Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Watch: ‘ZOMBIES’ Stars Spill Their Guts on the Re-Animated Shorts

    Watch: ‘ZOMBIES’ Stars Spill Their Guts on the Re-Animated Shorts

    Celebrate “Endless Summer” with one of Disney Channel’s more unusual star-crossed couples in a new featurette for ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series Shorts. Recorded earlier this year, the session sees ZOMBIES stars Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim discuss the new animated iteration of the hit franchise, in which they reprise their roles from the live-action musical to voice cheerleader Addison and her undead beau, Zed, respectively.

    ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series Shorts will premiere this Friday, July 21 on Disney Channel, the Disney Channel YouTube and DisneyNOW, followed by a streaming launch on Disney+. It will be followed by the new comedy-musical toon ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series at a later date.

    The short-form series continues the adventures of Zed, Addison and the Seabrook crew in shorts that share the spirit and jam-packed music of the movies. Fans will find the friends encountering new monsters — a carnivorous plant monster, horrifying mega-cricket and even evil clones — while dealing with school and new experiences like a never-ending summer time loop.

    Also reprising their roles in animation are are Ariel Martin, Chandler Kinney and Pearce Joza as werewolves Wynter, Willa and Wyatt; Carla Jeffery and Trevor Tordjman as cheerleaders Bree and Bucky; Jonathan Langdon as Coach; James Godfrey and Kylee Russell as zombies Bonzo and Eliza; and Terry Hu as outer space alien A-Spen.

  • Watch: “Putting the Teen in TMNT” Featurette Unshells a Younger Take on the Turtles

    Watch: “Putting the Teen in TMNT” Featurette Unshells a Younger Take on the Turtles

    For the first time ever on screen, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are being portrayed by actual teenagers in Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and Point Grey’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem — bringing radical animated action to the big screen on August 2 (following early fan preview screenings).

    In a newly released behind-the-scenes featurette, fans get a first-hand look at the energy, authenticity and cutting up that went into the performances by Nicolas Cantu (Leo/Leonardo), Sharon Brown Jr. (Mikey/Michelangelo), Micah Abbey (Donnie/Donatello) and Brady Noon (Raph/Raphael). In the video, executive producer and voice of Bebop Seth Rogen (Invincible, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sausage Party) and director Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Gravity Falls) discuss the important of getting a teen take on these iconic characters and reflect on the four-performer recording sessions.

    Directed by Rowe and co-directed by Kyler Spears from a screenplay by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe and Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem also features the voices of Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), John Cena (Rocksteady), Jackie Chan (Master Splinter), Ice Cube (Superfly), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko) and Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom).

    Synopsis: After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

    Tickets for TMNT: Mutant Mayhem are on sale now at teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com.

    Read all about the Turtles’ latest animated adventure in the August ’23 issue of Animation Magazine, available now. 

  • ‘The Monkey King’ Swings into Action in Official Netflix Trailer

    ‘The Monkey King’ Swings into Action in Official Netflix Trailer

    Netflix today unveiled the official trailer and new images for its animated feature The Monkey King, based on the classic Chinese fantasy epic Journey to the West. Directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls, Open Season), produced by Peilin Chou (Over the Moon, Abominable) and executive produced by Hong Kong comedy-action master Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer), the energetic CG retelling premieres August 18.

    Synopsis: The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a rebellious and charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.

    The movie features the voices of Jimmy O. Yang as Monkey King, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Lin, Nan Li as Stick, Bowen Yang as Dragon King, Jo Koy as Benbo, Ron Yuan as Babbo, Hoon Lee as Jade Emperor, BD Wong as Buddha, Andrew Kishino as Demon of Havoc, Sophie Wu as Red Girl, Andrew Kishino as King Yama, Jodi Long as Wangmu, James Sie as Elder Monkey, Andrew Pang as Mayor, Stephanie Hsu as Mayor’s Wife and Kuno Inghram as Mayor’s Son.

    Animation for The Monkey King is provided by ReelFX.

    Read more about the making of The Monkey King in the August ’23 issue of Animation Magazine, available now (click here to purchase the TMNT cover, here for the Futurama cover.)

  • Crunchyroll Announces New Acquisitions at Japan Expo

    Crunchyroll Announces New Acquisitions at Japan Expo

    The Crunchyroll Industry Panel at Japan Expo 2023 was held on Saturday, July 15 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in Paris, France.

    During the panel, multiple title acquisitions were announced that will be coming soon to Crunchyroll, including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Berserk of Gluttony and A Girl & Her Guard Dog.

    Additionally, the latest trailer for the highly anticipated video game-inspired fantasy anime Shangri-La Frontier was shared, which will arrive on Crunchyroll this October.

    New Acquisitions

    Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
    Studio: Madhouse | Launch Timing: September 29 | Territories: Worldwide excluding Asia

    Synopsis: The mage Frieren defeated the Demon King alongside the hero Himmel’s party after a 10-year quest. Peace was restored to the kingdom. Because she is an elf, she is able to live over a thousand years. She promises Himmel and the others that she will be back to see them and then sets out on a journey by herself. Fifty years later, Frieren goes to visit Himmel and the others. She remained unchanged, but Himmel and the others have aged and only a little of their lives remain. Later, she witnesses Himmel’s death. Frieren is pained by her desire to have spent more time getting to know people. With that regret in her heart, she then goes on a journey to do just that. On her journey, she meets many people and many events await her. (Trailer)

     

    ©2023 Aya Shouoto/KADOKAWA/The Demon Prince of Momochi House Committee

    The Demon Prince of Momochi House
    TBA | Coming soon | Worldwide excluding Asia

    Manga Synopsis (via VIZ Media): On her 16th birthday, orphan Himari Momochi inherits her ancestral estate that she’s never seen. Momochi House exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms, and Himari is meant to act as guardian between the two worlds. But on the day she moves in, she finds three handsome squatters already living in the house, and one seems to have already taken over her role! (Trailer)

     

     

    ©Ichika Isshiki/MICRO MAGAZINE/PROJECT Berserk of Gluttony

    Berserk of Gluttony
    ACGT | October 2023 | Worldwide excluding Asia and India

    Synopsis: Fate, a castle guard in a world where one’s skills are everything, has acquired a skill called “Gluttony” that does nothing but make him hungry, leaving him with a miserable life. But one day, he defeats some who are bandits infiltrating the castle, and his world changes. Thus begins the story of how a young man once ridiculed as talentless climbed from the lowest stratum of life to the top. (Trailer)

     

     

    ©Hatsuharu, Kodansha /A Girl & Her Guard Dog Anime Production Committee

    A Girl & Her Guard Dog
    Project No.9 | October 2023 | Worldwide excluding Asia

    Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Isaku Senagaki, the granddaughter of the third boss of the Senagaki crime syndicate, just wants to have normal friends and a normal high school romance. She enrolls in a high school far from her hometown, but the overprotective young leader, 26-year-old Keiya Uto, lies about his age and bribes his way into the same school as Isaku! Telling Isaku she’s too young to fall in love, Keiya’s ready to scare off all the boys. But actually, Isaku’s had unrequited feelings for Keiya this whole time?! (Trailer)

  • ROKiT Flix to Host All-Ages Animation Pitch at Comic-Con

    ROKiT Flix to Host All-Ages Animation Pitch at Comic-Con

    The newly launched free (and ad-free) streaming service ROKiT Flix announced today it will host a panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where aspiring animation stars of all ages will have the chance to pitch their unique ideas to the executive team. The sessions will consider script ideas, comics, characters and animations for new content  through ROKiT Animation All-Stars. The panel will also give helpful commentary and preview content coming to the platform.

    Scheduled for Friday, July 21 at noon (SDCC schedule subject to change, keep track of the “Pitch Sesh” here), the panel will feature Jonathan Kendrick (ROKiT), Jody Bennett (ROKiT Studios), Larry Stroth (ROKiT Radio Theatre), Zac Canton (ROKiT Animation) and Charlie Kendrick (ROKiT Comics), moderated by T.J. Chambers (SYFY’s Great Debate, Mythical Entertainment).

    Launched in May 2023, ROKiT Flix is billed as the world’s first no-cost family-friendly streaming service free from advertisements. The platform offers consumers access to a range of content, including 3D animation, classic cartoons, animated shorts, dubbed original content, educational content and public domain motion comics powered by ROKiT Motionise. The service is accessible via mobile, tablet or computer, available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

    rockitstudios.com/rokit-flix

  • Hasbro’s ‘Odd-Paw Vet’ Makes Appointment with YouTube

    Hasbro’s ‘Odd-Paw Vet’ Makes Appointment with YouTube

    Entertainment One (eOne), Hasbro’s global entertainment studio, announced the launch of Odd-Paw Vet, a new IP and digital animated series with a hybrid animal twist. The first three episodes are available to watch now on the official Odd-Paw Vet YouTube channel ,with a total of 40 x 5-minute episodes rolling out weekly thereafter.

    The CGI animated series for kids ages 2-5 follows Billie the Odd-Paw Vet and her Odd-Paw sidekicks, Rokz the Dino-Pup and Nova the Unicorn-Cat, as they explore a world of other Odd-Paw creatures in need of help, nurturing and care.

    Odd-Paw Vet welcomes viewers to the fantastical town of Odd Springs, where odd is good and a range of super-cute hybrid animals reside — including Kangarafee (giraffe-kangaroo), Barrot (parrot-bear), Mummy and Baby Durtle (turtle-duck), Elefrog (elephant-frog), Pigoodle (pig-poodle), Drabbit (dragon-rabbit) and more. When these Odd-Paws need help, it’s up to Billie the Odd-Paw vet and her sidekicks to answer the call to care!

    “It’s exciting to be among the first to launch a brand-new property in the veterinary play space for young kids on YouTube with Odd-Paw Vet,” said Olivier Dumont, President of eOne Family Brands. “Being a digital first IP will allow us to test the appetite for these adorable and nurturing characters and learn from the viewing behaviors in real-time, with potential opportunities to expand the storytelling and brand in the future and truly build fandom organically.”

    Odd-Paw Vet is co-created by Emily Mullock and Patrick Baggatta, with Amuse serving as the production partner. Odd-Paw Vet is from the inhouse original digital team behind the hugely successful Peppa Pig Tales and Baby Alive original series on YouTube.

  • Gladius Studios in Puerto Rico Achieve Historic Unionization with TAG

    Gladius Studios in Puerto Rico Achieve Historic Unionization with TAG

    The 14-person team at Gladius Studios in San Juan have successfully voted to unionize under The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839 (TAG). On July 12, paperwork was officially filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), marking a significant milestone in the pursuit of fair representation for animation workers in Puerto Rico.

    “By organizing and collaborating together, we strive to build a brighter and prosperous future for all, fostering a stronger company that embraces diversity and promotes transparency to ensure the studios success and employees well being,” said Adadell Álvarez, a texture artist lead at the studio.

    Modeler Sylvette Rosario added, “We wanted to have a voice, and be heard. But also we want to make Gladius a more sustainable place to work, opening more doors to retain creative talent in Puerto Rico.”

    This victory for Gladius workers marks the first time The Animation Guild has successfully organized a studio outside the continental United States.

    “The artists at Gladius Studios may be small in number but their unity is mighty,” says TAG Organizer Ben Speight. “This campaign is the latest example that The Animation Guild has the backs of animation artists and workers from L.A. and N.Y. to Texas and Puerto Rico, and everywhere in between. These workers simply want a seat at the table with their employer and are determined to ensure that animation is able to thrive in Puerto Rico in a just and sustainable way.”

     

    The Animation Guild, also known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. The labor union represents more than 6,000 artists, technicians and writers in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.

    animationguild.org

  • GKIDS Picks Up ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ Miyazaki’s ‘How Do You Live’ Adaptation

    GKIDS Picks Up ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ Miyazaki’s ‘How Do You Live’ Adaptation

    GKIDS announced its acquisition of North American distribution rights to the highly anticipated new film from Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Japan’s Studio Ghibli. Informally referred to in English-language press by its tentative title, How Do You Live, the official international title is unveiled as The Boy and the Heron.

    Released in Japan as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka (How Do You Live), the film is written and directed by Miyazaki, produced by the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator, Joe Hisaishi.

    The all-rights deal marks a continuation of GKIDS’ long-standing relationship with Ghibli, which will see the producer/distributor theatrically release The Boy and the Heron in North America later this year.

    The hand-drawn animated feature — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — opens exclusively in Japanese cinemas today. In an unprecedented decision by Studio Ghibli, no images, trailers, synopses, advertisements or other information about the film have been made available to the public prior to its release in theaters in Japan. In keeping with this policy, GKIDS will not release any further details or marketing materials at this time.

    According to a story in Japan Times lines were getting longer by the minute at a Toho cinema in the Kabukicho district of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Friday morning.

    As previously reported, the only hint from the studio about the film is that it is “a grand fantasy” based on the 1937 book How Do You Live by Yoshino Genzaburo. The novel centers on a teenage boy’s experiences growing up after the loss of his father, as his beloved uncle keeps a diary of their talks about emotional challenges, life, relationships and the world.

    “Hayao Miyazaki is a living legend in filmmaking, as evidenced by his Academy Award win for Spirited Away and his two Oscar nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises,” said David Jesteadt, GKIDS President. “It’s been 10 years since the world has seen a new film from Miyazaki-san, and GKIDS is so proud and honored to unveil his latest, highly anticipated masterpiece in North America.”

    GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films across all theatrical, home video, digital, and streaming platforms. The company has released Studio Ghibli’s most recent films in theaters nationwide, including the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the Academy Award-nominated When Marnie Was There, From Up on Poppy Hill and more.

    Since 2017, GKIDS has produced the annual Studio Ghibli Fest, a monthly nationwide theatrical program of Ghibli film screenings in over 800 theaters across the country. The series continues this year with a focus on the films of Hayao Miyazaki.

  • Trans-Positive Short ‘Pacemaker’ Starring Alex Newell & Philip Lawrence Sets Outfest LA Premiere

    Trans-Positive Short ‘Pacemaker’ Starring Alex Newell & Philip Lawrence Sets Outfest LA Premiere

    Pacemaker, the new animated musical short starring 2023 Tony Award winner Alex Newell (Shucked) — the first-ever non-binary actor to win a Tony — and multi-Grammy Award winner Philip Lawrence (of Bruno Mars fame), will have a U.S. premiere at the OUTFEST LA festival on July 23.

    Pacemaker tells the story of a grandfather’s hopeful acceptance of his trans grandson. The story is told through an original contemporary song with music and lyrics by Christopher Lennertz and orchestrations by Ella Feingold (Silk Sonic). Two-time Emmy nominee and Grammy winner Lennertz wrote the screenplay, inspired by life with his trans son, who also consulted on the film’s story. Brian Vincent Rhodes (Spies in Disguise) co-directs with Lennertz.

    “This film is a love letter to my and every family’s journey toward understanding and accepting each human’s identity and purpose,” said Lennertz. “Inspired by my son Tobi and our love of classic animated musicals — where a song can transport audiences and help them experience joy in their own lives — we set out to create a film like those we all know and love but with a new look and message of love and pride for families of the LGBTQIA+ community and the world. Love truly wins when we follow the rhythm of our hearts.”

    Pacemaker

    The film is produced by animation veterans Darlene Caamaño Loquet (The Bling Ring, A Loud House Christmas) and Magdiela Hermida Duhamel (Pixar’s Inside Out 2, Marvel’s What If…?). Alex Bedford and Ben Parkin produce for A.R.C. in London. Nate Stevenson (Nimona) serves as executive producer. Davy Nathan (Toni Braxton) and Lawrence produced the music and sounds at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.

    Newell, an icon of the LGBTQIA community, came to fame on the hit show Glee and is well known for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Broadway’s Once on This Island. Lawrence (Rio) has co-written and been featured on many hits and tours with Bruno Mars, including “Uptown Funk,” and wrote the songs for last year’s hit Christmas musical Jingle Jangle (with Nathan) for Netflix.

    OUTFEST®, established in 1982, is one of the only global LGBTQIA+ arts, media and entertainment organizations whose programs empower artists, communities and filmmakers to transform the world through their stories while supporting the entire life-cycle of their careers.

    This year’s film festival dates are July 13-23. Visit outfestla.org for further information and to purchase tickets.

  • Animation Block Party Announces August Festival Line-Up

    Animation Block Party Announces August Festival Line-Up

    Coming off of its big 20th Anniversary celebration, Brooklyn’s Animation Block Party is ready to keep the fun going with the official 2023 festival! Returning to BAM Film, the festival runs August 18-20, offering the latest indie shorts, revisits to feature-length classics, retrospectives and special programming for animation lovers of all predilections.

    ABP 2023 kicks of Friday night at 8 p.m. with Tokyo Godfathers (2003), directed by the late anime master Satoshi Kon. Inspired by the live-action film 3 Godfathers, the animated feature centers on three friends living on the streets of Tokyo — an alcoholic, a teen runaway and a trans woman — who set out to find the parents of a newborn abandoned on Christmas Eve.

    On Saturday, ABP offers four animation programs: Shorts Program One (2 p.m.) and Program Two (6 p.m.); a retrospective on Sublo and Tangy Mustard (4 p.m.), followed by a Q&A with creator Aaron Long and animation director Mike Hollingsworth (BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie); and another visit from longtime festival friend Sarah Schmidt of Chicago-based screening series Malt Adult, who will showcase some of her favorite N.Y. (and adjacent) animators at 8 p.m.

    The traditional Saturday Night Party will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Union Hall, featuring a performance by live animated comedy troupe Picture This! Entry is free with RSVP.

    On Sunday, visitors can enjoy a 35mm matinee of another classic animated feature, Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville (2003). Recognized with awards and nominations from the Oscars, BAFTA, César Awards, Annies, Genies and more, the film follows petite Madame Souza (and her dog, Bruno) on a quest to save her grandson, who has been kidnapped by the French mafia during the Tour de France. Along the way, she enlists the help of the elderly Belleville Sisters — song and dance stars of the 1930s.

    Then at 4 p.m., Andrew T. Smith’s documentary Cartoon Carnival will take audiences back to animation’s pioneering early days, and chronicles a preservationist’s mission to rescue pre-sound cartoons from obscurity. The 90-minute film features animation historians Jerry Beck, Howard Beckerman and Tommy Stathes, who will host the screening.

    The complete short film programs and film descriptions are available now at animationblock.com.

     

  • Kartoon Studios Launches Original Animated Features Division

    Kartoon Studios Launches Original Animated Features Division

    Kartoon Studios announced today a package of original full-length animated features for children based on its existing properties, which will leverage AI technology. Created under the new Kartoon Films banner, the movies will debut exclusively across the Kartoon Channel! U.S. streaming platforms, as well as being distributed to broadcasters and streamers globally.

    Films slated to debut in 2024 and 2025 include:

    • Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders (featuring Stan Lee)
    • Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten
    • Llama’s Big Adventure (a Llama Llama movie)
    • An Omaha Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club)
    • Fix and Foxi
    • Rainbow Rangers Hot Concert to Cool Global Warming 

    “We have observed a strong appetite for recognized brands that began in either television, toys, video games, or publishing, to become full-length animated feature films,” says Kartoon Studios CEO Andy Heyward. “We have seen this with top brands like Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Spider-Man, the Grinch and Hotel Transylvania, which were translated into animated movie hits. Much of our catalog has such roots and pedigree, with a number of brands coming from successful books like Llama Llama or Rainbow Rangers and from brands and pedigrees like Stan Lee.”

    Overseeing creative for Kartoon Films will be multi-Emmy-winning producer/director Mike Maliani (The New Adventures of Madeline, Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, SHerlock Holmes in the 22nd Century).

    “By using both AI, human creativity, and the existing assets that have already been developed with the brands, production costs will be reduced, while upholding the highest levels of quality,” Maliani adds. “Previously the costs of producing an original full-length animated feature for a streaming service were prohibitive, however with the advent of AI technology, and using existing key materials, footage, and animation cycles  already in place, we now have an incredibly cost-effective model that we believe is a game changer, which will enable quality animated films to be brought to the consumer for a fraction of what it would have previously cost. We can do all this while maintaining our focus on content written by proven industry creators.

    “We like this model, because we are investing in our own brands, as we additionally drive awareness for consumer product sales, as well as viewership for our channel, and creating an evergreen asset that can be used again and again.”

    The company will additionally draw titles from its Munich-based affiliate company, Your Family Entertainment. Certain films will feature celebrity voice actors, as well as original music sound tracks, while highlighting a diversity of characters, global names, and a mix of ages, genders and ethnicities. Kartoon Films is also planning seasonal titles (Halloween, Christmas, etc.).

    Paul Robinson, President of Kartoon Channel! Worldwide, who will oversee global distribution, stated, “Full-length animated features have consistently been one of the most successful genres of all entertainment, and are very attractive to broadcasters worldwide. They steadily over-index, attracting large audiences. Whether the timeless classics from Disney, or hits from Pixar, DreamWorks and Illumination, we know they perform well. The films will be family friendly, non-violent, and embrace positive themes. We view the animated feature film business for global services as the game changer catalyst to propel the channel forward to significant earnings.”

    kartoonstudios.com

  • Shout! Celebrates 20 Years with New Name & Plans for Fans

    Shout! Celebrates 20 Years with New Name & Plans for Fans

    Shout! Factory is celebrating two decades of delivering iconic film and TV series as well as highly anticipated new titles to fans across established and emerging platforms.  As part of the official commencement of Shout’s 20th anniversary celebration, the company announced today a name change to Shout! Studios to better reflect the scope of its business expansion and strategic direction.

    Shout! Studios has in turn unveiled a 20th anniversary logo, as well as a new motion logo that will appear on all future Shout releases. The animated logo represents the entertainment brand’s global vision while paying homage to the history and cultural impact. The company has also launched a newly redesigned corporate website at shoutstudios.com.

    Shout! Studios’ emerald anniversary will be commemorated through a variety of consumer touchpoints, including special programming and streaming events on Shout’s digital entertainment service Shout! TV, highlighted home entertainment releases, screening events and fan-focused activations.

    Celebratory highlights include:

    • At this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, Shout! Studios is set to delight fans at its booth (#4118) on the conventional floor with fan engagement activities, including a showcase of new home entertainment products and Comic-Con exclusive items — including 20th anniversary tote bags and collectible promotional items for partner brands including ALF, Aardman Animation, Farscape and others. 
    • For the rest of the year, Shout! Studios’ direct-to-consumer destination ShoutFactory.com will be celebrating the 20th anniversary with monthly contesting (on the 20th of every month), recurring emails harking back to its most popular releases over the last two decades and a blog post looking back at 20 years’ worth of Shout! fan favorites. There will also be the Shout! Select and Shocktober sales fans have come to know, as well as a series of 20th anniversary-themed flash sales every Friday at the end of the year — they’ve even updated the packing paper for all our orders to reflect this milestone!  
    • Themed programming blocks on the 20th of every month on Shout! TV, starting in July. 

    Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development and original productions. The company is proud of breaking new ground in movies, series and pop culture content over the last 20 years through packaged media, consumer products, content licensing and distribution across multiple screens — streaming, digital download, broadcast, in-flight entertainment and cinemas.

    Shout’s extensive experience in diverse genres has led to the launch of several respected subsidiary brands and properties, including original movies, Shout! Kids, Shout! TV and its family of FAST channels, Scream Factory and Mystery Science Theater 3000.


    Shout! Kids
    Through home media and theatrical releases ranging from beloved TV series (Transformers, Sesame Street, Gravity Falls) to original features (The Magic Flute, Ainbo: Spirit Of The Amazon, Three Wishes For Cinderella, Dreambuilders) and popular anime, Shout! Kids has made its mark as a leader in family entertainment.   

    Anime content distribution lies within Shout’s family entertainment, home to a wide range of anime entertainment, including Millennium Actress, A Silent Voice and Digimon Adventure .tri. Through its partnership with GKIDS, Shout also distributes 22 Studio Ghibli classics for home entertainment and a wide slate of acclaimed anime films such as Promare, Weathering With You, Belle and Neon Genesis Evangelion, among others.

    Partnerships with LAIKA Studios, Aardman Animations, Sesame Workshop, Disney, Hasbro, and others have positioned the company to continue to expand and innovate in the kids and family genre.

     

    Shout! TV
    Debuted in 2015, Shout! TV™ is a digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans. Shout! TV offers an unrivaled blend of original programming, movies and series curated from major studios, independent producers and its own distinctive entertainment library. The Shout! TV family of channels include Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Carol Burnett Show, Johnny Carson TV, TokuSHOUTsu™, ALF, Scream Factory TV and Shout! Cult, with more to come soon.

    Shout! TV provides an immersive, high-quality viewing experience across a wide variety of platforms: online at Shout-TV.com, on smartphone devices, tablets, and connected TV, and via apps on the Roku player, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Shout! TV channels are also available as branded channels on Amazon Freevee, Amazon Prime Channels, Local Now, Plex, Pluto TV, Redbox, The Roku Channel, Roku Premium Subscriptions, Samsung TV Plus, Sling TV, STIRR, Streamium, TCL, Tubi, Twitch, Vizio, and XUMO with more to come. Visit Shout-TV.com for more information.

     

    Scream Factory
    Since launching in 2021, Shout! sub-brand Scream Factory has become one of the most esteemed and well-respected authorities in cult classic horror and sci-fi films, in addition to bringing new movies and original productions to a broad audience. Scream Factory has given the deluxe Collector’s Edition treatment to such favorites as The Thing, Halloween, Carrie and Friday The 13th, released the indie phenomenon The Babadook and taken on original products and theatrical releases such as Fender Bender, Bite and Masquerade.

     

    MST3K
    For more than 30 years, the award-winning comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000™ has been known as one of the best cult TV shows in history. The story of human hosts and their robot sidekicks trapped aboard a satellite and forced to watch cheesy movies by their captors, MST3K™ has maintained its reputation thanks to its devoted fan base, known as MSTies. In 2017 the show returned after an 18-year hiatus thanks to a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, enjoying two critically acclaimed seasons on Netflix, as well as a series of live national tours.

    In 2021, Shout! Studios and creator Joel Hodgson launched another Kickstarter campaign to create new episodes as well as a new platform for the show, the Gizmoplex. Season 13, which features the cast of the Netflix seasons as well as new host Emily Connor, first aired on the Gizmoplex in 2022, and can now also be seen on Shout! TV’s MST3K streaming channel.

     

    Shout’s Feature Film Releases 
    Shout’s upcoming movie releases include the dark comedic thriller The Kill Room, starring Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello and Samuel L. Jackson; action-comedy Showdown at the Grand, starring Oscar®-winner Terrence Howard and Dolph Lundgren; and neo-Western thriller Head Count, starring Aaron Jakubenko, Melanie Zanetti and Ryan Kwanten.

    Recent releases include the Working Title romantic comedy feature What’s Love Got to Do with It?, starring Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi and Emma Thompson; the sci-fi comedy-drama Linoleum, starring Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn; epic fantasy adventure The Magic Flute, executive produced by Roland Emmerich and starring Jack Wolfe and Oscar®-winner F. Murray Abraham; Oliver Stone’s JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass; the critically acclaimed Shout! Studios original Western Old Henry, starring Tim Blake Nelson; comedy-drama Language Lessons, directed by Natalie Morales and starring Morales and Mark Duplass; comedy-drama Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw; and Standing Up, Falling Down, starring Ben Schwartz and Billy Crystal.

  • Aardman & Sky Kids Launch ‘Very Small Creatures’ S2, New ‘Morph’ Game

    Aardman & Sky Kids Launch ‘Very Small Creatures’ S2, New ‘Morph’ Game

    Multi-award-winning independent animation studio Aardman and Sky Kids (U.K.) have launched a second, 20-episode season of stop-motion animated preschool series The Very Small Creatures. The first 10 episodes launched on Friday, June 30, broadcasting daily at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and more episodes will be available from October 2.

    A spin-off from Aardman’s Morph series, The Very Small Creatures follows the adventures of five, toddler-like clay creatures who explore a child’s playroom when no one is around. Through interacting with objects they find, the creatures learn about their physical world, themselves and each other.

    The show is anchored in themes of inclusivity and celebrating our differences — the Very Small Creatures are depicted as a diverse group of individuals who always respect one another, celebrating each other’s unique voices and coming together to create something special.

    “It’s great to be back in the world of The Very Small Creatures for more fun with our five colorful friends,” says Lucy Izzard, series director at Aardman. “For series two, we get to know each character a little bit more as they squish, yodel, meow and doodle their way across our screens. We’ve got trips to space, train rides, dance routines, more cute outfits and epic ice-skating scenes! With the intoxicating toddler laughter throughout, I hope the giggles on screen encourage giggles from very small people at home.”

    Aardman and Sky have also released the new Morph Thingy-Ma-Bobstacle Course game as an exclusive launch title on Sky Live, the new interactive camera from Sky that transforms Sky Glass televisions to bring audiences new ways to play games, share their favorite shows, work out or video call. The game uses Sky Live’s AI-powered body tracking and gesture control to physically direct Morph along a series of epic obstacle courses and treadmill terrain, collecting buttons, dodging shapes and battling bosses to reach the furthest distance possible and top the leader board. The game is designed to be playable by anyone.

    Morph Thingy-Ma-Bobstacle Course was produced by Aardman’s in-house Games and Interactive team to engage fans of Morph in a new and immersive way, using the unique capabilities of the Sky Live technology. The game was a collaboration with Sky, for whom Morph is a key brand, and also features a cameo from The Very Small Creatures.

    “We know how much families and kids love The Very Small Creatures, so we are thrilled to launch series two on our Sky Kids channel and On Demand,” says Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky U.K. “The creativity and joy Aardman bring to every aspect of this series makes it must watch for kids of any age and adults too! The recent launch of Sky Live provides families the opportunity to get fully immersed in their favorite shows and characters. The new Morph game gives so much opportunity for families to be active and have fun together.”

    Gavin Strange, creative director for Morph Thingy-Ma-Bobstacle Course at Aardman, said, “We’re always super excited about bringing our characters to life on new platforms and offering exciting ways for people to interact with their favourite Aardman creations! It was such a joy translating the stop-motion tactility that people love about Morph into a realtime game engine. In Morph Thingy-Ma-Bobstacle Course, we’ve brought together brand-new tech with that classic claymation style for a hands-on fun- filled Morph game. Cheered on by The Very Small Creatures and antagonised by Chas, we hope that families enjoy dodging, dipping and racing along with Morph from the comfort of their homes!”

    The launches coincide with a Morph sculpture trail in central London, featuring 56 super-sized Morph sculptures painted by a variety of celebrities and artists including Tom Fletcher, Ade Adepitan and Martin Dougan. The trail is the city’s first step-free art trail and has been put on by Whizz Kidz, the U.K.’s leading charity for young wheelchair users. It will run until 20 th August when the trail ends and the sculptures will be auctioned off to raise money for the charity. Sky Kids and Sky VIP are Presenting Partners of the art trail.

    The Very Small Creatures  is available to watch on Sky Kids and NOW. Morph Thingy- Ma-Bobstacle Course is available to play on Sky Live.

  • ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Gets Early Screenings Nationwide (New Clip & Featurette)

    ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Gets Early Screenings Nationwide (New Clip & Featurette)

    Paramount Pictures today announced two fan-centric screenings with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Sneak Preview (Saturday, July 29 at 2 p.m. local time) and an Early Access Fan Event (Monday, July 31 at 7 p.m. local time) to celebrate the theatrical release of the film opening nationwide exclusively in theaters. Both one-show events will screen at participating theaters across the country, in advance of the film’s nationwide debut on August 2. The Early Access Fan Event will be presented in an array of premium theatrical formats, including Dolby Cinema and 4DX.

    To mark the announcement, Paramount also debuted a brand-new clip from the film and a behind-the-scenes featurette, which you can watch below.

    “We’re incredibly proud to bring this fresh, action-packed movie with so much humor and heart to audiences,” says Paramount Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Chris Aronson. “We’re unveiling a visually stunning, new TMNT world in a way that hasn’t been seen before.  We can’t wait for fans of all ages to experience Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on the big screen.”

    Synopsis: After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

    Ticketholders seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem at the advance Early Access Fan Event screening will also see special bonus content curated for this event, plus will receive exclusive giveaways including a special collector’s print and IDW cinema exclusive, classic covers comic book at their local theater on the date of the event, while supplies last.

    Tickets for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Sneak Preview / Early Access Fan Event and general tickets are on sale today:

    In the first official clip from Mutant Mayhem, the Turtles prepare to infiltrate the human world — a place of danger, prejudice and, most importantly, Doritos. The scene features Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Sharon Brown Jr. as Mikey, Micah Abbey as Donnie and Brady Noon as Raph.

     

    In the new “Behind the Design” featurette, hear from director/co-writer Jeff Rowe, exec producer Seth Rogen (voice of Bebop), producer/co-writer Evan Goldberg, voice star Ice Cube (Superfly) and production designer Yashar Kassai about crafting the movie’s unique CG look, inspired by high school notebook doodles and the cool/gross ’90s kids’ brand trend.

    Read all about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in the August ’23 issue of Animation Magazine, available this week. 

  • New Clip from ‘PSYCHO-PASS: Providence’ Brings the Action ahead of Friday Release

    New Clip from ‘PSYCHO-PASS: Providence’ Brings the Action ahead of Friday Release

    With the sci-fi anime feature due to hit North American theatrical release on Friday, July 14, Crunchyroll today dropped a new clip from PSYCHO-PASS: Providence. The footage shows an action packed scene featuring fan favorites Akane and Kagami dropping in to confront a mystery threat.

    Synopsis: January 2118. Chief Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane Tsunemori, receives a report of an incident on a foreign vessel — the body of Professor Milicia Stronskaya has been discovered. Behind the incident is a group known as the Peacebreakers, a foreign paramilitary organization and a new outside threat who are targeting the professor’s research papers known as the “Stronskaya Document.”

    Reunited with Shinya Kogami, a former fugitive from the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane grapples with a case that quickly escalates beyond their expectations. The Stronskaya Papers could reveal a truth that would shake Japan’s government, and even the Sibyl System, to the core.

    It is in this untold story that the missing link is revealed.

    The English dub cast features Kate Oxley (Akane Tsunemori), Robert McCollum (Shinya Kogami), Jessie James (Nobuchika Ginoza), Cherami Leigh (Mika Shimotsuki), Mike McFarland (Teppei Sugo), Z. Charles Bolton (Sho Hinakawa), Lindsay Seidel (Yayoi Kunizuka), Lydia Mackay (Shion Karanomori), Erin Kelly Noble (Frederica Hanashiro), Dallas Reid (Arata Shindo), Eduardo Vildasol (Kei Mikhail) and Stephanie Young (Dominator).

    The film is directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani from a script by Makoto Fukami and series composer Tow Ubukata. Original story concept written by Gen Urobuchi. Original character Design by Akira Amano, character design by Naoyuki Onda, music by Yugo Kanno.

    Release in NorAm by Crunchyroll in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, PSYCHO-PASS: Providence had sneak-peek fan screenings on Tuesday (English dub) and Thursday (English subtitled) ahead of the Friday release.

    PSYCHO-PASS was an original anime for television that began in 2012. Now, after 10 years, comes the newest film that will act as the connective tissue between the movie PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System Case 3: On the Other Side of Love and Hate and Season 3 of the PSYCHO-PASS TV series. Catch up on these titles at crunchyroll.com.

    psychopass-providence.com

    PSYCHO-PASS Providence © PSYCHO-PASS Committee
  • Creative Wales Opens Production Fund Call for Animators

    Creative Wales Opens Production Fund Call for Animators

    Creative Wales, the Welsh Government agency that represents Wales’ creative industries, declares that the ‘doors are open’ to animation talent in Wales, where the sector is primed for development amid overwhelming global demand for content.

    This call to action comes ahead of the launch of Season 3 of The Rubbish World of Dave Spud (Illuminated Films) on July 17 on CITV, which – once again – has been created using the services of Cloth Cat Studios (clothcat.com) in Cardiff.

    Lupus Films’ animated feature Kensuke’s Kingdom, a hand-drawn animated feature was also created by a partnership production team that included Welsh animators, this time via BumpyBox (bumpybox.com). The feature premiered in competition at this year’s Annecy Festival. Featuring voice cast including Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and BAFTA Award nominee Cillian Murphy (Inception, 28 Days Later), the film highlights the level of talent on offer in Wales.

    Hollowpixel Studio (hollowpixels.com) is another Welsh animation label with a story to tell. Having received support from Creative Wales over the last three years, they first worked with Poked Studio on the animation Ungameland before embarking on their first solo project Codelings. More recently, Hollowpixel’s Order of the Dragon won Best International Short Film 2023 at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival in Los Angeles. Filmed in the Brecon Beacons, the film depicts a mother and daughter who move to Wales only to discover that dragons are real and have infested their new home.  The feature has since been submitted to festivals across the world.

    Recent industry research figures show that the digital creative sectors in Wales (including animation, games, CreaTech, VFX and post-production) employ more than 8,000 people and are already turning over £270 million annually (per figures quoted from a 2021 Welsh Gov’t industry survey). Creative Wales is keen to grow the sector further, partly by supporting its animation sector.

    The Creative Wales Production Fund aims to support the development of animation businesses, talent, and projects in Wales, to drive further growth in the sector. It is issuing an open call for Welsh animators, both independent and/or studios, to apply for production funding, with funds of between £50,000 and £500,000 available for successful applicants and is actively encouraging the production of more animated TV series in Wales by offering up to 10% on top of U.K. animation tax credits for qualifying productions.

    Productions and organizations that celebrate Welsh culture, language and geography, as well as demonstrate the latest sustainability and wellbeing practices, will be prioritized. The scheme will also support the development of skills in the sector, safeguarding the future of animation in the region and giving it the means to progress. 

    “There is a strong talent base in Wales, and lots of industry guidance and funding support available, and we want to hear from creatives working in Animation in particular,” said Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director of Creative Wales.

    “The support provided to creative projects via Creative Wales’s Production Fund has boosted the Welsh economy by £187 million since its launch; with funding provided to several projects across film, TV, animation and games. We significantly invest in the music industry, publishing and skills & talent, and continue to work with key stakeholders to enhance R&D and innovation in the sector.

    “We are committed to supporting creatives, by identifying and addressing industry needs, working closely with our workforce and recognizing talent. Our message is clear to aspiring animators: you can create a long and successful career in animation in Wales, with the chance to work on major projects for streaming services, television, and film. It’s an exciting time to join the sector, and we look forward to hearing from you.”

    As well as the Production Fund, Creative Wales recently ran a Young Content Fund to boost the development of bilingual (Welsh) animation and live-action programming for children and young audiences. Just under £300,000 has been awarded to eight animation studio projects that are currently in development, with further funding announcements expected later this year.

    To make an application first read the Production Funding Guidelines. If you feel your project may be eligible for funding, please visit the Online Eligibility Checker where you will be prompted to answer a series of eligibility questions. Based on your responses, you will be advised on the next steps.

    creative.wales

  • Trailer: ‘The Croods: Family Tree’ Gets Wilder (and Hairier) in Season 7

    Trailer: ‘The Croods: Family Tree’ Gets Wilder (and Hairier) in Season 7

    DreamWorks Animation released the official trailer today for The Croods: Family Tree Season 7, which will bring the popular clan into unexplored corners of their prehistoric world. Six new episodes debut July 27, streaming on Hulu and Peacock.

    Synopsis: The Croods and the Bettermans return with more misadventures on the farm as Grug’s over indulgence in Phil’s experimental hair growth formula has hair raising consequences, and Dawn wrestles with critiquing her mother’s beloved beetball recipe. But when Eep finds herself competing in an Alphafight (a tournament where animals fight to determine the dominant species) she must choose between making her kooky family proud or disrupting the balance of the croodimal kingdom forever!

    The Croods: Family Tree features the voices of Kiff VandenHeuvel as Grug, Amy Landecker as Ugga, Ally Dixon as Eep, AJ Locascio as Thunk, Artemis Pebdani as Gran, Dee Bradley Baker as Sandy, Darin Brooks as Guy, Matthew Waterson as Phil, Amy Rosoff as Hope and Abby Trott as Dawn.

    The series is led by executive producers and showrunners Mark Banker and Todd Grimes.

    All images c/o DreamWorks Animation.

  • OIAF Announces 40-Film Short Competitions Selections

    OIAF Announces 40-Film Short Competitions Selections

    The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) announces the animated shorts included in its Official Selections for the Commissioned, Narrative, Non-Narrative, and Student categories.

    The OIAF received a total of 2165 entries for this year’s edition, representing 85 countries; 40 of those submissions were selected for this year’s Shorts competition. The selected animated works will be judged and awarded by a jury formed by the expertise of Alla Gadassik (Canada), Parissa Mohit (Canada) and Xi Chen (China).

    “This year’s competition will take you through a roller coaster of emotions,” says OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “We’re exploring all sorts of fun topics: sexuality and identity (27, Electra), grief (Eeva, A Crab in the Pool), parenting (World to Roam), fractured families (Return to Hairy Hill), colonization (Bear Named Jesus) and mortality (Her Dress for the Final).

    “But it’s not all so dark: We also have The Beatles, Werner Herzog musing about chickens, an inside look at the sex lives of furries, some baby superheroes (Baby Force) a silly song about the Montréal metro system (Girl with the Red Beret), and another one about how grand life is (Living the Dream).”

    New to the OIAF awards lineup this year is the Hélène Tanguay Award for Humor, which celebrates the late National Film Board employee whose sense of humor had a lasting impact on the animation community. Animation studio Bento Box returns to present the Bento Box Award for Best Student Animation, including a new cash prize of $1,000 CAD for the winner. XPPen will be providing a product prize to the winner of the XPPen Craft Award Prize for Best Animation Technique.

    All winners will receive an award statue designed by Ottawa-based scrap metal artist Tick Tock Tom. The statues are working phénakisticopes featuring an animation by New York artist George Griffin.

     

    OIAF 2023 Short Film Competitions

    Commissioned 

    • 14th Anibar Animation Festival Trailer ‘Love’ (dir. Sander Joon; Estonia, Kosovo)
    • Ride on Joyfulness ‘The Afternoon Tea’ (dir. Lei Lei, China)
    • Silent Labs Launch (dirs. Winston Hacking, Michael Enzbrunner; Canada, United States)
    • Starlight Nightcrash (dir. Patrick Buhr, Germany)
    • The Beatles ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ (dir. Em Cooper, United Kingdom)

     

    Narrative

    • 27 (dir. Flóra Anna Buda; France, Hungary)
    • A Bear Named Jesus (dir. Terril Calder, Canada)
    • Antipolis (dir. Kaspar Jancis, Estonia)
    • Box Cutters (dir. Naomi van Niekerk; France, Netherlands, South Africa)
    • Un trou dans la poitrine (A Crab in the Pool) (dirs. Alexandra Myotte, Jean-Sébastien Hamel; Canada)
    • Eeva (dirs. Morten Tšinakov, Lucija Mrzljak; Estonia, Croatia)
    • La fille au béret rouge (The Girl with the Red Beret) (dir. Janet Perlman, Canada)
    • Haljina za finale (Her Dress for the Final) (dir. Martina Mestrovic, Croatia)
    • Herzog’s Chicken (dir. Lukas Conway, Canada)
    • Ikimono-san: Turtle (dir. Atsushi Wada, Japan)
    • Living The Dream (dir. Ben Meinhardt, Canada)
    • The Miracle (dir. Nienke Deutz; Belgium, Netherlands, France)
    • Misérable Miracle (dir. Ryo Orikasa, Canada)
    • Vanlav (Oneluv) (dir. Varya Yakovleva, Russia)
    • Obok (Outside) (dir. Izabela Plucinska; Poland, Germany)
    • Etoimoi (Ready) (dir. Eirini Vianelli; Greece, Belgium)
    • Retour à Hairy Hill (Return to Hairy Hill) (dir. Daniel Gies, Canada)
    • Via Dolorosa (dir. Rachel Gutgarts, France)
    • World to Roam (dir. Stephen Irwin, United Kingdom)
    • Zima (dirs. Tomek Popakul, Kasumi Ozeki; Poland)

     

    Non-Narrative 

    • Albums de famille (Family Albums) (dir. Moïa Jobin-Paré, Canada)
    • Aleph (dir. Slobodan Tomić, Croatia)
    • BABY FORCE (dir. Yuki Kubo, Japan)
    • Foot Print Shop (dir. Gina Kamentsky, United States)
    • Forår (Spring) (dir. Pernille Kjaer, Denmark)
    • Our Pain (dir. Shunsaku Hayashi, Japan)
    • Vitanuova (dir. Niles Atallah; Chile, Mexico, Spain)
    • 나는 말이다 (I Am a Horse) (dir. Chaerin Im; South Korea, Denmark)

     

    Student

    • Cyclepaths (dir. Anton Cla, Belgium)
    • Electra (dir. Daria Kashcheeva, Czech Republic)
    • Fur (dir. Zhen Li, United States)
    • Furrie (dir. Lucie Grannec, France)
    • Pipes (dirs. Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran; Switzerland)
    • Sewing Love (dir. Yuan Xu, Japan)
    • The Eastern Rain (dir. Milly Yencken, Estonia)

     

    Canadian Student

    • …To The Sea (dir. Ishaan Thompson, Sheridan College)
    • A Body Transgressive (dir. Charlie Galea McClure, Concordia University)
    • Abby (dir. Fanny Lord-Bourcier, Concordia University)
    • Alongside (dir. River Park, Sheridan College)
    • An Ego and I (dir. Jesu Medina, Concordia University)
    • Between You and Me (dir. Cameron Kletke, Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
    • Bliss (dir. Nadya Aubrey, Université du Québec à Montréal)
    • Clean (dir. Nicholas Vassos, Queen’s University)
    • The Clock Is Ticking (dir. Thibault Picquoin, Concordia University)
    • Corvette (dir. Émile Désilets, Université du Québec à Montréal)
    • 聽ㄊ丨ㄥ嘸ㄇˊ ㄡ (Don’t Understand) (dir. Weiwei Wu, Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
    • Egg Film (dir. Jacob Tobin, Sheridan College)
    • The Fool (dir. Noémi Baron, Université du Québec à Montréal)
    • Fruiting Bodies (dir. Mia Milardo, Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
    • Jitters (dir. Melanie Tikhonova, Sheridan College)
    • رثاء الأندلس (Lament of Andalusia) (dir. Anas M’birkou, Concordia University)
    • Look (dir. Constant Yen, Seneca College)
    • Mission Popo (dir. Jennifer Wu, Sheridan College)
    • Mr. Vaxt’s Venture (dir. Nina Berionni, Pivaut Montréal)
    • The Pest (dir. Jungwoo Choi, Sheridan College)
    • Prion (dir. Maya Patrich, Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
    • Rain (dir. Craig Renaud, Sheridan College)
    • Ruins of Equinox (dir. Philippe Shewchenko, Concordia University)
    • Synodic (dir. Rebecca Devitt, Concordia University)
    • Жвачка (Zhivachka) (dir. Liz Adler, OCAD University)

     

    See all the announced official selections for OIAF 2023 and more information at animationfestival.ca.

  • Magic Light Taps A Prod. for ‘Pip and Posy’ Spin-Off

    Magic Light Taps A Prod. for ‘Pip and Posy’ Spin-Off

    U.K.-based animation studio A Productions has been selected to work on a brand new off-shoot of the hit children’s show, Pip and Posy: Pip and Posy Let’s Learn. The CG-animated series aimed at children ages three and up will premiere on Sky Kids in October.

    The series is a spin-off from the hit show produced by Magic Light Pictures and based on the books illustrated by Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo). Pip and Posy Let’s Learn is produced by Magic Light Pictures, with animation services provided by A Productions.

    In the new series, viewers will play with Pip, Posy and their friends as they use their amazing sense of fun, imagination and rhyme to explore a range of subjects. The program aims to teach concepts from the early years curriculum, such as shape sorting and simple math, in exciting and inventive ways.

    “We are hugely excited to have begun animation on Pip and Posy Let’s Learn with Magic Light Pictures,” said Katherine McQueen, Joint Managing Director of A Productions. “We are very much looking forward to helping to bring these much-loved characters to life for this new off-shoot series, which will see Pip and Posy bring their sense of fun and playfulness to learning in their own unique way.”

    Based across two studios in Bristol, A Productions (part of Cyber Group Studios) has provided animation for award-winning shows including JoJo & Gran Gran, which is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions for CBeebies, with Season 3 currently in production. The studio also animated Sesame Workshop’s first ever animated special The Monster at the End of This Story, a subsequent animated special Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy, and works on segment animations for the iconic Sesame Street series.

    The A Productions team is also currently producing Digital Girl, a new adventure-comedy superhero series, with Cyber Group Studios as worldwide distributor, which has been commissioned by the BBC and pre-sold to Super RTL (Germany) and Discovery Kids (Latin America). The studio is also working on The Makery Season 2, for Terrific Television, the ‘make-and-do’ series commissioned in the U.K. for Sky Kids and in the U.S. for Peacock.

    aproductions.co.uk

  • New Clip: The Hunt for Hank Goes Occult in ‘The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart’

    New Clip: The Hunt for Hank Goes Occult in ‘The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart’

    The highly anticipated release of the new feature-length Adult Swim adventure The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart draws ever nearer! Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment today unveiled a brand-new clip and never-before-seen still from the movie, which will be available to own on Digital on July 21 and Blu-ray on July 25.

    In the clip, Dean (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) enlists Dr. Orpheus (Steven Rattazzi, New Amsterdam) to help in his search for Hank.

    Film Synopsis: Doc’s latest invention will either bankrupt Team Venture or launch them to new heights, as Hank searches for himself, Dean searches for Hank, The Monarch searches for answers, and a mysterious woman from their pasts threatens to bring their entire world crashing down on them.

    Returning in their original series roles alongside Sinterklaas and Rattazzi are James Urbaniak (The Fabelmans) as Dr. Venture, Patrick Warburton (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Brock Samson, Chris McCulloch (Superjail!) as Hank Venture and Doc Hammer as Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.

    Also featured in the voice cast are Nina Arianda (Being the Ricardos) as Mantilla, Clancy Brown (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Red Death, John Hodgman (Up Here) as Snoopy, Hal Lublin (Welcome to Night Vale) as Clayton, Jane Lynch (Glee) as Bobbi St. Simone, Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) as Jefferson Twilight, Jay Pharoah (Spinning Gold) as Nuno Blood, JK Simmons (Whiplash) as Ben and Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) as The Alchemist.

    From Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and Titmouse, series creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick wrote and executive produced The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, and Publick directed. Executive producers also include Chris Prynoski (The Legend of Vox Machina), Shannon Prynoski (Fairfax), Antonio Canobbio (Arlo the Alligator Boy) and Ben Kalina (Big Mouth).