London-based kids’ entertainment company CAKE (Bottersnikes & Gumbles, Angelo Rules) and Australian animation producer Studio Moshi (Rocket Dog) have joined forces to establish Gingerbread Animation, a new independent, creator-driven shop based in Dublin. The studio will focus on high-quality children’s animation, producing and developing original projects as well as offering creative and production services to third parties.
“We are excited to combine Studio Moshi’s production expertise with our joint creative networks and experience to create an entity that will be able to manage its own slate as well as being an attractive partner to third parties,” said Tom van Waveren, CEO & Creative Director. “We are looking forward to taking this proposal into the market and building this business into a creative powerhouse.”
Specializing in trad-digital 2D — underpinned by Studio Moshi’s proven pipeline and both companies’ editorial skillsets in development and production — Gingerbread will offer in-house script-to-screen services, from writing and design through storyboarding and editing, producing TV series/features, and compositing.
Gingerbread Animation is currently sourcing local talent in Ireland for new and upcoming series projects to be announced, which will be distributed worldwide by CAKE.
“It is fantastic to be joining forces with CAKE who bring a wealth of experience and significant reputation in the global kids content business. This partnership complements Studio Moshi’s creator-driven focus and proven animation expertise while also providing a significant increase in our overall creative and production capacity with an upcoming creator-driven series and further plans in place for growth and jobs in Ireland,” said Andrew Davies, CEO & Executive Producer, Studio Moshi.
“We also see great possibilities between the amazing fresh artistic talent in both Ireland and Australia through co-production and other third party opportunities. Culturally, we are both very similar and equally as eager to break new ground creatively on the global stage with Gingerbread Animation focused on fostering new creator talent and producing break-out shows both for ourselves and our international partners.”
Tra-la-la! The first trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s summer CG comedy Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie has arrived, and it’ll really put the snap back in your elastic waistband. The spot introduces young pranksters-slash-BFFs George and Harold, their buzzkill school principal, and the overconfident, under-clothed “superhero” he becomes under hypnosis. The animation looks like a slick, squeezable homage to the book illustrations which leaves plenty of room for both physical comedy and cool effects (hello, hypno-ring) — plus, there’s a pretty hilarious tiger cameo.
The film hits theaters through 20th Century Fox on June 2, 2017.
Based on the Epic Novels by Dav Pilkey, Captain Underpants is directed by David Soren (Turbo), written by Nicholas Stoller (Storks) and produced by Mark Swift and Mireille Soria. The “raucously subversive comedy” features a top-notch voice cast lead by Kevin Hart as George and Ed Helms as Principal Krupp, a.k.a. Captain Underpants; with Thomas Middleditch (Harold), Nick Kroll (Professor Poopypants), Jordan Peele (Melvin) and Kristen Schaal (lunch lady Edith).
Theatergoers around the globe will have a chance to check out the dark CG thriller Resident Evil: Vendetta in the coming months. This third installment in the popular animated franchise inspired by the bestselling Capcom video games will see international release on May 27, with a special one-night event screening playing across the US and Canada on Monday, June 19 through Fathom Events, Park Circus and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.
“We are thrilled to bring Resident Evil: Vendetta to the big screen for its US debut,” Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said. “This sequel is even scarier and more thrill-inducing than the previous titles, with mind blowing CG animation that should be seen on 40-foot screens with the highest quality sound and visuals to further enhance the fan experience of this beloved franchise.”
Vendetta follows Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) and Resident Evil: Damnation (2012) and features fan-favorite characters Leon S. Kennedy (voiced by Matt Mercer), Chris Redfield (Kevin Dorman) and Rebecca Chambers (Erin Cahill) in an R-rated race against time to thwart a deadly chemical attack on New York City.
The film is produced by Marza Animation Planet (Space Pirate Captain Harlock), executive produced by Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge), written by Makoto Fukami (Psycho-Pass) and directed by Takanori Tsujimoto (Bushido Man).
Tickets for Canadian screenings go on sale Friday, March 24 through cineplex.com. US ticket orders will open Fri., March 31 through FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices. For additional territories, see the Park Circus website.
A new interactive experience from Irish multimedia artist and award-winning filmmaker David OReilly is giving gamers the chance for uninhibited virtual exploration in Everything. Available now for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro, the Double Fine Presents title brings users into an experiential sphere where everything you see is something you can be — from animals to galaxies, and all between and beyond.
Everything is a procedural, AI-driven simulation of reality providing a unique experience — you can be the Universe, or create your own. After three years of development, the result is a virtual world modeled on our own modern one, featuring over 1 million years of gameplay, thousands of playable characters, a rich musical score by composer Ben Lukas Boysen, and narration by the late British philosopher, Alan Watts.
Winner of the Most Fantastic Award at Fantastic Arcade, the “game” is available from the PlayStation Store for $14.99, and can be wishlisted or PC (launching on Steam on April 21, with a 20% discount the first week). Check out the launch trailer below or view a 10-minute gameplay video here.
Everything was created by OReilly, director of acclaimed animated films The External World and Please Say Something, in partnership with programmer Damien Di Fede and sound designer Eduardo Ortiz Frau. This is OReilly’s second experience following Mountain, an ambient procedural game release in 2014 for Steam and iOS.
A brand-new special of multiple award-winning stop-motion series Tumble Leaf will come into bloom next month as Amazon Prime Video debuts “Spring-a-Ling Surprise” on Tuesday, April 4 in the US and UK. The trailer promises a bright and sunny friendship-fueled adventure just bursting with springtime magic, and introducing brand new additions to the critter crew.
In “Spring-a-Ling Surprise,” Fig the fox and friends are excited to discover the first signs of spring after the long winter as they join in to help Bloom the bunny help for his lost eggs, which he needs to plant in order to grow a spectacular surprise.
Tumble Leaf is the winner of 8 Daytime Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Animated Program. The series is created by Drew Hodges (Community, Saturday Night Live), who serves as executive producer with Kelli Bixler (The Roadents) of award-winning studio Bix Pix Entertainment.
Universal 1440 Entertainment — a production entity of Universal Studios Home Ent. — announces it is in the works on a CGI-animated treatment of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You. Based on the best-selling song and the children’s book it inspired, the film features the iconic modern carol and will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and On Demand this holiday season.
Carey, a multiple award-winning performer and one of history’s all-time top-selling female musical artists, is narrating and producing the film. “I am thrilled to be able to bring the story of the song to new generations of families,” she said in the announcement.
Joining Carey in the recording booth are the rest of the key voice cast: Breanna Yde (School of Rock, The Haunted Hathaways), Henry Winkler (Royal Pains, Happy Days), Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls, Party of Five), Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld), Laya Hayes (Doc McStuffins, Sister Code) and Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls, Transformers: Dark of the Moon).
Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is executive produced by Carey and Stella Bulochnikov for Magic Carpet Productions (A Christmas Melody) in partnership with Mike Young and Splash Entertainment (Kulipari, Norm of the North). It is directed by Guy Vasilovich (LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out, Growing Up Creepie) from a script by Temple Mathews (Return to Neverland, The Little Mermaid 2).
Canada’s Youth Media Alliance has revealed the TV series, digital and interactive productions in the running for the 2017 English-language Awards of Excellence. An expert jury (including Animag‘s own Tom McLean, lending an animation perspective) determined four to six nominees in each of the Awards’ eight kids’ entertainment categories.
The winners will be announced at the YMA awards gala, taking place May 31 at the CBC Glenn-Gould Studio in Toronto. The organization will also present the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Emergent Talent Award during the ceremony — these two honorees will be announced soon. Tickets for the Awards are available here.
2017 YMA Awards of Excellence nominees:
Animated projects in mixed categories denoted with ***
BEST PROGRAM, ANIMATION, AGES 3-5 Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Season 2 (Nighttime in the Neighborhood) – produced by 9 Story Media Group, The Fred Rogers Company, Out of the Blue Dot.(One Soggy Knight) – produced by Industrial Brothers, in association with The Jim Henson Company Justin Time(Who Stole My Cat) – produced by Guru Studio PAW Patrol(Tracker Joins the Pups!) – produced by Spin Master Entertainment Peg + Cat, Season 2 (The Disappearing Art Problem) – produced by 9 Story Media Group, The Fred Rogers Company, 9ate7 Productions Ranger Rob(The Woolly Wiligo of Big Sky Park / A Big Sky Park Elephant Train) – produced by Nelvana Limited, Studio Liddell
BEST PROGRAM, ANIMATION, AGES 6–9 Atomic Puppet (AP Vs Disastro II) – produced by Mercury Filmworks Fangbone! (Cavity of Terror/ The Sickness of Home) – produced by Radical Sheep Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Media Rocket Monkeys(Chimpsky a Go Go/The Yell in Yellow) – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment Wild Kratts, Season 4 (Pangolin Rescue) – produced by 9 Story Media Group, Kratt Brothers Company
BEST ORIGINAL DIGITAL CONTENT mathXplosion – produced by GAPC Entertainment, in association with TVOKids and TFO Miss Persona – produced by Hazel House Productions Pixies *** – produced by Arcana Studio YTV – Road Trip Diaries – produced by Bristow Global Media
BEST ORIGINAL INTERACTIVE CONTENT The Incredible Tales of Weirdwood Manor *** – produced by All Play, No Work, Relish Interactive mPower *** – Kindergarten to Grade 2 – produced by TVO Science Max Interactive – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment The Westbury Faery – produced by Log Cabin Productions, Plot Media in partnership with The Seventh World and Tiny Owl Publishing
BEST CROSS-PLATFORM INTERACTIVE CONTENT Dotopedia *** – produced by Industrial Brothers Driving Me Crazy – produced by marblemedia Kids’ CBC Olympics website – produced by CBC Look Kool Online, season 2 – produced by Apartment 11 Productions Opie’s Playground *** – produced by marblemedia
BEST PROGRAM, LIVE-ACTION, AGES 3–5 The Adventures of Napkin Man(Bye Bye Boogaloo) – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment Hi Opie!(Opie’s Ladybug Friend) – produced by marblemedia, in association with The Jim Henson Company The Moblees(Zig Zag Surprize) – produced by Shaftesbury, Boulevard Productions, in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ohmland Holdings and William Kohane Playdate(Whistle While You Escape) – produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment Terrific Trucks(The Tricky Twin/ The Difficult Day) – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment
BEST PROGRAM, LIVE-ACTION, AGES 6–9 Annedroids(The Mother of Invention) – produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment Bruno & Boots: Go Jump In The Pool – produced by Aircraft Pictures The Mystery Files (The Mystery of the Underground Railroad) – produced by Apartment 11 Productions Odd Squad: The Movie – produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment The Stanley Dynamic(The Stanley Wild Weekend) – produced by Amaze Film + Television
BEST PROGRAM, LIVE-ACTION, AGES 9+ Giver(Amherstberg Sports Park) – produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment LM Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment The Next Step(How Deep Is Your Love) – produced by Temple Street Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Media Raising Expectations(The Great Hot Dog Escape) – produced by Aircraft Pictures Ride (Arrival) – produced by Breakthrough Entertainment, Buccaneer Media
The 2017 Awards of Excellence are sponsored by Principal – CBC; Prestige – the Canada Media Fund, 9 Story Media Group, DHX Media; Excellence – Bell Fund, Big Jump Entertainment, Entertainment One, Eye on Canada, Fresh TV and TVO.
Animation Dingle and JAM Media are preparing to welcome high-profile international media companies to the Irish coastal town for the fifth edition of the industry event. Offering conference sessions, screenings and awards presentation, Animation Dingle will take place March 24-25 at The Skelligs Hotel.
Prominent animation professionals set to attend include: Dean DeBlois – writer, director, and executive producer with DreamWorks Animation (How to Train Your Dragon series). Kyle Odermatt – VFX Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios (Moana). Odermatt will participate in a workshop in The Beehive Theatre on March 25. Tara Sorensen – Head of Kids Programming for Amazon Studios. Jill Sanford – Head of Children’s Development for Netflix. Russell Hicks – Former President of Content Development and Production for Nickelodeon Group. Cheryl Taylor – Controller of CBBC. Chris Dicker – Head of Development for JAM Media. Dicker will tutor the Sketch Trail Masterclass.
Animation Dingle will also feature a panel for Disney Women in Animation, with female creatives discussing their new original series commissioned for Disney, Sadie Sparks, with Alix Wiseman of 9 Story. The panel includes director & creator Bronagh O’Hanlon, head writer Rebecca Hobbs, Brown Bag Films Director of Development Jennie Stacey; Disney Channels EMEA Snr. Manager of Production (Animation) & Original Programming Beth Parker; and The Walt Disney Company EMEA Manager of Animation Lucy Pryke.
Another highlight of the event will be an Animation Alley at the hotel, including recruitment stands with three of Ireland’s biggest toon players: JAM Media, Brown Bag Films and Bould Media. Screenings will include three gems of French animated features at the Phoenix Cinema — The Red Turtle, My Life as a Courgette and The Girl without Hands — as well as British movie Ethel and Ernest, and an extensive short film program.
To encourage Ireland’s young talent, Animation Dingle will present the second Irish Student Animation Awards, which will be judged by local professionals from Brown Bag, Boulder Media, Cartoon Saloon, JAM Media and Sixteen South. Winners will receive high-end Toon Boom software — licenses for Final Draft have been provided for the writing category, and all award winners will receive a custom leather-bound sketchbook from Holden Leather Goods.
Finally, the event will close with the second Irish Animation Awards ceremony, celebrating the exceptional talent in the nation’s animation, VFX and gaming industries. The awards are sponsored by RTÉjr, the Irish Film Board and Philip Lee, and feature 14 categories, including the prestigious Jimmy Murakami Award for lifetime achievement in animation.
Animation Dingle is held each March, running for two days in concert with the Dingle International Film Festival.
Organizers of the Children’s Global Media Summit 2017 have already announced the first high-profile keynote speakers of the next edition of the event, taking place December 4-7 in Manchester, UK: Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC, and Jeffrey Dunn, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. The event will bring together professionals involved in children’s media content, digital platforms and policy to help shape a better digital world for kids.
“Nothing matters more than shaping a better, safer and more creative digital world for children. That’s why I’m really looking forward to the Summit – and all of us getting together to make a difference for generations to come,” said Hall, who will be giving the Summit’s opening keynote.
Fellow speaker Dunn has headed Sesame Workshop since 2014, having previously held senior positions at HIT, Nickelodeon and MTV. He said in the announcement:
“At Sesame Workshop, we have always used the latest technology to advance our mission of helping children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. When we started out, that cutting edge medium was television. Since then, we’ve embraced every advance in order to reach and teach children around the world in new ways—and the recent proliferation of digital platforms has brought opportunity and challenge in equal measure.”
“I look forward to sharing Sesame stories and strategies—including lessons learned over nearly 50 years—with colleagues across the industry at the Children’s Global Media Summit. I hope that we can start a broader conversation and find ways to work together to ensure the production and protection of safe, quality children’s media in years to come.”
VIDEO: ‘Afrofuturism’ Episode Four: “God Vs. Hendrix”
Gunpowder & Sky presents the latest edition of DUST’s fascinating series, turning the spotlight on the musical legend who shook up the mainstream and wove interstellar scenes into his songs, relating one particular episode from his incredible (and too short) career.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Breaks Box Office Records with $170M
Surprise! Disney’s live-action revamp beats analyst predictions by $50 mil and scores the all-time highest March opening (take that, Dawn of Justice). We credit the weirdly attractive CG Beast.
International production company Not To Scale has launched a ground-breaking campaign for UK domestic violence charity Refuge, directed by award-winning team Le Cube and created in partnership with BBH London. The animated film, co-funded by all parties, doubles as the official music video to “Grow” by Frances, and seeks to raise awareness of domestic violence and let young women know they are not alone.
“At the end of 2016, Not To Scale sent us a brief from BBH London to create this music video for British singer-songwriter Frances, with Refuge and Universal Music UK. When we discovered that it was the true story of Melanie, a victim of domestic violence, we were stunned and moved,” said Gustavo Karam, director, Le Cube.
“We realised that it was a genuinely important project and our hearts were touched. We want people to empathise with the situation and to sense how lost and sad a victim of domestic violence can feel. But at the same time, we want to inspire hope for everyone who is in a similar situation and needs help. We want these people to look for help, to realise that more individuals are experiencing this situation in their lives and that it is possible to overcome it.”
In “Melanie’s Story,” the filmmakers capture the feelings of isolation and loss of a sense of self that women in an abusive relationship can experience. The film follows the daily routine of an increasingly “invisible” young woman, Melanie, who is experiencing domestic violence behind closed doors and feels no one is there to support her — or who can even see her. As the film progresses, she encounters a character representing Refuge, someone who recognizes and understands Melanie’s experience and reaches out a hand to help her escape and rebuild her life.
The piece utilizes a distinct production technique using both 2D and stop-frame animation, helmed by Creative Director Ralph Karam. The backgrounds and background characters were printed out and tracked past camera in cycles over a 10-day shoot, while the main characters (Melanie, Refuge, and Frances) were animated in 2D at Not To Scale and Le Cube’s studios. The stillness of the background characters emphasize the vicious cycle Melanie feels trapped in, and highlights her increasing sense of isolation while reliving the same patterns every day.
In pursuit of a visually stunning, evocative film, Le Cube’s directors paid particular attention to the environs, weather, colors and people of London, undertaking meticulous research for look development — down to having an architect drawing models of each shopfront to accurately capture the city’s personality. The moment when Melanie meets Refuge, the sense of hope of a new beginning is heightened by an immediate tonal change as Melanie regains her color and vibrancy.
“I was so pleased to take part in this video. I understand what it’s like to feel as though nobody knows what you are going through. I was living with domestic violence behind closed doors for years – I kept it all to myself and told my family and friends,” said Melanie Clarke, the survivor whose story inspired the film. “My ex-partner had deliberately isolated me; his controlling ways made me isolate myself from people. When I received support from Refuge, it was like somebody turning on a light. They supported me to realise I was not alone and that I could have a safe and happy future.”
On any given day, Refuge supports nearly 5,000 women and children across the UK with its specialist services. Visit the website to learn more about the organization’s services, how to identify abuse, or find out how to support Refuge’s work.
Frances’ “Grow” / “Melanie’s Story” was directed by Ralph Karam (Le Cube), who also served as art director; with Sergio Slepczuk as animation director, Pablo Kondratas as stop-motion animation director; character design by Franco Vecchi, Martin Vinograd and Matheus Muniz; background design by Vecchi, Juan Barabani, Martin Lara and Vanina Saez. Executive produced by Dan O’Rourke, Gustavo Karam and Juan Manuel Freire; produced by Francesca Di Muro, Mechi Serrano and Fernanda Soma. Sarah Finnigan-Walsh was creative consultant producer for BBH.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know are suffering domestic abuse and you live in the US, you can access similar services through the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.
Frances – “Grow” / “Melanie’s Story” by Not To Scale/BBH for Refuge UKFrances – “Grow” / “Melanie’s Story” by Not To Scale/BBH for Refuge UK
One the heels of the announcement of a stand-alone Boomerang subscription streaming service in the US, Turner International has revealed details of two new WB Animation toons set to join the channel lineup: Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz and Wacky Races. These series will have broadcast debuts on Boomerang worldwide starting in June, and will be exclusively available through the Boomerang streaming service in the US.
Patricia Hidalgo, Chief Content Officer, EMEA Kids & International Kids Strategy, Turner said: “The introduction of these iconic shows and stories is very well timed, as we continue to build Boomerang as our second flagship to Cartoon Network and a strong kids and family brand across international markets. Dorothy and Wacky both perfectly capture the inherent values of Boomerang and we’re confident that new and existing fans of the channel will love this latest offering from our sister-company.”
Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz is a comedy-fantasy series based on the L. Frank Baum book classics, and set soon after Dorothy and her friends have defeated the Wicked Witch of the West. Appointed Princess of Emerald City by Queen Ozma, Dorothy attacks her royal duties with gusto. But it’s a big job, what with the witches, wizards, munchkins, flying monkeys and mystical creatures running amok. Whenever magic falls into the wrong hands, Dorothy sets out to put a stop to the mischief and restore order to Oz … at least for the moment.
Wacky Races is a complete engine overhaul of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon which brings back everyone’s favorite racers and their crazy cars: Penelope Pitstop in the Compact Pussycat is a sassy Southern belle and formidable racer, but most of the time she’s taking a detour to save the other racers. Her best friend Peter Perfect in the Turbo Terrific, has a big heart and an even bigger ego, which fuels his “can-do” attitude. Meanwhile, in the Mean Machine, Dick Dastardly and Muttley pull out all the stops to win the race by any means necessary. And if it’s bizarre, creepy, or just plain weird, The Gruesome Twosome — Tiny and Bella — are either related to it or keep it in their “monster” truck, the Doombuggy. The new series will also bring in a fresh roster of racers ready to embark on high-octane adventures in exotic locales around the world, and beyond!
The new theatrical trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby invites audiences to return to their seats on March 31 to take in a tale not as old as time — and gives a look at some of the cute/comedic highlights of the studio’s latest CG feature. Be our guest and check it out below, and don’t forget to pick up the April issue of Animation Magazine to read all about The Boss Baby.
The film is directed by Tom McGrath and written by Michael McCullers, based on the award-winning picture book by Marla Frazee. Alec Baldwin leads the voice cast as Boss Baby, with Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, and Miles Bakshi as Tim. Ramsey Ann Naito served as producer.
Synopsis: DreamWorks Animation and the director of Madagascar invite you to meet a most unusual baby. He wears a suit, speaks with the voice and wit of Alec Baldwin, and stars in his own animated comedy: The Boss Baby is a hilariously universal story about how a new baby’s arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator, a wildly imaginative 7-year old named Tim.
Animation sensation Ben 10 returns to airwaves with all-new, action-packed adventures as the recharged series makes it US debut on Monday, April 10 at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. (Psst — ahead of the linear premiere, fans can watch the first episode now on the channel’s Emmy-winning app.)
In the refreshed Ben 10, viewers will meet fun-loving, 10-year-old Ben Tennyson, his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max, who travel the country together during summer vacation. When Ben finds the Omnitrix, a mysterious watch that can transform him into 10 different heroic aliens, a world of extraterrestrial superpowers and high-stakes adventures opens to him.
The series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios and created/executive produced by Man of Action Entertainment (Big Hero 6, Generator Rex) with John Fang (Mixels, Generator Rex) as executive producer. The voice cast features Tara Strong as Ben, Montse Hernandez as Gwen, and David Kaye as Grandpa Max.
Over the weekend, four weekends of international film programming for kids and teens which made up the 20th anniversary edition of the New York International Children’s Film Festival culminated with the presentation of the 2017 Festival Awards and a best-of-the-fest short film screening on March 18 at NYC’s SVA Theatre.
This year’s Grand Prize Awards, determined by votes from audience members age 18 and younger, went to the UK live-action feature Swallows and Amazons by Philippa Lowthorpe (adapted from the novels by Arthur Ransome), and animated short film Heads Together from Netherlands-based creative team Job, Joris and Marieke.
The three juried award winners were selected by NYICFF’s board of jurors: John Canemaker, Sofia Coppola, Geena Davis, Lynne McVeigh, Matthew Modine, Richard Peña, James Schamus, Christine Vachon, Gus Van Sant, Taika Waititi, Jeffrey Wright and Nadine Zylstra, who selected Norwegian entry When I Hear the Birds Sing by Trine Habjorg as Best Animated Short
The audience awards for short films were determined by votes in four age range categories.
2017 NYICFF award winners:
Animated films denoted with ***
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS Grand Prize Feature: Swallows and Amazons, Philippa Lowthorpe (UK) Grand Prize Short: Heads Together, Job, Joris & Marieke (Netherlands)***
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS Ages 3-6: Tiger, Kariem Saleh (Germany)*** Ages 5-10: Stone Soup, Clementine Robach (France/Belgium)*** Ages 8-14: Sing, Kristóf Deák (Hungary) Ages 12-17: Welcome to My Life, Elizabeth Ito (USA)*** Grown-ups Award (Ages 18+): Riceballs, Shingo Usami (Australia)
JURY AWARD WINNERS Best Animated Short: When I Hear the Birds Sing, Trine Habjorg (Norway) Best Live-Action Short, Narrative: French, Josza Anjembe (France) Best Live-Action Short, Documentary: Free Like the Birds, Paola Mendoza (USA)
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2017, celebrating fresh voices in animated filmmaking worldwide, held its awards ceremony last week in Toshima Center Square, naming Grand Prize and Award of Excellence winners in feature and short film competitions.
The Feature Film Competition Grand Prize went to The Girl without Hands (La Jeune Fille sans mains), directed by Sébastien Laudenbach and produced by Les Film Sauvages in France. Laudenbach’s debut feature project premiered at Cannes last year. The film won the Jury Distinction award at Annecy, as well as the Best Film Award at Anim’Est and Grand Prize at the Bucheon animation festival. It was also nominated for the Cesar. GKIDS picked up North American distribution for The Girl without Hands last spring from international sales agent Pyramide.
Another internationally popular festival darling, My Life as a Zucchini (Ma Vie de Courgette) from director Claude Barras (Rita Prod., Blue Spirit Animation and Gebeka Films), was given the Award of Excellence in the Feature Film Competition. Zucchini has previously reaped over a dozen honors, including two Cesar awards, two Annecy prizes, a European Film Award, and nominations for the Cannes Golden Camera, Annie Award, Golden Globe and Oscar races. GKIDS released an English dub of the French-Swiss film in the US in February.
In the Short Film Competition, the Grand Prize went to Of Shadows & Wings… from first-time collaborators Elice Meng and Eleonora Marinoni, a French-Swiss co-production of Vivement Lundi! and Nadasdy Film. The short — narrated by two-time Cesar winner Mathieu Amalric — premiered at the Locarno festival in 2015, where it won two awards, and has won another 15 honors in the last year according to Vivement Lundi!.
The Short Film Competition Award of Excellence went to The Gossamer by Russian director Natalia Chernysheva, produced and distributed by PCHELA Studio. Chernysheva notably took two prizes at the 2014 Int’l Animation Festival of Hiroshima, winning the Audience Award for Gossamer as well as the Special International Jury Prize for her graduate film Two Friends (Deux Amis), produced at La Poudrière, France.
Of Shadows & Wings… by Elice Meng and Eleonora Marinoni (Vivement Lundi!/Nadasdy Film)
London-based animation and family entertainment distributor Media I.M. has secured another key deal for Digital Light Studio’s non-dialogue kids’ series Sunny Bunnies (26 x 3.5 min.). The Walt Disney Company EMEA has picked up the second season of the comedy for children ages 4-7, bringing its total reach to 156 countries.
Sunny Bunnies has previously been snapped up by Disney channels in the US, Southeast Asia, CEEMEA, Russia/CIS, Australia/New Zealand and Japan. The latest deal will bring the bunnies to Disney Junior channels in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and French-speaking Europe, Spain, Italy and Italian-speaking Europe, Nordics, Baltics, Benelux, Portugal/PALOP, Ireland and Andorra.
“The Sunny Bunnies keep on surprising us — every time we think we’ve reached peak Bunny, they go one better. With this latest Disney deal, our little friends have literally conquered the world.,” said Media I.M. co-Founder, Irina Nazarenko. “Our next step is to migrate the Sunny Bunnies from screen to playground via a range of toys and books. The feedback from the YouTube channel is quite clear: kids don’t just want to watch the Bunnies; they want to touch them, play with them and join them in real-world adventures.”
The Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls named Turbo, Iris, Big Boo, Hopper and Shiny, who can appear anywhere there is a source of light. In each episode, the cheeky creatures take their mischievous adventures to a new location. Season two launched on the show’s YouTube channel in January and introduces a new character: the Big Grey Wolf, who comes from the moon on a mission to kidnap the bunnies.
Sunny Bunnies is the most successful Belarusian IP ever, in terms of global reach. Media I.M. holds exclusive worldwide rights to the series outside Russia/CIS and China, including TV, digital and VOD.
The much buzzed-about feature collaboration between Oscar-winning director Michael Dudok de Wit (Father and Daughter) and the legendary Studio Ghibli The Red Turtle is set to arrive on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on May 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The visually enchanting, dialog-free film has received high profile recognition, including the Best Independent Animated Film Annie Award, Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard Prize, an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and official selection at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
In addition to the 80-minute film (rated PG), Sony’s home release will include special features “The Birth of The Red Turtle,” “The Secrets of The Red Turtle,” and the AFI Fest Q&A with Dudok de Wit.
The Red Turtle is directed by Dudok de Wit, who also wrote the film with Pascale Ferran. The project was produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, Valerie Schermann and Christophe Jankovic.
Synopsis: Marking the much-anticipated return of Studio Ghibli, this masterfully animated fantasy film tells the story of a man shipwrecked at sea who becomes stranded on a beautiful but desolate island. He learns to live in isolation, seemingly tormented in his efforts to escape the island by a giant red turtle. Miraculously, soon he comes upon a young woman, also lost at sea, and they create a family together.
Fans of Townsville’s littlest heroes with the biggest attitudes are being called upon to help Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup juggle school, homework, and a parade of evil villains in the new The Powerpuff Girls Story Maker app, available to download now for free on iOS and Google Play.
The Powerpuff Girls Story Maker app allows parents and kids to work together to create their very own story based on Cartoon Network’s crime-fighting trio. Users can create and animate scenes with their favorite goodies and baddies from the show, from Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup to the girls’ arch nemesis, Mojo Jojo. Once the scene is set and decorated with fun PPG props, story makers can record narration over the animation to further add a personal touch. The stories can then be saved to the device and watched later or shared with friends and family via email.
The revamped The Powerpuff Girls is a Cartoon Network Studios production and airs every day at 7:45 p.m. on Cartoon Network.
