GKIDS announced today it will bring New Gods: Yang Jian, the latest feature from the powerhouse Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation and director Ji Zhao (White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn) to cinemas nationwide starting January 20, 2023. The studio has also unveiled the English voice cast and new trailer alongside the release date.
Yang Jian is the second installment of the studio’s “New Gods” series of animated action-fantasy epics inspired by Chinese mythological figures, following the 2021 feature Nezha Reborn. Domestically released on August 19, New Gods: Yang Jian was the top film at the mainland China box office, beating Minions: The Rise of Gru, and earning $19.8 million on its opening weekend, with a current domestic box office of over $77 million.
GKIDS will release New Gods: Yang Jian theatrically in both original Mandarin language and an all-new English-language dub. As a part of GKIDS’ work towards authentic and inclusive casting, the studio held to its goal of securing an entirely AAPI dub cast for the film.
“As a dubbing studio that has long been committed to diversity and inclusion, NYAV and GKIDS are excited to bring yet another cast that highlights AAPI representation, which includes our dubbing director David Chen, a Chinese Canadian,” said Dubbing Supervisor Stephanie Sheh, of NYAV Post. “We are extra excited to be able to continue working on these gorgeous films and love the creative revisioning that have been so beautifully imagined by Light Chaser Animation.”
English Language Cast
Yang Jian: Nicholas Andrew Louie
Wanluo: Christine Lin
Master Yuding: Parry Shen
Chenxiang: Luke Naphat Sath
Shen Gongbao: James Sie
Synopsis: Thirteen years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, the once powerful god now scrapes by as a penniless bounty hunter. When a mysterious woman hires him for a new job, Yang Jian soon finds himself chasing down a familiar figure. He must stop Chenxiang, his long-lost nephew, who is in search of the magical lotus lantern that will free his mother, even if it will bring catastrophe. As Yang Jian confronts the actions of his past, he must face a host of dangerous vigilantes seeking the same treasure with the power to alter the balance of their worlds.
Directed by Zhao, written by Chuan Mu and produced by Xi Lu, the original voice cast of New Gods: Yang Jian features Kai Wang, Guanlin Ji, Lihong Li and Lanling Li.
tinyBuild, the creator and publisher of the hit video game franchise Hello Neighbor, created by CEO Alex Nichiporchik and Jon Carnage (Twitch TV), has enlisted writer/creator/producer collective Man of Action Entertainment’s (Big Hero 6) Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle, Joe Casey and Joe Kelly and Creation Station’s Omar Spahi (Code 8) and Dillon Gemmill (NCIS: Los Angeles) to develop and write a new all-ages animated series, Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks. All will serve as Executive Producers.
Billed as the first-ever animated series to debut inside a video game, the toon will launch with tinyBuild’s sequel game Hello Neighbor 2 game on December 6. A rough test version of the pilot from Nichiporchik and Carnage debuted on YouTube in 2020 and garnered over 11 million views in just the first week (now over 21 million views). tinyBuild is following up this success by upgrading every aspect of the show and changing the distribution model at the same time.
“We already have a wildly popular video game franchise with Hello Neighbor, including spin-offs and a prequel, but we wanted to do something unconventional and break the mold of traditional distribution,” said Nichiporchik. “Since we wanted to make a top-tier quality series, we are extremely delighted to work with the talented team of writers from Man of Action Entertainment, who previously created, produced and wrote Ben 10.”
After the first episode of Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks premieres within the game itself next week, it will also be available on YouTube for all the game’s fans to enjoy. Nichiporchik added, “This is the first time a video game story unfolds in animation and expands upon the canon.”
“We are hoping to pioneer cross-media storytelling with the series … It’s been an amazing time working with the insanely talented folks at Creation Station and Man of Action Entertainment,” added tinyBuild CrossMedia director Carnage, “The care they have put into crafting an incredible Hello Neighbor story has really brought Raven Brooks to life, they are masters at their craft and it’s been a blast to create this with them!”
There will be 18 episodes of the animated series, which overlaps the events of the Hello Neighbor video games, with the remaining episodes debuting in 2023. The first episode story directly integrates into the event of the game.
Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooksfocuses on the new girl in the neighborhood, Trinity (Kimberly Woods), who moves in across the street from creepy neighbor, Mr. Peterson (Armen Taylor). and quickly befriends Nicky (Kieran Walton), who is already obsessed with finding out what horrific secrets are hiding in Peterson’s basement. They enlist their less courageous friends to join them in their terrifying stealth missions to help rescue whatever is trapped in that horror house basement. The series will not be rated for children to stay true to the themes of the source material games.
Gemmill is also the story editor on the series and Todd Haberkorn is the voice director and a cast member along Woods, Taylor, Walton, Christian Bell, Giselle Fernandez, Reba Buhr, Cedric Williams, Larry Herron, Nisa Ward, David Shatraw and Mary Jane W.
Man of Action Entertainment created the $7 billion boys’ action franchise Ben 10 for Cartoon Network and the team and characters for the Academy Award-winning feature film/TV franchise Big Hero 6. They are also the creator/producers of Sonic Prime, debuting on Netflix December 15.
“The arrival of Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks represents the evolution of all ages cartoons from traditional kid whodunits to current teen nostalgia thrillers like Stranger Things,” said Man of Action in a joint statement. “It’s a really fun place for us to land after decades of making primarily kids’ adventure shows, and we are thrilled that Creation Station invited us to help steer their ship on this project along with the active, informed participation of tinyBuld, who created and manage the franchise the series is based upon.”
Man of Action also praised studio Animasia as “amazing animation partners who have tweaked their original pilot designs to add an extra layer of grim horror for this full series launch plus a fantastic voice cast, top-notch production crew and brilliant music from Louis Fagenson, the likes of which you usually only experience in Friday night fright fest films!”
Creation Station’s Gemmill and Spahi said, “As fans of the original Hello Neighbor video game, we jumped at the opportunity to team up with both the creators at tinyBuild and animation industry veterans at Man of Action Entertainment to bring the next chapter of the story to life and dive deeper into the lore that makes the franchise so great.”
Courtesy of tinyBuild&Man of Action Entertainment & Creation Station
Five-time Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Julia Michaels, six-time Grammy-winning legend Dionne Warwick and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss(Avatar: The Way of Water) have been cast in Glisten and the Merry Mission— the first animated Christmas feature for Build-A-Bear based on the company’s multi-year best-selling Holiday plush collection. The holiday adventure is co-produced by Build-A-Bear Entertainment and Foundation Media Partners.
Glisten and the Merry Mission follows a young elfling Marzipan (voiced by Bliss) and her mother Cinnameg (Michaels) on the adventure of a lifetime to rediscover the enchanted snow deer named Glisten and save Christmas. Aided by a colorful cadre of reindeer and elves, including the wise Sage Evergreen (Warwick), Marzipan must harness belief in the magic of the season to complete their mission.
Foundation Media Partners and CEO Patrick Hughes (Bad Guys, Thelma the Unicorn) will produce the film, based on a story by Build-A-Bear President and CEO Sharon Price John, who will executive produce. The screenplay was written by Temple Mathews (Mariah’s Once Upon a Christmas) and John and will be art directed, designed and animated by Ontario-based Big Jump Entertainment, with Big Jump’s Chief Creative Officer Cory Morrison directing. Michael Mariano (Raising Hope, Last OG) and his frequent collaborator Traci Burwitz will voice direct.
“We are truly excited about this incredible opportunity to bring our beloved Glisten snow deer character to life in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Merry Mission story, especially with this dream cast,” said John. “The journey of Santa and the reindeer along with our adorable emboldened elfling Marzipan, who finds a way to assure all of the kids receive a toy made with heart on Christmas eve, is sure to delight holiday fans.”
Michaels is repped by CAA and Republic Records. Warwick is repped by APA and MWW Management. Bliss is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency and Foundation Media Partners.
Annapurna, the entertainment company spanning film, TV, games, and theater, is establishing an Animation division co-led by former Disney animation executives Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein. The duo recently collaborated with Annapurna on the highly anticipated animated film, Nimona, which will premiere on Netflix next year. The two will build a new animation division for the independent studio.
“Animation is a natural extension for us and it became an instant fit when we started to collaborate with Andrew and Robert,” said Nathan Gary, President of Annapurna. “They both bring the kind of energy, quality and creative vision that connects all Annapurna divisions and projects.”
Megan Ellison, Founder and CEO, Annapurna, said, “We are excited to have Andrew and Robert joining Annapurna. Working with them and the Nimona team has been an incredible experience and we cannot wait for audiences to see the film. We believe adding animation alongside our other divisions, in combination with the depth of our catalog, will lead to tremendous opportunities. Anything is possible.”
The duo previously headed Fox/Disney’s Blue Sky Studios, where they led over 500 filmmakers and were responsible for the development and production of Blue Sky’s feature animation slate. During Millstein’s tenure as President of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the company released blockbuster hits including Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet. A longtime screenwriter, Baird’s credits include Monsters, Inc., Carts, Monsters University, Big Hero 6, Ferdinand and more.
“Robert and I have had an inspiring experience collaborating with Megan, Nathan and Annapurna,” said Millstein. “We’re excited to bring incredible animated stories to Annapurna’s portfolio of talent-led projects.”
Baird agreed, “We instantly felt at home at Annapurna. Their vision is extremely compelling and is a deep match with our values and the types of impactful stories we want to help bring to life.”
Robert Baird [ph: Business Wire]
Annapurna Animation’s debut project with Baird and Millstein will be Nimona, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane and produced by Julie Zackary and Karen Ryan, for Netflix.
For its live-action TV work, Annapurna garnered 12 Emmy nominations between The Staircse and Pam & Tommy earlier this year. The studio recently announced the animated series Sausage Party: Foodtopia is in production for Amazon Prime Video with Sony and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg at Point Grey.
Annapurna Interactive released the breakout hit and multi-million unit selling Stray. Additionally, their release Neon White has become one of the best reviewed games of 2022, and the highly anticipated upcoming title Silent Hill Townfall was recently announced in partnership with Konami.
Annapurna Pictures recent productions include She Said (Universal Pictures) and are currently in post-production on both Corey Finley’s Landscape with Invisible Hand (MGM) and Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures).
The company also hosts a live Theatre division which earned multiple Tony nominations this year for A Strange Loop, The Lehman Trilogy and Company.
Some of the world’s best CG-animated achievements will be celebrated on December 6 at the prestigious SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival (CAF), where four filmmakers and teams will be honored for their exemplary work. CAF takes place as part of the SIGGRAPH Asia conference and exhibition, running Dec. 6-9 at EXCO in Daegu, South Korea.
The Festival will showcase a collection of standout 2022 works from around the globe. From short films to scientific visualizations and AI-enhanced deep-fakes, SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 CAF boasts the most expansive and compelling program ever, organizers say, selected from 405 submissions from 19 countries. Of these, 33 films, including four highlighted films from Korea, will be screened at SIGGRAPH Asia 2022’s Electronic and Animation Theaters.
“Seismic technological innovation in animation is moving our industry to greater heights. We saw the extraordinary rise of virtual creative collaboration during the pandemic, and how artists, technologists, and researchers were able to build sophisticated, cloud-based production pipelines, working with colleagues from around the world, exemplified by the impressive selection of animation in this year’s festival,” says Dan Sarto, Computer Animation Festival Chair (founder, AWN).
“SIGGRAPH Asia provides a great opportunity to see the year’s most exceptional work, and also a chance to bring together some of the most creative minds from the world’s leading animation houses. The global animation market is worth almost US$400 billion, and it’s still growing. There’s never been a more exciting moment to be in this business, collaborate and push boundaries with cutting-edge animation. SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 is a unique chance to be at the center of it all.”
This year’s four CAF winners across the three categories announced are:
BEST IN SHOW Garrano (Portugal, Lithuania)
Directed by David Doutel & Vasco Sá, BAP Animation Studio, produced by Doutel
A Garrano horse is forced to pull a heavy load under a blazing sun, while a young boy, Joel discovers a man who is about to set a forest on fire. This powerful tale was recently awarded the Grand Prix at the Festival Internacional de Animación Ajayu in Peru, where the jury commended “its extraordinary conceptual art, its refined technique, with great animation and staging” and praised the film “for its intense narrative that takes us to its inexorable end.”
JURY’S SPECIAL AWARD Cat and Moth (Canada, United Kingdom)
Directed by India Barnardo, BRON Studios, co-produced by Sarah Dacey and Emily Shinyi Hsu
Ditto, a fluffy plump white cat, finally completes her frustrating quest for the most comfortable spot to sleep. But she has competition for the warm yellow cushion in the form of Monty, a fuzzy winged intruder. Monty is not shy in disturbing Ditto’s slumber, and will go to any lengths to knock her off — but at what cost? Created with a team of over 90 animators and designers from around the world, India’s directorial debut has already won her international accolades including Best Animation Award at Vancouver Short Film Festival 2022.
BEST STUDENT PROJECT Period Drama (United States)
Directed by Anushka Nair & Lauryn Anthony, Ringling College of Art & Design
Partly based on personal experience, Period Drama is a Victorian-era tale about 11-year- old Georgiana Crimsworth, who gets her first period “before ever having gotten the talk.” Addresses the implicit taboo surrounding periods, and by extension women’s health as a whole, the film was awarded Best Animated Short in Cannes and screened at the renowned Newport Beach Film Festival.
An Honorable Mention went to directors Matthew Luhn and Hjalti Hjalmarssonj for Sprite Fight (Blender Studio Netherlands). Luhn, a Pixar story artist veteran, collaborated with a team of over 20 artists and developers on Blender Studio’s most ambitious production to date. The studio’s 13th “Open Movie” project is an ’80s-inspired horror-comedy set in Britain. When a group of rowdy teenagers trek into an isolated forest, they discover peaceful mushroom creatures that turn out to be an unexpected force of nature. The technology, the assets, as well as the whole creative process that led to the creation of Sprite Fight have been documented and openly shared with the global CG community.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the Computer Animation Festival will feature a series of panels and production sessions. Highlights include the following Featured Sessions:
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale Wednesday, December 7 | 2-3 p.m. | 5F, Auditorium Speakers: Christophe Rodo and Jeffrey Dillinger
Megalis VFX Co-Founders Christophe and Jeffrey, responsible for all aspects of their global studio technology, will reveal techniques and art of collaboration that created the contemporary Japanese folklore story and exclusive concept art for the Netflix series.
Bringing Yumi’s Cells to Life Wednesday, December 7 | 4-5 p.m. | 5F, Auditorium Speakers: Producer Gahyun Cha, director Dahee Kim, CG supervisor Kiyoung Eom and concept artist Yeonok Baek
The hit webtoon Yumi’s Cells is Korea’s first live-action/3D hybrid series, where the animated world of the ‘cells’ blends with performances of actors. Locus Animation will share the artistic and technical challenges behind the meticulously plotted out characters and world of Yumi’s Cells cutting-edge animation.
Making of Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Thursday, December 8 | 9-10 a.m. | 5F, Auditorium Speakers: VFX supervisor (DNEG) Jaykar Arudra and creative head / VFX supervisor (ReDefine) Viral Thakkar
Get an insight into the production process of this Bollywood cosmic space-inspired VFX fantasy adventure Brahmāstra feature film with over 3,000 VFX shots.
Entergalactic with DNEG Animation Thursday, December 8 | 3-4 p.m. | 3F, Room 306 Speaker: Kapil Sharma
Led by DNEG Animation’s VFX supervisor Archie Donato and animation director Kapil Sharma, the team was tasked with creating a world that felt like a concept painting sprung to life. To meet the filmmakers’ brief, the team ensured that every stage of the pipeline — from shader development to animation performance to compositing — was deconstructed and reimagined to support the heightened visual style.
Electronic Theater Highlights include:
The House of Loss Tues. 6-8 p.m., Weds. 5-7 p.m., Thurs. 1-3 p.m. | 5F, Auditorium Director: Jinkyu Jeon (South Korea) Producer: Koji Yamamura (Tokyo University of the Arts)
The elderlies at the nursing home have their heads shaved. The protagonist who works there sees them but can’t read their expressions. However, from one instance, he finds himself looking closely at their faces.
Going Well.. Tues. 6-8 p.m., Weds. 5-7 p.m., Thurs. 1-3 p.m. | 5F, Auditorium Director: Hye-jeong Lee (South Korea) Producer: Jinkyu Jeon (South Korea)
The deadline is approaching. Producer Park, who is in charge of closing, comes to the writer. The writer escapes to delusions and goes crazy due to the PD’s pressure and stress of the deadline.
Crunchyroll today dropped the official English-language dub trailer for The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie, just ahead of its North American release this Friday, December 2. The film will conclude the popular romantic comedy series that follows five lovely young girls who hate studying and hire part-time tutor Futaro, who guides not only their education but also their hearts.
The first two seasons of the series are currently streaming on Crunchyroll.com.
Synopsis: When five lovely young girls who hate studying hire part-time tutor Futaro, he guides not only their education but also their hearts. Time spent has brought them all closer, with feelings growing within the girls and Futaro. As they finish their third year of high school and their last school festival approaches, they set their sights on what’s next. Is there a future with one of them and Futaro?
The film’s English voice actors include Lindsay Seidel voicing oldest sister Ichika Nakano, Jill Harris voicing second sister Nino Nakano, Felecia Angelle voicing third sister Miku Nakano, Bryn Apprill voicing fourth sister Yotsuba Nakano, Tia Ballard voicing fifth sister Itsuki Nakano and Josh Grelle voicing Futaro Uesugi, with Terri Doty as younger Futaro.
Since the manga was introduced in 2019, The Quintessential Quintuplets has achieved global popularity. The manga sold over 16 million copies in 2022 alone. In May 2022, The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie was released in Japan and grossed over $16.4 million at the Japanese box office. The film was also nominated in eight categories for the 2022 Newtype Anime Awards, including Best Picture.
The shortlisted titles contending in the final judging round of the 14th Annual Kidscreen Awards have been revealed. The awards recognized excellence in children’s entertainment around the world, including animated and live-action programming, broadcasting and digital media.
Animation nominees include…
Programming Categories
PRESCHOOL
Best New Series Deepa & Anoop (Mattel Television, Netflix) Get Rolling with Otis (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films, Apple TV+) Pretzel and the Puppies (HarperCollins Productions, House of Cool, Apple TV+)
Best Animated Series Bluey Season 3 (BBC Studios Kids & Family, Ludo Studio, ABC Australia) Mecha Builders (Sesame Workshop) Octonauts: Above and Beyond (Silvergate Media, Netflix)
Best Mixed-Media Series JoJo & Gran Gran Season 2 (BBC Children’s Productions, CBeebies) Takalani Sesame — South African version of Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop, Pulp Films) The Tiny Chef Show (Imagine Kids+Family, Tiny Chef Show Productions, Factory, Nickelodeon Animation, Dunshire Productions)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (Disney Television Animation) Mickey’s Tale of Two Witches (Disney Television Animation) Thomas & Friends: Race for the Sodor Cup (Mattel Television, Nelvana Enterprises)
Best Holiday or Special Episode
“Dragon Island” — Pocoyo (Zinkia Entertainment)
“Holiday Goose Chase” — Madagascar: A Little Wild (DreamWorks Animation)
“Martin Luther King Jr. Day” — Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop, HBO Max)
Best Inclusivity Ada Twist, Scientist (Flashing Lights Media, CBeebies) Deepa & Anoop (Mattel Television, Netflix) Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop, HBO Max)
KIDS
Best New Series Big Blue (Guru Studio, CBC Kids) Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (DreamWorks Animation) The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib (DreamWorks Animation)
Best Animated Series It’s Pony (Nickelodeon) Kid Cosmic (Netflix, Mercury Filmworks) Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (Zagtoon, Method Animation, Disney Channel)
Best Mixed-Media Series Ahlan Simsim (Sesame Workshop) Backyard Beats Season 2 (Sphere Media, TVOKids) The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (TG Entertainment, Wild Child Animation, Black Camel Productions, Sky Kids)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie Luck (Skydance Animation, Apple TV+) Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Aardman, Netflix) Superworm (Magic Light Pictures, BBC One)
Best Holiday or Special Episode It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown (WildBrain, Apple TV+) Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne (WildBrain, Apple TV+) Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love (WildBrain, Apple TV+)
Best Inclusivity Best Foot Forward (Muse Entertainment, Apple TV+) Karma’s World (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films, Karma’s World Entertainment, Netflix) Raising Dion (Netflix)
TWEENS/TEENS
Best New Series Heartstopper (See-Saw Films, Netflix) Star Wars: Visions (Kamikaze Douga, Lucasfilm, Disney+) Theodosia (Cottonwood Media, HBO Max)
Best Animated Series Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment, 20th Television) Central Park (20th Television, Apple TV+) Star Wars: Visions (Kamikaze Douga, Lucasfilm, Disney+)
Best Mixed-Media Series Lost Ollie (21 Laps Entertainment, Netflix) Tales from Dun Draiochta (Igloo Animations)
Best Inclusivity Heartstopper (See-Saw Films, Netflix) Rebel Cheer Squad: A Get Even Series (Boat Rocker Studios, BBC Children’s Productions) The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Bar Productions, Disney Television Animation, WildBrain)
Shortlisted entries in the Programming categories will be reviewed and assessed by a fresh panel of judges, including Rick Clodfelter (Disney Branded Television), Libbie Doherty (ABC Australia), Rafael Garcia (Disney Branded Television), Chris Hutchison (Disney Branded Television), Kate Morton (BBC Children’s), Sarah Muller (BBC Children’s), Lucy Murphy (Sky Kids), Zack Olin (Nickelodeon), Adriano Schmid (PBS KIDS), Vicky Schroderus (YLE Children), Heather Tilert (Netflix) and Kristofer Updike (NBCUniversal).
Best Inclusivity entries were reviewed and assessed by a jury that includes Mounia Aram (Mounia Aram Company), Musa Brooker (Six Point Harness), Farrell Hall (9 Story Media Group), Christina Jang (Disney Branded Television), Lisa Jones (WGBH), David Levine (Lightboat Media), Debbie Macdonald (children’s media consultant), Saxton Moore (Lion Forge Animation), Maria Perez-Brown (TIME Studios), David Siegel (Exceptional Minds), Karissa Valencia (Netflix) and Zulema Uriarte (Netflix).
Broadcasting Categories
Channel of the Year
CBBC
CBC Kids
PBS KIDS
Best Kids-Only Streaming Service
Amazon Kids+
HappyKids
Sensical
Digital Categories
PRESCHOOL
Best Website Alma’s Way (Fred Rogers Productions, Makefully Studios, PBS KIDS) Donkey Hodie (Fred Rogers Productions, Curious Media, PBS KIDS)
PBS KIDS (PBS KIDS)
Best Web/App Series — Original Gus Plus Us (Caster Studios) Luna Muna (Hellosaurus) Miikshi (Shaftesbury, Gazelle Automations)
Best Web/App Series — Branded Blaze’s Amazing Race Through Time (Nickelodeon, YouTube) #ComingTogether Word of the Day (Sesame Workshop) Kids Meet (Sesame Workshop, HiHo Kids)
Best Game App — Branded LEGO DUPLO MARVEL (The LEGO Group, Marvel Entertainment, StoryToys) PAW Patrol Rescue World (Budge Studios, Nickelodeon)
PBS KIDS Games (PBS KIDS)
Best YouTube Channel Blue’s Clues & You (Nick Jr.)
PBS KIDS (PBS KIDS)
Sesame Workshop India (Sesame Workshop India)
Best Alternative Game On the Job: Astronaut (Noggin) Speedy Delivery (Fred Rogers Productions, Curious Media) Xavier Riddle Museum Maker (9 Story Media Group, Relish, PBS KIDS)
KIDS
Best Web/App Series — Branded Matchbox Adventures: World Tour (Mattel, Relish) My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale (eOne, Lil Critter Workshop) Polly Pocket: Adventure Studios (Mattel, Relish)
Best Game App — Original Kuato Dino Tales (Kuato Studios) Super Spy Ryan: Rumble Arena (Ryan’s World, Amazon Kids+ Original Games, p.w. Games, Sunlight Entertainment, pocket.watch, Amber Studio)
Best Game App — Branded
Nickverse (Paramount Games, Dubit) Super Spy Ryan (Ryan’s World, Amazon Kids+ Original Games, p.w. Games, Sunlight Entertainment, pocket.watch, Amber Studio)
Best Learning App — Branded Cyberchase: Duck Dash (The WNET Group, Bridge Multimedia, Relish, PBS KIDS)
Zigazoo (Zigazoo)
Best YouTube Channel
Dodo Kids (The Dodo, Vox Media)
Peacock Kids (Peacock Kids)
Plaza Sésamo (Sesame Workshop)
Best Alternative Game Cha-Ching Money Adventures (Prudence Foundation, Two Moos) Mr. Skaeg’s Letter Hunt (DR Ramasjang, Hello Monday) Warrior Cats: Ultimate Edition (Coolabi, Aldrich-Callen Studios)
Shortlisted entries in the Digital categories will be judged in a final round by Jenny Gioia (Sesame Workshop), Marc Goodchild (IpDipSkyBlue), Beth Goss (Outright Games), Sunil Gundaria (Age of Learning), David Hutchinson (WildBrain Spark), Fredrik Loving (Spin Master), Lydia Mossahebi (BBC Children’s), Susanna Pollack (Games for Change), James Rubin (Hellosaurus) and Christine Thompson (Dark Slope).
All winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Kidscreen Summit 2023 in Miami on Tuesday, February 14. The show will be hosted by drag performers and child educators Fay Slift and Fluffy Soufflé, who are featured in WildBrain Television’s The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy. All registered Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend the awards ceremony during the event.
Intercats, an animated sitcom set in a cat workplace, is in development at Disney Branded Television with multiple Emmy Award-winning Baobab Studios and acclaimed screenwriter Pamela Ribon — winner of the Cristal Award at the 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and writer of two of Disney’s Academy Award-nominated and Annie Award-winning films, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Moana, as well as Sony Pictures Animation’s Smurfs: The Lost Village).
Ribon has also begun her own first-look agreement with DBT’s Disney Television Animation, which is working closely with Baobab Studios (The Witchverse) on the development of Intercats.
In addition to screenwriting, Ribon is a best-selling novelist (Going in Circles and Why Girls Are Weird, inspired by her successful website, pamie.com) and a comic-book writer (My Boyfriend Is a Bear, Slam!). She also wrote an animated short for FX, My Year of Dicks, which this year won recognition at the Annecy International Film Festival, SXSW, the Brooklyn Film Festival, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and the Ottawa International Film Festival (read more in the January issue of Animation Magazine, available soon).
“We’re fortunate to be partnering with Baobab for a second time and to be working with Pam whose smart, sly, sophisticated and inspiring humor ensures that Intercats will provide wild fun, rich characterizations and accessible entry points for every part of the Disney+ audience,” said Meredith Roberts, EVP, TV Animation, Disney Branded Television. “We’re thrilled to have her on this project — and to expand the relationship to include a first-look deal with our Disney TV Animation studio.”
Baobab’s co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Eric Darnell (writer and director of Baba Yaga, Madagascar and Antz) is the creator of Intercats and is executive producing. Gary Marsh is also an executive producer. Jony Chandra (Nimona, Spies in Disguise) will direct the series.
Synopsis: Told through the big reflective eyes of cats, Intercats is a four-quadrant animated workplace comedy about the cats who produce the hysterical cat videos that go viral on the Internet. It features a ragtag team of cats aspiring to get what all cats want: their independence. But, to do so, they must first learn to navigate their own internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos. Intercats reflects the heroic lengths we will all go to find and secure our own place in the world.
Pamela Ribon is represented by CAA, Atlas Literary and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher, LLP.
‘Tis the season for festive animation specials! FOX will be unleashing two holiday episodes of hit comedy toon HouseBrokenon Sunday, December 4, kicking off Season 2 — and we’ve unwrapped an exclusive peek under the tree for fans.
The advance clip comes from the new episode “Who’s Having a Merry Trashmas?” (premiering Dec. 4 at 9/8c).
Honey (Lisa Kudrow) and Chief (Nat Faxon) are home alone for the holidays, and when a mysterious intruder tries to break in, they team up with Raccoon to protect the family home. Meanwhile, Chico (Sam Richardson) experiences hunger for the first time, and Elsa (Clea DuVall) falls in love with a robot dog.
Check out the clip featuring Honey, Chief and a certain neighborhood garbage bandit as they discover their Trashmas plans have taken a terrible turn!
HouseBroken is an animated series that takes an irreverent look at human behavior through the lens of animals. The animals’ search for meaning often leads them on wild adventures, far away from the cushy confines of domestic pet life. Created by Gabrielle Allan, Jennifer Crittendon and Clea DuVall, the series stars Lisa Kudrow, Tony Hale, Will Forte, Jason Mantzoukas, Nat Faxon, Sam Richardson, Clea DuVall and Sharon Horgan. FOX’s Bento Box Ent. provides the animation.
“There’s a huge universe out there, with a lot of galaxies. They’re all counting on us…
…No pressure!”
That’s how Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy and embodying a much more heroic role than her original damsel in distress routine) sets up the stakes for Nintendo’s beloved plumber in the full-length official trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This CG animated ode to console classics is coming to theaters April 7, 2023 from Minions studio Illumination Ent. and Nintendo, released worldwide by Universal Pictures.
Loaded with Easter eggs for video game fans, the new preview takes us to the far corners of Mario’s (Chris Pratt) iconic world, riddled with floating block obstacle courses, intersected by kart racing trails, populated by adorable mushroom folk and, as ever, under threat from the sinister Bowser (Jack Black).
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (collaborators on Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Minions: The Rise of Gru), the film also stars Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
The film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo; co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo.
Crunchyroll has rounded up its most wanted panels and premieres for Anime Frontier, taking place in Fort Worth, Texas from December 2-4 (animefrontier.com). Fans can check out the World Premiere of Revenger, as well as get a headstart on the simulcast winter season with early looks at The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague!, The Fruit of Evolution Season 2 and more.
Additionally, the Crunchyroll Industry Panel will be in town to announce the latest titles coming to Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round #1
Friday, December 2 | 7:30-9 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Panel Room 2
Be the first to see new 2023 simulcast series before it streams! See the first episode of Yuri Is My Job!, Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire and the first two episodes of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague! (Subbed only)
Crunchyroll Industry Panel
Saturday, December 3 | 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Main Stage
Hear about all the latest and greatest anime coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source!
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round #2
Saturday, December 3 | 5-6:30 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Panel Room 2
Be the first to see new 2023 simulcast series before it streams! See the first episode of AYAKA, Fruit of Evolution Season 2, the world premiere of Revengerand more! (Subbed only)
FREE! The Final Stroke Part 1
Sunday, December 4 | 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Panel Room 3
Haruna Nanase’s new stage is Sydney, the place of his dreams that he once visited. Here he must not only face the champion Albert Volandel but also his own personal motives and what he swims for. Their passionate struggle against the water begins here!
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round #3
Sunday, December 4 | 12:30-2 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Panel Room 2
Be the first to see new 2023 simulcast series before it streams! See the first four episodes of Kaina of the Great Snow Sea! (Subbed only)
FREE! The Final Stroke Part 1 (Encore Screening)
Sunday, December 4 | 1-2:30 p.m.
Fort Worth Convention Center – Panel Room 3
Emmy Award winning VFX artist Kevin Kutchaver recently presented a very special panel entitled “An Inside Look at the VFX Featured within the TV Series ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’” — in which he was reunited with two additional members of the Visual Effects Team for that iconic show: Andy Clement and Bryan Blevins.
Held November 19 at the LAX Hyatt Regency Hotel, the session was a highlight of Creation Entertainment’s “A Salute to Xena: 25th Anniversary”convention, a weekend-long event attended by several thousand Xena fans. In addition to the VFX session, the con also featured live appearances by every major cast member from the series, along with photo and autograph opportunities, and the sale of hundreds of memorabilia items.
L-R: Panelists Kevin Kutchaver, Andy Clement and Bryan Blevins with maquettes from the production of ‘Xena’
During the VFX presentation, Kutchaver, Clement and Blevins displayed numerous clay-sculptured models and maquettes, and explained how they had had to devise new methods by which to digitize those props into computers.
“Back in 1995, ’96, ’97, we literally had to invent new ways to tell Xena’s stories,” said Kutchaver, who today is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand VFX artists with a prolific 40-year career in film and TV. “As visual effects work had just started to move to the desktop, it was literally like the wild west of computer technology. People have since asked us, ‘Why weren’t Xena’s episodes shot in HD?’ to which I always reply, ‘Because HD wasn’t even invented yet!’”
The mythological stories of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ required the VFX team to insert digital gods and monsters into the live footage shot in New Zealand.
Kutchaver recounted how he was walking once with Rob Tapert, the then executive producer of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, for which Kutchaver’s company Flat Earth Productions was providing VFX. “I remember Rob saying to me, ‘I have this idea for, like, a female Hercules character, what do you think?’ to which I replied, ‘Rob, that’s a terrible idea!’ Fortunately, Rob didn’t listen to my bad advice!”
“I owe my VFX career to Kevin Kutchaver,” said Blevins (Blade, Jimmy Neutron, Young JediAdventures). “He gave me my first big break on Hercules and Xena when he owned Flat Earth Productions. We had to create a lot of digital effects for those shows under very tight budgets and quick deadlines. In the early days of Xena, each episode had only a few VFX shots, but by the end of the last season — well, there were 500 shots in the very last episode!”
Added Clement, “You don’t get anything on screen that feels more organic than when you sculpt a physical maquette and then digitize it. I did sculpting on a lot of creatures for Xena, along with a good deal of 3D animation work. In the early days of computers, it could take a very long time to map and grid each of the physical models and maquettes. Then rendering them took forever. But as Xena’s seasons progressed, so did computers and the software, which helped speed things up.” Clement’s recent credits as a special makeup effects and digital artist include The Boys, Deadpool and Nightmare on Elm Street.
Andy Clement, Kevin Kutchaver and Bryan Blevins show models to the ‘Xena’ con attendees.
“In retrospect, we really had a great time doing Xena,” Kutchaver noted. “Both Hercules and Xena were huge hits for Universal Television and Rob Tapert’s company, Renaissance Pictures, and Rob was interested in putting as much as he could into every episode. Each seasonwe’d get a fairly locked budget, and we’d say, ‘Well, what do we have to do this week? What does the story call for? And what, given our talents and our tech, can we do to make those FX look as realistic as possible?’
“I’m proud to say we never gave up, even with those limited budgets and ungodly deadlines. I like to think we played a nice role in TV history with the hundreds and hundreds of creative images we contributed to Xena: Warrior Princess.”
Xena: Warrior Princess
Kutchaver (kutchaver.com) is currently a Senior VFX Artist for Warner Bros. Television for the hit shows The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. He won a 2005 Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects for his work on the TV show Lost, as well as the Arkin Medo Award for Photographic Excellence in 1979 and was nominated in 2007 by the Visual Effects Society for Outstanding Supporting VFX in a Broadcast Program for his work on Alias.
Xena: Warrior Princess aired in first-run syndication from September 4, 1995, to June 18, 2001. Critics praised the series for its strong female protagonist, and it has since acquired a strong cult following. Writer-director-producer Rob Tapert created the series in 1995 under his production company, Renaissance Pictures, with executive producers R. J. Stewart and Sam Raimi.
A spin-off of Greek myth-inspired fantasy Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The series follows Xena (Lucy Lawless,) an infamous warrior on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidable fighting skills to now help those who are unable to defend themselves. In its second season, Xena became the top-rated syndicated drama series on American television. For all of its six years, the series remained in the top five.
Xena aired in more than 108 countries around the world in syndication, and in 2004 and 2007, it ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide’s Top Cult Shows Ever. The title character also ranked #100 on Bravo’s 100 Greatest Ever TV Characters. Xena‘s success has led to hundreds of tie-in products, including comics, books, video games and fan conventions. The character also featured in the direct-to-video animated movie Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus (1998).
The new batch of animation talents selected for the 2023 Annecy Festival Residency — running April 3 to June 30 next year — have been announced. The program hosts artists working on the graphic development of their animated feature film projects.
The call for projects for the third edition was a great success: 33 projects were submitted (14 of which were led by women, 15 by men and four by man/woman duos) from across the world — France, Croatia, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and even New Zealand.
Among this geographic diversity and its array of genres and styles, the selection committee consisting of Damien Brunner (Producer, Folivari), Laurence Petit (Distributor, Haut et Court), Aurel (Artist, Director; Josep) and Jean-Christophe Roger (Director, Ernest & Celestine 2: A Trip to Gibberitia) chose three very different stand-outs:
The Last of the Pebbles by Caroline Cherrier (France – Tant Mieux Prod)
Shadow Workby Areito Echevarria and Raqi Syed (New Zealand)
The Bird Kingdom by Wesley Rodrigues (Brazil/France – Lupa Filmes, Sacrebleu Productions)
“The selection committee appreciated the projects’ seriousness, commitment and rich narratives and noticed that the world’s current affairs, exposed more than ever to shocks and brutality, inspire authors — and particularly artists — to remain committed and unified in the face of adversity,” the selection committee noted in a joint statement. “To move, challenge, shock, pull together and enlighten, animation has this ability and strength to use aesthetics to soften the rhetoric. This is the wager with which the committee declares its selection ‘explosive’!
“The animation world is allied to cultural mixes … We believe this skillful mix of cultures, genres, nationalities and generations will bear its fruit… So, see you in Annecy at the Mifa in June 2023 to discover these three projects ‘for real’!”
The three projects’ authors will be staying in Annecy for the duration of the Residency, assisted by the CITIA teams in the stimulating environment of the Papeteries – Image Factory. More information available here.
The Last of the Pebbles (Le Dernier des Cailloux)
By Caroline Cherrier
Firmin Cailloux discovers a huge sea creature, who is lost and trying to communicate with the lighthouse’s foghorn. Firmin clings to this lonely monster, the last of its kind, and all alone he tries to protect her from the village men.
Caroline Cherrier is an artist who loves traditional animation: drawing, painting and gouache, a collection of techniques she expertly employs in her films to portray her sensitivity. Her dexterity in these mediums and textures bring depth and poetry to her graphic universe. A graduate from Gobelins, l’école de l’image, she directed the Annecy 2021-selected short film Horacio (Ikki Films) and honed her skills working on the anthology En sortant de l’école in 2016.
Shadow Work
Shadow Work By Areito Echevarria & Raqi Syed Shadow Work is a psychological horror, a family saga rooted in the unnerving suburban landscape of Wellington, New Zealand. In a departure from this year’s other more traditionally crafted Residency selections, this project is all about real-time animation, motion capture and artificial intelligence.
Areito Echevarria is an Academy Award-winning artist and researcher with over 21 years of visual effects experience. His passion is for storytelling by way of a computational design approach.
Raqi Syed began her animation career as a lighting artist for Disney Feature Animation, and then went on to work as a senior technical director with Weta Digital on films like Avatar, The Planet of the Apes and The Hobbit.
Echevarria and Syed’s VR experience Minimum Mass won the 2020 Annecy Festival Cristal Award for Best VR.
The Bird Kingdom
The Bird Kingdom (O Reino dos Pássaros) By Wesley Rodrigues
In a fantasy version of the Brazilian Sertão, an arid wasteland where men can shapeshift into birds of prey, Sete-Penas is taken in as a child by Carcará, an outlaw who aspires to be a local legend.
Wesley Rodrigues is an illustrator, comic-book artist, and one of the most acclaimed animators in Brazil. The Bird Kingdom draws us into the remote and contrasting Brazilian outback, using an updated Western style enhanced by the director’s use of warm colors and unique aesthetics. The 2D-animated film will strive to keep an artisanal artistic style, particularly in the hand-painted sets.
New galactic adventures hit the cosmos with two animated specials that mark the return of fan favorites to Adult Swim: King Star King!/!/!/ and Ballmastrz: Rubicon. The specials premiere February 13 and 20, respectively, at midnight on Adult Swim and the next day on HBO Max and digital retailers.
Creator JJ Villard returns to his Emmy-winning Adult Swim series for a new installment with King Star King!/!/!/, arriving Monday, February 13. Headlined by Tommy Blacha (Metalocalypse), who voices the titular hero, the specialalso stars Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day), Will Sasso (MADtv), Rachel Butera (We Baby Bears) and Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty).
It’s the return of King Star King… And this time, he’s a fat, bald, middle-aged slob with a family, a mortgage and a job at Amazon. Join King Star King, Hank Waffles, Pooza and Gerbils on a dimension spanning adventure to save King Star King’s family!
“King Star King is back! And this time he’s battling two horrific enemies! An evil and disgusting tech titan! And the even more evil and disgusting Middle-age Malaise!!!” Villard enthused.
King Star King originally debuted as a six-episode digital series in 2014 before airing on Adult Swim. Fans can catch up on all episodes of King Star King now available on AdultSwim.com. KING STAR KING!/!/!/ is produced by Rough Draft Studios, Inc. (Futurama).
Ballmastrz: Rubicon
A new battle awaits in Ballmastrz: Rubicon, landing Monday, February 20 at midnight! Creator Christy Karacas (Superjail!) returns to the post-apocalyptic world of the Ballmastrz for a high-octane adventure. Joining Karacas is original Ballmastrz: 9009 voice cast Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll), Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons) and Jessica DiCicco (Adventure Time).
The anime-inspired adventure was animated by STUDIO4℃ in Japan (Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet, Detroit Metal City) with Takashi Nakamura (Robot Carnival, Akira, Yatterman, Catnapped!) serving as animation director.
“We got the teams back together, but this time it’s more than a game, it’s the ultimate battle for humanity’s survival!” explained Karacas. “I can’t wait for fans to see more of Crayzar, the Leptons and all the teams of the game as they join forces in the epic anime space opera special Ballmastrz: Rubicon!”
Ballmastrz: Rubicon is produced by PFFR (Teenage Euthanasia). All episodes of Ballmastrz: 9009 are now available on the Adult Swim hub on HBO Max.
The 10-day countdown to the debut of the new fully-animated original movie Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again on Disney+ is on, kicking off with the trailer and poster unearthing. Based on the popular film franchise, this 2D adventure debuts exclusively on Disney+ December 9.
Synopsis: Nick Daley’s summer gig as night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History is a challenging job for a high school student, but he is following in his father’s footsteps and is determined not to let him down. Luckily, he is familiar with the museum’s ancient tablet that brings everything to life when the sun goes down and is happy to see his old friends, including Jedediah, Octavius and Sacagawea, when he arrives.
…But when the maniacal ruler Kahmunrah escapes with plans to unlock the Egyptian underworld and free its Army of the Dead, it is up to Nick to stop the demented overlord and save the museum once and for all.
https://youtu.be/4WdSQFdMYZg
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again features the voices of Joshua Bassett, Jamie Demetriou, Alice Isaaz, Gillian Jacobs, Joseph Kamal, Thomas Lennon, Zachary Levi, Akmal Saleh, Kieran Sequoia, Jack Whitehall, Bowen Yang and Steve Zahn.
The film is directed by Matt Danner, the writers are Ray DeLaurentis & Will Schifrin, the producer is Shawn Levy, and the executive producers are Emily Morris, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan, with music by John Paesano.
M2 Animation, the award-winning studio behind multiple LEGO series, two new series for NBCUniversal and animation for Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar, announced that Kylie Ellis will be joining the studio December 1 as Head of Production. “Being part of dynamic growing businesses is truly exciting,” Ellis said. “I am thrilled to be part of the M2 team, who are doing extraordinary work.”
Ellis, formerly VP Production at WildBrain and a supervising producer and production executive for such studios as Mainframe Studios, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment and Spin Master, will be based at the main M2 Animation Studio in Bangkok. She will oversee production at M2’s Bangkok (Thailand), Mumbai (India) and Aarhus (Denmark) studios.
“Kylie is the perfect Head of Production for us as we grow our team of passionate creatives across three studios,” said Owen Hurley, Head of Studio. “Her experience leading high-profile, high-quality productions will make our work even stronger.” Ellis will report to Hurley, who joined M2 Animation from Technicolor earlier this year.
“In Kylie we get an experienced and open-minded leader,” added CEO & Partner, Torsten Jakobsen. “She will help us accelerate our leading-edge use of new tools like those in our Unreal pipeline, while also helping us optimize our CG and Harmony work.”
Jacques Romeu
The Blue Spirit group (a subsidiary of Newen Studios) is accelerating development of its production activity to meet the needs of a growing market. Producing animated series and feature films, with a 2D/3D production studio since 2004, Blue Spirit is also appointing new heads of production to succeed Armelle Glorennec and strengthen its teams.
Glorennec, who joined in 2005, was co-director of the group alongside Eric Jacquot, and the studio’s producer. She has produced all of the company’s projects, including the series The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Loopdidoo, Alice & Lewis, Arthur and the Children of the Round Table and the feature films My Life as a Zucchini, which won two Césars, and Jean-François Laguionie’s films The Painting and The Prince’s Voyage (co-directed with Xavier Picard); this year she was awarded the French Film Animation trophy
Sylvie Mahé joins the group as Producer & Deputy Managing Director. She will oversee all activity and production teams for series and features. She succeeds Glorennec, who has accompanied her since September in this position. Mahé began her broadcasting career by joining the audiovisual subsidiary of the Total Group as financial director of the animation department, alongside Jacquot. Since 2005, through her consulting firm, she has worked alongside animation producers (Blue Spirit, Cube Productions, Technicolor Animation Production, Mondo TV France) on series and feature film projects, as well as on the corporate scope of their activities. In 2018, she joined Mondo TV France as General Manager and Director of Development.
Jacques Romeu comes on board as Producer, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in animation, including 10 years as executive producer in development on some 50 projects (Studio 100, Cyber Group Studios, Superprod). His mandate is to strengthen series production at Blue Spirit Productions by initiating new projects and supporting series already in production or development, including Alice & Lewis (Season 2), Mille Bornes Challenge, The Borrowers and Nightmares Are in Trouble. He will work alongside Artistic Producer Caroline Oustlant.
Justine Francke
Justine Francke, who has been a producer at the company since 2021, will take over the Feature Film Production, with Sara Wikler at her side as Artistic Producer. She joined the Blue Spirit Group in 2018 as Legal Director, after several years of experience in international distribution at Studiocanal.
Francke will continue the development of films already underway: The Ballad of Yaya, directed by Hélène Giraud and Thomas Szabo; The Legend of (almost) King Arthur, based on an original idea by director Jean-Luc François; Cut & Run, based on the graphic novel by Chloé Cruchaudet; and Colleen & Amélia by Eric Summer, in co-production with Syon Media in Canada. Two of these films are scheduled to go into production in 2023. In parallel, Justine Francke is also taking over, alongside Folivari, production of the premium series The Baker Street Four, adapted from the comic book published by Glénat.
“The evolution and strengthening of Blue Spirit Productions reflects the creative and commercial ambitions that have driven the company since its creation,” commented Managing Director Olivier Lelardoux. “Sylvie, Justine and Jacques are passionate and talented producers. I have every confidence in their interpersonal and creative skills, as well as their expertise in developing and producing strong and innovative content for a wide audience. I would like to warmly thank Armelle for the incredible work she has done over the years at Blue Spirit and wish her all the best for her future projects.”
Jeff Stringer [LAIKA]Multi-Oscar-nominated Portland, Ore. studio LAIKA (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link) has appointed Jeff Stringer to the post of Chief Technology Officer. The announcement was made today by LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight, to whom Stringer will report directly.
“The fusion of art and technology has been essential to our company since its founding and since 2008 Jeff has been central to that creative effort. As our studio grows, technology is increasingly important to achieving our goals and vision,” said Knight. “The work of our technology teams is more critical than ever before, particularly as they face the challenge of our latest feature, Wildwood, the most ambitious film we’ve ever taken on, which we believe will set new standards for artistic and technical achievement in stop-motion/CG hybrid filmmaking. I can’t think of anyone more able than Jeff to lead us into an increasingly complex and challenging technological future.”
Stringer will head the newly-formed unified Technology Group, which gathers the creative talent and deep resources of the company’s formerly independent IT, Production Technology and Business Systems
departments. This reorganization reinforces the strategic role of the Technology Group as active partners with Production and Business Operations. It will help LAIKA establish studio-wide technology standards, enabling the company to scale up production, modernize operations and usher in new innovations.
With 25 years of experience in the technology sector, Stringer joined LAIKA in 2008. In his capacity as LAIKA’s Director of Production Technology, he led the development of LAIKA’s enterprise digital scheduling system for stop-motion fabrication and stage planning, and in partnership with LAIKA’s Head of Production Arianne Sutner, conducted studio-wide postmortems after each film to capture new production methods and set goals for improvement, among many other impactful contributions. He currently leads LAIKA’s efforts to integrate virtual production and game engine technology into its filmmaking tools.
Suzanne Guèvremont [ph: Julie Artacho]Suzanne Guèvremont has been appointed as the new Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada, following an announcement by the Honorable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage. She succeeds Claude Joli-Coeur, who led the NFB for nearly nine years, and whose term came to an end on November 25. Guèvremont begins her five-year term as of Nov. 28.
Having served as the executive director of major institutions for more than 20 years, Guèvremont is a manager with extensive experience in the fields of digital media, culture and education. She has made a significant contribution to the development of the vibrant 3D animation, video game and visual effects industries in Quebec — specifically in Montreal. She was executive director of SYNTHÈSE – Pôle Image Québec and, most recently, of NAD-UQAC, the college of digital arts, animation and design, where she spent a large part of her career. She has also served on a number of boards, including those of CBC/Radio-Canada, SODEC, the Bell Fund and the Alliance numérique, and is a sought-after speaker on both the Canadian and the international stage.
“The National Film Board of Canada is one of our country’s leading institutions. Through the creative works it produces and distributes, the NFB affirms its role as a catalyst — a role that’s essential to the vitality and intelligence of our civil, cultural, scientific and economic society. Our cultures and our Canadian values — whether expressed implicitly or explicitly — influence our thoughts and our behaviors, and form part of our collective heritage, Guèvremont noted in the announcement. “It is with great pride, enthusiasm and humility that I undertake this mandate. The Canadian landscape is changing, the means at our disposal for creating content are constantly evolving, and so are audience behaviors. I’m very much looking forward to meeting all the teams across Canada, and to working with them in pursuit of our goals.”
Bea Bartolomé
Organizers for the Quirino Awards for Iberoamerican Animation announced that Bea Bartolomé will take on the role of Director of the event at the upcoming edition (San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife | May 11-13, 2023). Bartolomé has worked as a producer since the creation of the awards in 2017 and will be replacing José Luis Farias, co-creator and director of the first five editions, who will continue to work with the event as executive producer.
Bartolomé is also the coordinator of Weird Market, now in its 14th year, and a coordinator at Next Lab Generation, a new initiative connecting art and technology in digital content and the animation industry. Previously, she was a producer at Bridging the Gap, an international laboratory for animated full-length films and series, and worked in the production department for various international film events, such as Alcine, LesGaiCineMad, UNIFEST and the German Film Festival of Madrid.
In 2019 and 2020, she was part of the Production Assistance Committee for Full-length and Short Films at ICAA (Spain’s Institute for Cinematography and Audiovisual Art) and worked with the Production Assistance for short animated films in 2022 with Proimágenes Colombia. She has served on juries for various festivals, including Animarkt Stop Motion Forum (Poland, 2021), ANIMA LATINA (Argentina, 2021), Ajayufest (Peru, 2020), Pixelatl (Mexico, 2019) and the Aguilar de Campoo International Short Film Festival (Spain, 2014).
Caillou
WildBrain has expanded its content distribution team in the Asia-Pacific region, appointing Jason Soh as Global Sales & Channels Director, APAC, and Max Tang as Senior Manager, Content Partnerships, China. In these newly created roles, the pair will support the increasing demand for WildBrain’s kids’ and family content across the APAC region.
Based in Singapore, Soh will spearhead distribution sales outside of Greater China, reporting to Caroline Tyre, VP Global Sales & Rights Strategy, while Tang, based in Shanghai, will be responsible for expanding WildBrain’s distribution business within Greater China, reporting to Jianbo Wei, Managing Director, China.
Buyers attending Asia TV Forum (Dec. 7-9 in Singapore) are invited to connect with Tyre and Soh at the market to learn more about WildBrain’s hit titles, including brand-new CG-animated content for preschoolers: Teletubbies Let’s Go! plus a new Caillou series and five seasonal specials. Other fan-favorites from WildBrain’s library include Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City; Chip and Potato;In the Night Garden; Carmen Sandiego; Jungle Beat; Fireman Sam; Polly Pocket; and the live-action hits Malory Towers and Ruby and the Well.
Maria Whelan
Maria Whelan is being promoted to Vice President, Marketing & Brand Engagement, PBS KIDS, from Senior Director & Head of Marketing & Brand Engagement. Whelan will oversee the marketing of PBS KIDS across all user touchpoints, leading a holistic strategy to engage new and existing audiences with PBS KIDS’ mission, values, content and distribution platforms.
Whelan’s new position starts when she returns to PBS from parental leave.
Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL), FOX Entertainment’s Web3 media and creative technology company, and Dan Harmon, creator and executive producer of FOX’s upcoming animated comedy Krapopolis, are unveiling the ‘Key to Krapopolis,’ which will allow owners of the series’ dedicated NFTs, Krap Chickens, to appear in the program as a background character during its Season 1 finale.
Only two Key to Krapopolis NFTs will be added to two existing Krap Chicken NFTs, effectively making them the two rarest NFTs in the collection. The Key will appear as a second image on each of the upgraded NFTs in a carousel. Once the episode airs, the illustrated image of the holder’s head as it was included in the show will be added to each NFT to create a uniquely krap-tastic profile picture.
One Key will be granted to a current Krap Chicken holder who must enter and win a scavenger hunt beginning on December 7. The first entrant to answer a series of Krapopolis-themed, multiple choice questions correctly will win a Key to Krapopolis. Each Krap Chicken in the collection represents one entry to the scavenger hunt, meaning the more chickens an individual owns, the more chances they have to compete to win the prize.
The other Key has been added to a Krap Chicken from BCL’s treasury, which is on auction to the public on OpenSea from November 27 through December 4.
“Unlike, say, a concert ticket, which has one-time use, we want our Krap Chickens to grant additional perks to fans over time,” said Scott Greenberg, CEO of BCL. “When we first announced the Krap Chickens, we offered several features, including early-access to screenings and meet-and-greets with the cast and crew. But the Key to Krapopolis proves that utility in Web3 can be eternal and only scratches the surface of what’s possible in fan engagement.”
Featuring the voices of Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Pam Murphy (Mapleworth Murders) and Duncan Trussell (The Midnight Gospel), Krapopolis is billed as network television’s first animated comedy to be curated on the blockchain. Set in mythical ancient Greece, the comedy tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities — without trying to kill each other.
Premiering in 2023 and already renewed for a second season, Krapopolis is produced by FOX Entertainment’s Emmy-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment.
Writer, producer, creator and actor Dan Harmon is the Emmy-winning creator/executive producer of the comedy series Community and the co-creator/executive producer of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, which premiered in December of 2013 and quickly became a ratings hit, breaking records as the #1 comedy in key demos and garnering consecutive Emmy wins for Outstanding Animated Program. In 2018, Adult Swim renewed the series for 70 new episodes. He also executive produced the Oscar-nominated animated feature film Anomalisa.
Harmon’s recent projects include Little Demon, which premiered this summer on FXX, the upcoming Strange Planet series (Apple TV+) and the latest season of Rick and Morty.
The Los Angeles Animation Festival will return for a full weekend of screenings, entertainment and awards celebrations, taking place December 10-11 at Hollywood’s Jaxx Theatre.
Organizers have revealed there will be nine programs in the 2022 Official Selection, including all films in competition. Many of this edition’s chosen films are the work of L.A.-based animators.
Saturday is the Opening Night Party featuring works by and conversations with filmmakers Joe Cappa (Tik Tok, Adult Swim, Bento Box) and Brad Ableson (The Simpsons; co-director Minions: The Rise of Gru) and entertainment by legendary one-man rock band Princess Frank, followed by industry mixer and charity raffles.
Sunday evening is devoted to the LAAF Awards Ceremony, featuring clips of each of the winning films and a screening of the festival’s Grand Prize Winner. Finalists were chosen from hundreds of entries judged by a panel of luminaries from the animation and film community.
Prizes for top winners come from sponsor Toon Boom. Sponsor ASIFA Hollywood will be on site.
Tickets are available for all events at Eventbrite.com. Students and members of ASIFA are offered a 20% discount. Discount codes can be obtained from ASIFA’s newsletter and school administrators in the run up to the festival. To volunteer for the festival weekend, contact volunteers@laafest.com.
A new clip and the final key art from the Disney+ Original movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rulesare ready to rock! The all-new animated movie, based on the second book in Jeff Kinney’s wildly popular book series, premieres December 2, exclusively on Disney+.
The riotous antics of angst-ridden, disaster-prone middle school student Greg Heffley continue in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, focusing this time around on his complicated relationship with older brother Rodrick. A spikey-haired high school student, Rodrick is lazy and undisciplined and spends way too much time practicing with his rock band, Löded Diper. While he loves to torment Greg, he ultimately has a deep affection for his younger brother.
https://youtu.be/-ZTEoL00Gag
Directed by Luke Cormican (Teen Titans Go!) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules features the voices of Brady Noon (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), Ethan William Childress (mixed-ish), Edward Asner (Up), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley), Erica Cerra (Power Rangers) and Hunter Dillon (Deadpool 2).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules features the original song, “Can You Smell Us Now,” written and produced by Jon Levine, with lyrics by Jeff Kinney, and performed by Jimmy Tatro (LifeAccordingToJimmy).
The New Yorker has slated another of the year’s festival favorite animated shorts for its digital channels this month, announcing that The Clearing will debut as part of the magazine’s award-wining Screening Room series on December 9. Director Daniel Robert Hope’s Oscar-qualified, unconventional stop-motion comedy presents a snapshot of a family on a camping trip and the problems that plague them.
In a desperate battle with his ballooning ego, husband Bill struggles in vain to re-woo his wife, Deb, with his below-par outdoor skills and shocking behavior — that is until their last-ditch camping trip takes a very sinister turn. Bill and Deb are voiced by real-life couple and U.K. comedy royalty Julian Barratt and Julia Davis, making this animated short a must-watch for fans of the comedy heavyweights.
Barratt is known for performing in The Mighty Boosh” alongside comedy partner Noel Fielding in the 2000s. The show generated a cult fan following and won many awards.
Davis wrote and starred in BBC comedy Nighty Night and the comedies Hunderby and “Camping, which she also directed. Critics have lauded Davis for creating boundary-pushing black comedy that centers female anti-heroes. A nine-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won Best Comedy Writing for Hunderby and Best Scripted Comedy for Sally4Ever.
Hope wrote, directed and animated The Clearing with a team of students and volunteers. He was joined in that effort by producer Johannes Schubert, who was named Austria’s Producer on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
As part of an impressive festival run that includes BFI London Film Festival, Ottawa, Stuttgart Animation Festival, and Flickerfest, The Clearing scooped Best Animated Short at both Aesthetica Film Festival and RiverRun International Film Festival, qualifying for the same category in the run-up to the 2023 Oscars.
The Clearing is the latest breakout animated short to come out of the U.K.’s prestigious National Film and Television School, including Wallace & Gromit, The Hill Farm, Head Over Heels, The Bigger Picture, and many more.
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