A stellar new animated short from Oscar-winning Moonbot Studios and Dolby titled Escape has made its online debut just after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The film, launched on the Dolby Insider YouTube channel, is the music-driven story of a resourceful space scout determined to make the desolate planet she crash lands on habitable — despite her less than hospitable new neighbor.
Escape was directed by Moonbot principles Lambert Fabian (Silent) and Brandon Oldenburg (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore) — who are now the creative leadership behind the recently formed VR studio Flight School.
Grammy Award winner Imogen Heap composed, performed and produced the song “Magic Me” for the short, which was mixed by BAFTA-winning sound designer Nick Ryan using Dolby Atmos sound and Dolby Vision HDRI technology.
“The film is a cinematic poem about the world-changing power of invention and is a fitting sequel to Silent in which our character experienced the evolution of film technology from the silent-film era to the present day,” said Vince Voron, the film’s executive producer and VP & Executive Creative Director at Dolby. “We have been investing in original branded content to inspire our consumers, filmmakers and partners and celebrate the powerful storytelling possibilities when art and science come together.”
JAMPRO Aims to Develop Jamaica’s Animation Industry
“It is crucial for us to put the building blocks in place that are needed to grow the animation industry in Jamaica,” says JAMPRO Film Commissioner Renee Robinson. “Training will allow Jamaica to provide world-class outsourcing services on a global scale.”
If you’re a regular reader of Animation Magazine in print, PDF or through our app, you know that we are planning a spectacular, bursting-at-the-seams 30th Anniversary special issue. With the incredible growth of the animation, visual effects, gaming and related industries worldwide over the last three decades, Animag is sending out a call to everyone that makes this biz so exciting to share their stories with our readers.
“In the early days of the magazine, with no internet and no other publications, Animation Magazine was the only place to brand and legitimize your show or company,” said Publisher Jean Thoren. “When thinking about what we should do for this milestone, I realized I wanted to go back to our roots and help companies, studios, schools, events and organizations brand and tell the world why they exist.”
The result will be an invaluable Who’s-Who guide to the world of animation, presented with a special section of two-page spreads that celebrate the histories, successes and forward-thinking visions of participating companies, groups and individuals. And, at an unprecedented per page rate.
The June 2017 issue (#271) will not only be the biggest-ever edition of Animation Magazine, but it will also have the highest distribution of any Animag. On top of our regular bonus distribution to the Annecy festival and market, the 30th Anniversary Issue will be available at SIGGRAPH, San Diego Comic-Con, CTN and every event you’ll find us at throughout the year. Not to mention our World Animation and VFX Summit this fall. And, of course, all our discerning subscribers.
“I have always been fascinated by the personal stories in our industry. It is the passion, perseverance, humor and tenacity of individuals that gets quality projects to the screen. This offer is a vehicle to tell that story to the world,” added Thoren. “We will be printing enough copies of this special issue to distribute throughout the year and, like our 20th Anniversary Book, I imagine it will be on coffee tables around the globe where people will be able to leisurely pick it up and discover the inspiration that we who produce the magazine delight in every day.”
The May 5 deadline for this mileston issue is fast approaching! If you are interested in being included in the 30th Anniversary Issue (and why wouldn’t you be?), get in touch with Sheri Shelton at 818-665-2050 or via email (sshelton@www.animationmagazine.net) right away for more information and to reserve your two-page spread.
SIGGRAPH 2017 (s2017.siggraph.org) will be featuring a special Art Gallery dedicated to works by contemporary Latin American artists, under the banner “Unsettled Artifacts: Technological Speculations from Latin America. Further, this year will see the introduction of the Best Art Paper Award to one of the six accepted papers. The 44th edition of the international conference and exhibition will be held July 30 to August 3 in Los Angeles.
The Art Gallery will present 10 curated installations from seven artists hailing from Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Cuba, Chile, Brazil and Colombia for the first Latin American-dedicated exhibition in SIGGRAPH’s history.
“Each curated piece looks at how artists, designers, and local makers and developers are using different tactics to create innovative, sophisticated, experimental, humorous, and rebellious work, and how they navigate the tensions and ambiguities between global and local, political and private, virtual and real, modern and traditional,” said 2017 Art Gallery Chair Paula Gaetano Adi. “It will also feature experimental artworks while attempting to map new grounds on which we can imagine different and alternative futures. Thus the speculative nature of the ‘unsettled artifacts’ idea.”
Highlights include: Milpa Polímera (Mexico) from Marcela Armas and Arcángelo Constantini, a 3D printer modified into a tractor that plants seeds made of polylactic acid — a thermoplastic biopolymer produced from a patented strain of corn, which paradoxically contrasts the very origins of the crop. BioSoNot 1.2 (Mexico) by Gilberto Esparza is a hybrid bio-sound instrument that translates biological activity into sound as it cleans contaminated water samples, creating music and noise by capturing electrons produced by the metabolic processes of bacteria and feeding them into an oscillator. JailHead.com (Cuba) from Rodolfo Peraza of Fanguito Studio uses internet surveillance technology to recreate el Presidio Modelo, an abandoned prison in Cuba, where participants in this multi-player VR “game” become “inmates” identified by their IP addresses — prisoners of the 21st century.
This edition’s Art Papers will investigate the roles of artists and their creative methods in an increasingly global, networked and technologically mediated world. Six papers have been accepted from over 50 submissions from 15 countries, to be presented by the authors on Aug. 1 in 20-minute sessions with five-mine Q&As. All papers will be published in a special issue of Leonardo (along with the Gallery pieces).
Each author will also produce a 30-second “preview” video for display in the conference lobby. And for the first time, a selection of Art Papers will be included in “Technical Papers Fast Forward” session on July 30 at 6 p.m., sponsored by Adobe Research.
2017 Art Papers Chair Ruth West said, “Art Papers explore the contributions of artists to the development of virtual and immersive experiences, bridging the digital-physical interface through engaging our embodiment within virtuality: the emergence of consumer VR and AR, how immersive experiences are shaping the cultural landscape, and their potential contributions to human creativity in art, entertainment, analytics, gaming, medicine, science, engineering, robotics, space exploration, communication, tourism, transportation, and cultural exchange.”
This year’s papers include Creature Interactions: A Social Mixed Reality Playspace by Andrew Bluff (University of Technology, Sydney), on a large-scale immersive/interactive artwork based on eco kids’ book Dot and the Kangaroo which features full-bodied expressive interaction in a social mixed-reality environment in stereo 3D; and Autoencoding Blade Runner: Reconstructing Films with Artificial Neural Networks by Terence Broad (Goldsmiths, University of London) on Blade Runner – Autoencoded, a first-of-its-kind film made by training a neural network to watch the film Blade Runner several times and then reinterpret it.
One of the first co-productions between China and Spain — and, according to the producers, definitely the most ambitious yet — has been announced at the Beijing Film Festival. Based on the popular fantasy novel by Carole Wilkinson, Dragonkeeper is a CG animated family feature. The six-book series, published by Black Dog Books (Walker) has sold millions of copies worldwide.
The Dragonkeeper film is set in a magic-suffused China during the Han Dynasty, and follows a slave girl named Ping who becomes a true “Dragonkeeper” by helping the last imperial dragon on its quest across China to bring a dragon egg to the coast where it can hatch. In this story, a girl who didn’t even believe herself worthy of a name finds the strength and courage to undertake a perilous yet crucial journey.
“I am thrilled that Dragonkeeper is being made into a movie, and I’m especially pleased that there is such strong Chinese involvement, ensuring that the ancient China represented in the movie will be authentic,” said Wilkinson. “I can’t wait to see Ping and the dragon Danzi on the big screen!”
Dragonkeeper is being produced by Dragoia Media, Movistar+, Atresmedia Cine and China Film Animation, part of the nation’s largest and most influential state-owned film company and distributor China Film Group. Early visual development was created at Sergio Pablos’ (Despicable Me) SPA Studios and completed by BASE FX in China. Spain’s Ilion Animaton Studios, China Film Animation and other Chinese studios will provide the animation.
The film is scripted by by Ignacio Ferreras, Rosanna Cecchini, Pablo Castrillo, Carole Wilkinson and Xiamping Wang, and will be directed by Ferreras and co-directed by Zhang Bo. The score will be composed by Zhiyi Wang.
Ferreras is the acclaimed writer and director behind Wrinkles (2012), which among its many accolades was the first animated film to win the Goya for adapted screenplay. It also took the Jury Award at Annecy and best animation awards at Stuttgart, Animamundi, Ottawa and Brussels.
Dragonkeeper is being prodcued by Manuel Cristobal, Larry Levene, Jung Huang, Gabriel Arias-Salgado, Axel Kuschevatzky, Mikel Lejarza and Mercedes Gamero.
Kids and families will soon have a new way to fulfill their recommended daily comedy allowance with the new animated adventure Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force, based on the smash-hit gaming app with more than one billion mobile downloads. The 13-episode series launches Friday, May 5 on YouTube and the YouTube Kids app for YouTube Red subscribers.
Fruit Ninja relates the humble beginning of the franchise’s four fruit-themed heroes, who run a juice stand as a front for their secret dojo. The Fruit Ninjas — Seb, Niya, Peng and Ralph — have been training to unlock the ancient secrets of Juice-Jitsu. Their skills are put to the test when a time portal deposits a 1,000-year-old ninja, Durian Grey, into the modern world. The young heroes must band together to defeat him and a slew of villains bent on wiping them out.
The show is produced by Halfbrick Studios, the original creator of the Fruit Ninja game, in partnership with Toonz Entertainment and Kickstart Productions.
YouTube Red is a paid membership providing an enhanced, uninterrupted experience across YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids — available in the US, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Korea with more territories to come.
Academy Award-nominated producer Don Hahn will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Dodge College’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20, where Hahn will deliver the keynote address.
Hahn’s latest film, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast (which he executive produced), is the top-grossing film of 2017 with nearly $1 billion in global box office accumulated since its March release. Hahn also produced the 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast, which was the first animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. He also produced Disney blockbusters The Lion King (1994) and Maleficent (2014).
“’The life of an artist is not defined by position, retirement, or promotions. It’s driven by a desire to tell stories and to have a personal impact on the world,’ Don Hahn told our students in one of his many visits to campus,” said Dodge College Dean Bob Bassett. “As a master storyteller whose work spans animation, live action and documentary filmmaking, Don has a great deal to say about what it takes to build a career as an artist—he will be an inspirational graduation speaker.”
Hahn has a long-standing relationship with Chapman, including serving as the Pankey Chair at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in 2016. As part of the chair program, Hahn mentored 10 scholars through one-on-one meetings and interacted with student filmmakers and the larger Dodge College community during weekly dinners and Q&A sessions following screenings of his films.
The honoree’s works highlight his interest in multiple genres including stop motion (The Nightmare Before Christmas), VFX showpieces (Haunted Mansion) and documentaries (Waking Sleeping Beauty, Oceans, High Ground). Hahn began his career as assistant director to the legendary Wolfgang Reitherman (The Jungle Book). He was associate producer for the landmark hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit. His other credits include Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis, Fantasia 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove, and last year’s Telluride Film Festival selection Tyrus, about the late Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong (Bambi). He was also a founder and executive producer of the Disneynature Films (Earth, Oceans, African Cats and Chimpanzee).
Hahn is also the author of of bestseller Brain Storm, the acclaimed educational animation series Drawn To Life and Before Ever After: The Lost Lectures of Disney’s Animation Studio. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Walt Disney Family Museum, and is on the Board of Directors of PBS SoCal.
VIDEO: Teen Titans Go! “Hand Zombie”
In the all-new episode premiering Friday, April 21 at 6/5c on Cartoon Network, Starfire kisses Robin’s hand (Clip 1!), and his vow to never wash it again leads to strange developments (Clip 2!)
DreamWorks Animation Television’s Netflix Original Series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show is returning to streaming for a spankin’ new fourth season this Friday, April 21, and the studio has shared some hilarious appetizers for the mayhem to come. One is an ancient Roman (and totally nuts) take on old school advertising jingles, and the other shows what happens when disappointed parents get invited to Bring Your Kids to Work Day.
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show is nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards in the Children’s Animated Program, Directing in an Animated Program and Original Song categories. DreamWorks has the most nominations of any animation producer this year, with a whopping 21 nods. The Daytime Emmy Awards will air Sunday, April 30.
The show is executive produced by Dave Smith, with art direction by Kevin Dart — who as previously announced is one of the 2017 Daytime Creative Arts Emmy awardees for animation, for the episode “The Wrath of Hughes.”
The 11th China International Animation Festival (CICAF) announces that Hollywood pros Stephen Castor and Jim Rygiel has been appointed to the 2017 “Golden Monkey King” Award Jury. Taking place April 28 to May 3 at the White Horse Lake Animation Plaza in Hangzhou, CICAF is the only state-level professional animation festival in the nation.
Castor, a veteran of motion-capture and stereoscopic technology, and Rygiel, a VFX supervisor with credits including Lord of the Rings, are producing partners under the shingle It’s Just Us Productions in Los Angeles. In addition to serving on the film jury, the duo will be featured speakers at the festival’s “C.A.K.E. TALK” (Creative Animation Knowledge Exchange), which invites leaders in animation and film from around the world to share their insights in four major tracks: Live, Master, Edu, and Panel.
Since launching in 2005, CICAF has generated some 325 contracts or intentions of cooperation for animation projects, totally an estimated value of 14.85 billion yuan (over $2 billion USD) CICAF is sponsored by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio and Television of the People’s Republic of China, and Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government. Learn more at www.encicaf.com.
The first full animated short film to be produced as a partnership project through Nimble Collective’s Virtual Studio Service Platform has arrived, with the debut of DaCosta Bayley’s Sunny and Gerd in “Spring Cleaning”, which was teased earlier this month. The project was created under Bayley’s Chocolate Soop studio banner.
The whimsical CG cartoon introduces two charming robots with very different personalities. In the non-dialog comedy, enthusiastic Sunny gets into a jam while using an interdimensional portal to tidy up some old junk, forcing serious-minded Gerd to come to think his way to a rescue. Learn more about the project at sunnyandgerd.com and nimblecollective.com/dacosta.
DaCosta Bayley is a self-taught, multi-faceted Canadian illustrator who has been creating professionally across diverse media since 1995.
Nimble Collective is a Silicon Valley startup seeking to revolutionize the animation industry with the first cloud-native, collaborative animation platform.
The Animaze Daze in Cannes, presented by Montreal’s Animaze festival and filmfestivals.com, has been slated for May 23. The event will showcase animated short films in development / production, with a buyers’ screening set for 1:30 p.m. in Palais B.
Filmmakers are invited to submit their projects now through FilmFreeway. Only festival-winning short and feature-length animations from 2017 and the last quarter of 2016 will be accepted.
The organizers have also announced that Bruno Chatelin, former head of Sony and Fox studios in France, will be among the expert consultants on hand to advise filmmakers on their projects during Animaze Daze.
Panels and speakers will be announced soon. In the meantime, check out the trailers for Animation Day in Cannes 2017 participants here.
Shout! Factory and Chinese entertainment company UYoung have secured an agreement that will bring preschool series P. King Duckling to the North American home entertainment market. The deal was announced by Shout! Factory founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Clara Yang, General Manager of UYoung.
The multiyear deal grands Shout! exclusive home entertainment distribution rights in the US and Canada — including DVD and EST — for the full 26 x half-hour first season of the imaginative toon. A strategic rollout of the series will begin in September through the Shout! Factory Kids imprint.
The show’s hero, P. King, is a duck with a dream. Actually, a lot of dreams that are constantly changing! With his best friends Chumpkins and Wombat, he enthusiastically throws himself into wild adventures full of challenges that he always tackles with a positive attitude. Broadcast in the US on Disney Junior, P. King Duckling carries a learning-focused curriculum created by media specialist Dr. Christine Ricci (Dora the Explorer), with an emphasis on overcoming challenges and inspiring creative thinking.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with UYoung in presenting P. King Duckling on home entertainment shelves,” said Melissa Boag, SVP of Kids & Family Entertainment at Shout! Factory. “This special property, which encourages children to be creative and resourceful, brings meaningful entertainment value to the marketplace, and is a welcome addition to our slate of quality family entertainment.”
P. King Duckling is created by Emmy Award-winning preschool TV producer Josh Selig of Little Airplane Productions, in collaboration with James Chen Gu, General Manager of UYoung Animation; directed by UYoung’s creative director, Eddy Bo Fan; and features music composed by Grammy-winning drummer Marty Beller, of They Might Be Giants.
“We are delighted to be working with Shout! Factory Kids. They have a strong presence in the home entertainment business, partner with some of the leading names in the IP business and have a great enthusiasm for P. King Duckling,” added Yang. “We are thrilled that P. King Duckling is joining their rich portfolio of titles.”
The home entertainment deal was negotiated by Vanessa Flanders for Shout! Factory, and Elie Dekel of Dekel Brands for UYoung.
The 5th edition of Visegrad Animation Forum — a key industry gathering for professionals, mainly from in Central and Eastern Europe — will take place May 2-4 in Trebon, Czech Republic. Organizers have revealed the programming lineup, designed to support its goals of nurturing the local biz.
The pitching competition is open to projects in development from across Europe, but this edition notably saw a large number of submissions from CEE (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia). Selections include notable pros Jan Saska (Czech Rep.), pitching his new short Hurikán, and Katarina Kerekesova (Slovakia) will present her new holiday TV special based on her series Mimi & Lisa. (Full list of pitches here.)
To prepare for their public pitching sessions, VAF Trebon offers filmmakers several preparatory workshops covering story assets, development planning and putting together a strong pitch. The Short Film tutors are Agnieszka Kruk (StoryLab.pro), Phil Parker (BCre8ive), Olivier Catherin (Pictanovo), Philip LaZebnik (screenwriter for Disney and DreamWorks) and Thom Palmen (festival director, producer, distributor). Assisting the TV Series/Special contenders will be CARTOON reps Joan Lofts (pitching clinics for the Asian Animation Summit) and Agnes Bizzaro (content coordinator for Cartoon Springboard).
The winning projects in both categories will receive 2,000 EUR for further development. The winner of the TV category will gain entry to Cartoon Forum 2017, bypassing pre-selection. The director of Maia Workshops, Graziella Bildesheim, will be closely following both categories in order to select the best pitch to win the Maia Award, including a scholarship and an automatic selection to take part in next year’s Maia Workshops.
Building on last year’s successful meeting of heads of national film funds to coordinate animation production support, this year’s VAF will include national broadcasters in the funding discussions, with the goal of establishing a sustainable market in the region.
To support a cross-border network of producers in CEE, 2017 will see the launch of the VAF Minority Co-Production Pool, where invited producers interested in minority co-production deals in CEE will present themselves and their projects to a room full of broadcasters, gatekeepers and producers. Two project per country will be more prominently showcased.
VAF Trebon will also present a number of workshops and lectures open to the general public. Topics will include co-production opportunities between Korea and the EU, how to work with a sales agent and distributor, and how to access local fund to finance short films. Hands-on case studies will spotlight Zsuzsanna Kreif, director of the TV series Candide, and animation studio Cinemon Entertainment.
Capping it all off will be the inaugural VAF New Talents festival, presenting a selection of the best short films from young and debuting artists from CEE produced in the previous year. The selection will also travel to other festivals worldwide throughout the coming year.
France-based producer Cottonwood Media and kids’ network Gulli have extended their partnership on animated comedy series Squish into Russia and Africa — Gulli Girl and Gulli AFRICA are now set to bring this look at the secret life of Amoebas to broadcast.
“Developing our Russia and Africa services are key to our global, long term development. Adding a signature comedy series such as Squish to these channels will help in a big way,” commented Caroline Cochaux, Executive Director of Broadcast and TV Programs for France and International at Lagardère Active.
Aimed at kids ages 6-11, Squish is based on the New York Times best-selling graphic novels by Jennifer Holm and Eisner-winning creator Matthew Holm (Random House Children’s Books). The show is set in the cutthroat world of single cell organisms, where even Amoebas have to face the terrors of school.
And, in an absolute animation first, Cottonwood has hired an NYU fellow who specializes in amoebas and microbiology to consult on the series.
“We really enjoy creating shows that are both original and funny,” said David Michel, Managing Director of Cottonwood Media and its sister company, Federation Kids & Family. “Having a microbiology expert adds a very unique twist in that Squish will be the first slapstick comedy that, on top of entertaining, provides the viewers with knowledge about the world of microbes and amoeba. You can’t say that every day!”
Squish is developed for television by John Derevlany (LEGO: Legend of Chima, Johnny Test, The Angry Beavers). The series is currently in production and set for delivery in fall 2017.
VIDEO: “The Confidante” (Directors Cut)
Not to Scale and director Le Cube deliver an eyecatching, non-dialog spot for the Hyatt hotel with serious Miami vibes.
VIDEO: ’Full Throttle Remastered’ Release Trailer
Double Fine Productions has finessed the graphics, audio and music of Tim Schafer’s classic motorcycle gang adventure game from ‘90s for a 4K-supported re-release on PC and PS4 Pro.
Bulldog Grows ‘Miraculous’ Lineup
ZAG’s Ladybug hits the spot for four new UK licensees which will bolster the brand’s offerings, from stationery to socks.
Not to Scale and director Le Cube “The Confidante”
Lionsgate is sending home audiences on a south-of-the-border adventure with animated feature Americano, migrating to DVD ($14.98), Digital HD and On Demand on June 13 — available in both Spanish and English. The 3D CG family film centers on a young Mexican parrot who sets off on an incredible, often hilarious, quest to find the hero that can save his family.
The voice cast for Americano features Rico Rodriguez, Kate Del Castillo, Cheech Marin, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Golden Globe nominee Lisa Kudrow, and Academy Award nominee Edward James Olmos, in addition to radio personalities Don Cheto, El Mandril, and Argelia Atilano.
Synopsis: Cuco is a Mexican boy parrot that would rather imitate the crazy stunts of his TV parrot superhero, El Americano, than help with his chores at the family bird circus. Yet when a gang of bully birds threatens his ringmaster father and takes over the circus, Cuco sets off on a hilarious and perilous journey to Hollywood to enlist his hero in his fight, only to discover the true hero within himself.
Americano was directed by Ricardo Arnaiz and Mike Kunkel, and produced by Animex, Olmos Productions and Phil Roman Entertainment.
Announced in January, the Goldfish Tales Animation Xperience Contest from Pepperidge Farms and the New York International Children’s Film Festival is swimming towards an exciting conclusion. On Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. ET, Goldfish Colors will present an online awards show streaming live at goldfishsmiles.com to announce the winners.
Right now, you can visit the site to review all the finalist stop-motion films that will be vying for prizes in the categories of “Best Use of Goldfish,” “Best Story,” “Best Film by Up-and-Coming Animators” and “Best Overall Film.” These nominees were selected from a pool of 60-second films submitted by hundreds of families across the US, judged by a professional panel representing the NYICFF, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and Y&R New York, which handled all elements of the integrated campaign for the contest.
The awards show will see the winners make acceptance speeches and showcase their films. The four Grand Prize winners will each receive $5,000, and all nominees will receive an Animation Xperience gift bag of prizes. Following the ceremony, viewers can stick around for “Family Viewing Night” featuring a collection of shorts from award-winning directors involved with NYICFF — including Oscar-nominated director PES.
4K Media, the Konami Digital Ent. subsidiary that manages the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand outside Asia, has secured a theatrical distribution agreement with Cinépolis for Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions in Latin America this month. The latest feature adventure for Yugi and co will run for two weekends in 10 countries across the region — April 22-23 and 29-30.
Kristen Gray, SVP of Operations and Business & Legal Affairs at 4K Media, said, “We are pleased to partner with Cinépolis to bring Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions to loyal fans in Latin America who will now be able to immerse themselves in the full theatrical experience of the film.”
Based in Mexico, Cinépolis boast the second highest number of exhibition attendees worldwide. It operates in more than 594 multiplexes with over 4,900 screens in 13 countries, serving more than 300 million patrons.
“We are excited to bring the latest installment of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise to Latin America, as we know there is a strong and growing fan-base eager to engage with the brand,” added Miguel Riveria, VP of Film Programming at Cinépolis. “We look forward to working closely with 4K Media and continue the success of the film.”
Synopsis: In Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions, the stakes have never been higher; the rivalries never as fierce; the risks never so great. One wrong move—one card short—and it’s game over for good. A decade in the making, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions features new designs and an all-new story from the original creator of the global phenomenon, Kazuki Takahashi. His masterful tale features anime’s most beloved characters in their long-awaited return: Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba and their faithful friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Téa Gardner and Bakura. It’s the most highly anticipated re-YU-nion ever.
The film has already opened theatricallly in Japan, US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, San Marino, Monte Carlo, Germany, Austria, UAE and Kuwait.
ASIFA-Hollywood and the Animation Educators Forum announce the 2017 Student Scholarhsip Program, for the 2017-2018 academic year. Students can apply online beginning April 23 through June 20. Recipients will be announced after July 15.
The AEF Scholarships are merit-based awards designed to support college students in continuing their animation education.
“The scholarship judges are looking for students who are passionate about animation and willing to work hard to reach a professional standard,” explained Dori Littell-Herrick for AEF. “That is why our AEF scholarship is focused towards students who have completed a year of college and are committed to the study of animation.”
Eligible undergraduates (sophomores and above) and graduate students may apply for consideration of awards between $2,500 and $5,000 for tuition, books/supplies, animation equipment (including hardware or software), academic research and thesis production. Additionally, all selected recipients will receive a one-year Associate Membership to ASIFA-Hollywood.
Application materials include: Short student biography (one page maximum); proposal for use of scholarship funds (two pages max.); an itemized budget of how funds will be used; a formal abstract for an academic paper, reel of work (two minutes max.) and/or still artwork (10 digital images max.); and two letters of recommendation — one from a faculty member/advisor who knows the student well, and one from a member of any ASIFA chapter (or with verifiable professional animation experience).
ASIFA-Hollywood & AEF Kick Off 2017 Scholarship Program
