The lovable cartoon star from the Berkshire underground is ready to pop back up on screens, with 13 new episodes of Moley coming to Boomerang on December 5. He is also ready to make his Freeview debut, with the show’s Christmas special Master Moley: By Royal Invitation set to air on POP, followed by the first 26 episodes at a later date.
Voiced by Warwick Davis, Moley is a charming, optimistic young mole who lives in a deep burrow under Windsor Castle in the hustling, bustling city of MoleTown. As the metro’s most famous mole, Moley is forever in demand: Each day he’s invited to participate in events, make appearances, learn about new mole cultures and customs from moles of diverse backgrounds and share his knowledge of the human world above.
In these new episodes, Moley takes on some incredible and intriguing challenges, including competing against his fellow residents in the MoleTown Races, acting in a play, hunting for treasure and starring as the guest of honor in a fashion show.
Moley
Luckily, Moley has his best friends to help him find his way through these tricky situations. Mona Lisa (Gemma Arterton) brains and class help him navigate the public eye, while his plucky best friend Dotty (Jessica Henwick) does a great job helping him in all his adventures.
Moley’s returning roster of voice talent also includes Stanley Tucci (Mishmosh), Richard E. Grant (The Gardener), Charles Dance (Mr. James Moley), Julie Walters (Mrs. Elizabeth Moley), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Lester), Togo Igawa (Mystic Mole) and Hilary Whitehall (Miss Petunia) joining Davis on his subterranean hijinks.
Moley
Moley was created by James Reatchlous, originating out of bedtime stories he told his daughters and recorded in his journals. Years later, when he suffered from lymphoma, his daughters brought the journals to the hospital to lift his spirits. This reconnection eventually birthed the Moley animated series.
Following the release of the first 26 episodes of Moley, this next batch delivers the following 13 of an eventual 52 in total. Moley is produced by Nottage Productions and is directed by Leon Joosen, who has worked on classics animations The Little Mermaid, Space Jam and Scooby-Doo.
Moley
The first episode, “Rally Ho” features the annual MoleTown Races, where each of the town’s residents have their own unique car to compete for the grand prize. But how will Moley cope when he finds out there are no rules? Other episodes include “Paper Moleche,” “Mole in One” and “Double Oh Moley.”
“The stories are such wonderful creations and I love the idea that MoleTown exists beneath the planet, a place where moles from different countries and backgrounds come together. I think that’s a terrific idea in today’s world,” says Davis.
The official trailer has dropped for Netflix’s animated update on a holiday classic, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, which promises to transport family audiences to a music- and magic-filled Victorian London to experience Charles Dickens’ beloved story through a new lens. Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, the new CG feature makes its streaming premiere on December 2.
Synopsis: Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol stars Luke Evans as Scrooge, Olivia Colman as Past, Jessie Buckley as Isabel Fezziwig, Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit), Fra Fee as Harry Huffam, Giles Terera as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas as Present, James Cosmo as Mr. Fezziwig and Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley.
The movie is directed by award-winning Scottish director, screenwriter, producer & lyricist Stephen Donnelly (EP/art director, Lost in Oz), and features re-imagined songs by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse OBE (Doctor Dolittle 1967, Victor/Victoria, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) who passed away last year.
“It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story. I think this version will give those who know A Christmas Carol all the things they expect, but not as they’ve experienced them before,” said Donnelly. “There are more than enough psychedelic, time-traveling and musical surprises to keep those familiar with the story on the edge of their seats, while the authentic essence of Dickens has been retained for those coming completely fresh to the classic tale. I can’t wait to share this new version of A Christmas Carol with the world and sincerely hope audiences embrace it this year and for many to come.”
The film is produced by Ralph Kamp p.g.a., Bricusse and Andrew Pearce, co-produced by Rebecca Kamp and Gareth Kamp. Songs arranged/producer and original score by Jeremy Holland-Smith.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol premieres on Netflix on December 2. The film will be released in select theaters on November 18.
Netflix is programming a super cozy streaming season for the holidays, revealing even more fun Kids & Family animated specials will be unwrapped in the coming weeks.
In addition to the musical animated feature Scrooge and the just-announcedBoss Baby merger with Santa’s workshop, subscribers can queue up new holiday specials from My Little Pony, Creature Cases and The Action Pack, as well as a third serving of The Cuphead Show! and a collection of favorites like Sergio Pablos’ acclaimed animated feature Klaus.
Klaus
New holiday titles and kids & family animation highlights coming soon to Netflix:
November 11
My Father’s Dragon From five-time Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.
November 18
The Cuphead Show! Part 3 From hijinks and heebie-jeebies to holiday cheer: This season’s got it all as the boys go big to trick the Devil — and stir up trouble all over town! Special holiday episodes in Part 3 include “A Holiday Tree-dition” and “A Very Devil Christmas.”
The Cuphead Show!
November 21
My Little Pony: Winter Wishday With different holiday traditions across three pony lands, the Mane 5 race against time to celebrate everyone’s special customs and make it home in time for the Wishing Star.
My Little Pony: Winter Wishday
November 28
The Action Pack Saves Christmas When the Christmas cheer is taken from the citizens of Hope Springs, the Action Pack team up with a super-powered Santa Claus to save the day.
November 30
Creature Cases Holiday Special Everyone’s decking the halls to get in the holiday spirit. But Sam and Kit are blasted back in time to the Ice Age and meet some wooly new pals!
December 2
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios and directed by Stephen Donnelly, Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse OBE, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is one for a new generation to sing. In select theaters November 18.
Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus It’s Boss Baby’s first Christmas and though Tim wants to introduce him to all the holiday trappings as well as the (somewhat strange) Templeton traditions, Boss Baby wants nothing to do with any of it. In a last ditch effort to get Boss in the spirit, Tim takes him to the mall to meet Santa but unbeknownst to Tim, Boss and Santa have a previously undisclosed business relationship.
December 9
Guillermo del Toro’s PinocchioAcademy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro and award winning, stop-motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy with a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love. In select theaters in November.
December 15
Sonic Prime Season 1The action-packed adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog go into overdrive when a run-in with Dr. Eggman results in a literal universe-shattering event. Desperate to piece his prime reality back together and save his old friends, Sonic races through the Shatterverse, discovering strange worlds and enlisting new friends in an epic adventure of a lifetime!
Anything World, a platform for developing interactive 3D experiences through the power of machine learning, announced today that $7.5 million has been raised in their Series Seed Plus funding round with investors including Acrew Capital, Alumni Ventures and Warner Music Group.
The influx of capital comes as the company kicks off the launch their high-fidelity animation system enabling rigging and animations for any 3D model at any time. The system is being launched in stages with its first iteration available now.
Anything World further revealed that their service is coming to Unreal Engine in December, describing the move as firmly in line with the company’s mission to lower the barriers to creativity in 3D. This development means more people will have access to AW’s tools of increasing fidelity, in industry-standard formats.
As 3D and virtual experiences become effective strategies for increasing engagement and user interest, Anything World’s platform is pitched as a vital tool in creating 3D assets at a massive scale which are open-sourced, readily available and remixable. Its custom implementations algorithmically assign animations and behaviors, and alongside custom designs of 3D content, creators can access hundreds of thousands of 3D models.
“The capacity for anyone to create immersive and accessible experiences in virtual and 3D worlds has been expanded substantially by this funding round,” says Gordon Midwood, CEO of Anything World. “We’re thrilled to expand further the tools and opportunities we can provide to developers, creatives and the general public. Because of the interest and need from developers who want to create 3D worlds, populate those worlds with assets and immerse users in incredible experiences, Anything World will continue to be the go-to platform.”
The development of Anything World’s high-fidelity animation system will be integrated directly into the company’s platform. Features of this advancement include voice control and low- and no-code options for 3D content creation, lowering barriers of entry for a larger pool of creators and opening the doors to more creativity for users and engagement in gaming, virtual and Web3 worlds.
“What we see in Anything World is the most cutting edge machine learning platform to empower developers of the metaverse. Backed up by a terrific team, we are confident that the company will set the standard in the years ahead for 3D creators of games, the future of work and more,” commented Ron Levin, Partner at Alumni Ventures.
Vishal Lugani, Founding Partner, Acrew Capital, added, “We strongly believe that Anything World can be a key enabler of helping digital experiences become richer and more immersive. At Acrew, we were impressed by the team and the vision. To start, Anything World is leveraging machine learning to tackle the problem of animation and rigging. Developers and designers of games, virtual worlds, and immersive experiences shouldn’t have to toil for hours and hours to bring their characters to life. Anything World speeds time to production for people building for the future of consumer digital experiences.”
This Series Seed Plus funding round also included investments from NGC Ventures, Supernode Ventures, GameTech Ventures and GFR Fund. The funding will be used for two years of runway, expansion of the team and the launch of Anything World’s high-fidelity animation system. AW had already raised $1.8 million in funding prior to this round, bringing their total to $9.3M.
Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, a Los Angeles venue focusing on bringing French and international cinema to local audiences, will be presenting a showcase of 13 French animated short films at Animation Fest next week. Through the program, TRK aims to “showcase French animation’s unlimited expressive potential that not even the magic of special effects can provide, as audiences are taken on a journey into real and imagined worlds far from the here and now.”
The selection includes many favorites of French film festivals like Annecy and Clermont Ferrand. The lineup also features shorts directed by emerging filmmakers from renowned French animation schools, such as Gobelins, which explore the younger generation’s observations about modern society and contemporary issues.
Animation Fest will take place November 17 at 8 p.m., and runs about 100 minutes. Doors open at 7 p.m., and guests can enjoy baguette sandwiches or a drink from the cash bar before the show. There will also be an intermission with complimentary charcuterie. Films with dialog will be presented in French with English subtitles. Visit theatreraymondkabbaz.com for tickets ($15).
Goodbye, Jerome!
Animation Fest Program
Goodbye Jérôme! Directed by: Chloé Farr, Gabrielle Selnet, Adam Sillard Produced by: Gobelins, l’école de l’image Synopsis: Having just arrived in paradise, Jerome sets out to find his wife Maryline. In the course of his search, he sinks into a surreal and colorful world in which no one seems to be able to help him.
Bolognese Directed by: Achille Thiébaux Produced by: EMCA – Ecole des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation Synopsis: In a dystopian world where we no longer eat to live but where we only live to eat, meat has become the one and only food available. We follow the daily life of one of the citizens of this world who works as a cashier in a supermarket. Like everyone else, he eats meat but ends up biting his fingers. He then goes to the nearest hospital.
Memory of Water Directed by: Sarah Berra, Patricia Dupuy, Diego Maggiore, Akshat Sinha, Baptiste Tassin Produced by: Ecole Mopa Synopsis: A space explorer crashes on a deserted and arid planet. As she tries to survive, she discovers the true nature of her ancestors.
Home of the Heart Directed by: Sarah Saidan Produced by: Caïmans Productions Synopsis: Omid is an Iranian immigrant who came to France with his family. One evening, in the street, he is attacked and stabbed in the heart. But Omid gets back up! At the hospital, the diagnosis is formal: He has no heart. Has he left it behind in Iran?
Bear Hug
Bear Hug Directed by: Margrethe Danielsen Produced by: Mikrofilm AS, JPL Films Synopsis: An eager little bear is waiting for his birthday guests to arrive. Slowly he realizes that he has been rejected. But the determination to celebrate his birthday is still strong, and, free as a bird, his hunt for company begins.
It Wasn’t Bourgogne Directed by: Mathias de Panafieu Produced by: XBO Films Synopsis: Between two telephone calls, my grandfather recounts some of his memories from the war when he was 20 years old.
The Immoral Directed by: Ekin Koca Produced by: La Poudrière, École du Film d’Animation Synopsis: A diner collapses in a restaurant. All the other diners — except for one — are in a state of shock.
The Passerby Directed by: Hannah Letaïf Produced by: Take Five, Balade Sauvage Synopsis: The Passerby is locked up and will free herself. And by following someone very different to herself, she will set out to discover something improbable that will shape her.
Inglorious Liaisons Directed by: Chloé Alliez, Violette Delvoye Produced by: Zorobabel, Vivement Lundi ! Synopsis: Tonight, Lucie, Maya and their friends are having a big party. Even Jimmy has come: he’s there for Maya, everyone knows it. But at the moment when everything is supposed to happen, hidden feelings, tender and confused, surface for Maya and Lucie. It’s difficult making sense of them in this evening driven by alcohol that flows freely, a tear-jerking playlist and raging hormones.
Naughty
Non Assistance to Person in Danger Directed by: Marc Faye Produced by: Bandini Films, Girelle Production, Novanima Synopsis: Who cannot subscribe to the idea of providing assistance in an emergency situation? However, the promulgation of the law on non-assistance to person in danger took place for a surprising reason under the Vichy regime during the Second World War.
Naughty Directed by: Emma Degoutte, Flora Molinié Produced by: Easy Tiger Synopsis: Lulu, at the age of 10, wants to be the one to slaughter the family pig. But the same day, Vincent, his mother’s new man, moves into the farm, welcomed by Lulu’s entourage. The slaughter is entrusted to this newcomer. Then, as the animal is cut up, a muted struggle breaks out between the two men. Lulu doesn’t want to give in.
Night Train Directed by: Sofia Gutman Produced by: Sur la Table Synopsis: A woman is waiting for the last night train. Lonely, she looks out into the deserted landscape. An encounter on the train will make this night unforgettable.
Birdbrain Directed by: Gaspar Chabaud Produced by: Ateliers de production de la Cambre / ASBL Synopsis: A child struggling with a maths problem and his attention problems, helped by a mother slowly but surely losing her patience.
Peppa Pig will be bringing comfort and joy to her wee fans leading up to Christmas, premiering over a dozen new episodes from December 5-23. “Peppa-sodes” will premiere every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at 7 P.m. on Nick Jr.
The lineup kicks off with a special holiday-themed episode, in which Grandpa Pig gets a special new gizmo for Christmas, but a programming error sends it back to the North Pole! The new episodes star Amelie Bea Smith as Peppa, Alice May / Vincent van Hulzen as George, Richard Ridings as Daddy Pig, Morwenna Banks as Mummy Pig, David Graham as Grandpa Pig, Frances White as Granny Pig and Alexander Armstrong as Father Christmas.
Peppa Pig “Grandpa’s Christmas Present”
New Peppa-sodes
Dec. 5
“Grandpa’s Christmas Present” — Father Christmas delivers a wonderful present for Grandpa Pig, it’s a toy flying machine. He flies it around the garden with Peppa and George having lots of fun. But when the battery runs low the flying machine is automatically set to return home, unfortunately the setting is Father Christmas’ home. Grandpa wonders if he will ever see his flying machine again.
“Parachute Games”— Peppa has fun playing parachute games at playgroup.
Dec. 6 | “Flying Discs”— Peppa learns how to throw and catch flying discs in the park.
Dec. 7 | “Kiddie Workout” — Mr. Potato leads the playgroup in a fun musical workout.
Dec. 12 | “Families” — The children draw pictures of their families.
Dec. 13 | “Charity Shop” — Peppa, George and Daddy Pig visit the Charity Shop.
Peppa Pig “Hippies”
Dec. 14 | “Hippies” — A long time ago, Granny and Grandpa were hippies.
Dec. 15 | “Little Cars” — Peppa visits the Little Cars play center.
Dec. 19 | “The Owl” — Grandpa Pig builds a special bird watching hut.
Dec. 20 | “The Apple Tree” — Peppa and family enjoy their garden apple tree all year round.
Dec. 21 | “The Big Hill Bug Hotel” — Grandpa Pig shows Peppa and George his special ‘Bug Hotel’.
Dec. 23 | “Grandpa Pig’s Greenhouse” — Grandpa Pig and Grandad Dog show their greenhouses to Peppa and George.
Peppa Pig “The Big Hill Bug Hotel”
Created by writer-directors Neville Astley and Mark Baker and originally launched in 2004, Peppa Pig is a triple BAFTA Award-winning series and global brand phenomenon, translated into over 40 languages, broadcast in more than 180 territories and boasting over 1,000 licensees around the world. The series is distributed by Entertainment One/eOne (a Hasbro company).
Two premiere animation events wrapped up in Poland this week, with both the ANIMARKT pitch forum in Łódź and the Warsaw Animation Festival in the capital revealing their competition winners today.
Embroidered Body
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum (animarkt.pl), which this year accepted applications in two categories — short projects in development and feature films/series/special programs, welcomed almost 300 participants from around the world to meet the creators of exceptional animated concepts and join discussions on hot topics like the current situation for women in the industry and the future of sustainable production.
The Inner Life
“In recent years, in the stop-motion animation industry, we have seen a tendency to improve cooperation between producers, directors, teams and technical crews. Thanks to this, we can see such diversity and the ability to tackle many topics,” says Agnieszka Kowalewska-Skowron, founder of the forum, who adds that this year’s edition was attended by a record number of participants. “And because of the combination of ANIMARKT with the StopMoLab program, creators from the farthest corners of the world were able to meet producers and representatives of the most important animation studios.”
Dawn Chorus
ANIMARKT Short Project Winners
Dawn Chorus by Lina Kalcheva — Prize: 60,000 PLN in-kind contribution as a coproduction sponsored by the Audiovisual Technology Center.
Embroidered Body by Alejandra Jaramillo / Visualization of a Cut by Claudia Munksgaard-Palmqvist — Industry accreditation for MIFA 2023 in Annecy.
Monstruo Come Palmeras by Juan Camilo Fonnegra — APA Lab Award – residency.
Embroidered Body — Animond Award – marketing, audience and financing consultation.
Joko by Izabela Plucińska — Radiator IP Sales Distribution Award – festival and international distribution service and consultancy.
Houston? by Carina Zidan — CEE Animation Forum Award qualification to the Out of Competition pitching in 2023.
Sissi & Caesar
ANIMARKT Feature/TV Project Winners
Sissi & Caesar by Gabriela Villalobos & Sebastian Bisbal — Kids Kino Industry Award – qualification to the Kids Kino Industry in 2023.
Sissi & Caesar / Babu in the Night City by Petr Vodicka — Industry accreditation for MIFA 2023 in Annecy.
The Inner Life by Vincente Mallols — CEE Animation Forum Award qualification to the Out of Competition pitching in 2023.
Dr. Hau
ANIMARKT Audience Award
Dr. Hau by Joanna Jasińska-Koronkiewicz / Embroidered Body — Dragonframe software prize.
Letter to a Pig
The Warsaw Animation Film Festival (warsawanimationfest.com) presented 57 short films in competition from around the world, including nine from Polish creators. Highlights of the event also included a special Halloween screening of “Animated Horrors” and a program of Ukrainian films pulled from the Linoleum Festival official selection. This year’s award-winning films hailed from China, Slovenia, France, Switzerland and Poland, reflecting a diverse array of themes as well as artistic approaches.
The jury composed of Ewa Sobolewska, Izumi Yoshida and Alexandre Siqueira presented prizes in the following categories: Grand Prix Student Competition, Grand Prix International Competition and Special Mentions. The Polish Filmmakers Association, this year’s institutional partner of the festival recognized the Best Polish Film, while the Platige Image jury selected their favorite production.
Before Her Body Left
WAFF Special Mentions
Before Her Body Left by Yuxin Yang (China) — For its “poetic depiction of the search for identity.” The protagonist is a trans woman who looks at her reflection in the mirror. Her strikingly surreal dream illustrates a struggle between her “self” and the need to express herself.
Granny’s Sexual Lifeby Urška Djukić & Émilie Pigeard (Slovenia/France) — For “showing the violent side of the world through a relevant animation technique.” Four elderly women who, provoked by the liberated clothing style of one of their granddaughters, reflect on their memories of the old days and how different relations between men and women were.
Letter to a Pig by Tal Kantor (France/Israel) — For “sensitivity and courage in confronting history.” A Holocaust survivor who writes a letter of thanks to the pig that saved his life. As the filmmaker notes at the beginning, in Judaism the pig is seen as an unclean animal. The picture evocatively deals with the theme of collective trauma, revenge, evil and compassion.
Do Not Feed the Pigeons
Grand Prix – Student Competition
Do Not Feed the Pigeonsby Antonin Niclass (U.K.) — For “creating a world balancing melancholy and humor in a captivating animation technique.”
The Record
Grand Prix – International Competition
The Record by Jonathan Laskar (Switzerland) — “A story full of magic in a perfect, enclosed, visual and musical form.” The story of an antiques dealer who is offered magical vinyl record that “reads minds and plays back lost memories” by a strange traveler. He becomes almost obsessed with the object and can’t stop listening to it, retracing his memories until the most painful of them is recalled: the moment when he was separated from his mother at the Swiss border during World War II.
Slow Light
Platige Image Award
Slow Light by Kasia Kijek & Przemek Adamski (Poland/Portugal) — A man who was born blind one day regains his sight, but what he sees turns out to be an image from the past. His eyeballs are so thick that light penetrates seven years through them. Therefore, the hero will never be able to live in the present.
Best Polish Film
Slow Light by Kasia Kijek & Przemek Adamski (Poland/Portugal)
Zoon
Audience Award
Zoon by Jonatan Schwenk (Germany) — A six-minute miniature, set in a dark swamp at the bottom of a nocturnal forest, where a group of shiny axolotls play their lustful games.
In Harmony by Markus Svendsen Øvre (U.K.) — In a world where the only form of communication is sounds generated by musical instruments or through the body, a young man walks through a lusciously green and moss-covered landscape, and tries to play his rhythmic melodies to create a loving bond.
WWF (wwf.panda.org) has launched a new film to raise awareness about catastrophic wildfires — which are increasing in intensity and frequency every year, wreaking havoc on people, nature and climate. Titled A Flammable Planet, the stop-motion piece debuts on the sidelines of the 2022 U.N. climate change conference, COP27, and calls for urgent action to stop the cycle of wildfires and climate change.
The film is conceived and produced by London-based NOMINT (nomint.com). Much like their 2021 collaboration with WWF, which used real melting ice as a stop-motion animated material to illustrate the disappearing arctic ice, the studio took an innovative tack with A Flammable Planet, using the destructive properties of fire to create a direct visual link between our imperiled planet and the animated environment. (Made for COP26, We Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice went on to win three Cannes Lions Awards.)
A Flammable Planet
A Flammable Planet
“Fires are not just a critical climate issue, they are also a critical economic and livelihood issue. Fires burning in many parts of the world are bigger, more intense and last longer than they used to. This cannot continue,” said Huma Khan, Head of Communications – Forests at WWF International. “WWF has long been calling for more action on fires prevention and tackling the root causes of fires, such as deforestation and climate change. So, when NOMINT told us about this new animation technique using real fire, we were intrigued. This heart-wrenching story dramatizes the very real and painful effects of wildfires on people, their livelihoods and the climate.”
In A Flammable Planet, a rogue spark sets off a menacing fire that consumes everything in its path, “causing destruction to natural habitats and people’s lives.” A small rabbit’s nighttime flight from the blaze reflects the urgency for world needers to snuff out deforestation, climate change and other root causes of extreme wildfires.
NOMINT used an innovative combination of a highly flammable set & props and actual fire to visually translate the destruction and danger of these disasters. The film was shot entirely in-camera and used traditional stop-motion techniques together with slow-motion, time lapse and long-exposure to create the original visuals.
The short is directed by NOMINT co-founders Yannis Konstantinidis and Christos Lefakis in collaboration with animator Jua Braga, with music by Ted Regklis and color grading by Tom Mangham at Black Kite Studios.
“Lighting” a scene for ‘A Flammable Planet’ at NOMINT London
“For our second film with WWF, we struggled for months to find a way to use the natural properties of real fire in a way that conveys the devastation of wildfires. Fire is destructive and remorseless, both in real life and on the stop-motion set, destroying everything that comes in its way,” noted Konstantinidis. “We ended up walking on a very thin line where the whole project was on the very edge of literally going up in flames, creating a level of jeopardy that is hopefully conveyed in the story.”
Go behind the scenes of A Flammable Planet in NOMINT’s revealing video:
Crunchyroll will bring Vash’s signature brand of love and peace to Anime NYC with the World Premiere of TRIGUN STAMPEDE, giving badge holders the first chance to see the highly-anticipated reimagining of the classic series TRIGUN, from Studio Orange (BEASTARS).
The exclusive screening of the new series’ first episode will be contextualized by a special Q&A session with creative staff from Studio Orange. Attendees will also be the first to see exclusive new materials from the show, which is due to hit the streaming trail on Crunchyroll in January 2023.
Anime NYC TRIGUN STAMPEDE World Premiere & Panel
Friday, November 18 | 6-7:30 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center | Panel Room 1
Based on the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, TRIGUN STAMPEDE follows the original 1998 anime and 2010 feature film, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, which won over a global audience of anime fans. Crunchyroll will simulcast the new series from Japan across more than 200 countries and territories.
The trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the Oscar-winning director’s critically acclaimed take on the Carlo Collodi classic, has arrived ready to hone streaming audiences’ appetites for the stop-motion film’s Netflix premiere on December 9.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro and claymation maestro Mark Gustafson, from a script by del Toro and Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale, this new take on the tale sets the puppet’s awakening presents “a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love.”
The film features the voices of Gregory Mann (Pinocchio), Ewan McGregor (Sebastian J. Cricket), David Bradley (Geppetto), Tilda Swinton (Wood Sprite / Death), Christoph Waltz (Count Volpe), Finn Wolfhard (Candlewick), Cate Blanchett (Spazzatura), John Turturro (Dottore), Ron Perlman (Podesta), Tim Blake Nelson (Black Rabbits) and Burn Gorman (Priest).
Pinocchio is produced by del Toro, Lisa Henson (The Jim Henson Company), Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico (ShadowMachine) and animated at ShadowMachine’s Portland, Oregon studio, executive produced by Jason Lust.
The key creatives roster also includes production designer Guy Davis, co-production designer Curt Enderle, art director Rob DeSue, animation supervisor Brian Hansen, director of photography Frank Passingham, puppet supervisor Georgina Hayns and composer Alexandre Desplat.
Read more about the making of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio in the January ’23 issue of Animation Magazine, available soon.
Deaf Crocodile Films announced today that it has licensed North American home video rights to the rarely-seen 1987 Romanian animated sci-fi film The Son of the Stars (Fiul Stelelor / Ultima Misiune).
Never before officially released in the U.S., the “wild mid-80s mash-up of The Empire Strikes Back, Alien and Tarzan” was directed by the same creative team behind Delta Space Mission (previously released by Deaf Crocodile), Călin Cazan and Mircea Toia. The film also feature a score by synth-rock pioneer Stefan Elefteriu.
“We had such a wonderful time working with Călin on the release of Delta Space Mission. And then we discovered that he and Mircea Toia had directed another feature right after, just as surreal and psychedelic — and if anything, even more criminally unknown here in the U.S.,” says Deaf Crocodile Co-Founder & Head of Acquisitions & Distribution, Dennis Bartok.
“Their ingenuity, working behind the Iron Curtain in the mid-1980s, incorporating elements of Western sci-fi and Japanese anime with Eastern European music and mythology and even politics, was just astonishing. I just wish they’d been able to make a dozen more features — but we’re incredibly proud that we’ve been able to restore their two animated features together, The Son of the Stars and Delta Space Mission.”
The Son of the Stars
Working with the Romanian National Film Archive and Cinematheque and the Romanian Film Centre, Deaf Crocodile has created a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative and sound elements, overseen by the company’s expert Co-Founder and Head of Post-Production & Restoration, Craig Rogers. The release will be presented in Romanian with English subtitles.
“The discussion about doing another film started at the end of the production of the Delta Space Mission movie,” Cazan shared from his home in Bucharest. “Any director, even in short films, when they get into post-production (editing, mixing), starts thinking about the next project. We had a team behind us that depended on us.”
“Everything you loved about Delta Space Mission — only even better! Space dragons, pterodactyls, amorphous blob creatures, amulets of power… Seriously, what’s not to love?,” adds Rogers.
The Son of the Stars
Asked about his collaborator Toia, who died in the early 1990s, Cazan recalls, “Mircea was an inventor. In the script, I was pretty much on the same level. But in mastering the image, the frame, he was better. And as a friend, he was very patient with me — he was about 15 years older and I was at the beginning of my career.”
Synopsis: In the year 6470, a husband and wife team of explorers receive a mysterious distress signal from a female astronaut who disappeared decades earlier. They leave their son, Dan, on board their ship while they go searching for the missing woman — but fate intervenes, crash-landing the ship on a jungle-like planet populated by bulbous, telekinetic aliens and eerie stone gardens of frozen space creatures.
Like Cazan’s and Toia’s marvellous Delta Space Mission, The Son of the Stars gets more freakadelic as Dan grows up à la Luke Skywalker, encountering giant disembodied eyeballs, a world of massive decaying Cubist structures, floating purple tentacles, and alien-headed cosmic flowers, and even a sword-wielding medieval Space Knight in armor. His visions of his lost parents and the missing cosmonaut are especially psychedelic, a phantasmagoric blend of Hanna-Barbera and Tarkovsky’s Solaris.
Wolf, Snake, Shark, Piranha and Webs will be back with a festive new scheme next year! Netflix has announced a brand-new holiday special based on DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed animated featureThe Bad Guysin 2023.
The Bad Guys debuted on Netflix on November 1 in the U.S. as part of the streamer’s animated license deal with Universal, topping Netflix’s weekly Top 10 Films in the United States for the week of October 31-November 6. The film opened in theaters to critical acclaim earlier this year, topping the U.S. box office for two weeks in a row and grossing over $250 million worldwide.
Directed by Emmy winner Bret Haaland (The Penguins of Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), who is executive producing with Katherina Nolfi (Abominable and the InvisibleCity), the as-yet untitled special is set before the events of the movie. Per Netflix:
There’s nothing the Bad Guys love more than Christmas morning — because while everyone is home opening presents, it’s the perfect time to execute their city-wide holiday heist. But when Christmas is unexpectedly canceled, the Bad Guys must do the unthinkable: reignite the city’s holiday spirit by giving instead of taking.
The Bad Guys holiday special joins Netflix’s expanding Kids & Family animated slate which includes series such as The Cuphead Show!, Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight, the upcoming Sonic Prime and My Dad: The Bounty Hunter; preschool shows such as Spirit Rangers, Gabby’s Dollhouse, The Creature Cases, Chip and Potato and the upcoming Princess Powers; Oscar-nominated feature films Klaus, Over the Moon and The Mitchells vs. the Machines, as well as this year’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood from Richard Linklater, Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast, Wendell & Wild from Henry Selick and Jordan Peele, My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey (opening this Friday, Nov. 11) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Dec. 9).
DreamWorks fans in the Los Angeles area can catch The Bad Guys back on the big screen in a special double feature advance screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish at the American Cinametheque’s Aero Theatre. The November 27 matinee will feature a Q&A with directors Joel Crawford (The Last Wish) and Pierre Perifel (The Bad Guys).
Five-time Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated studio Cartoon Saloon (cartoonsaloon.ie) leads a contingent of Enterprise Ireland-supported Irish animation innovators mingling with the global industry in Los Angeles this week during theWorld Animation Summit.
Known for blending traditional artistry with modern technology in acclaimed features like Wolfwalkers and The Breadwinner, and buoyed by support from Enterprise Ireland (enterprise-ireland.com), Cartoon Saloon’s latest film, My Father’s Dragon, is set to make its global debut on November 11 on Netflix, following recently world premieres in London and Los Angeles.
My Father’s Dragon
Cartoon Saloon is one of five stars of the Irish animation community showcasing their work and meeting with industry leaders such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others at the Summit. As the VC arm of the Irish government, Enterprise Ireland’s mission is to nurture, fund and support fledgling Irish start-ups like these studios to maturity.
“Irish animation pairs technological innovation and artistry to tell heartwarming and beautiful stories,” says Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland. “Here we are connecting Ireland’s leading animators, Kavaleer, Treehouse Republic, Piranha Bar, Giant Animation and Cartoon Saloon with leading decision-makers in the world of entertainment. Enterprise Ireland is proud to support our country’s leading animators as they look to showcase our very finest talent and technology globally.”
In addition, Enterprise Ireland, in collaboration with Screen Ireland (screenireland.ie), touts the talents of the other studio participants at Summit activities:
Adam ❤ Adventure
Kavaleer Productions (kavaleer.com). Known for hit shows such as Adam ❤ Adventure, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, Kiva Can Do and Tackle Your Feelings, Kavaleer is renowned for its inclusion and representation of people with disabilities. Based in Dublin, Kavaleer received Royal Television Society and BAFTA nominations for its work in 2022.
Zog and the Flying Doctors
Giant Animation (giantanimation.ie) is based in Dublin, and is an independent CG animation studio dedicated to creating and producing world-class content for TV and film known for its attention to detail and producing premium content, including Geist, Zog and The Flying Doctors, The Overcoat and the Sherwood limited series.
Hungry Bear Tales
Treehouse Republic (treehouserepublic.com) is a Dublin-based animation company, specializing in action comedy, storyboards, scripts, character design, illustration and more, with Hungry Bear Tales, Ballybraddan, Atom Town and Slaps and Sandbags among its credits.
Monsta Trucks
Piranha Bar (piranhabar.ie) is a creative content production studio specializing in animation, hybrid live-action/animation and motion design productions, such as Avatar Days, Monsta Trucks and Mya Go.
“This week’s World Animation Summit in Los Angeles showcases the stunning work of leading Irish animation studios,” says Killian McMahon, Head of West Coast U.S., Enterprise Ireland. “These Enterprise Ireland client companies have come to the U.S. to share their outstanding innovations and transform the global digital entertainment and animation industry.”
Netflix today opened the dossier on Inside Job Part 2 to unveil the official trailer, following a sneak peek released in October. As one may expect when global conspiracies, the Illuminati, genetic experiments and sentient fungi are in the mix, the preview promises mind-bending peril and destruction — and that’s just Reagan’s breakdown.
Inside JobPart 2 (8 x 30′) premieres November 18 on Netflix.
Rand took over the world. Reagan is rightfully pissed. And Gigi’s all over up on our grill about this new guy named Ron Stadler (played by Adam Scott). Like c’mon, give a girl a break.
Returning voice stars for Part 2 include Lizzy Caplan (Reagan Ridley), Christian Slater (Rand Ridley), Clark Duke (Brett Hand), Andrew Daly (J.R. Scheimpough), Bobby Lee (Dr. Andre Lee), John DiMaggio (Glenn Dolphman), Tisha Campbell (Gigi), Chris Diamantopoulos (ROBOTUS) and Brett Gelman (Magic Myc).
Created by Shion Takeuchi, who serves as executive producer alongside Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch, Inside Job is an adult animated comedy about the shadow government — and the dysfunctional team whose daily grind is committing the world’s conspiracies.
From convoluted coverups to secret societies to masked orgy etiquette, navigating office culture at Cognito Inc. can be tricky, especially for anti-social tech genius Reagan Ridley. Even in a workplace filled with reptilian shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, she’s seen as the odd one out for believing the world could be a better place. Reagan thinks she can make a difference, if only she could manage her unhinged, manifesto-writing father, her irresponsible coworkers, and finally snag the promotion she’s been dreaming about.
Boss Baby is returning just in time for the holiday season, with the all-new special The Boss Baby Christmas Bonus, arriving on Netflix on December 6. The special features guest star George Lopez as Santa along with series regulars JP Karliak (Boss Baby) and Pierce Gagnon (Tim Templeton). DreamWorks Animation has launched the official trailer today, which delivers the tiny tycoon to Santa’s HQ.
Synopsis: It’s Boss Baby’s first Christmas, and though big brother Tim wants to introduce him to all the holiday trappings and Templeton traditions, Boss Baby wants nothing to do with it. In a last ditch effort to get Boss in the spirit, Tim takes him to the mall on Christmas Eve to meet Santa but unfortunately, his plan backfires when Boss Baby gets mistaken for an elf and is accidentally sent to the North Pole.
The Boss Baby Christmas Bonus
The voice cast also features Ray Chase as Dongle, Hope Levy as Mom Templeton, David Collins as Dad Templeton, Kevin Michael Richardson as Jimbo, Justin Felbinger as Danny Petrosky, Alex Cazares as Staci, Ben Lepley as Noth Pole and Jodi Benson as LaLa Doo-Da.
Running 44 minutes, The Boss Baby Christmas Bonus is executive produced by Brandon Sawyer with Matt Engstrom as supervising producer, both having served these roles on the Netflix series The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib and The Boss Baby: Back in Business.
Marta Pajek’s multi-award-winning animated short Impossible Figures and Other Stories I, produced by Poland’s Animoon and the National Film Board of Canada, launched today on Vimeo and is being featured as a Staff Pick. The final film (and first part) of Pajek’s award-winning trilogy is “a mysterious and haunting portrait of personal and societal self-destruction.” The film is also available now on nfb.ca.
Following an explosion, a mysterious and elegant elderly woman wanders deserted city streets, recalling what was and what could have been.
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I
“Vimeo is proud to feature filmmaker Marta Pajek’s brilliant animated trilogy Impossible Figures and other stories in our Vimeo Staff Picks channel. Parts ‘I’ and ‘II’ have been chosen for a Vimeo Staff Pick, and ‘III’ will be presented as an upcoming Staff Pick Premiere. Each segment’s imaginative depictions of anxiety around aging, loneliness, fertility, and freedom of choice are an extremely relevant contribution to the global discourse around a woman’s right to choose in 2022.” – Vimeo
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I has been selected by more than 50 festivals around the world, including the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the GLAS Animation Festival in Berkeley, Calif. and Animafest Zagreb. The film has won 10 awards to date, including the Jury Grand Prix at Animateka (Slovenia) and the Golden Dove for Best Animated Short Film at DOK Leipzig, a short films qualifying festival for the 95th Academy Awards.
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I
Vimeo has also selected Impossible Figures and Other Stories II (2016) to be a Staff Pick starting November 8. This film has garnered more than 20 awards, including the Grand Prize at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. Then on November 9, Impossible Figures and Other Stories III (2018) will have its turn in the spotlight as a Staff Pick Premiere. This film garnered several international awards following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. This marks the first time that cinephiles will be able to watch Pajek’s trilogy for free in one place.
“Until now, these films have only been presented separately at festivals. Thanks to Vimeo, audiences around the world can now see the whole trilogy,” said Pajek. “The world has changed profoundly during the eight years of production of the Impossible Figures and other stories trilogy and I saw myself changing with each film, too. I’m thrilled that these three films are being presented together at last.”
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I is a Polish Film Institute co-financed production between Animoon (Piotr Szczepanowicz, Grzegorz Wacławek) and the National Film Board of Canada (Maral Mohammadian).
The 16-minute short is available now to watch on Vimeo here. You can watch the trailer below.
FOX has formally ordered the all-new animated comedy Universal Basic Guys/The Hoagie Bros. (working title) from creators and executive producers Adam and Craig Malamut (Sports Friends, Game of Zones, The Champions) for 2024. The series will be co-produced by FOX Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, with animation by FOX Ent.’s Emmy-winning Bento Box Entertainment, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, of FOX Entertainment.
“Adam and Craig are two of the boldest and most irreverent voices I know. This series’ distinct point of view could only come from a talented multi-hyphenate team that writes, animates and voices their work like no one else,” said Thorn. “And in the tradition of the incredible creators who have been a part of our storied Animation Domination lineup, the Malamuts have an intrepid DIY mentality that has allowed them to create some of the funniest and most surprising characters we’ve seen in a long time.”
In Universal Basic Guys/The Hoagie Bros., brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies suddenly find themselves with no jobs when the Glantontown Hot Dog factory switches over to automation. Lucky for them, the town started a radical Universal Basic Income pilot program, giving all residents of Glantontown $3,000 per month with no strings attached. Now, Mark, Hank and the rest of their local buddies are once again kids in the summertime, overflowing with the perilous combo of free time and stupid ideas. This is a show about men trying to find purpose in a world where they’re no longer needed.
Adam and Craig Malamut are brothers from South Jersey who have been making cartoons together since 2012. The Malamut Brothers are self-taught animators who write, direct, voice act, sound edit, compose music and everything in between. Their first toon together was Sports Friends, which ran for two seasons on Yahoo Screen. This led to an exclusive in-house role at Bleacher Report, where they created seven seasons of Game of Zones. Throughout its run, Game of Zones received multiple Sports Emmy Award nominations and won numerous awards, including a Grand Clio.
During their time at B/R, the Malamuts grew the animation department from just the two of them to a 25-person animation production team, allowing them to develop other hit series and focus on the creative parts of the process they do best. The brothers were the major creative force behind Bleacher Report’s other hit shows such as The Champions, Gridiron Heights and many other viral cartoons. After six years at B/R, the Malamut Brothers decided to pursue their dream of creating an original animated series for television.
Luffy and his Straw Hat pirate crew have added more treasure to the franchise’s coffers with the North American theatrical debut of One Piece Film Red, which weighed anchored to an impressive $9,323,267 in box office from U.S. and Canadian theaters. Produced by Toei Animation (Japan), the film is distributed in NorAm, Germany and Australia/New Zealand by Crunchyroll.
“One Piece is one of the most storied franchises in anime history, and Crunchyroll is thrilled that the film from our partners at Toei Animation saw success at the box office this past weekend,” said Mitchel Berger, SVP of Global Commerce, Crunchyroll. “To have the tremendous support of fans for One Piece Film Red continues the trend of anime leading the charge in audiences coming back to theaters and enjoying the big screen experience.”
The anime contender came in at No. 2 for the weekend, behind the latest DC blockbuster, Black Adam ($18.5 million).
The 15th film in the One Piece franchise, based on the record-breaking manga by Eiichiro Oda, is directed by Goro Taniguchi. The pic opened on 3,280 screens in 2,415 theaters across North America, buoyed by an “A” CinemaScore and a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating from both critics and audiences. One Piece Film Red is available to screen in Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed in English across an array of screens, including IMAX, 4DX, MX4D, Dolby Cinemas and DBox.
The last feature film release in the series, One Piece: Stampede, opened stateside as an event release in 2019, grossing $1.3 million.
Released in Japan on August 6, One Piece Film Red has since grossed over 18 billion yen, making it the country’s top film of 2022, highest-grossing One Piece movie and sixth highest-grossing anime movie of all time (ninth highest-grossing film of any genre).
“We were confident that One Piece Film Red would be a hit with U.S. and Canadian audiences and this weekend’s stellar opening proves it,” said Masayuki Endo, President & CEO of Toei Animation. “This is a history-making moment for the One Piece franchise and its most successful theatrical release ever. Over the last 23 years, the One Piece anime series has attracted an enormous global fan base and it continues to grow around the world — especially here in North America as illustrated by the film’s success.”
Synopsis: Uta — the most beloved singer in the world whose voice has been described as “otherworldly”—is renowned for concealing her own identity when performing. Now, for the first time ever, she will reveal herself to the world at a live concert.
With the Navy watching closely, the venue fills with Uta’s fans — including excited pirates and the Straw Hats led by Luffy, who simply came to enjoy her sonorous performance — all eagerly awaiting the voice that the whole world has been waiting for to resound. The story begins with the shocking revelation that she is the enigmatic Shanks’ daughter. Uta stands on the stage, with the ordinary wish of “making the world happy with my music.” There’s Gordon, a mysterious character who knows Uta’s past, and glimpses of Shanks’ shadow. On Elegia, the island of music, Luffy and Uta reunite for the first time since they last met 12 years ago in Foosha Village.
The CEE Animation Forum, the largest pitching and networking event in Central and Eastern Europe, took place Nov 2-4, presenting 33 projects in four main competitions, with the juries presenting awards to a total of 14 animated works. This year, audiences were able to follow the program in the creative space DEPO2015 in Plzeň and connect to broadcasts on social media.
An intensive two days were filled with a wide range of projects searching for potential partners amid the live audiences and via virtual platforms. “Most of all, it was amazing to observe the student teams that presented their work to audiences with great courage. Proof of this support is that the audience award was given to a project from the Rising Stars section,” said Marta Jallageas, Managing Director of the CEE Animation Forum. Organizers also noted the substantial female presence in the project pitches this year, with a ratio of 36 women to 27 men.
CEE Animation Forum 2022
An important part of the program was the panel discussion with representatives of national television broadcasters, featuring Petr Farkaš (CT, Czech Republic), Halka Marčeková (RTVS, Slovakia), Audronė Šepetė (LRT, Lithuania), Tiivi Tuur (ERR, Estonia), Zane Valeniece (LTV, Latvia) and Kresimir Zubcic (HRT, Croatia). Participating broadcasters agreed that support for local productions is a priority for them when purchasing animation projects, despite the current adverse financial situation.
CEE Animation is an active player in the animation industry and regularly addresses the concerns of the local industry. During a closed meeting between television representatives and CEE Animation, potential steps to help animation creation in the region were discussed. CEEA works to create the conditions under which local animation projects can materialize, and this meeting also opened up the question of possible co-ordination of co-operation with regard to support for domestic productions.
The Helpers
CEE Animation Pitch Winners
AUDIENCE AWARD I’ll Be There When You Wake Up
d. Nina Chubinishvili, p. Willem de Kooning Academie, Netherlands
FEATURE FILMS
Jury: Lubica Orechovská (Pubres), Richard Lutterbeck (TrickStudio Lutterbeck), Valentin Rebondy (Cinema Public Films) WINNER: The Helpers
d. Betina Bożek, p. Grzegorz Skorupski, Animoon, Poland Jury statement: We found the project to be very courageous and challenging in terms of telling the story by selecting different visual styles and genres. It´s fresh and new. It comes with a universal topic — how much love can surprise us at any time and literally brings so much colors into our previous “waffle” dry world. It also illustrates how much determination these costs. During the presentation we were given a very clear picture about the intention of the creative and production team.
SPECIAL MENTION: Sorya
d. Denis Do, p. Sébastien Onomo, Marion Boffelli, Special Touch Studios, France Jury statement: We like this project for its precious and authentic connection between its core topic, story, place and its director. We grew attached to the strong female character, a young girl named Sorya, becoming an independent woman, just like her homeland Cambodia is quickly changing into an open and modern society. The plot is full of energy and is also visually strong, which immediately gets you hooked. And it is a great musical adventure!
SERIES / TV SPECIALS Jury: Kristel Tõldsepp (A Film), Michelle Hoekstra (lemming film), Hisko Hulsing WINNER: Bug City
d. Jøran Wærdahl, p. Kjersti Greger, Klipp og Lim, Norway Jury statement: We were impressed by the unique style and tone of this project. It seems a very brave move to let the story take place in a dark and gloomy world, completely inhabited by insects. However, we are convinced that the combination of drama and dark humor will end up being very entertaining.
SPECIAL MENTION: Lemon and Berry
d. Ilenia Cotardo, Piotr Ficner, p. Anna Mroczek, WJT / Likaon, Poland Jury statement: The project has relatable characters, rich visuals and is well-suited for the target audience. The presentation was well-prepared and convincing.
SHORT FILMS Jury: Alexandre Siqueira (BAP – Animation Studios), Milo Cremer Eindhoven (Submarine), Bastien Martin (Camera, etc.) WINNER: Supersillynurseryrhyme
d. Veronica Martiradonna, p. Ron Dyens, Sacrebleu Productions, France Jury statement: Supersilly showcases a promising and daring union of story and style. The animation excites, capturing spontaneity and an organic feel in its movement. But, more importantly, the project offers a singular voice that needs to be heard.
SPECIAL MENTION: Funfair
d. Éva Darabos, p. József Fülöp, Orsolya Sipos, SALTO Films, Hungary Jury statement: Éva Darabos has built a world that we are keen to explore further, having charmed us with its grotesque and humorous style.
The Spell
RISING STARS Jury: Eleanor Coleman (Indie Sales), Luca Tóth, Ivan Zuber (Laïdak Films) WINNER: The Spell
d. Dora Pejić Bach, p. University of Ljubljana, Academy of Fine Arts and Design – ALUO, Slovenia WINNER: The Chicken’s Calling
d. Rebecca Osterberg, p. Hochschule Wismar, Germany Jury statement: For the first time in the history of the CEE Animation Forum, there will be two winners who will share the prize. Why? Because we are convinced that these very different projects both stood out and deserve the top recognition. They are both well developed, radically different and most importantly very authentic and doable. We are so looking forward to seeing these films completed.
The Girl with the Occupied Eyes
CEE ANIMATION WORKSHOP – 2023 Scholarship Award The Girl with Occupied Eyes
d. André Carrilho, p. Hemi Fortes, Blablabla Media, Portugal
CICLIC AWARD (35,000 EUR) Funfair
d. Éva Darabos, p. József Fülöp, Orsolya Sipos, SALTO Films, Hungary
TVPAINT AWARD (professional license) M-0
d. Vivien Csigó, p. Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Hungary
9 Million
CARTOON FORUM AWARD (direct access for 2023) 9 Million Colors
d. Bára Anna Stejskalová, p. Jakub Kostal, Bionaut, Czech Republic
ANIMARKT STOP MOTION FORUM AWARD (direct access for 2023) Bug City
d. Jøran Wærdahl, p. Kjersti Greger, Klipp og Lim, Norway Bruno
d. Danas Bereznickas, p. Inesa Ivanova, MB Danas Bereznickas, Lithuania
KIDS KINO INDUSTRY AWARD (direct access for 2023) Billy & the Boingo Band
d. / p. Shabnam Rezaei, Big Bad Boo Studios, Austria
Funfair
CEE Animation is financially supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Program of the European Union, the International Visegrad Fund, and organized in co-operation with Eurimages. It is also co-funded by state funds and foundations and professional organizations from Croatia (Hulahop), Czech Republic (APA, Audiovisual Producers Association), Poland (SPPA, Polish Animation Producers Association), Slovakia (APAF, Slovak Association of Animated Film Producers) and Slovenia (DSAF, Slovene Animated Film Association).
After a nonstop summer of blockbuster anime films joining the Crunchyroll lineup, the streamer is topping up its fall season with more high-profile titles on the way this month — and more to come. November feature film additions include Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night, Laid-Back Camp The Movie, PSYCHO-PASS: The Movie and more.
Released in partnership through Funimation and Aniplex of America in U.S. theaters and IMAX on December 3, 2021, Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night is the sequel to Sword Art Online the Movie -Ordinal Scale-, which is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. Part of the hit Sword Art Online franchise, the story is based on the popular light novel series written by Reki Kawahara.
And soon after its U.S. premiere at Anime NYC this fall, Laid-Back Camp The Movie will make its streaming debut in most Crunchyroll territories worldwide — including India, but excluding Asia as well as Central and South America. The film first released theatrically on June 19, 2022, grossing over 1 billion yen in Japan, and is based on the Laid-Back Camp manga written and illustrated by Afro.
These and the other movies announced today join Crunchyroll’s steadily growing slate of feature film offerings, which since this August has added JUJUTSU KAISEN 0, AKIRA, your name., Wolf Children, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, The Boy and the Beast, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, The Stranger by the Shore, Sword of the Stranger, ODDTAXI In the Woods, Sing a Bit of Harmony, Fruits Basket -prelude- and the PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System film trilogy, among others.
November 17
King of Thorn (Sunrise) — Panic spreads worldwide as the Medousa Virus threatens to wipe out the human race. Kasumi is one of 160 people chosen to be cryogenically frozen while a cure is found. When she awakens to find the facility overrun with thorny vines and ravenous monsters, Kasumi and six others struggle to survive this labyrinthine nightmare. If they survive, how long do they have to live? Directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama.
Origin: Spirits of the Past (Gonzo) — Long ago, the Forest was awakened and the Moon unleashed a ravenous Beast upon the Earth. Centuries later, as humanity struggle to coexist with the Forest, Agito revives slumbering Toola, who calls forth ancient technology to reshape the future from the ashes of the past. With the blessing of the Forest, Agito must save Toola from herself in order to rescue them all. Directed by Keiichi Sugiyama.
PSYCHO-PASS: The Movie(Production I.G) — Confident with the success of the Sybil System, the Japanese government begins exporting the technology to other countries. However, when foreign terrorists begin slipping through the System’s security and attacking from within, Inspector Akane Tsunemori is sent overseas to investigate. When her hunt for justice forces her into a standoff with an old ally, will she be able to pull the trigger? Directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro and Naoyoshi Shiotani.
November 24
Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night (A-1 Pictures) — Return to the death game where it all began: Sword Art Online. In this new Aincrad Arc by original creator Reki Kawahara, the story is seen through Asuna’s eyes. What at first seems like a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare when newbie gamer Asuna Yuuki learns the only way to escape the virtual world of Aincrad is to beat all 100 levels — but “Game Over” means you die in the real world. Directed by Ayako Kono.
Laid-Back Camp The Movie (C-Station) — Shima Rin has left her hometown in Yamanashi to live on her own in Nagoya while working for a small publishing company there. On one winter’s weekend in the not-too-distant future, as she’s planning a bike tour, she unexpectedly receives a message from an old high school friend, Ohgaki Chiaki, saying she’s currently in Nagoya. Chiaki now works for an organization promoting tourism in Yamanashi, and she’s in charge of a project to reopen a facility that was closed a few years ago.
When Rin casually suggests that such a large property would make a good campground, Chiaki is inspired. She gathers up all of their old camping buddies—Kagamihara Nadeshiko, who works at an outdoor goods store in Tokyo; Inuyama Aoi, who’s now an elementary school teacher in their hometown of Yamanashi; and Saitou Ena, who works at a dog grooming salon in Yokohama — and the campground-opening project is set in motion. The story of five outdoorsy girls who became friends thanks to their shared love of camping begins once more, taking on a new challenge with the knowledge and experience they’ve gained. Directed by Yoshiaki Kyogoku.
