The U.K.’s Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) revealed that the esteemed craftspeople of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in Los Angeles (the puppetmaking outfit of The Jim Henson Company) is creating the lifesize forest trolls, sprites and other spirits for its stage adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro, the 1988 family animated feature from legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
The workshop — which has produced beloved characters from classics such as The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Sesame Street — will be crafting the creatures based on designs by international award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist (Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast and The Addams Family Musical). Puppet production is currently underway for the fall premiere.
Mervyn Millar, director of Significant Object (War Horse), who designed the puppetry for the RSC’s recent acclaimed production of The Magician’s Elephant, will create additional puppets in their U.K.-based workshop.
Exploring the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, My Neighbour Totoro follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei as they are swept up in exciting adventures with their new neighbours – transported to a long-forgotten realm of spirits, sprites, and natural wonder.
Presented by executive producer Hisaishi and the RSC, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV, My Neighbour Totoro will play a 15-week season at the Barbican from October 8, 2022 to January 21 ,2023.
Following the opening of pubic booking for the world premiere on May 19, the show broke the Barbican box office record for most ticket sales in one day (preivously held by the 2015 production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch).
The new show follows the Japan launch of Toho’s jawdropping Spirited Away stage production, which will livestream worldwide from its final stop in Nagoya this weekend (July 3 & 4) on Hulu.
My Neighbor Totoro and the rest of the Studio Ghibli feature film catalog are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S. & Canada, and on Netflix internationally.
Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy and the rest of the Smurfs are back for an even Smurfier second season, premiering Monday, July 18 on Nickelodeon. Promising more adventure, more mischief, and more new Smurfs, new episodes of The Smurfs will air daily on Nickelodeon in the U.S. at 2 p.m. (ET/PT), and internationally beginning in September 2022.
Season 2 introduces two new characters: Wild Smurf (voiced by Luke Calzonetti), a mischievous character with a strong connection to animal life, whose temper and strange ways will shake up the Smurfs’ daily routine; and Leaf (voiced by Jade Wheeler), the fairy destined to replace Mother Nature who doesn’t have full command of her powers just yet.
Throughout the all-new season of The Smurfs, our little blue heroes will travel through time, swap bodies with each other and get into magic duels. Constantly pursued by the determined Gargamel and Azrael, and also by ogres Bigmouth and Egghead, the Smurfs and their friends will continue to enchant in new episodes filled with exciting and hilarious adventures.
The voice cast bringing these beloved characters to life includes: David Freeman (7 Promises) as Papa Smurf, the father figure keeping the other Smurfs in line; Berangere McNeese (Matriochkas) as Smurfette, a curious Smurf who is always ready to take part in new adventures; Lenny Mark Irons (No Man’s Land) as Gargamel, a conniving human wizard with a bottomless thirst to capture Smurfs; Youssef El Kaoukibi (NRJ Belgium) as Brainy, who considers himself the smartest of the bunch; and Catherine Hershey (Boundary Games) as Willow, the brave and wise matriarch of a new tribe of girl Smurfs.
The Smurfs CG-animated series acquisition is overseen by Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships; Dana Cluverius, Senior Vice President, Current Series Animation for Nickelodeon; and Jason Oliveri, Executive in Charge, Current Series Animation for Nickelodeon.
The Smurfs is a Peyo Productions and Dupuis Audiovisuel production, in co-production with KiKA, Ketnet and RTBF, with the participation of TF1 and with the participation of Wallimage (La Wallonie), of Screen Flanders, of BNPPFFF and with the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Government and the participation of the CNC.
Apple TV+ today released the trailer for Duck & Goose, premiering Friday, July 8. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling books by Tad Hills, the new preschool series celebrates the unique camaraderie of Duck and Goose, two best feathered friends that don’t always see beak to beak. That is until they discover that embracing and appreciating each other’s differences can help them think up entirely new ideas to help solve everyday challenges, both big and small.
Duck & Goose is directed by Brian Muelhaupt (Sesame Street) with Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted), Douglas Wood (Bob the Builder, Little Einsteins), Chris Prynoski (Harriet the Spy), Shannon Prynoski (Harriet the Spy), Ben Kalina (Harriet the Spy), Antonio Canobbio (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and author Tad Hills executive producing. Peabody Award winner Wood also serves as showrunner.
Cathy Davidson, Ph.D., founding director of the Futures Initiative and a distinguished professor in the Ph.D. program in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and Christina Katopodis, Ph.D., executive director and postdoctoral associate at Transformative Learning in the Humanities, serve as the transformative learning experts on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.
The expanding and award-winning lineup of original animation for kids and families on Apple TV+ also includes the critically-acclaimed and Humanitas Prize nominated El Deafo,Lovely Little Farm, Pinecone and the Pony, Harriet the Spy (The Jim Henson Company), Wolfboy and the Everything Factory (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD, Bento Box Ent.), Get Rolling with Otis, Academy Award-nominated film Wolfwalkers, Peabody Award-winning series Stillwater. new series and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain ( Snoopy in Space S2, It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown, For Auld Lang Syne) and Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, the Daytime Emmy-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers.
Epic Games today released the new Animation Field Guide, as part of its Animation Week kick off taking place from June 27-July 1. The week’s programming will offer a variety of free resources for artists including a new behind-the-scenes look into how MetaHuman and Unreal Engine were used to create the Love, Death + Robots episode “In Vaulted Halls Entombed” episode (watch here), and much more.
The Animation Field Guide
At over 100 pages, The Animation Field Guildexplores the foundations of real-time animation pipelines with Unreal Engine, and features interviews with over 30 artists, producers and workflow experts. For decades, animation teams have followed a traditional, linear pipeline, leaving very little room for creative changes downstream. With a real-time pipeline, departments can collaborate seamlessly and iterate with more creative freedom. Readers will learn how Sony Pictures Imageworks, BRON Digital, Reel FX and many others are using a real-time pipeline to bring their animated stories to life.
You can download the Animation Field Guide via the Unreal Engine website here.
Blue (image: Preymaker)
Along with the launch of the Field Guide, Animation Week is a celebration of the remarkable achievements in real-time animation by both established filmmakers and independent studios and artists from around the world. Featured projects include Malanca, built entirely in the cloud from Untold Studios; a promo produced in real time for Diablo Immortal from Impossible Objects; Mush-Mush & the Mushables from La Cabane; the trailer premiere for animated short film Blue from Preymaker and highlights from Epic Games’ Annecy presentations.
Animation Week comes on the heels of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market and the Tribeca Film Festival, both premiering Unreal Engine projects. Annecy featured Manhole directed by Abhishek Verma and Jayesh Pillai in its Official Selection, Bottle Cap from Psyop and Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat from DNEG. Unreal Engine activations at Annecy also featured live demonstrations, presentations and panels from artists producing the most compelling projects using Unreal Engine, including BRON Studios, Chromosphere, Digic Pictures, Engine House Studio, Nexus Studios, Praxinos, Reel FX and Spire Animation Studios.
Wylder (image: Engine House Films)
The Tribeca Film Festival featured two short film projects created using Unreal Engine: the world premiere of Emma Needell’s Life Rendered and the North American premiere of Paul Franklin’s Fireworks.
Along with promoting customer content and adoption, Animation Week will also showcase mastery of the tools, workflows and products in the Epic Games ecosystem including MetaHuman, Quixel Megascans, UE Marketplace and myriad free learning resources available to creators. Epic Games also supports animators through the Unreal Short Film Challenge programs in Australia, LatAm and India, and Short Nites in-game special events connecting short film creators with players around the world in Fortnite.
KeLrn more about how Unreal Engine is shaping the next generation of real-time animation by visiting the new Future of Animationlanding page.
Mush-Mush and the Mushables environment (image: La Cabane)
Humanitas has announced the nominees for the 2022 Humanitas Prizes. Forty-five writers have been nominated for their work across nine juried categories, with winners to be announced live at an in-person awards luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 9, after a two year hiatus.
Categories with animation nominees below; see the full list at humanitasprize.org. Additional honoree, host and Web Series nominee announcements are forthcoming.
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love
Children’s Teleplay
El Deafo (Apple TV+) – Written by Cece Bell and Will McRobb
Karma’s World“Hair Comes Trouble” (Netflix) – Written by Kellie R. Griffin and Halcyon Person
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love (Apple TV+) – Written by Alex Galatis
The Babysitters Club “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye” – Written by Sascha Rothchild
Encanto
Family Feature Film
8-Bit Christmas – Written by Kevin Jakubowski
Cinderella – Written by Kay Cannon
Encanto (Disney Animation) – Written by Charise Castro Smith & Jared Bush
Spin – Written by Carley Steiner and Josh A. Cagan
Far from the Tree
Short Film
Far from the Tree (Disney Animation)- Written by Natalie Nourigat
Girls Are Strong Here – Written by Scott Burkhardt
Leap – Written by Margaret Nagle
Nona (Pixar SparkShorts) – Written by Louis Gonzales
Nona
The Humanitas Prizes are awarded to honor film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Prizes are presented at an annual event in Beverly Hills, Calif., where winners receive a trophy and a cash prize.
Acclaimed Malaysian animation house Lil Critter Workshop (LCW) is expanding its global footprint, setting up an animation studio in the U.K. Based in Bristol, LCW’s new studio will focus on developing the company’s own IP, working with creative talent, studios and co-production partners in the U.K. and across Europe.
Boxzania
Headed by LCW’s Co-Founder and Executive Producer Walid Omar, the studio will be looking to recruit both senior development executives and creative staff as well as working with freelance writers and IP owners to work in collaboration with its established team in Malaysia.
Walid Omar
“The U.K. is the natural home for our expanded business — not only was I raised and spent much of my formative career there, but the U.K. has a vast array of creative talent that we want to work with to build our slate of original IP,” says Omar. “We are also keen to collaborate with other U.K. studios as a production partner. We hope that our fusion of talent and ideas combined with U.K. voices will enable us to create and tell stories that are full of energy, bold and fun.”
Lawak Campus
LCW’s series including Hogie The Globehopper and Buck & Buddy have sold to leading global broadcasters and platforms including Netflix, CITV, Cartoon Network and Discovery Kids. The company also has a slate of dynamic projects in development that includes high energy comedy, anime and adventure.
Billy Fei and the Cloud Trials
The studio’s latest show, Billy Fei and the Cloud Trials, is a 22 x 26’ action-adventure series for kids aged 6+, which is being co-developed with Scribble Studios and recently received a grant from Epic Games. Canadian producer/distributor Bejuba! Entertainment is also on board as international distributor.
Next Quest
Launched in Kuala Lumpur in 2015, Lil Critter Workshop is a creative animation production house with studios in Malaysia and now the U.K. Working in collaboration with talent and partners around the world on its own and third-party projects, LCW leverages its fusion of cultures and ideas enables different voices to tell stories that are energetic, bold and fun. The studio is headed by Walid Omar, Lorna Henderson and Brian Chong.
Global creative Brazilian studio SPIRIT Animation has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games for its animated series Celeste. This follows the project’s success on the international stage as one of the Top 10 Most Viewed Contents at MIPJunior (Cannes), winner of Brazil’s competitive Petrobras Production Fund and recentselection for RIO2C’s 2022 International Market Pitch.
The MegaGrant will be used to produce the show’s first episode, with all voices being recorded at Audioworks in New York. SPIRIT is talking to potential co-producers to join the 10 x 22′ animated series, which follows the journey of Celeste and her fatherly-figure Dragon, as they help a diversified kingdom to look at life from a different, brighter perspective.
“This episode will also work as a stand-alone TV special, leaving audiences curious to explore the other stories of this cute pair,” notes Fernando Macedo, Celeste creator, writer, director & executive producer and Founder & CCO of SPIRIT Animation.
Celeste production art courtesy of SPIRIT Animation
Series co-director Cleber Coutinho, Partner of Production for SPIRIT Animation, adds, “Epic’s Unreal Engine for real-time rendering and animation production is the way of the future, as quality increases day by day, while [speeding up] production pipelines and workflows. We’re paving our way to an upcoming feature to be fully produced with Epic’s technology.”
SPIRIT’s upcoming releases includes the animated series It’s Gonna Be Alright’ (2022), produced with Brazil’s Children’s Hospital for Cancer; Erastinho; KARL Season 3, KARL BABIES Season 2 and the spooky direct-to-TV feature Mysterious Tales of Ketchup Jack, all part of its KARL franchise which boasts over 2 billion worldwide views (Disney XD, Amazon Prime Video, WildBrain Spark, Youku).
Warner Bros. Discovery is ready for its formal fandom introduction at Comic-Con 2022, as the combined divisions of the company join forces to mark the first in-person presence in three years at the world’s premier comic-book and popular arts convention.
The entertainment powerhouse is back with a vengeance to present a series of can’t-miss panels, behind-the-scenes conversations, activations and more to celebrate new and fan-favorite live-action and animated series, movies, comics and games from Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24.
For the 11th year, Warner Bros. will sponsor the official Comic-Con bag. Jim Lee, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC, has created two designs for this year’s must-have collectible swag holder, featuring more than 50 characters from across the DC Multiverse. Each bag will also feature two QR codes which will unlock special surprises for fans beginning Thursday, July 21. More than 160,000 bags have been produced, and fans can claim theirs when checking in at the convention, while supplies last. I.D. Me Promotions handled physical production of the bags.
SDCC 2022 Bags designed by Jim Lee
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Comic-Con 2022 highlights include:
HBO will unveil the highly anticipated original series House of the Dragon, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, with a panel in Hall H.
Warner Bros. Television returns to Hall H with panels for The Sandman and Riverdale. Stars and producers of The Sandman will treat fans to a special presentation followed by a Q&A. The cast and producers of Riverdale make their final Comic-Con appearance to discuss the mysteries of season six and what is to come in the seventh and final season.
DC fans will learn more about the Super Heroes, Anti-Heroes and Super-Villains of Gotham City, take a deep dive into all things DC with Publisher & Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee, experience a Dark Crisis event 30 years in the making, join writers Tom Taylor & Tom King for a conversation, and get insider info from top creators behind the DC Multiverse.
Warner Bros. Games gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the Gotham Knights and MultiVersus video games with the cast and creators.
The TNets bring you a conversation with some of the biggest stars of TBS’ AEW: Dynamite and TNT’s AEW: Rampage — the wildly popular wrestling promotion.
Additional panels from Warner Bros. Pictures to be announced.
… But, you know we are all about packing as much animation as possible into our CC schedules!
Looney Tunes Cartoons
Toon In with the Whole Family
That’s NOT All, Folks! Looney Tunes for Everyone! — Don’t forget that left turn at Albuquerque on your way to the Looniest panel at San Diego Comic-Con! Take a look at all the latest from the Looney Tunes Loon-iverse, including the new season of Looney Tunes Cartoons, new series Bugs Bunny Builders, the upcoming Tiny Toons Looniversity and bonus surprises! Join Eric Bauza (voice of Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Daffy Duck & more) as he moderates an all-star panel with Alex Kirwan (supervising producer, Looney Tunes Cartoons), Abe Audish (supervising producer, Bugs Bunny Builders), Nate Cash and Erin Gibson (co-executive producers of Tiny Toons Looniversity), and more surprise guests! Stick around for sneak peeks, giveaways and looney games! Looney Tunes Cartoons and Bugs Bunny Builders are produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Tiny Toons Looniversity is produced by Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
Cartoon Network: Winner Takes All — Come on down and be the first in line to test your knowledge on all things Cartoon Network! This multi-show panel will determine which panelists (and audience members!) are the most discerning fans as they are quizzed on their favorite series for a chance to unlock first looks, sneak peeks and more inside scoop! Play along with the casts and crew of Craig of the Creek (Philip Solomon, voice of Craig; Najja Porter, supervising director; Dashawn Mahone, supervising director), Teen Titans Go! (Pete Michail, executive producer; Tara Strong, voice of Raven; Khary Payton, voice of Cyborg) and We Baby Bears (Calvin Wong, showrunner; Connor Andrade, voice of Grizz; Amari McCoy, voice of Panda; Max Mitchell, voice of Ice Bear). Why settle for second? Come get your first look at everything Cartoon Network! Craig of the Creek and We Baby Bears are produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Teen Titans Go! is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
The Origin Story You’ve Been Waiting For…Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai — Magic, mystery, mayhem and Mogwai! Join the talented cast and crew of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai as they answer your burning questions about the upcoming HBO Max animated prequel series. Executive producers Tze Chun and Brendan Hay join Tara Rueping (art director), Izaac Wang (voice of Sam), AJ LoCascio (voice of Gizmo), Gabrielle Neveah Green (voice of Elle), and more surprise guests to unveil the first clues to unlocking the secrets of the Mogwai that will leave you hungry for adventure (just don’t eat after midnight!). Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is produced by Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
Sesame Street Mecha Builders — From feathered and furry friends to robo super-heroes-in-training, find out how the iconic Sesame Street Muppets got supersized into CGI animated characters for the newest series Sesame Street Mecha Builders. Join Olexa Hewryk, Frank Falcone, David Rudman, Ryan Dillon and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as they discuss how Cookie Monster, Elmo and Abby Cadabby were re-imagined to expand the Sesameverse. The panel will be moderated by Alan Muraoka from Sesame Street.
Smiling Friends
Get Animated with Adult Swim
Smiling Friends Discussion and Q&A — Join Michael Cusak and Zach Hadel, the creators behind the new Adult Swim series Smiling Friends, to find out what’s in store for Pim, Charlie and the rest of the company dedicated to bringing happiness to their bizarre yet colorful world.
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Season Two Discussion and Q&A — After winning five Emmy Awards including Outstanding Animated Program, the second season of Genndy Tartakovksy’s Primal returns to Adult Swim. Join animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars) and art director Scott Wills (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Samurai Jack) for a deep dive into the second season of the acclaimed animation adventure. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is produced by Cartoon Network Studios.
Rick and Morty: The Vindicators Screening and Q&A — Calling all Rick and Morty fans! Join executive producer Sarah Carbiener alongside Rick and Morty producer Nick Rutherford for a first look at the Adult Swim digital series The Vindicators, based on breakout characters from Rick and Morty. Be the first to watch Supernova, Vance Maximus, Alan Rails, Crocubot and Noob Noob fight crime, avert genocides and yuk it up without Rick and Morty.
Tuca & Bertie Season Three Discussion and Q&A — This summer is sure to sizzle with the highly anticipated return of Tuca & Bertie on Adult Swim! Creator and executive producer Lisa Hanawalt will join the series cast to dive into the upcoming third season of the Adult Swim animated comedy about colorful bird girl besties who navigate the ups and downs of adulting in life, love and everything in between.
Harley Quinn
Killin’ It
Harley Quinn Season 3 Advance Screening (Episode 1 & 2) — The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour is rolling through San Diego for an early look at what’s in store for Harlivy. Join us for a special advance screening of the first two episodes of season three of Harley Quinn at San Diego Comic-Con before its summer premiere on HBO Max. Seats will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Harley Quinn is produced by Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions and Yes, Norman Productions in association with Warner Bros. Animation. Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter at @dcharleyquinn and Facebook at facebook.com/dcharleyquinn.
Green Lantern: Beware My Power
Going Green
Green Lantern: Beware My Power World Premiere and Panel — Warner Bros. Home Entertainment continues its annual Comic-Con tradition of hosting debuts of original DC Universe Movies with the world premiere of Green Lantern: Beware My Power. The all-new intergalactic thriller features John Stewart’s first adventure as a member of the Green Lantern corps. In the film, the initially reluctant Stewart (voiced by Aldis Hodge) — aided by Green Arrow (Jimmi Simpson), Adam Strange (Brian Bloom) and Hawkgirl (Jamie Gray Hyder) — must contend with a horde of interplanetary killers bent on eliminating every Green Lantern in the universe, while also journeying into the heart of a raging Rann/Thanagar war to somehow succeed where all other Green Lanterns have failed. After the screening, cast members and filmmakers will host an in-depth, entertaining panel discussion. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Green Lantern: Beware My Power arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray and Digital on July 26.
Comic-Con International 2022 returns to the San Diego Convention Center from July 21-24. The sold-out event is currently auctioning returned badges on eBay, with proceeds benefitting the Comic-Con Museum.
The 2022Palm Springs International ShortFest announced its Festival juried and audience award winners as part of Closing Night at the Camelot Theatres (Palm Springs Cultural Center). Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award-qualifying awards, were presented to the winners selected from the 300 shorts films that were part of the Official Selection.
Estonian director Sander Joon scored a big win for animation at the event, taking the Oscar-Quaifying Visit Greater Palm Springs Best of the Festival Award with the strange and wonderful 2D short Sierra. Incorporating vintage stop-motion puppet animation created by the director’s father, the short explores how parental obsessions can mold their children in sometimes unexpected ways.
Parents often push their children to follow their steps. In this case, the father’s obsession with the rally turns the kid into a car tire. Loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, Sierra takes us into the surreal car racing world.
Special Mentions in the category went to live-action films The Great Abandomnent (India/U.K.; Shirley Abraham & Amit Madheshiya) and The Voice Actress (Japan/U.S.; Anna Takayama). The $5,000 cash prize was awarded by a jury comprising Anna Camp (actress/producer, Jerry & Marge Go Large), K.D. Dávila (writer/director, Please Hold) and Patrick Gomez (Editor in Chief, Entertainment Weekly).
The Cave
The Oscar-qualifying Best Animated Short prize went to The Cave (South Korea), directed by Kim Jinman and Chon Jiyoung. Crafted in felted stop-motion, the short centers on a young boy who yearns for affection from his distant fisherman father. When he dies, the boy’s grief turns into an obsession with his father’s belongings. In an imaginary cave, he curses those relatives who took items belonging to his late father, and this curse begins to eat the boy’s soul…
The animation Special Mention went to The Originals(U.S.), directed by Cristina Costantini and Alfie Kim Koetter: Matty Square Ruggiero and his childhood friends, the Union Street Boys, tell their story of growing up in South Brooklyn, where money was tight but friendships were tighter.
The $1,000 prize was awarded by jurists Bryan Dimas (Associate Producer, Development at Warner Bros. Animation), Linda Jin (Director, Content – Sales and Distribution at BRON Media) and Sheryl Santacruz (Outfest/Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival). Check out the 2022 official selection here.
The Seine’s Tears
Best Student Animated Short was awarded to international festival favorite The Seine’s Tears, another stop-motion gem that presents an important slice of labor and immigrant rights history in France. Directed by the team of Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer and Alice Letailleur at the Pôle 3D school in Roubaix, France, the short takes audiences back to October 17, 1961, in the middle of the Algerian war, as Algerian workers take to the streets to demonstrate against the mandatory curfew imposed by the Paris police.
Student winners in the animated and documentary short categories each received a $500 cash prize. Jury: Chase Joynt (director, Framing Agnes), Ariel Richter (Manager in Documentary Department at Endeavor Content) and Pacho Velez (filmmaker, Searchers).
Cat and Moth
Animation was also a favorite of the Shorties! Award jury (Adair Cuahuizo, Adan Ortiz, CJ Montes, Jack Eustis, Julian Calloway), who gave the crown for the festival’s tiniest treasure to Cat and Moth(Canada/U.K.) by India Barnardo — a fluffy white cat wants nothing more than to find the most comfortable spot in the universe, but little does she know someone else has their eye on it, too — as the Special Mention to Swiss director Isabelle Favez for Lost Brain, which unfolds after Louise the crocodile accidentally sneezes her brain out, which runs off and leaves her struggling to do the simplest tasks as everything falls apart.
Finally, the Audience Award for Best Animated Short was bestowed on Canadian film The Fall from Desirae Witte: Leafie is a plucky little maple leaf who loves to groove. But when their latest performance takes an unexpected turn, the harsh realities of the season come crashing down.
Get your buns ready! 20th Century Studios’ murder-mystery adventure, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, will be available on digital July 12 and on Blu-ray and DVD July 19.
Fans can bring the beloved Belcher family into their homes with double stacked bonus features including exclusive deleted scenes, animation extras, audio commentary and a new short: My Butt Has a Fever. Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, this quirky comedy musical adventure is “delightful, like a fizzy soda on a hot day” (Amy Nicholson, Variety). Collectors can beef up their movie collection with the 4K Ultra HD SteelBook featuring custom artwork, available only at Best Buy.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is an animated musical comedy-mystery-adventure based on the long-running, Emmy Award-winning series. After a ruptured water main creates a sinkhole in front of Bob’s Burgers and blocks the entrance, Bob and Linda Belcher struggle to keep the business afloat, and the kids try to solve a mystery that could save the restaurant.
(Read more about the movie in Animation Magazine‘s exclusive here.)
Bonus Features
Audio Commentary
Watch the movie with audio commentary by voice stars H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal, directors Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman, writer Nora Smith and production designer Ruben Hickman.
Making Of the Movie (Featurette):Bob’s Burgers Creator Loren Bouchard talks about turning Bob’s Burgers the TV show into Bob’s Burgers the show that’s a movie.
Theatrical Short (Seen Only in Limited Theaters)
My Butt Has a Fever – Theatrical Version: The Belcher children perform in the school talent show in order to share their very important and powerful message.
My Butt Has a Fever – Animatic Version: A look Behind-the-scenes, the animatic of the theatrical short My Butt Has a Fever.
Deleted Scenes
Metal Detector: Bob and Linda go to City Hall in a version of the movie where they went to City Hall.
Burning Piers: The turbulent history of Wonder Wharf.
Grover’s Office: Bob and Linda go to Grover’s office in a version of the movie where they went to Grover’s Office.
Deleted Scenes with Audio Commentary
The Movie We Didn’t Make: Creator Loren Bouchard and writer Nora Smith discuss trying to make a movie, particularly The Bob’s Burger Movie.
Metal Detector: Bob and Linda go to City Hall, with commentary by creator Loren Bouchard and writer Nora Smith.
Burning Piers: The turbulent history of Wonder Wharf, with commentary by creator Loren Bouchard and writer Nora Smith.
Grover’s Office: Bob and Linda go to Grover’s Office, with commentary by creator Loren Bouchard and writer Nora Smith.
Animatics
“Sunny Side Up Summer” Storyboards and Rough Animation: The work-in-progress not-even-color-yet animatic of the song “Sunny Side Up Summer.”
“Lucky Ducks” Storyboards and Rough Animation: The work-in-progress not-even-color-yet animatic of the song “Lucky Ducks.”
“Not That Evil” Storyboards and Rough Animation Featuring David Wain: David Wain performs an entire dance routine, with no formal training, to his character Grover’s song “Not That Evil.” Plays alongside the song’s animatic.
“End Credits” Storyboards and Rough Animation: The work-in-progress animatic of the End Credits, comes with provocative dance moves and unconventional rhythm.
Animating the Scene
Linda Through the Pass-Through (with Commentary): The progression of a scene from storyboard to animation, with commentary by director Bernard Derriman, and also Linda is in it.
Bob and Linda Go to the Bank: A time lapse of the bank scene being animated.
Bob and Linda Go to the Bank (with Commentary): A time lapse of the bank scene being animated, with commentary by director Bernard Derriman.
Louise Grabs the Fuse: A time lapse of the “Louise Grabs the Fuse” scene being animated.
Louise Grabs the Fuse with Commentary by Director Bernard Derriman: A time lapse of the “Louise Grabs the Fuse” scene being animated, with commentary by Director Bernard Derriman.
Disney-Pixar’s Lightyear is ready to rocket up the domestic box-office charts, with trades reporting a $5.2 million Thursdsay preview night take. The Toy Story spinoff directed by Angus MacLane is expected to enjoy a $70-80M launch this weekend, screening across 4,200 North American theaters.
While the $200M movie is being rebuffed bye anti-LGBTQ governments in over a dozen countries due to the studio’s first kiss between two women, Lightyear still looks a sure bet to take the No. 1 BO slot at opening.
Onward, Pixar’s last theatrical opening before COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020, only scored $2M for its preview night. However, the last franchise entry Toy Story 4 (2019) stuffed a $12M Thursday take in the ol’ toy chest.
Solar Opposites Season 3 First Look
Solar Opposites Season 3 First Look
To prepare us puny Earthlings for the upcoming Solar Opposites landing, check out the new catch up video and a first look at Season 3. The series returns to Hulu on Wednesday, July 13 with 11 episodes.
The 20th Television show is executive produced by co-creators Justin Roiland (Rick andMorty) & Michael McMahan (Star Trek: LowerDecks) and Josh Bycel.
Solar Opposites centers on a team of four aliens who are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love TV, junk food and fun stuff.
In S3, this alien team strives to be less of a team and more of a family team.
Super Sema
Today (June 17), YouTube Kids & Family premiered the second season of NAACP Image Award nominee Super Sema — executive produced by Academy Award-winning actress and New York Times best-selling author Lupita Nyong’o (who also voices the role of Mama Dunia) and written by four-time BAFTA winner Claudia Lloyd (Charlie & Lola, Mr. Bean, Tinga Tinga Tales)
The new season features longer 11-minute episodes and sees Sema and her friends take even more exciting world-changing adventures, using their clever STEAM skills and inspired technovations to save their town of Dunia from an evil AI robot. New Season 2 episodes and content will continue rolling out Fridays, only on the Super Sema YouTube channel.
The action-packed series episodes will be followed by “Let’s Technovate with Super Sema” — animated STEAM educational vlogs where Sema and her friends explore fun projects and experiments that kids can do at home to learn more about the science behind Sema’s technovations. Music videos with full-length versions of the catchy songs from the series round out the Friday new releases.
Super Sema, Africa’s first kid superhero franchise, has garnered approximately 40M views on its official YouTube channel since 2021, plus licensing deals for toys (Just Play), publishing (Penguin Random House and Bendon) and apparel (Bentex). The series is created and produced by Nairobi-based children’s entertainment company Kukua. Nadine Zylstra is Global Head of YouTube Originals. Craig Hunter serves as Global Head of Kids & Family Originals for YouTube. Daniel Haack is the creative lead on Super Sema for YouTube Originals.
‘A Great Day in Animation’ [Photo: Randy Shropshire]Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Pictures hosted a photo shoot celebrating the diversity and impact of Black animation professionals in our community. The picture above was inspired by Art Kane’s iconic 1958 photo A Great Day in Harlem, and shines a light on 55 outstanding creators, story artists, animators, directors and executives who have devoted their careers to this craft and made long lasting impressions within our industry. This historic gathering took place on the Paramount backlot on Sunday, June 5.
The idea for the portrait was brought to Nickelodeon by Marlon West (Encanto, Moana, Frozen), who enlisted his friends Bruce Smith (Bebe’s Kids, The Proud Family), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Everett Downing (We the People, Hair Love) and spearheaded from the Nickelodeon side by Camille Eden, VP, Recruitment, Talent Development & Outreach, along with her team: Robbie Siron, Sharon Wen, Trishawn Ellis and Victor Nwaopara.
Pictured: Aaron Spurgeon, Abelle Hayford, Ayo Davis, Breana Williams, Brie E Henderson, Bruce W. Smith, Camille Eden, Carole Holliday, Chris Copeland, Chrystin Garland, Constance Allen, Deborah Anderson, Devin Crane, Eric, Ramsey, Everett Downing Jr., Floyd Norman, Frank Abney, Jay Francis, Justin Copeland, Kaela Lash, Kai Akira, Karen Toliver, Kelley Gardner, Kemp Powers, Kenny Thompkins, Kwesi Davis, Latoya Raveneau, Layron DeJarnette, Lennie Graves, Lenord Robinson, Leo D. Sullivan, Leo Sullivan Jr., Lyndon Barrois Jr., Lynne Southerland, Maimuna Venzant, Marcella Brown, Marlon West, Marshall Toomey, Morenike Dosu, Peter Ramsey, Pixote Hunt, Ralph Farquhar, Reginald Hudlin, Robert Tyler, Ron Husband, Ron Myrick, Shabrayia Cleaver, Shari B. Ellis, Shavonne Cherry, Shay Stone, Sidney Clifton, Swinton Scott, Tara Nicole Whitaker, Tyree Dillihay and Umaimah Damakk.
Bret Parker | Zootopia | Shadi Petosky | Out
The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco has announced its Pride Month programming highlights, bringing talented queer animation artists and impactful films to The Presidio this month:
Fri., June 24 at 5:30 p.m. PT (FREE Zoom Webinar): Happily Ever After Hours with Bret Parker. Artist and voice actress Bret Parker discusses her 26-year career in animation. Parker recently found time away from her day job in the Animation Department at Pixar to make her own independent animated short, Pete, based on a true story about gender identity, Little League baseball, the people who inspire change by trying to be themselves and the superheroes who allow that change to happen.
Wed., June 29 at 5:30 p.m. (FREE Zoom Webinar): Happily Ever After Hours with Shadi Petosky. Join TV showrunner Shadi Petosky as she discusses her career in Hollywood as an animator, writer and television producer, including the creation of her Emmy-winning show Danger & Eggs, pioneering positive LGBTQ+ representation in children’s media.
Sat. & Sun., June 4-26 at 2 p.m. (Theater): Zootopia and Out. Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride with a month-long screening of Zootopia (2016), Disney’s Oscar-winning film from directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore. Zootopia is the story of a place where — no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew — you can be anything. This screening will also feature a special showing of Pixar’s SparkShorts film Out (2020) about a young gay man who struggles with coming out to his family.
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys is ready to get cozy on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD this month in new Collector’s Edition releases from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on June 21. Directed by Pierre Perifel and produced by Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley from a screenplay by Etan Cohen, the stylized CGI action-comedy is based on the hit graphic novels by Aaron Blabey.
Synopsis: Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys — Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina). After years of countless heists and being the world’s most-wanted villains, the gang is finally caught. Mr. Wolf brokers a deal to keep them out of prison and the Bad Guys set out to fool the world into believing they’ve gone good.
Exclusive Bonus Features:
All-new original short Maraschino Ruby – In this original DreamWorks animated short, The Bad Guys are at it again, but not in the way you think. They’ve gone good! Find out what happens to the team after they go rogue in this sweet original short.
Deleted Scenes:
Original opening
Snake Attack
Extra Secret Base Tour
You Can’t Fake Good
Post Credits: Scientist Button
Devise the Plan: Making The Bad Guys – From book to storyboard to the silver screen, join the cast and filmmakers as they devise how to bring The Bad Guys to life.
Assemble the Crew – Go face to face with the voices behind our favorite animated bad guys – Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula & Mr. Piranha.
It’s Showtime: Cast Table Read – Teamwork is the ultimate ingredient in pulling off a job without a hitch. now that they’ve agreed on the plan, it’s time to bring the cast of The Bad Guys together for their first table read.
Snake’s Frozen Pop Shop – Want to learn how to make your own version of Mr. Snake’s favorite frozen pops? With these easy recipes, you’ll be on your way to chill-ville in no time. Want to go the extra mile? Create your own frozen pop disguises.
From the Drawing Room – Learn step by step from The Bad Guys head of story Nelson Yokota how you can create your very own storyboard and draw the film’s main characters:
How to Storyboard
How to Draw Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Piranha.
Feature Commentary – With director Pierre Perifel, producer Damon Ross, head of story Nelson Yokota, head of character animation JP Sans and production designer Luc Desmarchelier.
BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated children’s TV creators and producers Sixteen South Originals (Northern Ireland) and Mikros Animation IP (France) today hatched the trailer and first episode for its new comedy series The Coop Troop(52 x 11’) at the Annecy Festival. “We can’t wait to introduce the audience at Annecy to our motley group of furry, feathery and woolly rescuers,” said Sixteen South Creative Director Colin Williams. “The Coop Troop is our retro homage to classic TV series of the ’70s and ’80s like The A-Team, and we are very excited to hear what viewers make of it.”
The CoopTroop was co-created by Williams and children’s author-illustrator Alex T. Smith. The series is set to debut on France Télévisions and Tencent Video (China) in 2023.
https://vimeo.com/721365468
Aimed at kids 5-9, the CGI series follows the entertaining exploits of five unlikely heroes: hyperactive rabbit Maggie, eccentric inventor Flo the chicken, bon vivant swine Clive, excitable lamb Billy and enigmatic egg, Jo d’Oeuf. Thirsty for adventure to escape their mundane farm life, The CoopTroop’s mission is to help any animal with a problem — and they’re kept very busy by the precious, pampered pets of neighbouring town, Animauville.
When their red telephone rings, somebody needs help, so the Troop set off in their ingeniously — if haphazardly—– modified chicken Coop to provide it. No matter how simple the problem, The Coop Troop will always come up with a way to solve it — usually in the most roundabout, over-the-top way possible, resulting in an escalating comedy of ridiculous events as each mission snowballs out of control. As they frantically try to get things back on track they attract more chaos at every turn — but with The Coop Troop, satisfaction is always (eventually) guaranteed!
RAI Kids‘ (Italy) ecological animated special AquaTeam – Sea Adventure (24′) has added to its growing list of accolades by winning Best Animated Short at the Blue Water Film Festival in San Diego, Calif. The comedy-adventure premiered in March 2021 on Rai Yoyo and RaiPlay to top audience numbers.
“RAI Kids and GraFFiti Creative are terribly proud of this incredible award. Many thanks to the festival director, the visionary Greg Reitman, and to the Jury of the Blue Water Film Festival,” creator-producer Federico Fiecconi commented.
“The news broke in from San Diego while we are already at work on new AquaTeam specials, paving the way to a full series. Here at the Annecy MIFA we are in talks with several major companies interested in joining in as co-producers and distributors. It’s really an exciting moment for our sea heros and we foresee a brilliant future for Otty the Octopus and Marysun, our ‘Lara Croft of the oceans,’ who in the space of just one film has won over critics and audiences with record ratings on the RAI channels.”
At Annecy, RAI Kids head Luca Milano announced the production of further 4 x 24’ AquaTeam specials, bringing back more sea defence action written by U.K. duo Colin & Jonathan Davis and produced by Milan-based GraFFiti Creative. The franchise also launched the AquaTeam Kids Labs Program, calling kids “from animation… to action!” in fighting ocean plastic pollution. The tour will hit Italy’s coasts during the summer, starting June 18 in Golfo Aranci (Sardinia). The Labs are endorsed by the Sardinia Film Commission, which supported the first AquaTeam special through its New Animation in Sardinia Program.
“I like to quote Verna Myers on this one, which is ‘Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance and belonging is that your music is played.’ And you can boogie. I like to add the dancing part.”
That quote from WIA Secretary Julie Ann Crommett (Founder & CEO, Collective Moxie) is a perfect introduction to the push for intersectional equity championed at the Women in Animation World Summit held at Annecy on Monday. The inspiring, insightful program — themed this year on “Gender Justice: A Global Call for Inclusion in Animation” — is now available to watch online via the WIA website.
Speakers including Maureen Fan, Pierre Perifel, Mounia Aram, Sajda Ouachtouki, Camille Eden, Adrianna Cohen, Marya Bangee, Janine Weigold, Paula Boffo, Saraswathi Vani Balgam, David Prescott, Deepa Joshi, Vanessa Ann Sinden, Delphine Nicolini, Miles Perkins and Chris Mack this year tackled a range of topics affecting diversity & inclusion efforts in animation, including the current labor shortage and studio programs.
The Last Dinosaur
Film Constellation announced pre-sales for the animated family feature adventure The Last Dinosaur, from U.K. studio Red Star (The Amazing Maurice), written and directed by Ben Smith (StarDog& TurboCat). The sci-fi comedy has been picked up by BF Distribution (LatAm), Icon (Australia & New Zealand), Italia Film (Middle East), Filmtrade (Greece & Cyprus), Forum Film (Poland), MCF Megacom (Former Yugoslavia) and Red Cape (Israel).
Synopsis: When Rex, son of the King of Dinosaurs is suddenly snatched up and transported to the future in a time machine, he finds himself stranded in the 21st Century. Desperate to return to his own era to help save his kin, Rex must team up with a gang of freaks, nerds and geeks to go back 65 million years in time. But when he realizes saving those he loves will prevent all his newfound friends from ever existing, Rex will have to face what it means to be … The Last Dinosaur.
The Last Dinosaur is produced by Jérôme Boutroux (The Amazing Maurice), with cinematography by Faraz Hameed (Doctor Strange). The ~$10 million movie launched sales at Cannes and continued to woo buyers at Annecy, and is due for delivery in Q3 2024. Film Constellation is also selling Annecy WIP project They Shot the Piano Player. [Deadline]
McFarlane Films is joining forced with wiip and Rooster Teeth Studios (Warner Bros. Discovery) to develop the McFarlane Toys action figure line RAW10 into “an R-rated Saturday morning cartoon for adults” that satirizes ’80s animation tropes through the eyes of the cybernetically enhanced animals.
The series is created by Dan Dominguez (gen:LOCK), who exec produces alongside Todd McFarlane (Spawn), McFarlane Films’ Sean Canino, wiip’s Paul Lee, Mark Roybal and Nate Winslow, and Rooster Teeth Studios’ Dan Shorr. [Deadline]
Nick Bruel and ‘Bad Kitty’
Nick Bruel’s hit children’s book series Bad Kitty is getting into animated mischief with a new television series adpatation from Boat Rocker (Doino Ranch, DanielSpellbound).
Selling more than 20 million copies since they were first published in 2005, the books follow a havoc-prone housecat named Kitty: “Whether she is trying to be good or be quiet and behave, it seems that trouble finds a way to her.” [Variety]
Live entertainment leader Feld Entertainment announced its new animation project, Monster Jam AdventuresAnimated Shorts, which will air on YouTube. The Monster Jam YouTube channel has seen extensive growth since its creation with more than 831,000 followers and 527M+ video views totaling in 25.8M+ hours watched. The three-episode series is created in partnership with Curious Media.
Monster Jam Adventures sees iconic Monster Jam trucks tackling unexpected adventures, solving problems and lending a helping hand. Led by the legendary Grave Digger, the trucks work together to overcome any obstacle. Vocal talent includes Hall of Famer and former Monster Jam announcer Scott Douglass; current CNBC Monster Jam broadcast team Scott Jordan, Colt Stephens and Leslie Mears; and notable voice actor Joe Gaudet. First ep. premieres June 24 at 10 a.m.
GKIDS has acquired North American theatrical, home video and EST rights to the capstone finale film Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.
The highly anticipated fourth and final installment of the new theatrical “Rebuild” editions of the Evangelion franchise was released in Japanese theaters in 2021, where it was a critical and box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year with ¥10.28 billion (~$85 million) in local box office.
GKIDS plans to release the anticipated film in theaters in late 2022, marking the first time Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time will be available in theaters in North America since its domestic release. A release on home entertainment platforms will follow, with dates to be announced.
Created by Hideaki Anno, the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise is considered one of the most influential animated sagas of all time. Since the 1995 premiere of the original television series, the story of teenager Shinji Ikari has remained one of the most iconic titles in animation history, and a global pop culture phenomenon.
Following the conclusion of the beloved 1995 television show, the legendary project received new life as the Evangelion movie series. The theatrical film series began with Evangelion:1.11 You Are (Not) Alone (2007), followed by Evangelion:2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (2009), Evangelion:3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012), and culminating in the finale, Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.
Last year, GKIDS released the original 26-episode television series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as the films Evangelion:Death (True)2and The End of Evangelion on Blu-ray and digital download to own for the first time in North America. GKIDS also handles North American distribution for Anno’s prior series, NADIA: The Secret of Blue Water.
“GKIDS is honored to represent the epic conclusion of a story over 25 years in the making,” said GKIDS President David Jesteadt. “Like with so many others, Evangelion was critical in expanding my idea of what animation could be, and I look forward to joining other fans in theaters to celebrate the end of the saga with Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.”
The finale film is helmed by Anno as chief director and screenwriter, leading Eva Rebuild veterans Kazuya Tsurumaki (Diebuster,FLCL), Katsuichi Nakayama Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory, planetarian) and Mahiro Maeda (Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Animatrix, Genius Party Beyond); khara is the production studio.
Synopsis: From legendary director Hideaki Anno, Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time is the fourth and final installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, bringing an epic conclusion to the story of Shinji and his fellow Eva pilots, with the stunning visuals and thought-provoking storytelling that has made Evangelion a global pop culture phenomenon.
Misato and her anti-NERV group Wille arrive at Paris, a city now red from core-ization. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower. They only have 720 seconds to restore the city. When a horde of NERV Evas appear, Mari’s improved Eva Unit 8 must intercept. Meanwhile, Shinji, Asuka and Rei (Provisional Name) wander about Japan.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival unveiled the winners of its nine Special Prizes on Friday evening during an awards ceremony at the Bonlieu. The presentation also honored the winners of the festival’s Parners Prizes and honors complementary to the Official Awards, to be announced Saturday.
Annecy Special Prizes 2022
Amok
France TV Award for a Short Film: Amok
Balázs Turai | Boddah, Safe Frame | Hungary, Romania
La Calesita
Canal+ Junior Jury Award: La Calesita
Augusto Schillaci | Reel FX | Argentina, U.S.
The Queen of Foxes
Young Audience Award: The Queen of the Foxes
Marina Rosset | Marina Rosset Productions | Switzerland
Best Original Music Award for a Short Film: The Queen of the Foxes
Rahel Zimmerman (Sponsored by the SACEM)
Quantum Cowboys
Best Original Music Award for a Feature Film: Quantum Cowboys
Howe Gelb, Maciej Zielinksi | Fit Via Vi, Swerve Pictures | U.S. (Sponsored by the SACEM)
Histoire pour 2 trompettes
André-Martin Award for a French Short Film: Histoire pour 2 trompettes
Amandine Meyer | Miyu Productions | France
Terra Incognita
Festivals Connexion Award: Terra Incognita
Pernille Kjaer, Adrian Dexter | Ikki Films, Insolence Prod., Sun Creature | Denmark, France
The Invention of Less
YouTube Award: The Invention of Less
Noah Erni | Studio Uuuh! | Swtizerland
Reparations
City of Annecy Award: Reparations
Wilson Borja | Autobotika | Colombia
Find more information on these films and the Annecy Festival 2022 program at annecy.org.
On the heels of the recent announcement that Katy Perry is starring in the animated musical Melody, from Cross Creek Pictures and ZAG, the two companies have formalized an agreement to develop and produce a slate of 10 animated, live-action and hybrid format feature film projects, the majority of which will be musicals. The announcement was made today by Jeremy Zag, Founder and CEO, ZAG, and Tyler Thompson, Producer, Cross Creek Pictures.
In addition to the Jeremy Zag creating and directing Melody, ZAG and Cross Creek previously collaborated on ZAG’s upcoming animated musical Ladybug & Cat Noir: Awakening (a.k.a. Miraculous) — the origin story to the global hit TV series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, created and produced by Zag. Cross Creek served as a co-producer on the feature, which is due for release in France on August 3.
“Working together with Cross Creek on our upcoming Miraculous feature release and Melody, has been such an inspiring journey, and created an opportunity to work on many more projects together,” said Zag. “I have been developing these new film projects for a number of years and am so excited that we have the ideal partner in Cross Creek to bring them to fruition.”
Jeremy Zag, Founder & CEO, ZAG
The upcoming slate of 10 movies for global family viewing are all based on ZAG’s intellectual property, created by Jeremy Zag, and will fall under the company’s existing ZAG HEROEZ umbrella, as well as new label’s ZAG PASSION and ZAG ADVENTURES. Zag himself will direct a minimum of five of the projects.
These new features (working titles) — all of which feature themes of self-discovery for a world that believes in itself — include:
The brand-new heroes of Fairy Force, an animated musical that follows a little fairy coming from the forest and landing in the middle of Central Park who comes face-to-face with the witches of New York City.
Ghostforce, a live-action movie based on ZAG’s worldwide hit animated series, developed alongside Michael Gracey (director, The Greatest Showman).
Ladylion, an animated musical to be developed in collaboration with global wildlife ambassador Dean Schneider, who inspires and educates his millions of followers across the globe about the beauty and importance of our planet’s wildlife.
Choco, a hybrid live-action musical.
“It has been an immense pleasure working alongside Jeremy on Miraculous and Melody in an effort to bring new content to platforms for viewers around the world,” said Thompson. “Furthering our partnership into a long-standing commitment to new IP will bring fresh perspectives and storytelling for years to come.”
Old school otaku, rejoice! Classic fan-favorite anime series TRIGUN will be reborn as a new anime series in 2023 entitled TRIGUN STAMPEDE, produced by Orange (BEASTARS) with an all-new staff and cast. Crunchyroll will simulcast the series from Japan in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
TRIGUN is a popular action manga series by Yasuhiro Nightow that follows the story of Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunman and a pacifist with a bounty on his head. Its original 1998 anime series and 2010 feature film, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, achieved global popularity and inspired many creators.
Vash the Stampede (TRIGUN manga)
The latest information on TRIGUN STAMPEDE will be announced at Anime Expo 2022 in Los Angeles during a panel hosted by Crunchyroll, on Saturday, July 2 at 8 p.m. PT at the JW Marriott Hotel. The creator and producers of the show are slated to appear on stage to discuss the series and behind-the-scenes of the production.
Panelists alongside Yasuhiro Nightow will include:
Kouji Tajima (designer)
Kiyotaka Waki (producer, Orange)
Yoshihiro Watanabe (producer, Orange)
Katsuhiro Takei (producer, Toho).
In conjunction with tonight’s announcement, the official TRIGUN STAMPEDE website (trigun-anime.com) and official Twitter account (@trigun_anime) have also launched.
Japanese animtion studio Orange Limited Inc. has produced the hit shows BEASTARS, Godzilla Singular Point and Land of the Lustrous. Under the leadership of CEO and Chief Animator Eiji Inomoto, Orange is dedicated to bringing unique, quality animation experiences to the world.
Fans can learn more about the outfit at its dedicated Anime Expo presentation, Orange Presents: Studio Panel on July 3 at 4:15 p.m. (Rm. 403AB).
Anime Expo 2022 runs July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Registration is now open at anime-expo.org.
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories with the content and experiences they love. In addition to free ad-supported and membership Premium content, Crunchyroll serves the anime community across events, theatrical, games, consumer products, collectibles and manga publishing.
DNEG Animation was excited to give a ‘proper hello’ to the animation world at this week’s 2022 Annecy Festival.
Previously considered a start-up housed within Oscar-winning VFX studio DNEG, the studio has spent the last few years establishing itself as an animation powerhouse. In 2021, their first feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong(with Locksmith Animation/Disney), was released, and their first animated short film, Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat, helmed by Academy Award winner William Joyce kicked off its festival run.
L-R: (top) Erika Burton, David Prescott, Markus Kurtz, (bottom) Ted Ty, Crosby Clyse, Kara Oropallo
At DNEG Animation’s Studio Focus Session in Annecy, the core team got into the studio’s origin story and gave a much-anticipated sneak peek at the wide-ranging genres of films and series that make up their current slate. Speakers included the studio’s newly promoted co-PresidentErika Burton; Senior Vice President of Creative David Prescott; Vice President of Animation Technology Markus Kurtz; Vice President of Training, Outreach & Artistic Development Kara Oropallo; Head of Production Crosby Clyse and Global Head of Character Animation Ted Ty.
The team proudly presented the following slate of current projects which are in various stages of production: Nimona, Garfield, That Christmasand the original animated series from Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris, Entergalactic for Netflix. Production on all of these projects is taking place simultaneously at DNEG Animation’s studios in London, Montreal, Mumbai, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Toronto.
DNEG Animation Slate:
Nimona (Netflix/Annapurna Pictures) — Nimona is a feature animated adaptation of ND Stevenson’s New York Times bestselling graphic novel. The film tells the story of a Knight who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone. Coming to Netflix in 2023.
Netflix is partnering with Annapurna Pictures on the movie from directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Spies in Disguise), featuring the voices of Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed and Eugene Lee Yang. Roy Lee, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary are producing and Robert L. Baird, Megan Ellison and Andrew Millstein are executive producers. DNEG Animation leads include VFX Supervisor Yancy Lindquist, Animation Director Ted Ty, Executive Producer Corey Turner and CG Animation Producer Anthony Kemp.
Garfield
Garfield(Alcon Entertainment/Sony) — DNEG Animation is the exclusive animation studio on the latest animated adaptation of the beloved comic-strip character Garfield, everyone’s favorite lasagna-eating feline, producing the animated feature alongside Alcon Entertainment. With David Reynolds (Finding Nemo) writing and Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, The Emperor’s New Groove) directing, Garfield himself is voiced by none other than Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World) and Garfield’s father, Vic (a brand-new character), is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Spider-Man: Far From Home).
Executive producer is Craig Sost, producers include John Cohen, Tom Jacomb, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Namit Malhotra and Steven P. Wegner. DNEG Animation leads include VFX Supervisor Freddy Chaleur, Animation Director Jason Boose and CG Animation Producer Shelley Smith.
That Christmas
That Christmas (Netflix/Locksmith Animation) — This is the second collaboration between Locksmith Animation and DNEG Animation, and follows the studio’s successful partnership on Locksmith’s debut film,Ron’s Gone Wrong. That Christmas is based on the successful children’s book series by filmmaker Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Yesterday) and follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!
The film is written by Curtis and Peter Souter, and marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Produced by Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen II) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, The Detectorists). Locksmith’s CTO and SVP of Digital Production Doug Ikeler (Arthur Christmas, Open Season) serves as VFX supervisor, Ashley Boddy (Ron’s Gone Wrong) is head of story, and Sim Evan-Jones (Shrek, Shaun the Sheep Movie) is editor. Executive producers include Julie Lockhart, Curtis, Souter, Bonnie Arnold, Elisabeth Murdoch, Sarah Smith, Colin Hopkins and the books’ illustrator Rebecca Cobb. DNEG Animation leads include DFX Supervisors Matt Waters and Nicholas New, Animation Director Kapil Sharma and CG Animation Producer Shane Mulholland. Coming to Netflix.
Entergalactic
Entergalactic (Netflix) — Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Kenya Barris join forces to present Entergalactic, an original, animated story about a young artist named Jabari (voiced by Mescudi) as he attempts to balance love and success. Finding the latter brings Jabari a step closer to the former, when moving into his dream apartment introduces him to his new neighbor, photographer it-girl, Meadow (Jessica Williams). An explosion of art, music, and fashion, Entergalactic takes place in the only city that can handle all three: New York.
Alongside Mescudi and Williams, Entergalactic boasts an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Teyana Taylor, Arturo Castro and Macaulay Culkin. DNEG Animation leads include VFX Supervisor Archie Donato, Animation Director Kapil Sharma and CG Animation Producer Chrissy Metge. Coming to Netflix September 30.
Ron’s Gone Wrong
In related news: Later on Thursday, the DNEG company and Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. announced today that the companies have mutually agreed to terminate their previously announced business combination agreement, effective immediately, as a result of current unfavorable SPAC market conditions and other factors.
DNEG recently announced revenue outperformance in a business update with strong year-over-year growth and a record pipeline of new business reflecting unprecedented demand for its visual effects and animation services.
“Due to the headwinds in the SPAC marketplace and general market volatility, we have decided to terminate our SPAC process with Sports Ventures. Alan and the team at Sports Ventures have been great partners in this process, and we wish them well as they move forward,” said DNEG Chairman & CEO Namit Malhotra.
“We feel incredibly optimistic about DNEG’s future and the Company continues to demonstrate impressive financial results, with our highest-ever revenue growth announced earlier this week. Our strong pipeline reflects the significant demand for our industry-leading visual effects and animation services, as evidenced by our recently announced multi-year deal extension and VFX services renewal agreement with Netflix through 2025.”
French studio Method Animation (part of Mediawan Kids & Family) has joined forces with Monaco-based Shibuya Productions to deliver a new take on Osamu Tezuka’s iconic masterpiece, Astro Boy. Dubbed Astro Boy Reboot, the beloved character will blast back to screens in an all-new 52 x 26′ CGI television series helmed by Thomas Astruc (Miraculous — Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir).
“I am super proud to join forces with Tezuka Productions, which represents this exceptional artist, and my partners of Shibuya Productions, to offer Astro Boy to a all new generation of kids. Thomas Astruc, one of the incredible talent beyond Miraculous will bring a fresh and unique take on Tezuka’s work,” says Aton Soumache, Founder & President of Method Animation. “Astro Boy is so universal and contemporary that we are not only developing a reboot but a consistent continuum in the full respect of the original universe.”
Cédric Biscay, Shibuya Productions’ President & CEO, adds, “It is a huge responsibility to revisit the mythical character of Astroboy, I am particularly happy to have met at Method Animation an ambitious and passionate team that will allow us to take this series to the highest
heights.”
With 100 million copies sold worldwide, Astro Boy is one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 1963, the original animated series became a television hit all around the world — especially in Japan, the U.S. (where it was the first anime to be aired) and France — and opened the gates for other Japanese animated series.
The huge success of Astro Boy across manga, animation and merchandise has transformed him over the decades from an ordinary fantasy character into a pop-culture icon, with millions of fans both young and old.
Astro Boy (originally “Mighty Atom”) is the most iconic Tezuka super hero; a child-like robot who lives among humans and takes on the bad guys. This emblematic hero, who questions the attitude of Man on his planet, has undergone several iterations since its creation in the 1950s. Constantly reinventing thanks to the universality of its themes and the
strength of its message, Astro Boy has kept its relevance to each era.
Astro Boy Reboot is a continuation of the values emobied in Tezuka’s iconic character. It will thus address the major subjects of our time: the technological upheaval caused by the internet and social networks and its often harmful impact on humans, segregation in all its forms, the resulting relationships of domination, and the destruction of the environment by man.
“The show is really in line with what we love to do at Method Animation: adapting and creating Ips, bringing together the best international talents to create stories that will entertain and inspire kids and their families everywhere in the world,” says Julien Borde, Method’s EVP Managing Director and Chief Content Officer.
“I have no words to describe how much Osamu Tezuka has influenced my life and my work,” director Astruc affirms. “Astro Boy is a cult series that has overseen the future like no other property. In the strange world we live in today, everybody needs Astro Boy to come back!”
The BFI is investing £1.1 million in 15 new, bold and ambitious animation projects, announced as the recipients of the latest round of the BFI Short Form Animation Fund. The Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery, backs narrative short form projects of up to 15 minutes in length.
For the second iteration of the fund, the BFI partnered with StoryFutures Academy, the National Centre for Immersive Storytelling, to support two immersive virtual or augmented reality projects from the slate of 15. Ten projects received awards of up to £120,000 for production; an additional five projects were awarded up to £10,000 to support development.
“The new partnership with StoryFutures Academy this year has been incredibly productive, allowing us to expand the scope of the fund, and back two immersive animated shorts from filmmakers who are pushing the boundaries of the form,” said Kristin Irving, Senior Production & Development Executive, BFI Film Fund.
The StoryFutures Academy support is made possible by funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of U.K. Research and Innovation (UKRI). The 10 projects selected span a diverse range of animated techniques and genres intended for the cinema, digital platforms and VR. Each project benefits from the oversight of a BFI Film Fund executive and the support of a dedicated animation consultant.
Becky Gregory-Clarke, Head of Immersive, StoryFutures Academy, commented, “StoryFutures Academy are thrilled to be working with the BFI to support these two fantastic immersive projects. Both pieces will use real-time animation techniques, which is an incredibly important growth area, requiring content-making skills that are highly in demand. We know they both have big ambitions and great teams behind them, so we’re really excited to support and follow them on their journey.
Launched in 2019, the Short Form Animation Fund supports work that represents a significant advancement in the work of U.K. animators. A number of the projects from the fund’s first slate have been showcased to acclaim at U.K. and international festivals. Three are screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this week: Beware of the Trains, The Debutante and Scale. Joseph Pierce’s Scale was also selected to premiere at Cannes Film Festival Critics’ Week last month.
“The BFI Short Form Animation Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery funding, was designed to enable our talented U.K. animators to develop their practice, so it is exciting we are starting to see those films showcased and celebrated at international festivals,” said Natascha Wharton, Head of Editorial, BFI Film Fund. “With round two, we saw a real breadth of styles and ideas come through in the applications, and we’re delighted to be unveiling such a diverse slate of projects today.”
The Short Form Animation Fund was developed with the support of Animation UK, Animation Alliance UK and Helen Brunsdon, Director of the British Animation Awards, who consulted extensively with the animation industry. The BFI also supports animation talent through BFINETWORK with awards of up to £15k per project available for filmmakers at the early stages of their career.
BFI Short Form Animation Fund Awards 2022
Production Funding:
And Granny Would Dance
Company: Animate Projects Limited, Derby
Director/Writer: Maryam Mohajer
Producer: Abigail Addison
Six year old Marmar observes how adult women navigate their relationships with their loved ones and each other. She remembers how, after her grandad’s passing, Granny stopped dancing and even smiling, and then listens in on her grandmother’s friends discussing their partners as they play an illicit game of cards. Based on the director’s memories of her childhood in Iran, ‘And Granny would dance’ is a tale of love, grief and resilience across generations, and at its heart, a tribute to the solidarity of Iranian women.
Gardening Company: Hipster Films Ltd, Derby Director: Sarah Beeby Writer: Louisa Wood Producer: Jo Lewis
In the aftermath of sexual assault, a women retreats into the garden of her mind. Searching for answers and struggling to do ’the right thing’, she realises that she must regain her voice and find new paths to healing, before she and her garden are destroyed completely.
Wind and the Shadow Company: Out of Orbit Ltd, Belfast Director/Writer: Kris Kelly Producers: Brian J. Falconer, Vicki Rock The Wind and the Shadow is a short animation about the emotional and physical impact childhood cancer and its treatment has on a six-year-old girl and her mother. Created by the BAFTA nominated Here to Fall writer/director, Kris Kelly.
Plunge Company: Tyke Films Ltd, Sheffield Director/Writer: Ellie Land Producers: Rebecca Mark-Lawson
‘And all through the sea, I found me’, one woman’s incredible journey to regain control of her life through open water swimming.
The Knitted Brain (doc) Company: MediaActive Projects CIC, Wem Director/Writer: Samantha Moore Producers: Tilley Bancroft
An exploration of the effect that knitting has on the human brain, told by a group of knitted mice and some jumpers.
Two Black Boys in Paradise Company: One6th Ltd, Manchester Director: Baz Sells Writer: Dean Atta Producer: Ben Jackson
Two Black boys go on a journey of self-acceptance. Their love for each other and their refusal to hide it lands them in a paradise free of shame and judgement. A stop-motion short film adaptation of Dean Atta’s poem Two Black Boys in Paradise, which deals with themes of love, acceptance, homophobia and racism.
Hag Company: Passion Pictures (Films) Ltd, London Director: Anna Ginsburg Writer: Mirander Latimer & Anna Ginsburg Producers: Becky Perryman & Kitty Turley
Femininity is often a shoddy and exhausting masquerade. What is the cost of compromise and repressing your authentic self?
She’s My Best Friend and I Hate Her Company: Popsybobin Ltd, London Director/Writer: Candy Guard Producers: Tracy Shaw
The complexity of an ancient friendship is dissected to hilarious and recognisable effect as Milly and June impatiently wait for each other at Wolverhampton Station.
Beachcomber(immersive) Company: Second Home Studios, Birmingham Director: Chris Randall Producer: Ian Ravenscroft Writers: Chris Randall & Ian Ravenscroft Beachcomber is an immersive, ambient narrative that explores the stories within ourselves. Using virtual reality as a way to enter a new headspace, audiences will interact with their memories and imagination on a mindful journey into the subconscious.
There Exists (immersive) Company: Studio ANRK, London Director: Anrick Bregman Scriptwriter: Gaëlle Mourre Producers: Grace Baird & Kylie Boltin Unreal Developer: RCL Graham There Exists is a data-powered VR experience which recreates the extraordinary journey of an 18th century London-born woman. It explores whether we can trace the lives of individuals through data, and bring context to their story by looking at the aggregate.
Development Funding:
Dawn Chorus Company: Jante Films Limited Producer: Michelle Brøndum Director: Lina Kalcheva Writer: Laura Jayne Tunbridge
Nickelodeon has ordered Super Duper Bunny League (working title), a brand-new adventure-comedy preschool series based on the kids’ comic-book series by cartoonist Jamie Smart. The 2D animated series (26 episodes) centers on a diverse group of bunny friends who must battle danger as they defend their city and the world from their archnemesis.
Super Duper Bunny League is slated to launch 2024 in the U.S. and continue to roll out on Nick Jr. channels internationally.
“Super Duper Bunny League brings to life the colorful world that Jamie created with quirky imaginative characters and engaging stories filled with zany adventures and loads of fun,” said Eryk Casemiro, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content. “We are excited for the opportunity to take the comic books to the next level with a preschool animated series that combines big superhero action with silly cartoony comedy in a uniquely Nickelodeon way.”
The Super Duper Bunny League is here to battle danger in all its forms as they defend Important City and the world from their arch-nemesis (and accidental creator), the inept Dr. Fuzzleglove, and a ridiculous rogues’ gallery of cartoony villains. Whether battling sweet-toothed space pirates, sizzling lava monsters, giant metal monkeys or hot dog-hungry dinosaurs, the Bunnies must combine their new superpowers to defend truth, justice, and especially free time to snack and chill.
Super Duper Bunny League is produced by Nickelodeon Animation in Burbank, Calif. Robert Scull and Jonny Belt serve as executive producers and Jamie Smart as Consultant on the series. Production for Nickelodeon is overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content. Marielle Kaar serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.
