Japanese writer and director Eiichi Yamamoto, who brought seminal works as broadly diverse as Kimba the White Lion and Belladonna of Sadness to the screen, died September 7 due to heart failure. The news was shared during a Tokyo screening of the latter film — a psychedelic, multimedia collage of an adult animated movie released in 1973, rediscovered by modern cinephiles thanks to a 4K restoration in 2016. A family funeral for the 80-year-old anime pioneer was held September 12.
The screening’s organizers, Anime Novecento, were contacted by a member of Yamamoto’s family after they saw the event shared on Facebook. His relative shared that although the director’s health had been in decline in recent years, “he loved animation until the day he died, and he was still enthusiastic about making works, and he lived to the best of his ability.”
Kimba the White Lion
Born November 22, 1940 in Kyoto, Yamamoto pursued a challenging and envelope-pushing career through the last four decades of the 20th century. As a small child, World War II forced his move to Kagawa Prefecture. With dreams of becoming an animator, Yamamoto joined Ryuichi Yokoyama’s Otogi Productions after graduating high school, but soon learned that Osamu Tezuka was setting up a new studio. The two met and young Yamamoto became one of the founding members of Mushi Production in 1961 and co-directed the studio’s first project: Tezuka’s experimental short Tales of the Street Corner.
While at Mushi, Yamamoto directed for the original black-and-white Astro Boy series, the Kimba the White Lion series and feature film, and the adult feature film series “Animerama,” comprising A Thousand and One Nights (1969), Cleopatra (1970) and Belladonna of Sadness, which was nominated for the Golden Bear for best feature film at the Berlin International Film Festival. His last project before the studio declared bankruptcy in 1973 was for the series Little Wansa, based on the Sanwa Bank mascot created by Tezuka.
Cleopatra
After the original Mushi studio shuttered, Yamamoto joined Yoshinobu Nishizaki’s West Cape Corporation as writer and supervising director for the Space Battleship Yamato series (Group TAC, 1974-75) and wrote the screenplay for the 1977 movie, the 1980 follow-up series and 1983 feature Final Yamato. In the ’80s, he directed Oshin for Sanrio Film and co-wrote/co-directed Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight at West Cape. In the ’90s, he penned the adult historical drama The Sensualist, based on the 17th century novel, and the series Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Space Battleship Yamato
Despite his declining health, Yamamoto most recently co-wrote and co-directed the 2019 half-hour short One Arm (Kataude) with another friend and collaborator of Tezuka’s, Gisaburô Sugii (Night on the Galactic Railroad, Stormy Night). The minimalist animation adapts an eerie, erotic short story by Yasunari Kawabata about a woman who lends her arm to an admire for one night of pleasure. Starring prolific voice actor Shin’ichirô Miki (Perfect Blue, Escaflowne, Demon Slayer, Haikyuu!!, Pokémon franchise) and Tokyo Anime Award-winner Romi Park (Attack on Titan, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Persona 4, Digimon Adventure), the film screened at Annecy and Rotterdam.
One Arm (Kataude)
Besides his films, Yamamoto’s greatest legacy is arguably his (only slightly fictionalized) account of the 1960s anime industry in his memoir/exposé The Rise and Fall of Mushi Pro: The Youth of Ani Meita, published in 1989. Centered on the avatar hero “Ani Meita” (a phonetic slant on “animator”), the book revealed insider anecdotes, scandals and criticism of the studio’s business model and was the first work to explain the physically, mentally and emotionally taxing work culture around “Anime Syndrome.”
In response to its rapidly expanding content slate, Ireland’s Lighthouse Studios (www.lighthousestudios.ie) announces the promotion of long-time series director & showrunner Gilly Fogg to Head Creative, responsible for creatively overseeing the studio’s original IP development and service project slates. The announcement was made by MD Claire Finn. Fogg will work closely with the showrunner of the studio’s first own adult IP, a gritty animated crime drama loosely based on real events at the turn of the millennium in Ireland. She is also overseeing the company’s “short film project,” an in-house initiative for employees to submit an original concept, with the top pick to be developed and produced by the studio. A creator herself, Fogg is also currently writing an original work, which explores intergenerational relationships in a changing world.
“This new role as Head Creative allows me to oversee and act as the ‘creative guardian’ for all of our projects and collaborate with the creative talent in our partner studios. What I enjoy most in the creative process is working closely with people and building long-lasting creative relationships. It’s also a privilege to mentor upcoming directors in our own team. I love working with Claire whose vision inspires the entire team to bring to life projects that entertain audiences across the globe,” said Fogg.
Fogg joined Lighthouse at launch in 2017 as Studio Series Director and then became Showrunner in February 2021. She has been involved in the studio’s creative process since inception, directing the Amazon Prime original Bug Diaries and creatively overseeing the tests that won the projects currently in production, including The Cuphead Show for Netflix. She is currently directing a TBA mini-series for one of the global streamers and is serving as showrunner on another series, currently in development, which Fogg successfully pitched alongside Finn in Sept 2019.
Prior to joining Lighthouse, Fogg worked as a Series Director for DHX Media on Wishenpoof for Amazon Prime with Angela Santemero and Wendy Harris, Space Ranger Roger and three seasons of Animal Mechanicals for Canada’s CBC. Previously, she worked for HIT Entertainment for eight years, starting as a stop-motion animator and then serving for four years as an episodic director for the hit series Bob the Builder. Fogg began her entertainment career during university as a puppeteer, touring Scotland with the Perfect Chaos theater company. Following university, she received an internship at Studio Jiri Trnka in Prague, studying all aspects of traditional animation under Vlasta Pospislova. Fogg received a degree in Film & Theatre Studies and English Literature at the University of Glasgow and studied film at Queen’s University in Canada.
Gilly Fogg
The Hello Group (thehellogroup.com), the full-service international entertainment company offering talent management, label services, music publishing, digital, live touring and sports, is making its move into Hollywood with the launch of Hello Studios and Hello Pictures.
Hello Studio is a cutting-edge 360 production facility equipped with sound stages, recording studios, editing bays and production suites all housed in the 25,000+ square foot Burbank location. The technologically advanced studio also includes a revolutionary 13 ft. x 60 ft. semi-circle LED screen that utilizes Unreal Engine virtual sets, as well as a patented mocap technology system that allows filmmakers and creators to capture 2,048 markers on an actors’ body as opposed to the traditional 20-30 markers used in traditional productions; offering 100x improvement in precision and efficiency.
Hello Pictures is a next-generation production company that develops and produces original IP in television and film with an emphasis on young adult, family and music-based series and features. The company will leverage their studio facility to enable them to manage the entire creative supply chain effectively. Long-term – Hello Pictures will look to open up new, additional revenue streams, including games, books, consumer products, live entertainment, endorsements, sponsorships and licensing, tapping into other fully operational divisions at The Hello Group.
The two new ventures are led by an award-winning team of producers, directors, writers, cinematographers and animators, including:
Taylor Jones – The Hello Group Founder & CEO, CEO of Hello Pictures: Entertainment executive and former performing artist with Disney, responsible for over 26 Billboard #1’s, 25+ Platinum and Golden hits (with BTS, SuperM, Charlie Wilson and NCT-127), winning MTV EMA and ASCAP awards.
Phil Quartararo – The Hello Group Chairman and Hello Pictures/Hello Studios President: Former President & CEO at Virgin Records, Warner Bros. Records and EMI North America. Oversaw the careers of Linkin Park, The Spice Girls, Coldplay, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sex Pistols and Janet Jackson.
Kyran Jones – Chief Operating Officer: Development and management executive.
Seth Harden – Senior Vice President of Production: Academy Award-winning editor (Icarus), music director (Ariana Grande, Lauren Hill, Common and Mos Def), cinematographer, animator and motion graphics designer.
Christine Tolson – Vice President of Production: Former Senior Production Manager at Marvel Television (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and The Punisher).
Scott Holroyd – Senior Vice President of Original Programming: Former Head of Development at LD Entertainment (I Can Only Imagine, Risen, Judy and Jackie).
Nick Schlein – Vice President of Strategic Partnerships: Formerly in Management Operations at Roc Nation, doing business development for Mariah Carey, Nick Jonas, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Kelly Rowland.
Cory Riskin – Senior Development Executive: Development executive; formerly at APA and WME.
Top L-R: Taylor Jones, Phil Quartararo, Kyran Jones, Seth Harden. Bottom L-R: Christine Tolson, Scott Holroyd, Nick Schlein, Cory Riskin.
Director and story artist Liza Singer announced via Twitter that they have signed on as a new Director for a TBA animation project at Marvel Studios (marvel.com). “I’m so excited to share that I’m starting a new journey today as a Director over at Marvel Studios!” Singer wrote. “It’s going to be an awesome and special team and I’m feeling just incredibly excited.” Studio EVP Victoria Alonso revealed this year that Marvel is forming its own animation department to develop projects set within the MCU, following Disney+ original series What If…?
Singer’s most recent credits include working as a storyboard artist and writer on the upcoming Gaumont/Netflix Animation feature adaptation of Paul McCartney’s High in the Clouds and directing an episode of Paramount+ original adult animated series The Harper House. They have also worked as supervising director on a series in development at Rooster Teeth, as a sequential director on a new series at Titmouse, and as a story artist for the adult action-comedy Harley Quinn and DC Superhero Girls for Warner Bros. Animation, Netflix’s Disenchantment for Rough Draft Studios, a preschool series for Oddbot and a new NDA Xbox title for Microsoft.
I'm so excited to share that I'm starting a new journey today as a Director over at Marvel Studios!
It's going to be an awesome and special team and I'm feeling just incredibly excited 🙂 pic.twitter.com/1Q41HUL1YC
Leading indie film & immersive animation house Nexus Studios (nexusstudios.com) has signed visionary directorial collective Encyclopedia Pictura. With studios in London, L.A. and Sydney, Nexus has created Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning films, Cannes Grand Prix-winning commercials and Emmy-nominated AR & VR experiences, working with clients including Netflix, Disney, BBC, Sony, Google, Apple, Headspace and Facebook.
Based in Los Angeles, the bold and imaginative film and animation outfit is led by directors Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch, whose passion for the natural world, adventure, friendship and kindness play out through colorful, quirky madcap creations, driven by intrigue and wonder. Encyclopedia Pictura has built a unique body of work across a variety of mediums. From surreal mixed media music promos to detailed 3D universes for short films and commercials, they masterfully blend a range of techniques to make work which stands out from the crowd. Their vast portfolio includes the emotive and captivating short Earth Crisis, the bold and fun “Fly Robot Fly” for IKEA and the critically acclaimed, mind-boggling promo for Björk, “Wanderlust.” They are also behind the artful and surreal promo exploring the rise and fall of relationships for Dirty Projectors, “Up in Hudson,” and the mesmerizing “Panda Bear” for Boys Latin, which takes viewers on an epic journey of discovery in celebration of the wonders of nature.
Encyclopedia Pictura
Canada’s Rodeo FX (rodeofx.com) has brought on award-winning visual effects artist Pier Lefebvre as VFX Supervisor. Founded in 2006, Rodeo FX boasts close to 600 artists across its studios in Montréal, Los Angeles, Québec and Munich delivering Oscar, Emmy and VES Award-winning work for film and TV projects such as Blade Runner 2049, Jack Ryan, Lovecraft Country, WandaVision and Game of Thrones.
With 20 years of experience in the VFX industry, Lefebvre has worked on some of the most extraordinary movies of this past decade including the visual effects Oscar winner 1917, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Ghost in the Shell (for which he was nominated for an HPA Award for Outstanding Visual Effects) and the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife with Jason Reitman. Lefebvre began his career in matte painting and advanced as an Environment Supervisor, On-Set Supervisor and then VFX Supervisor for Motion Picture Company (MPC). His work brought him around the world on award-winning shows set in Jordan, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland and more — an international journey that brought him back to his roots in Montréal.
Pier Lefebvre
Oslo-based Pixotope (pixotope.com), the world’s leading solution for live augmented reality and virtual production, has made three key additions to its global leadership team. After a strong year of growth in 2021, the company has established itself as one of the market’s key players, securing talent from some of the biggest technology providers in the world. With these hires, Pixotope has increased its global leadership team by 20% in line with its expanding customer base as the company prepares for a big 2022.
Ben Davenport joins Pixotope as VP for Global Marketing, taking charge of Pixotope’s international communications strategy. Davenport has established a 20-year career in B2B marketing for the technology, media, and entertainment industries, heading up leadership positions at AmberFin, Dalet Digital Media Systems and, most recently, working as Head of Portfolio & Marketing Strategy for Vidispine at Arvato Systems.
After seven years as Enterprise Account Manager at Avid, David Cheng has been appointed as VP Sales & Marketing EMEA at Pixotope. In his role at Avid, David focused on the sales of Avid video solutions, connecting and coordinating with some of the biggest international media companies, such as Viacom, Comcast, and Discovery. David has also completed leadership positions at TSL Professional Products Ltd and A·R·G ElectroDesign Ltd, helping both companies substantially increase sales and revenue.
Additionally, Travis Sims has become Pixotope’s Strategic Account Manager for North America, drawing from a 15-year professional history working at globally-renowned technology companies, including RED Digital Cinema, Atomos, and Creative Solutions. Most recently, Travis held the position of Director of Product for Live Production with Teradek, overseeing the development of several major products within the broadcast and streaming market.
Factory, the multi-award-winning U.K. animation studio and rights owner, has announced that its expanding its digital animation division, creating several new jobs at its North West headquarters in Altrincham, England. The expansion comes as a number of innovative series are in production and the team are expanding to service these projects, which include a commission of a new children’s TV show set to begin production this autumn.
The already established digital division forms part of Factory’s in-house skill set of visual effects, compositing, CGI, 3D animation and 2D animation. Amongst the new roles currently open for applicants are a Background, Layout and Concept Artist, 2D Character Rigger, 2D FX Animator, 2D Animator, Greenscreen Keying Artist, a Compositor and a Prep Artist – VFX.
Factory is a multi-genre, full-service studio with shows airing on CBBC, CBeebies, ITV, Disney and Nickelodeon. The company has produced over 100 hours of animated content since it launched in 2010, all of which feature its digital skills, including Clangers, Scream Street, Off The Leash, Strange Hill High, Newzoids, a 2D readaptation of Sir Michael Morpurgo’s Mimi and the Mountain Dragon for BBC One and three specials for Disney and Club Penguin.
Factory
From concept through to final delivery, Factory has expertise across all animation disciplines including CGI, 2D animation, digital animation and stop motion as well as being a full service studio, with comprehensive production facilities. The Factory studios occupy 35,000 square feet of bespoke studio and office space, and has up to three series in production simultaneously, including the stop-motion comedy Scream Street for CBBC and BAFTA-winning Clangers on CBeebies.
The digital division at Factory has been headed up by Factory’s Head of CGI, Pauline Edwards, since 2014. Edwards started at Factory more than nine years ago as a 3D artist on the much-loved CBBC show Strange Hill High.
“We have a very friendly, talented and experienced group of artists, animators and compositors here at Factory create and we are very excited to be expanding our digital team,” said Edwards. “We work with leading broadcasters around the world to produce groundbreaking new children’s content and are always pushing to innovate and grow as a studio. We are seeking ambitious animators and artists with a strong passion for what they do to be part of our Factory crew.”
Factory is predominantly recruiting for in-house positions at the studio, however remote positions will be considered. Details of all opportunities can be found at www.factorycreate.com.
The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s global professional honorary society, announced today its newest Honorary Members, VES Fellows and inductees into the VES Hall of Fame. The honorees and Hall of Fame inductees will be celebrated at a special event this Fall. Visionary filmmaker James Cameron and CG pioneer Gary Demos were named Honorary VES Members. This year’s venerated VES Fellows who will be bestowed with the post-nominal letters “VES” are: Brooke Breton, Mike Chambers, Nancy St. John and Van Ling. The 2021 class of VES Hall of Fame honorees includes Roy Field, John P. Fulton, ASC, Phil Kellison, The Lumière Brothers and John Whitney, Sr.
“Our VES honorees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects,” said VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”
Honorary Member: James Cameron. Cameron is an acclaimed Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and VES Award-winning filmmaker, known for his expansive vision and innovative visual effects-driven films, which have repeatedly smashed box-office records. Cameron co-founded production company Lightstorm Entertainment and state-of-the-art effects company Digital Domain, and in 2010 was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. A recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award, Cameron received an Academy Award for Best Director for Titanic (which won 11 Oscars) and among his storied filmography, Aliens, Avatar, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Abyss each received Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. Cameron is currently at work on the much-anticipated Avatar sequels.
Honorary Member: Gary Demos. Demos is a pioneer in the development of computer-generated images and digital image processing for use in motion pictures. He was a founder of Digital Productions and was awarded an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Engineering Award in 1984 along with John Whitney Jr. “For the Practical Simulation of Motion Picture Photograph by Means of Computer- Generated Images.” Demos also founded DemoGraFX and Image Essence LLC. He is the recipient of the AMPAS 2005 Gordon E. Sawyer Oscar for lifetime technical achievement. Demos is actively involved in the ASC Technology Committee and has worked on the AMPAS ACES project. The inventor of approximately 100 patents, Demos is a SMPTE Fellow and recipient of the SMPTE Digital Processing Medal.
VES Fellow: Brooke Breton, VES. Breton has been principally involved in a wide variety of prominent live action films, animated films, television series and theme park projects, which have received Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, Annie and VES awards and nominations and include Avatar, Solaris, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Dick Tracy. She was instrumental in launching James Cameron’s effects house Digital Domain and the start-up of DreamWorks Animation. A three-term VES Board member, Breton is a member of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch, Visual Effects Executive Council and Science and Technology Council and recently served as a producer for the Academy Museum. In current development under the Breton Productions banner are three feature film projects and a museum exhibition, entitled The ART of Visual Effects.
VES Fellow: Mike Chambers, VES. Chambers is an award-winning freelance visual effects producer and independent VFX consultant, specializing in large-scale feature film productions. He is currently working on an untitled project for Universal Pictures and most recently worked on Tenet, his fourth collaboration with esteemed writer-producer-director Christopher Nolan. Other recent credits include Greyhound, Dunkirk, Alice through the Looking Glass, Transcendence and The Dark Knight Rises. Chambers has contributed to the visual effects efforts on numerous Academy & BAFTA Award-winning films, and he has personally won three VES Awards for Best Visual Effects, for Dunkirk, Inception and The Day After Tomorrow. He was also nominated for his work on I Am Legend and Tenet. A 20-year VES member, Chambers served six years as the Chair of the VES, and previously as Vice Chair and Secretary. He is also a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Producers Guild of America.
VES Fellow: Van Ling, VES. As the Creative Director and VFX Supervisor for Banned from the Ranch Entertainment and later as a freelance visual effects supervisor, graphic designer, editor and digital artist, Ling’s diverse credits range from films (Twister, Men in Black, Starship Troopers, Doctor Dolittle and Titanic) to theme park attractions (Disney’s Star Tours, EPCOT’s Test Track and Disney Cruise Line’s Skyline Lounge) to designing and creating several of the THX trailers that were seen in theaters around the world. Ling is also a pioneering producer of in-depth special features and innovative menus that helped define the possibilities of the laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray formats, garnering multiple awards for Special Editions of The Abyss, T2, Independence Day and the first six Star Wars films on DVD. In addition to his longtime service on the VES Board and several committees, Ling is a member of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch.
VES Fellow: Nancy St. John, VES. St. John’s VFX and computer animation career has spanned over 38 years. Under her leadership as production side VFX producer, her VFX teams won Academy Awards for Babe and Gladiator, as well as an Academy Award nomination for I, Robot. Her filmography includes Bill & Ted Face the Music, James and the Giant Peach, The Immortals, Men in Black 3, Total Recall, I, Robot and Ghostbusters (2016). St. John helped build groundbreaking VFX and computer animation facilities, including Robert Abel & Associates, Digital Productions, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Pacific Data Images, Industrial Light & Magic, Rhythm & Hues, MillFilm and Prime Focus. In addition to her service on the VES Board and Membership Committee, St. John is a member of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch and VFX Executive Committee.
VES 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Roy Field (1932 – 2002). Field was a visual effects supervisor and director of photography, highly regarded as a special effects legend. He is best known for his work on Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and Superman, which earned him an Academy Special Achievement Award and BAFTA for Visual Effects for the team’s stunning use of practical, miniature and optical effects.
John P. Fulton, A.S.C. (1902 – 1966). Fulton was an American special effects supervisor and cinematographer and created some of the most astounding visual effects of his era. His body of work includes some 250 films spanning nearly four decades, and earned Fulton three Academy Awards for Special Effects for his work on the fantasy Wonder Man, The Bridges at Toko-Ri and The Ten Commandments, in which he parted the Red Sea, among other impressive photographic effects.
Phil Kellison (1918 – 2005). Kellison was a visual effects supervisor and designer long before that position was acknowledged in movie credits. He had an almost 40-year career that ranged from the George Pal Puppetoons to industrial films, commercials, and feature films. His specialties include stop-motion animation forced perspective, which he dubbed “Magnascope” to market the technique to the commercial TV business.
Auguste Lumière (1862-1954) and Louis Lumière (1864 – 1948). The Lumière Brothers were manufacturers of photography equipment, best known for their Cinématographe motion picture system and the short films they produced between 1895 and 1905, which places them among the earliest filmmakers. In parallel with their cinema work, they experimented with color photographic processes including the Lippmann process (interference heliochromy) and their own ‘bichromated glue’ process.
John Whitney, Sr. (1917 – 1995). Whitney was an American animator, composer and inventor, widely considered to be one of the fathers of computer animation. He used mechanical animation techniques to create sequences for motion picture and television title sequences and commercials; the most famous was his collaboration with Saul Bass on the title sequence for Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The Academy Film Archive houses the Whitney Collection and has preserved more than a dozen films featuring his work.
As previously announced, award-winning visual effects producer Mike Chambers and venerated international business and marketing consultant Rita Cahill were named recipients of the 2021 VES Founders Awards. The Society designated digital production manager and noted VFX historian Gene Kozicki, acclaimed creative and cinematic director Richard Winn Taylor II, VES, Chambers and Cahill with Lifetime VES memberships.
For more information about the 2021 VES Honors Celebration and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://bit.ly/VESHonors2021.
Walt Disney Animation Studios shared a new trailer and poster this morning for its latest enchanted adventure feature: Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Each child has been blessed with a magic gift unique to them — each child except Mirabel. But when the family’s home is threatened, Mirabel may be their only hope.
Also revealed this morning — actor John Leguizamo (Critical Thinking, Ice Age) joins the voice cast. Leguizamo lends his voice to Bruno, Mirabel’s uncle who’s gifted with the ability to see the future. Bruno’s honest, often doomsaying predictions aren’t always well received by the rest of the family, so he disappeared long ago, becoming the uncle no one talks about.
“I was so pumped to be asked to the party,” said Leguizamo. “Lin-Manuel [Miranda] wrote me a rap, and I flipped out! Plus, this is such a beautiful story set in Colombia. It’s a first in so many ways. The magic is enchanting, the comedy is so sharp, and the world created is irresistible … Bruno is so compelling because he is that guy that never quite fits in. He’s an outsider, but he also understands the world better because he’s always wanted to belong to it.”
Encanto
The voice cast also includes Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel; María Cecilia Botero as Mirabel’s grandmother Alma (a.k.a. Abuela); Angie Cepeda and Wilmer Valderrama as Mirabel’s parents, Julieta and Agustín; and Diane Guererro and Jessica Darrow as Mirabel’s sisters, Isabela and Luisa. Also lending their voices are Carolina Gaitán and Mauro Castillo as Mirabel’s aunt and uncle, Pepa and Félix; and Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz and Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Mirabel’s cousins Dolores, Camilo and Antonio, respectively.
Encanto
The film features all-new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana) and is directed by Byron Howard (Zootopia, Tangled) and Jared Bush (co-director, Zootopia), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer, The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film. The filmmakers were deeply inspired by their research trip to Colombia during early development of Encanto, as well as their continuous work with a group of expert consultants assembled through the course of the film’s production.
Entertainment One (eOne) today shared the first trailer and poster for family animated feature Fireheart, coming to cinemas early next year. The CG-animated movie centers on a girl who finds a way to follow her dream of becoming a firefighter and crack a mysterious case of serial arson across jazz age Broadway. The second feature film produced by Montreal’s L’Atelier Animation (Leap!), Fireheart is directed by Laurent Zeitoun & Théodore Ty.
Ever since she was a child, Georgia Nolan has had only one dream: to become a fireman, just like her father. Unfortunately, in New York City in 1930, women are not allowed to be firefighters. But, when the city’s firemen begin to disappear in a series of mysterious fires at Broadway theaters, Georgia sees a golden opportunity. She disguises herself as “Joe,” an awkward young man, and joins the team of improvised firemen in charge of stopping the arsonist. Georgia must preserve her false identity at all costs, especially since her father is in charge of this high-risk investigation.
Starring Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Kenneth Branagh (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and William Shatner (Star Trek).
Fireheart will be released in cinemas February 11, 2022.
Today, Amazon Prime Video debuted a first look at its upcoming animated adult comedy series Fairfax, and detailed the show’s voice cast — including Skyler Gisondo, Kiersey Clemons, Peter S. Kim and Jaboukie Young-White. Fairfax premieres with all eight episodes on October 29, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Fairfax follows four middle school best friends on their never-ending quest for clout on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles — the pulsing heart of hypebeast culture. This series is about the timeless struggle to be cooler than you are, to fit in while standing out, and what it feels like to wait in line for a pair of sneakers you’re never going to cop.
Dale (Skyler Gisondo) with his dad Grant (Rob Delaney) and step-mom Trini (Yvette Nicole Brown)
Skyler Gisondo voices Dale, an earnest, outdoorsy kid from Oregon, who is new to Los Angeles. He loves his dad and his fanny pack, and with his cargo shorts and hiking boots, he’s the accidental poster child for normcore. Gisondo’s credits include Booksmart and The Righteous Gemstones.
Derica (Kiersey Clemons) and Whale
Kiersey Clemons voices Derica, an aspiring model-slash-activist who is determined to save the planet in style. Clemons is best known for appearing in Hearts Beat Loud and The Flash.
Benny (Peter Kim)
Peter S. Kim voices Benny, a savvy sneakerhead on a mission for generational clout — right after he practices cello and walks the dog. Kim is best known as a writer on Fox’s Housebroken and was named a “New Face” at the 2021 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.
Truman (Jaboukie Young-White)
Jaboukie Young-White voices Truman, a self-proclaimed “auteur” filmmaker and a budding Casanova. Young-White is best known for appearing in The Daily Show and Dating & New York.
L-R: Glenn the pigeon (John Leguizamo) and Quattro the pigeon (JB Smoove)
The guest cast also includes Pamela Adlon as Phyllis, Jeff Bottoms as The Plug, Yvette Nicole Brown as Trini, Rob Delaney as Grant, Zoey Deutch as Lily, Colton Dunn as Principal Weston, John Leguizamo as Glenn the pigeon, Camila Mendes as Melody, Larry Owens as Jules, Linda Park as Joy, Billy Porter as Hiroki Hassan, Ben Schwartz as Cody, Tim Simons as Brian and JB Smoove as Quattro the pigeon.
Melody (Camila Mendes) with Derica (Kiersey Clemons) and Dale (Skyler Gisondo)
Fairfax is created and executive produced by longtime friends Matthew Hausfater, Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley. Additional executive producers include Jon Zimelis and Jason U. Nadler for Serious Business (@midnight), Peter A. Knight (BoJack Horseman) and Chris Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Cannobio for Titmouse (Big Mouth). The artist Somehoodlum, who designed the characters for the series, serves as a consulting producer alongside the pop/internet culture clothing and media brand Pizzaslime.
Cuddle up with your favorite four-legged mystery-solver Scooby-Doo for the inaugural Scoobtober programming event, beginning Friday, October 1 on HBO Max and Cartoon Network. The annual Halloween event celebrates the spookiest month of the year with a hair-raising lineup that kicks off with new episodes of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Scooby-Doo movies from the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment library, the Cartoon Network premiere of Scoob! and so much more.
Cher, Sean Astin, Jessica Biel, Terry Bradshaw, Lucy Liu, Jason Sudeikis and Run DMC are the latest celebrity team-ups to join in all-new episodes of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? when HBO Max’s Scoobtober celebration begins Friday. The latest series from Warner Bros. Animation stars Scooby and the Mystery Inc. crew, who join forces with some of the biggest names in pop culture to solve their toughest mysteries yet.
Also streaming during Scoobtober on HBO Max are 28 Scooby-Doo movies from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and the popular library animated series Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
Cartoon Network will offer over 17 hours of Scooby-themed programming during Scoobtober. Kids and families can tune-in every Sunday beginning Oct. 3 (9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET/PT) to catch two Warner Bros. Home Entertainment movies from the Scooby-Doo library, including Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob and Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! Warner Bros. Pictures’ Scoob! will also debut on Cartoon Network during its new family destination, ACME Night, Sunday, Oct. 24 (6 p.m. ET/PT).
Scoob!
Fans can also watch episodes of Scooby-Doo in the CN App and collect exclusive Scooby-Doo figures through the CN Arcade app.
The Scoobtober schedule includes:
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? “Lost Soles of Jungle River!”
HBO Max
Series and movies beginning Fri., Oct. 1
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
“Lost Soles of Jungle River!” Scooby-Doo and our gang travel up a lost river in the Amazon Rainforest with Jason Sudeikis.
“The Tao of Scoob!” Scooby-Doo takes the gang to meet his good friend, Lucy Liu, at her art gallery in Queens.
“Returning of the Key Ring!” The gang and actor Sean Astin attempt returning a lost set of keys.
“Cher, Scooby and the Sargasso Sea!” Scooby-Doo and the gang are hitching a ride with their friend, Cher, on her yacht.
“The Lost Mines of Kilimanjaro!” Fred takes a wrong turn at Nairobi and drives the gang to a lost valley.
“The Legend of the Gold Microphone!” Our mystery teens work with Joseph “Run” Simmons (Run DMC) to get to the bottom of a mystery.
“Scooby-Doo and the Sky Town Cool School!” Scooby-Doo and the gang arrive at a cool school run by famous actor Billy Dee Williams.
“Falling Star Man!” A shooting star that crashes down in the middle of the ranch belonging to Terry Bradshaw!
“A Haunt of a Thousand Voices!” Daphne takes the rest of the gang to meet her friend, famous voice over actor Frank Welker.
“Scooby-Doo, Dog Wonder!” Scooby Doo and the gang are on the case with help from Blue Falcon and his dog wonder, Dynomutt.
“The Movieland Monsters!” The gang helps Carol Burnett beta test her brand new virtual reality Movieland world.
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who “The movieland Monsters!”
Library Series: Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
Movies from the WBHE Library:
LEGO Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash
LEGO Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood
Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King
Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword
Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave & the Bold
Scooby-Doo! & the Gourmet Ghost
Scooby-Doo! & WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo
Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map!
Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery
Scooby-Doo! and the Beach Beastie
Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Scarecrow
Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare
Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster
Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy
Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals!
Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays
Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur
Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon
Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace
Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown
Scooby-Doo! Spooky Games!
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins
Scooby-Doo! The WWE Mystery
Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob
Cartoon Network
Library movies airing Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET/PT.
Sunday, Oct. 3:
Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob
Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost
Sunday, Oct. 10:
Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost
Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness
Sunday, Oct. 17:
Scooby-Doo! and Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
Sunday, Oct. 24:
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown
Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery
Scoob! (6:00 p.m. – ACME Night – Broadcast Premiere)
Emmy Award-winning animated comedy Archer has been renewed for a 13th season on FXX, it was announced today by Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX. The eight-episode new season will be available in 2022 and, like the current 12th season, premiere on FXX and be available to stream the next day on FX on Hulu.
“Archer remains one of FX’s signature series and we are happy to extend its legacy with another globetrotting season,” said Grad. “Like ‘Sterling Archer’ himself, Adam Reed, Matt Thompson, Casey Willis and the entire team at Floyd County Productions are endlessly creative and always find a way to surpass themselves. Our thanks to them and the incredible voice cast who keep this fan favorite spy comedy as fresh and exciting as ever.”
“On behalf of our entire team of talented illustrators, animators, writers and actors, I just wanted to say… ahhh, damn. I had something for this. Nope. Lost it. So… I guess just thanks?” added Matt Thompson and Casey Willis.
Archer continues its current 12th season Wednesday, September 29 with the seventh episode, “Colt Express.” In it, a mysterious stranger and a scavenger hunt helps Archer and the gang get a jump on their enemies. (Written by Alison Zeidman.) Season 12 concludes Wednesday, October 6.
Over its long run, Archer has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and four Critics Choice Awards for Best Animated Series.
Archer is an animated, half-hour comedy that follows Sterling Archer as he navigates the changing landscape of the spy world. In the current season, Archer and gang face a new threat: a spy conglomerate known as IIA (International Intelligence Agency). With a limited number of spy jobs up for grabs, can The Agency compete against the soulless vultures of IIA, or will our mom-and-pop spy agency be the next to get swallowed alive?
The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the (former) world’s greatest spy, “Sterling Archer;” Aisha Tyler as the spy with marital problems, “Lana Kane;” the late Jessica Walter as Archer’s mother and spymaster, “Malory Archer;” Judy Greer as the lovably crazy office assistant, “Cheryl/Carol Tunt;” Chris Parnell as the top office spy, “Cyril Figgis;” Amber Nash as the positively offensive go-getter, “Pam Poovey;” Adam Reed as the opportunist, “Ray Gillette” and Lucky Yates as the unscrupulous scientist, “Algernop Krieger.”
Archer was created by Adam Reed and is executive produced by Reed, Matt Thompson and Casey Willis at Floyd County Productions. The series is produced by FX Productions.
The Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF), presented by Animation SA, will hold its 9th edition from October 1 to 3 both online and in person at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. The largest dedicated African animation festival on the continent, CTIAF ’21 is planning an exciting hybrid program of talks, workshop, screenings, producer meetings, business-to-business sessions and more, providing an opportunity to engage with global industry leaders, shine a spotlight on African talent and create a platform for connections and sharing of knowledge between local animators and their international counterparts.
This year, CTIAF will also be presented with the Comic Con Cape Town Pop-up event, in partnership with the City of Cape Town. On Saturday, October 2, enjoy activities such as cosplay competitions, the popular Comic Art Drink & Draw & Sketch-off competitions and Pop Culture Quiz Sessions. CTIAF and the Comic Con Cape Town Pop-up will be compliant with all government and COVID-19 regulations, as the health and safety of fans and participants remain of paramount importance.
“We’ve searched the globe to bring you the best of the animation industry and are proud to present the best of Africa to the world. We were unable to host our annual event last year, but the South African industry has continued to thrive on the international stage,” said CTIAF Festival Director Dianne Makings. “CTIAF showcases Africa’s animation talent under one roof and understands the challenges, needs and opportunities of the African animation industry. We also want to help explore how we bring undiscovered African stories alive through colourful narratives. We can’t wait to gather, online and in person, our stellar line up of international and South African delegates to share their knowledge, engage in workshops, provide opportunities to have your portfolio reviewed, and so much more.”
Netflix Animation
CTIAF and leading global streamer Netflix have announced their collaboration to identify new talent in Africa’s animation industry. As part of CTIAF’s virtual program, Netflix will participate in the Women Transforming Animation Showcase featuring:
Camille Leganza, an Artistic Recruiter at Netflix who has extensive past experience working in production at studios like DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Pixar, Cartoon Saloon and Microsoft
Helen Marie Saric, Line Producer at Netflix who has spent the last two decades working for various animation studios including Disney Feature Animation, DreamWorks and Paramount whose credits include The Croods, Home and Futurama and upcoming Netflix Animation Studios project Steps
Tendayi Nyeke, a development executive for the International Emmy Award-winning animation firm Triggerfish Animation Studios, which is also the studio behind Netflix’s first African Animation series, Mama K’s Team 4. Nyeke’s producing work has been nominated for South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) in multiple genres.
The Women Transforming Animation Program is a series of lectures, discussions, masterclasses, and networking events all aimed at helping women connect and create new networks with industry veterans and leaders. WTA throws a spotlight on women changing the landscape of the animation industry. In partnership with Reel Stories / BAVC Media, WTA provides training and upskilling resources and opportunities during the Festival and throughout the year.
Netflix will also present online lounges for portfolio reviews, local animators and other creatives who will have the opportunity to engage directly with talent recruiters from Netflix.
“We’re excited about joining the Cape Town International Animation Film Festival as part of our ongoing efforts to create a stronger connection with Africa’s creative industries.,” said Rosalind Murphy, Media and Events Strategist, Outreach & Engagement at Netflix. “We’re especially looking forward to participating in the festival’s virtual program and meeting South Africa’s incredibly talented animation artists.”
“We are proud and honored to announce this new association with Netflix and look forward to hosting their team members as part of our online programme,” said Makings. “Their online portfolio review lounges are an incredible and rare opportunity for animators to engage directly with representatives from Netflix, and have their African stories connected to a global stage.”
Little Vampire
CTIAF visitors have the unique chance to watch screenings such as the Annecy award winner Petit Vampire, directed by Joann Sfar, a story of friendship between a 10-year old never aging vampire and an orphan schoolboy, and look out for a selection of short films and the Best of Annecy. Screenings will take place at GoDrivein and tickets can be purchased at Webtickets. A full three-day Professional CTIAF pass will also get you in.
The compelling speaker line-up includes Anna Berthold from United Talent Agents and Aoife Lennon Ritchie, owner of Lennon-Ritchie Agency & co-owner of Torchwood, a literary agency representing screenwriters, directors and producers worldwide. Join them to find out more about the global animation industry when they will host an in-depth Q&A session on representation, studios and how to stand out in the crowd. Berthold also oversees the Animation department at UTA, with a client list that includes Brad Bird, Chris Nee, Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Andrew Stanton, Rich Moore and The Jim Henson Company, among others. LRA provides scouting services for the BBC in-house animation team and Torchwood is a literary agency representing a select group of international writers and selling International and film rights for publishing houses.
Producer and Founder of Reel Stories, Esther Pearl and Yasaman Ford will discuss why representation matters both behind the scenes and on the screen. Pearl spent the majority of her film career at Pixar Animation Studios where her feature film credits include Academy Award-winning films The Incredibles, WALL-E and Monsters, Inc. She is committed to closing the gender gap in the film and media industry and Reel Stories is the first filmmaking and training program for young women and female identified people led by industry professionals. Ford is a Program Coordinator and Instructor at Reel Stories and works with guest teachers from the film industry to translate their knowledge into curriculum for Reel Stories’s Master Classes. Ford will be also presenting a session on Script-writing and Story Structure: How to take an idea from ideation to screenplay.
Nathan Stanton will present Tales from the Story Trenches: A presentation on Story Structure, Storyboarding, Staging and Composition and Visual Storytelling. Stanton began his career at Pixar in June 1996 as a story artist for Pixar’s second feature film, A Bug’s Life. He has worked on many of the studio’s successes and Academy Award winning films since then. Most recently, Stanton has moved on from Pixar and is currently running a 12 week Story Lab program for local talent in Africa for Triggerfish Animation and Netflix in Cape Town.
Esther Pearl will also take part in a second event about the ins and outs of starting a studio with South African cultural activist and writer, director and producer at Na Aap Productions, Deidre Jantijies as well as Emmy Award-winner Kia Simon. Na Aap Productions is an integrated, broad based production company, screening untold stories of Southern Africa. In 2020, the company partnered with an Indian storyteller and produced Love Thy Neighbour, an animation short film that won international awards. Simon is the founder of Sneaky Little Sister, a motion graphics company that works on independent films, documentaries, and videos for clients such as T-Mobile, LinkedIn and eBay. She has won multiple Emmys for her editorial and mograph work on the YouTube series Deep Look.
Ariane Suveg of WarnerMedia will share her experience of the Cartoon Network Creative Lab, the next steps and the ambitions they have for African animation. Suveg is Kids Content Director for WarnerMedia and manages kids content for Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Boing in France, Africa and Israel.
Esther Pearl | Nathan Stanton | Ariane Suveg
Mary Glasser will interview Mounia Aram about upcoming distribution opportunities for African animation on the continent and across the world. Aram is the Founder and President of Mounia Aram Company, which specializes in representing African animation.
Annemarie March, Loyiso Kwize, Mohale Mashigo and Clyde Beech are The Kwezi Team and were the winners of CTIAF’s Road to Annecy Pitching Competition. They will talk about their experiences in bringing SA’s most loved comic to screen.
In The Path to a Series Greenlight, South Africans Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal join Emmy Award-winner Kent Osborne to talk about the career journeys that have led to the series production for their new Disney Channel show, Kiff. Osborne has worked for animated shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Camp Lazlo, Phineas and Ferb, The Amazing World of Gumball and Summer Camp Island, among others.
Brian Nitzkin is Senior Vice President, Business Affairs for Myriad Pictures and Photon Films. Myriad is a leading independent entertainment company with recent credits that include the Academy Award nominated Margin Call, Never Too Late, Iron Sky – The Coming Race, Fatima and Deadly Cuts. Nitzkin will be giving a workshop How to package your idea: What a sales agent needs to see. Nitzkin will also be joining Pete O’Donoghue, Nick Cloete and Rob van Vuuren to talk about Electric Juju: The start of making a one man stageplay an animated feature film.
A few of the other highlights include IFAS sharing training opportunities in France for South African animators; The Making of Troll Girl with director Kay Carmichael (Troll Girl will also be screened as part of CTIAF’s program) and a workshop with Triggerfish Academy‘s CEO, Colin Payne to learn about remote working best practices.
Passes are available for purchase now. More information and full program details available at www.ctiaf.com.
America’s favorite unhinged scientist and his hapless grandson return when Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season arrives on Blu-ray Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD on December 7. Enjoy all 10 episodes from the latest season of Adult Swim’s hit series from creators Justin Roiland (Solar Opposites) and Dan Harmon (Community), plus outrageous bonus content including the never-before-seen featurette Fighting Gravity: The Making of Season 5. Exclusive to the set, follow Harmon and the crew as they reflect on the challenges of completing this season in the middle of a pandemic. Additional special features include “Inside the Episode” segments for every episode, numerous featurettes, and more.
Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season is priced to own at $24.98 SRP for the DVD ($29.98 in Canada), $29.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($39.99 in Canada), $39.99 SRP for the Blu-ray Steelbook ($44.98 in Canada). Also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.
Rick and Morty is the multi-Emmy Award winning half-hour comedy series that airs on Adult Swim, the #1 destination for young adults for over a decade. The half-hour animated Adult Swim hit comedy series follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. Rick Sanchez is living with his daughter Beth’s family and constantly bringing her, his son-in-law Jerry, granddaughter Summer, and grandson Morty into intergalactic escapades. Rick and Morty was the #1 comedy across all of television in 2017 and 2019 and has become a multi-platform sensation not just on television, but across digital, gaming, live streaming, retail and fan experiences.
Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. Featuring all 10 episodes from Season 5 in high definition, as well as a digital code (available in the U.S. only).
Bonus Features:
“Fighting Gravity”: The Making of Season 5 (Exclusive to Set): In this deep dive discussion, co-creator Dan Harmon and the crew reflect on the challenges of completing this season in the middle of a pandemic and the creative process behind the story’s biggest revelations.
“Inside the Episode”: For every episode from Season 5
B-Story Generator Vol. 1: Co-creator Dan Harmon and writer Rob Schrab reach into their box of random ideas to conjure up hilarious side stories.
B-Story Generator Vol. 2: Co-creator Dan Harmon and writer Rob Schrab return to brainstorm even more ludicrous side stories.
Backgrounds: The show’s artists give us a jaw-dropping look at the amazingly detailed environments packed into every episode.
Animation and Compositing: Crafting the show’s visuals is a complex process and the crew is here to show us why.
Coloring Rick and Morty: Get an in-depth look at how the crew uses vibrant color to create fantastic alien worlds.
Directing ‘Mortyplicity’: An inside look at the evolution of this ambitious and action-packed episode, from initial storyboards to final product.
Directing ‘Rickmurai Jack’: A behind the scenes look at one visualization of one of the most ambitious episodes in the series’ history.
Season 5 Hype: Dan Harmon and the writers give you a taste of what’s in store for Rick and Morty’s wildest season yet.
Pure Imagination Studios (Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild, Alien Descent) has closed a deal with Shatner Universe to develop and produce an adult animated series based on actor, director, author and singer William Shatner’s hit sci-fi thriller TekWar. The franchise began as a bestselling book series and became a live-action 1994-96 TV series featuring Shatner, as well as a comic-book series and a video game. Matt Michnovetz (24, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) will develop and write the mix-reality animated series — the first step in building a real-time multiverse around the property and Shatner’s vision.
TekWar is based on Shatner’s series of bestselling detective novels, published in 1989. The novels are set in the year 2043, and center on a former detective in futuristic Los Angeles who was framed for the crime of dealing an illegal mind-altering drug in the form of a bio-digital microchip. This “tek” poses a great threat to humanity and has the potential to become a virus that will lead to an unrecoverable future.
TekWar is being conceptualized from the outset as a mixed-reality animated series where viewers will be able to participate with the show in different forms of technology via mobile, tablets or wearable devices. The series can be viewed stand alone, but the level of immersion into the show, it’s characters and technology is only further enhanced by the ability to become part of the narrative.
“We are very excited to work with the legendary William Shatner to reimagine the world of TekWar at a post-pandemic time,” said John P. Roberts, Pure Imagination’s Chief Content Officer. “TekWar was truly ahead of it’s time envisioning a future filled with AI and the world of simulated reality. It’s becoming our reality now and we’re excited to build a storyverse around it.”
“We want to do something that hasn’t been done before. Who better to do that with than one of the greatest legends in the sci-fi universe,” said Joshua Wexler, Pure Imagination’s Chief Executive of Fun. “The world and story of TekWar transcends traditional linear media and has the potential to be experienced on multiple entertainment platforms, some that exist today and some we’ll have to invent, and we can’t wait to get started.”
Shatner, best known to audiences for his roles on Boston Legal and pioneering sci-fi series Star Trek, stated, “My association with Pure Imagination is beyond my sheer imagination. Imagine bringing to life this wonderful character in a variety of ways, so technologically advanced. This is the future and I am looking forward to it.”
The ribbiting animated comedy-adventure of Amphibia continues with Season 3 premiering this Saturday! Created and executive produced by Matt Braly (Gravity Falls), S3 of the Emmy-nominated series finds Anne and the Plantars transported from Amphibia to her hometown of Los Angeles, where the Frog Family must learn to navigate the complexities of this modern-day world, conceal their identities as talking frog people and search for a way home.
Amphibia S3 premieres Saturday, October 2 (9:30 a.m. EDT), immediately following a new episode of The Ghost and Molly McGee on Disney Channel.
Our friends at Disney TV are offering Animag readers a sneak peek at this giant leap for frog kind in an exclusive clip. Check it out!
S3 will also include a 22-minute Christmas special featuring a song written by Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe). Guest stars for the new season include Whoopi Goldberg (The View), RuPaul Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Kate Micucci (DuckTales), Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog), Archie Yates (Jojo Rabbit), Wallace Shawn (Young Sheldon), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld), Jason Ritter (Gravity Falls), Dana Davis (Craig of the Creek) and Melissa Villaseñor (Saturday Night Live).
Following the S3 premiere, new episodes of Amphibia will debut every Saturday through Nov. 27 on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW. This Fall, Amphibia will also debut its third “Disney Theme Song Takeover” on Disney Channel YouTube, which spotlights popular animated characters doing their own unique take on their series’ popular theme songs complete with new lyrics. In this new short, Anne’s best friend Marcy (voiced by actress Haley Tju) reveals to Hop Pop and Polly her adventures in Newtopia while Anne was living in Wartwood and Sasha took charge of Toad Tower. Seasons 1 and 2 of Amphibia are now available to stream on Disney+, and Season 3 episodes will become available beginning Fall 2021.
Amphibia
Amphibia stars popular actress and longtime Disney Channel star Brenda Song (Dollface) as Anne Boonchuy; Justin Felbinger (Miles From Tomorrowland) as Sprig Plantar, who forges a once-in-a-lifetime friendship with Anne; Amanda Leighton (This Is Us) as unpredictable pollywog (a.k.a. tadpole) Polly Plantar, the youngest member of the Plantar family; and Disney Legend Bill Farmer (the voice of Goofy) as overprotective and traditional grandfather Hop Pop.
Since its premiere in June 2019, Amphibia has garnered over 107 million views across Disney Channel’s YouTube and currently ranks among the top three cable series with Kids 6- 11.
Amphibia is a production of Disney Television Animation and carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.
Gloria Ponce and Sowon Sawyer have joined the WarnerMedia Kids & Family creative and programming team. Ponce, who joined the company earlier this year, has taken on the new role of Senior Creative Executive, while Sawyer has been tapped as Vice President of Program Planning. Both will report into Head of Kids & Family Programming, Amy Friedman, with Sawyer having a dual report into Meredith Gertler, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Planning, HBO and HBO Max.
Both join as WarnerMedia Kids & Family continues its content commitment to include preschoolers and add more animation and live action to its slate to appeal to all kids and families. Ponce and Sawyer will be instrumental in creative content development and strategic program planning respectively, for the recently launched programming blocks Cartoonito and ACME Night, as well as other content and programming initiatives across HBO Max and Cartoon Network.
“Gloria and Sowon will each be vital to creatively developing and positioning our offerings as we build audiences across HBO Max and Cartoon Network,” said Amy Friedman, Head of Kids & Family Programming, Warner Bros. “They each bring exceptional taste and diverse industry experience to the team, and they’ll be invaluable leaders as we deliver inclusive content to kids and families wherever they watch.”
Meredith Gertler, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Planning, HBO and HBO Max, added: “Adding Sowon’s strategic scheduling insights and programming expertise with kids and family audiences is critical as we continue to build out and align our preschool, kids, and family offerings across Cartoon Network and HBO Max.”
As Senior Creative Executive for WarnerMedia Kids & Family Originals, Gloria Ponce oversees the creative development of live-action original content across ages 6-11 and family audiences. She currently has more than 15 shows in development for HBO Max and Cartoon Network, with an emphasis on Latinx-focused programming. Before joining WarnerMedia, Ponce spent three years at Netflix managing international originals for youth audiences. Previously, she worked as a creative executive in the Nickelodeon Original Movies department and later transitioned to the Latino-focused digital content studio mitú, where she was instrumental in crafting the company’s brand identity and scripted content strategy.
Prior to her new role as Vice President of Program Planning at WarnerMedia, Sowon Sawyer led the Scheduling Strategy for SundanceTV at AMC Networks where she was responsible for promoting audience growth and retention for SundanceTV’s critically acclaimed Emmy-, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning content. Previously, Sawyer worked for 11 years at Nickelodeon in program planning and strategy for TeenNick, Nick Jr. and NickToons, where she was instrumental in growing the NickToons brand from eight million to nearly 70 million homes. An advocate for inclusion, she also served as a founding co-chair of AMC Networks’ diversity, equity & inclusion committee, where she spearheaded the development of nine employee resource groups, served as a key advisor on corporate diversity initiatives, and developed mentorship and professional development programs. An accomplished veteran of the entertainment industry, Sawyer has also held roles at Honest Entertainment and Sunbow Entertainment.
Friedman’s executive team also includes: Kim Howitt, Senior Creative Executive, who oversees the creative development of third-party animation, co-production and live-action across preschool, kids, and family; Adina Pitt, whose expanded role includes leading kids & family acquisitions, co-productions, and content partnerships across both linear and streaming in the U.S., and on linear in LatAm; and Joanna Rosenthal, as Creative Executive, WarnerMedia Kids & Family.
The official trailer for Blush has debuted ahead of the romantic space story’s debut this Friday, October 1. The Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation-produced short will roll out globally on Apple TV+.
Blush follows the journey of a stranded horticulturist-astronaut’s chances for survival after he crash lands on a desolate dwarf planet. When an ethereal visitor arrives, the once-lone traveler discovers the joy in building a new life and realizes the universe has delivered astonishing salvation.
The CG-animated short is written and directed by Joe Mateo, a veteran Disney Animation artist whose story and screenplay credits include Prep & Landing, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice and Meet the Robinsons. Blush is produced by Heather Schmidt Feng Yanu and executive produced by John Lasseter.
Learn more about the project in Animation Magazine‘s interview with Mateo here.
Two arcs from the widely popular anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will stream soon for Funimation and Crunchyroll subscribers, inviting fans to once again journey with Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke. In addition to the previously announced Entertainment District Arc, Aniplex of America is bringing all aboard for the global streaming debut of Mugen Train Arc.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc is a seven-episode arc that adapts the popular film with an original episode, 70 new scenes, new music tracks, new open and ending animation, episode previews and new theme songs. It will all connect the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc with the Entertainment District Arc, featuring a never-before-seen original episode of Kyojuro Rengoku taking on a new mission on the way to the Mugen Train. LiSA returns to sing the theme songs for the series, with the opening theme “Akeboshi” and ending with the theme “Shirogane.” Produced by ufotable.
Mugen Train Arc will premiere on Crunchyroll in the United States on Sunday, October 10. Funimation is confirmed to stream Mugen Train Arc in its English-speaking territories, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as on its European streaming service, Wakanim, beginning Sunday, October 10. It will be available in Funimation’s Latin America territories at a later date. The new arc will also be available for subscribers to stream on Hulu on October 10.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc will premiere with an hour-long episode with an hour-long episode on Crunchyroll and Funimation on Sunday, December 5. The Arc introduces a new major demon, Daki (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro) who the young adventurers must contend with. Theme songs for the opening episode will be performed by Aimer (“Zankyosanka” and “Asa ga kuru”).
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc premiered in 2019 and is based on Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga, which boasts over 150 million copies in circulation in Japan. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action-packed, thrilling tale of a young man in search of a cure for his sister, who has been turned into a demon after their family is viciously slaughtered by demons.
Season 5 of Cake premieres this Thursday, September 30 at 10p ET/PT on FXX, streaming the next day via FX on Hulu. Even better news: This slice of the short-form adult comedy anthology comes with more animation than ever before.
Each of this season’s 10 episodes features Reza Farazmand’s Poorly Drawn Lines, an animated program spotlighting the fantastical misadventures of Ernesto (voiced by Tony Revolori), Tanya (D’Arcy Carden) and Kevin (Ron Funches) — three best friends navigating early adulthood in a world where the strange and surreal are an everyday thing. They are joined by pals Turt (Betsy Sodaro) and Cat (Dana Snyder). Based on the comic of the same name, Poorly Drawn Lines is produced by Floyd County Productions and Fish Ladder Productions.
Cake: Swan Boy
Also prominently featured this season is Branson Reese’s Swan Boy, an animated program based off the comic of the same name from executive producers Alex Plapinger and Augenblick Studios. Swan Boy focuses on an anthropomorphic swan of low station and (in his finest moments) medium intelligence, who gets into trouble ranging from the mundane to the fantastic to the surreal. Featuring the voices of Reese as Swan Boy, Jo Firestone as Rona and Marcos Gonzales as Noel.
S5 also debuts two installments of Beings, an animated anthology presenting tales of everyday encounters with very strange creatures, created by Dan Britt and exec produced by Papinger. This round, audiences will encounter “Yippin’”, written by Sam Campbell and voice starring Campbell, Anne Edmonds and John Cruckshank; and “Owlman” from the minds of Ellie White & Simon Longman, voiced by White, Tim Key and Lolly Adefope.
Cake: Beings
Plus, take in the stop-motion madness of Good Morning, Pickles! from writer-director duo Mike Anderson and Ryan Dickie: The tale of best friends Pickles and Carl (voiced by Jane Ubrien) who kick off the day by descending into complete and utter chaos.
In the live-action layer of this season of Cake, catch The Dream starring Gary Richardson (Saturday Night Live) and Ana Fabrega (Los Espookys), from creators Alan Resnick, Dina Kelberman and Robby Rackleff, plus EP Plapinger; and Words with Ike from executive producers Ikechukwu Ufomadu and Graham Mason.
… To name a few!
Cake S5 premieres with Ep. 1 “New Year, New Me” on September 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FXX.
Alison Mann, formerly Vice President of Creative Strategy for Sony Pictures Animation and co-founder/CEO of BRIC Foundation, is launching a new animation production company in partnership with talent agency Fourth Wall Management. Mann will be Co-President of the new shingle, Fourth Wall Animation, and will work with the Fourth Wall team to identify IP, develop original content and sign on new voices and established talent in the industry.
Mann will also join Fourth Wall Management as a Talent Manager, handling a growing list of clients including Jimmy Craig (The Secret Life of Pets), Sophie Koko Gate (Slug Life), John Hoffman (Luca), Donna Lee (Raya and the Last Dragon), Dan Serafin (The Thundermans), Michelle Staphylas (Kung Fu Panda 3) and Olivier Staphylas (Abominable). The 20-year industry veteran told Deadline, “I am excited to join forces with [founder] Jon Huddle and Fourth Wall to start this animation production company to push the boundaries of this medium, not only in themes and story but in design.”
The company’s existing animation roster includes Trent Correy (Once Upon a Snowman), Hamish Grieve (Rumble), Jenn Kluska (Hotel Transylvania: Transformania), Meghan Malloy (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Zach Parrish (Raya and the Last Dragon), Aram Spencer Porter (We Bare Bears), Ian Jones-Quartey (Steven Universe), Pam Pettler (Corpse Bride), Fergal Reilly (The Angry Birds Movie), Stephanie Stine (Raya and the Last Dragon), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), Jeff Westbrook (The Simpsons) and Henry Yu (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation).
Prior to Sony Pictures Animation, Mann worked on television, film and gaming projects for leading studios including Illumination Entertainment (VP Talent), Paramount Pictures / Animation, Nickelodeon, Walt Disney Animation Studios, MTV, Disney Interactive and Zynga. Her resume includes work on high profile animated projects such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Secret Life of Pets, Despicable Me, The Grinch and Vivo. She is a co-founder of BRIC Foundation, a group whose goal is to create new access points for women and other underrepresented groups to excel in creative leadership.
Fourth Wall Animation will be based in L.A. out of the company’s newly purchased building on Fairfax.
(Another Fourth Wall Animation, currently working on Superpigs with Planeta Junior, is based in Liverpool, England.)
Manchester Animation Festival (MAF), the U.K.’s largest animation festival, has today revealed its program for 2021. Returning for its seventh year as a hybrid event in 2021, the festival will offer audiences an opportunity to access the world’s greatest animated content both in person and online. Panels, masterclasses, work in progress events and studio talks will take place online from November 14-30, with dedicated screenings hosted at Manchester’s HOME Cinema between Nov. 14-19.
Headline events in the announcement include a behind-the-scenes look at Ron’s Gone Wrong — the debut film from Locksmith Animation, starring a spectacular array of voice talent bringing the characters to life including Jack Dylan Grazer (It, We Are Who We Are) as Barney, Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover, Baskets) as the voice of Ron, Ed Helms (The Hangover, The Office) as Barney’s dad, Olivia Colman (The Father, The Crown) as Barney’s grandmother Donka, Rob Delaney (Bombshell, Catastrophe) and Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Get Down).
MAF will present a ‘making of’ event of the upcoming Netflix stop-motion musical special series Robin Robin, which is currently in production at Aardman and will debut in November. Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson (The Crown) and Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) lead the cast which also includes Bronte Carmichael (Christopher Robin) and Adeel Akhtar (The Big Sick).
The program also includes an exclusive work-in-progress look at upcoming Netflix series The House, made by acclaimed stop-motion directors Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, with a separate live Q&A.
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Two brand new competition strands have been announced for MAF this year. A feature film category has, for the very first time, been added, showcasing the skills of an international array of filmmaking talent across four dedicated titles.
The official feature selection screenings include:
Flee (dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen), the critically acclaimed, extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time. A documentary executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who also voice the lead roles. After playing at the Sundance, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, Flee could become the first film to be nominated in animated, documentary and international feature at the Oscars (if selected).
Absolute Denial (dir. Ryan Braund). An obsessive, genius programmer sacrifices everything in his personal and professional life to build a computer of unprecedented power. After weeks in isolation and watching his life crumble around him, he must now confront the ever-increasing problem of a machine that is much smarter than himself.
My Sunny Maad (dir. Michaela Pavlátová) follows Herra, a Czech woman who falls in love with Nazir, an Afghan man. She has no idea about the life that awaits her in post-taliban Afghanistan, nor about the family she is about to join.
My Favourite War (dir. Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen), the critically acclaimed film based on the director’s personal story of growing up in Cold War Latvia, USSR. It’s a coming of age story, a personal escape route from the mighty authoritarian regime’s brainwashing. An anti-war film, emphasising the importance of an individual’s freedom being a democratic society’s fundamental right.
Maya and the Three
Short films for children will now also be eligible for an award, showcasing some of the best family friendly short films from across the globe. The Animated Short Film Screening competition, which includes categories of Short Film, Student Film and Commissioned Film screenings, will also return and remain central to the festival, with winners announced on November 25.
The annual MAF Fellowship Award 2021 has also been confirmed today. The prestigious award will be presented to Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua, the duo behind The Book of Life and the latest Netflix series Maya and the Three. To celebrate, events in the program will take a look at their work and film careers, with a live Q&A with the couple.
MAF’s Industry Day is back and bigger than ever with a brand new event — The Animation Keynote. As a festival first, Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children’s and Education at the BBC will deliver the keynote speech titled ‘Ignite British Animation’ during the Industry Day on Thursday, November 18. The MAF Industry Day presents an opportunity for the animation community to gather and share ideas on the future of our industry, break down barriers and offer access to animation business insiders.
Patricia Hidalgo
Alongside MAF’s regular industry events and workshops, this year’s ‘In The Frame’ — part of the organisation’s yearly investigation into the animation industry — will look into what access means to those behind the scenes and reveal the results of a survey commissioned in partnership with ScreenSkills and Visible in Visuals. Panellists include members of the D/deaf community and those with physical and non-neurotypical access requirements who will share their own experiences as MAF investigates whether the industry is doing enough in order to provide a welcoming environment to the entire workforce.
A family day will also introduce audiences to animated features and short films from around the world and a sculpt-along with senior model maker Jim Parkyn, who has worked in animation for over 20 years, being part of the Aardman family as well as working with the BBC and a number of independent studios.
Sculpt with Jim
“We’re delighted to announce our 2021 program, featuring some brand new exciting additions and developments from last year, including an industry keynote!” said Festival Director Steve Henderson. “We have a brilliant mixture of live events where you can get involved with questions and comments and pre-recorded screenings for you to enjoy as and when you like. We’re also delighted that in 2021 we can finally launch an animated feature film award to bring these films to new audiences with four fantastic titles contending for the inaugural prize.”
Manchester Animation Festival is presented with the support of the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery, which raises £36 million each week for causes across the U.K.) and sponsored, partnered and supported by University of Salford, HOME, Jurys Inn, Blue Zoo, Jellyfish Pictures, ScreenSkills, Animation UK, Leeds Arts University, University of Staffordshire, Animation Toolkit, Sheffield Hallam University, Marks & Clerk LLP, Realtime UK, The Farm Group, Kilogramme, Kord Media, Bearded Fellows. Steve Henderson is Festival Director, Jen Hall is Executive Producer and Festival Programmer, Greg Walker is Festival Producer.
The winners of the 13th Festival Stop Motion Montréal were announced during a virtual awards ceremony for the short film competition categories streamed live from the festival’s Facebook page, with special awards announced during the live-streamed closing ceremony. This year, the jury of film industry professionals included filmmakers Birutė Sodeikaitė, Daniel Sterlin-Altman, and producer Melanie Jackson.
A total of 101 short films were presented during the 10 days of the festival. The organization’s very first free outdoor screening attracted more than 170 movie-goers. Three online networking sessions and three special events (round table, conference, Q&A) were offered to the public and to members of the industry. Eighty-two filmmakers participated in this 13th edition, and 35 interviews were conducted with them by festival co-director Marie Valade which are available for viewing on the Festival’s Facebook page. The Festival team also noted a significant increase in audience participation for this second virtual edition, with 230 passes sold this year — nearly twice the amount compared to 2020.
Love Is Just a Death Away
The winners are:
BEST YOUTH FILM: Fresh Breeze by Gabriella Coumau, Alyx Ecalle, Saliha Sittler and Constantin Rytz (France, 2021)
“For its playful and entertaining story, creation of sweet comedic moments of a universal theme, loveable character design and atmosphere, as well as its catchy score.”
Two special mentions were given to Le Secret de Monsieur Nostoc by Maxime Marion and Patrice Seiler (France, 2021) and to Tulip by Andrea Love and Phoebe Wahl (United States, 2020).
BEST EMERGING TALENT FILM: Love Is Just a Death Away by Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic, 2020)
“For its heartfelt and surprising story that was both visceral and heartwarming, excellent editing and narrative structure, and for successfully making a vampire body-squatting maggot sweet and loveable.”
A special mention was given to O Black Hole! by Renee Zhan (United Kingdom, 2020).
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM: Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk (Canada, 2021)
“For its excellence and originality in techniques; light design, animation, sets and camera. For its value in recording and representing oral histories in an intimate and compassionate manner, and the effective creation of an immersive world.”
A special mention was given to The Girl with the Rivet Gun by Danielle Ash, Anne De Mare and Kirsten Kelly (United States, 2020).
BEST PROFESSIONAL FILM: Üks imeline mees (A Most Exquisite Man) by Jonas Taul (Estonia, 2021)
“For the outstanding technique and control of visuals, highly creative use of light and camera, and simple yet refined play of words to tell a story. A film that deserves to be watched again and again, it was something we had never seen before.”
A special mention was given to I, Barnabé by Jean-François Lévesque (Canada, 2020).
PUBLIC CHOICE AWARD: Meow or Never by Neeraja Raj (United Kingdom, 2020)
NAD-UQAC SCHOOL SPECIAL PRIZE for a Canadian filmmaker: Bistro Girls by Jenna Marks (Canada, 2021)
Festival Stop Motion Montréal is the first festival in the world devoted to the art of stop-motion animation. The organization’s mission is to provide a platform for artists and to promote local and international handmade cinema while contributing to the development of a worldwide stop-motion community.
