Unites States.
ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international professional organization ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation), supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, animation open source support, special events, screenings and the annual Annie Awards.
Following a sold-out engagement last February at Guadalajara’s Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénica, Bugs Bunny at the Symphonyis returning to Mexico with a four city tour this coming fall, playing Mexico City, Puebla, Monterrey and returning to Guadalajara. Presented by FR Producciones, Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénica and Representaciones Árinder, S.C., in conjunction with Industrial FX Productions and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, the concert will tour:
Puebla on Sunday, October 22, 2023 at Auditorio del Complejo Cultural Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (tickets)
Mexico City on Sunday, November 5 at Auditorio Nacional (tickets)
Monterrey on Sunday, November 12 at Auditorio Pabellón M (tickets)
Guadalajara on Saturday, November 25 at Sala Plácido Domingo, Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas, performed again for this return engagement by Orquesta Solistas de América (tickets)
This Mexico tour comes during the 100th Anniversary celebration year of Warner Bros., which includes the enduring appeal and legacy of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes characters and animation.
Conducted by Emmy Award winner George Daugherty, and created by Daugherty and Emmy Award winner David Ka Lik Wong, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony has been touring the world with major symphony orchestras and at iconic venues since 1990, when the production first sold out Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre as Bugs Bunny on Broadway. Since then, the concert has played to sold-out houses and rave reviews around the globe, with hundreds of orchestras and venues ranging from The New York Philharmonic to The Boston Pops to The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Royal Philharmonic, from The Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House to Lincoln Center.
Previously in Mexico, the concert first played at Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional in 1998, which was followed in 2011 by two historic open-air performances in front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which attracted tens of thousands of audience members.
This latest version of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony pairs 16 iconic Looney Tunes shorts projected on the big screen, including What’s Opera, Doc? (Chuck Jones, 1957), The Rabbit of Seville (Jones, 1950), Baton Bunny(Jones and Abe Levitow, 1959),Long-Haired Hare (Jones, 1949) and the Merrie Melodies short A Corny Concerto (Bob Clampett, 1943), plus five contemporary shorts: 3D CG coyote & roadrunner toons from 2010, directed by Matthew O’Callaghan: Rabid Rider, Coyote Falls and Fur of Flying; and 2019 Looney Tunes Cartoons Dynamite Dance and Wet Cement.
“When we were all growing up and watching Looney Tunes on Saturday morning, we didn’t realize we were also getting a massive lesson in classical music,” says Daugherty. “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony is the perfect opportunity to bring today’s kids to the symphony orchestra and appreciate the beauty of classical music while getting a hilarious twist from Bugs Bunny and his cohorts. More importantly, it’s a chance for adults of all ages to rekindle their affection for these brilliant animated shorts, and relive a truly nostalgic and magical part of their childhoods.”
Photo courtesy of Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénica
Daugherty has conducted more than 250 American and international orchestras, and also earned a Primetime Emmy Award, five other Emmy nominations and numerous other awards for his work in television and film. Daugherty and producing partner David Ka Lik Wong received Primetime Emmys as executive producers of ABC’s animation and live-action production of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which Daugherty also directed, wrote and conducted, and for which he was also Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Music Direction. Daugherty and Wong were also executive producers and writers of the PBS/Sesame Workshop children’s series Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and both received Emmy nominations for Rhythm & Jam, their series of ABC network music education specials.
In 1990, Daugherty and Wong created Bugs Bunny on Broadway, which made its debut at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre with a sold-out extended run, and along with its sequel Bugs Bunny at the Symphony has since played to critical acclaim and sold-out houses all over the world, to audiences of over 2 million people.
Wong is also a Prime Time Emmy Award winner, a three-time Emmy nominee, has created programming and concerts on Broadway and for the greatest symphony orchestras and concert halls in the world, and together with Daugherty has produced, written and created a slate of critically-acclaimed television programs and movies for Warner Bros., ABC/Disney, Sesame Workshop, PBS, and other major studios and networks. He has been the co-creator, producer, technical/stage director and lighting designer for the concert’s entire history.
Warner Bros. Discovery Presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony is a 130-minute concert, with one 20-minute intermission.
Preparations are well underway for the 47th edition of Cinanima — Portugal’s prestigious, Oscar-qualifying animation festival — which today announced that a record 130 films have been selected to screen across its national and international short and feature film competition tracks. Ninety-eight works from 33 countries (including six feature films) will run in the international competitions (22 hours of films), with France (13 films), the United Kingdom (eight) and Israel (seven) being most represented.
The Grand Prize winner of the international short film competition at Cinanima automatically qualifies for the Academy Awards longlist for Best Animated Short Film.
International Competitions:
Short Films: 57
Feature Films: 6
Student Films: 35
The António Gaio Award and the Young Portuguese Filmmaker Award (which is divided into films made by children under 18 years of age and first films made by youngsters aged between 18 and 30), will present 32 films as part of the National Competition. This is an increase compared to the 31 works screened in 2022, and it represents around four hours of Portuguese production.
In fact, this year’s edition marks the introduction of a second session for the António Gaio Award competition — a mark of the increasing quality of Portuguese animation production.
Portuguese Competitions:
António Gaio (Short Films): 13
Young Portuguese Director, ages 18-30 (Short Films): 9
Young Portuguese Director, under 18 (Short Films): 10
The selections for the international feature films and Oscar-qualifying short film competition are listed below. See the complete selection roster at cinanima.pt.
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Feature Films
Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret • Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli – France
