The sixth edition of Cape Town International Animation Festival, presented by Animation SA, is gearing up for its March 3-5 run at the city’s River Club in Observatory. This year’s lineup offers programming for all ages, including the best in animated films from around the world, as well as an exciting range of masterclasses and workshops with global industry leaders.
A significant fixture on the international festival calendar and an important platform and marketplace for the continent’s fast-growing industry, CTIAF 2017 received 221 film submissions from 40 countries. The event also hosts business-to-business sessions, producer events, networking opportunities and government panels, plus student competitions, an outreach program and outdoor screenings. New this year will be an exhibition space where animators can get portfolio feedback from experts.
“We are celebrating the depth of our internationally recognised South African talent while presenting the opportunity for industry players to gain access to global icons in the field,” said festival director Dianne Makings. “We aim to promote and be a gateway for the African industry while connecting animation creators from around the world.”
Screening highlights will include the African premiere of BBC One special Revolting Rhymes (Magic Light Pictures, animated by Triggerfish Animation Studios) presented in collaboration with Design Indaba; and the acclaimed stop-motion feature My Life as a Courgette, which has won top honors at the European Film Awards and Annecy, and has recently been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. There will also be a best-of-the-fest selection from Annecy.
Special guests include Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz (creator of Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine), Les Armateurs producer Ivan Rouveure (The Secret of Kells), MIFA project manager Veronique Encrenaz, and Breakthrough Entertainment’s President and Vice President, Nat Abraham and Craig McGillivray. Nick Hall, Glenn Gillis and Pippa Tshabalala will be addressing the gaming sector.
Workshops will be presented by Story Lab’s Vanessa Sinden (“How to Prepare and Present Your Pitch Bible”), storyboarder and visual development artist Marc Moynihan, Triggerfish’s Head of Production Mike Buckland, Autodesk Applications Engineer Dane Chapman, and creative director/production designer Ree Treweek.
Attendees should also look for panel discussions on skills building initiatives and transforming the industry, funding talks, and the results of the recent animation survey. The Outreach program has grown this year, and will be hosted at the Isivivana center in Khayelitsha. There will be movies in the morning, drawing classes with Draw for Life, and various workshops to teach the fundamentals of animation.
The CTIAF is sponsored by the National Film and Video Foundation; Wesgro; Animation SA and the French Institute of South Africa. CTIAF has also partnered with Nickelodeon (which is offering an internship in the US to a winning student), South African Airways and Draw for Life.
Turner flagship channels Cartoon Network and Boomerang are heading to a new home in Australia, with a planned launch this month on IPTV service Fetch TV. In addition to fan-favorite animated series like Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo, Fetch TV viewers will be among the first to see the new CN series Mighty Magiswords, while Boomerang is the destination for new episodes of Mr. Bean, Inspector Gadget and Looney Tunes.
Fetch TV added Turner’s news channel CNN International to its lineup in October.
“Fetch families are going to love this news!” said Robi Stanton, General Manager of Turner Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Territories. “With Boomerang and Cartoon Network added to the line-up, subscribers now have access to the best animation from around the world. Both channels feature characters designed with one purpose in mind – to make everyone laugh.”
“Fetch is thrilled to reach a partnership agreement with Turner, and with the three fantastic additions to our channel offering – CNN, Cartoon Network and Boomerang,” said Fetch TV’s CEO Scott Lorson. “We will continue to partner with world-class content channel partners like Turner to bring Fetch TV subscribers the very best in entertainment. Plenty more to come.”
Fetch TV is available via ISPs including Optus, iiNet, Dodo, Internode, and iPrimus, and via leading retailers Harvey Norman and JB-HiFi.
‘Rick and Morty’ Launches Galactic Federation Rewards to Fans
Tired of waiting for season 3 updates? Sign up for MyFederation Rewards (mandatory for all humans!) for a behind-the-scenes look at how Earth C-137 is coping with the events of the S2 finale, with Rick imprisoned and the planet inducted into the Galactic Federation.
Collectors Are Flocking to Buy Animation Art
Marketwatch dishes with animation art auction specialists Van Eaton Galleries and Heritage Auctions about how collectors with nostalgic tastes and a love for satire are driving rising demand.
Cartoon Network has given the greenlight to a new, wildly imaginative animated series based Julia Pott’s original short, Summer Camp Island. This latest film from the award-winning British animator and illustrator (Belly) has just completed a hot run at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was an official selection in the Animated Short Films track.
The series will extend the short’s enchanting story, continuing to unfurl the mysteries that Oscar and his best friend Hedgehog encounter at a magical summer camp. Summer Camp Island is being produced by Cartoon Network Studios and set to premiere next year.
“Summer Camp Island is a great example of the kind of creativity generated by our acclaimed studio shorts program,” said Rob Sorcher, Cartoon Network’s Chief Content Officer. “We are all wanting to spend summers inside this timeless and magical world captured by Julia’s signature warmth and inventiveness.”
The Summer Camp Island short is making its way around the global festival circuit, having screened and won awards at the Ottawa International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and American Film Institute.
The film centers on two young friends who must summon all their courage to navigate the strange wonders of their magical sleepaway camp — where the counselors are witches, horses become unicorns, and monsters live under the bed. Not all campers get to swim with a talking shark, find a different universe under their bed or make friends with the moon, but anything is possible on Summer Camp Island.
Pott is already part of the Cartoon Network creative team, having joined the studio in 2015 as a write for Adventure Time. She graduated from Kingston University with first class honors. In 2011, she graduated from the Royal College of Art with a Master’s degree in Animation; her graduate film Belly took awards at film festivals in Chicago, Philadelphia and Clermont-Ferrand. Named as one of the 25 new faces of independent films by Filmmaker Magazine in 2012, Pott was also honored as one of the 37 indie film breakouts of that year by Indiewire.
Vancouver-based filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming’s acclaimed film Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming (from Stickgirl Productions and the National Film Board of Canada) will celebrate its US premiere on Thursday, February 2 with at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Window Horses will screen at Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theatre on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m., and at the Metro 1 Cinema on Feb. 4 at 8 a.m. Lead voice actor and executive producer Sandra Oh will be in attendance.
The film centers on a young Canadian poet named Rosie Ming who is invited to perform at a festival in Iran — though she’d rather go to Paris. Living with her over-protective Chinese grandparents, she has never traveled by herself. Once in Iran, the stories told by the poets and Persians she meets force her to confront her past as she learns more about the Iranian father she had assumed abandoned her, and the nature of poetry.
Golden Globe winner Oh Rosie, with Ellen Page as her best friend, Kelly; as well as Don McKellar, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Nancy Kwan. The film also boasts a notable animator roster, with Kevin Langdale, Janet Perlman, Bahram Javaheri and Jody Kramer among the dozen-plus who worked alongside Fleming.
Since its world premiere in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Window Horses has won top prizes including the Jury Prize at Bucheon International Animation Festival, Best Animated Film at Gijón International Film Festival and the Audience Prize at Greece’s Animasyros International Animation Festival. In Canada, it’s received the Best B.C. Film and Best Canadian Film awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Centennial Best Canadian Film or Video Award at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
Window Horses is co-produced by Stickgirl Productions (Ann Marie Fleming) and the NFB (Shirley Vercruysse and Michael Fukushima). NFB is the international distributor.
Leading online kids’ network and AVOD expert WildBrain has been appointed the exclusive global manager of Moose Toys’ YouTube channels for its brands Shopkins, Happy Places, Grossery Gang and Twozies.
“The Shopkins YouTube channel has attracted more than 310,000 subscribers and amassed over 210-million views to date. By leveraging WildBrain’s know-how in creating and marketing content to kids in the digital age and its large multi- channel network, we anticipate significantly extending the international reach of our toy brands with the new generation of children consuming content online,” said Belinda Gruebner, Managing Director for Moose Toys.
“We’re excited to provide our digital expertise to Moose Toys. They’re already seeing excellent results with driving global awareness and we’re looking forward to accelerating that growth. It’s a real compliment to be asked to work with such a great team,” added John Robson, Managing Director for WildBrain.
The new overseer will focus on increasing watch times, views and revenue for the brands, and will take responsibility for channel optimization. WildBrain will also create paid media campaigns and give the Moose Toys lineup access to proprietary technology in order to best serve a global audience and strengthen Moose Toys’ relationships with YouTube influencers.
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) have announced the nominees for the 64th Golden Reel Awards, selected to represent the world’s most talented sound artists and their contributions to outstanding feature, TV, animation and computer entertainment productions of the past year.
Special awards this year go to Guillermo del Toro (2017 MPSE Filmmaker Award) and Harry Cohen (Career Achievement Award).
Contending for the big prize for feature animation this year are Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana, The Little Prince, Zootopia, Sing and The Red Turtle. Moana and Trolls are also nominated for Feature Musical. The Golden Reels also cover TV and direct-to-video animation, so read on for a list of these nominees.
The awards comprise 23 categories, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony held February 19 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in LA.
“Sound professionals are dedicated to enriching storytelling in motion pictures, television, documentaries, gaming and other mediums through the creative use of sound,” said MPSE president Tom McCarthy. “This past year, once again, has provided many outstanding examples of their imagination and craft. We congratulate all of this year’s nominees for their dedication and superlative work.”
Animation category nominees for the 2017 Golden Reel Awards:
FEATURE ANIMATION
Finding Dory (Pixar Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Steve Slanec; Dialogue Editor: James Spencer; Foley Editors: Christopher Flick, Jacob Riehle; Sound Designer: Tim Nielsen; Sound Effects Editors: Ken Fischer, Jonathan Borland, Jack Whittaker; Foley Artists: John Roesch, Shelley Roden; Music Editors: Bill Bernstein, Michael Zainer
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Tim Chau; Foley Editor: Travis Crotts; Foley Artists: Catherine Harper, Gregg Barbanell; Sound Designer: Tim Chau; Sound Effects Editors: Clayton Weber, Thomas O’Neil Younkman
Moana(Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Tim Nielsen; Foley Editors: Thom Brennan, Matthew Harrison; Music Editors: Earl Ghaffari, Dan Pinder; Sound Effects Editors: Jonathan Borland, Pascal Garneau, Lee Gilmore; Foley Artists: John Roesch, Shelley Roden
The Little Prince (Netflix)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Christopher Barnett, Tim Nielsen; Dialogue Editor: Brad Semenoff; Foley Editor: Dug Winningham; Foley Artist: Heikki Kossi; Music Editors: Bob Badami, Catherine Wilson; Sound Effects Editors: Jonathan Borland, Ken Fischer
Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Addison Teague; ADR Editor: Dan Laurie; Foley Editors: Christopher Flick, Willard Overstreet; Sound Effects Editors: Lee Gilmore, Jack Whittaker, Jeremy Bowker; Foley Artists: John Roesch, Ronni Brown; Music Editors: Stephen M. Davis, M.P.S.E., Earl Ghaffari, Daniel Waldman
Sing (Illumination Entertainment)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Dennis Leonard; Sound Designer: Steve Boeddeker; Dialog Editor: Cheryl Nardi; Foley Editors: Richard Gould, Zach Martin, Larry Oatfield; Sound Effects Editors: Mac Smith, Dustin Cawood, Luke Dunn Gielmuda; Foley Artists: John Roesch, Shelley Roden, Ronni Brown, Jana Vance; Music Editor: Andre Zweers
The Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)
Nominees: Supervising Music Editor: Gerard McCann; Music Editors: Neil Stemp, Stuart Morton
La La Land (Lionsgate)
Nominee: Music Editor: Jason Ruder
Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominees: Music Editors: Earl Ghaffari, Daniel Pinder
Sing Street (Cosmo Films)
Nominee: Supervising Music Editor: Becky Bentham
Trolls (DreamWorks Animation)
Nominees: Music Editors: Fernand Bos, Erich Stratmann, Vicki Hiatt
DIRECT TO VIDEO ANIMATION
Batman Bad Blood (Warner Bros. Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Otis Van Osten; Dialogue Editors: Mark Keatts, Mike Garcia; Foley Editor: Robert Monkress; Sound Designer: Matt Hall; Sound Effects Editor: Gerardo Gonzalez
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash (Warner Bros. Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Rob McIntyre; Dialogue Editor: Kelly Foley-Downs, Mike Garcia; Foley Editor: Aran Tanchum; Foley Artist: Vincent Guisetti; Sound Designers: Lawrence Reyes, Evan R. Dockter, Greg Hainer; Supervising Music Editor: Tim Kelly
LEGO DC Comics Superheroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout (Warner Bros. Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Devon Bowman, Rob McIntyre; Foley Editor: Aran Tanchum; Foley Artist: Vincent Guisetti; Sound Effects Editors: Evan Dockter, Lawrence Reyes, Marc Schmidt, DJ Lynch; Dialogue Editors: Kelly Foley-Downs, Mike Garcia
Open Season: Scared Silly(Sony Pictures Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Geoffrey Rubay; Music Editor: Matt Friedman; Sound Designer: Ryan Collins; Sound Effects Editor: Alec Rubay
Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon (Epic Pictures)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Paul Hollman; Audio Lead: Dan Snow; Dialogue Editor: Elliot Herman; Sound Effects Editor: Joshua Ellis
TV ANIMATION – EFFECTS/FOLEY/DIALOGUE/ADR
Albert (Nickelodeon Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Jeff Shiffman MPSE; Dialogue Editors: Michael Petak, Anna Adams; Foley Editor: Tess Fournier; Foley Artists: Craig Ng; Music Editor: Brad Breeck; Sound Effects Editors: Jessey Drake MPSE, Tess Fournier
Avengers Assemble “Adapting to Change” (Marvel Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Mike Draghi; Dialogue Editor: John Brengman; Foley Editor: Roberto Alegria; Sound Designers: Marcos Abrom, Michael Emter, Jesse Arruda
BoJack Horseman “Fish Out of Water” (Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Hunter Curra; ADR Editor: Konrad Piñon; Sound Designers: Andrew Twite, Joy Elett, Kailand C. Reilly
Gravity Falls “Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls” (Disney Television Animation)
Star Wars Rebels “Twilight of the Apprentice” (Lucasfilm Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Matthew Wood, David Acord; Dialogue Editors: Tony Dias, Jacob Ortiz; Foley Editor: Frank Rinella; Foley Artists: Kim Patrick; Sound Effects Editor: Bonnie Wild; Sound Designer: David Acord
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “The Ever-Burning Fire” (Nickelodeon Animation Studios)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Jeff Shiffman MPSE; Dialogue Editors: Elliot Herman MPSE, Anna Adams; Foley Editor: Roger Pallan; Music Editor: Sebastian Evans II; Sound Effects Editors: Jeff Shiffman MPSE, Jessey Drake MPSE
Voltron: The Legendary Defender “The Black Paladin” (DreamWorks Television Animation)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Rob McIntyre, Devon Bowman; Foley Editor: Alfredo Douglas; Foley Artist: Vincent Guisetti; Music Editors: Brad Breeck, Brian Parkhurst; Sound Designers: Marc Schmidt, Evan Dockter, Lawrence Reyes; Sound Effects Editors: DJ Lynch, Andrew Ing
COMPUTER EPISODIC
Future-Worm! (Disney TVA)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Kate Finan MPSE; Dialogue Editor: Jacob Cook; Foley Editor: Brad Meyer MPSE; Sound Designer: Eric Freeman; Sound Effects Editor: Brad Meyer MPSE
Joyride (Lemonade Films)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Charles Deenen; Sound Designer: Csaba Wagner; Sound Effects Editors: Braden Parkes, Ozan Biron
Overwatch: The Last Bastion(Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Caroline Hernandez; Supervising Music Editor: Samuel Cardon; Audio Lead: Paul Menichini; Foley Editors: Darrin Mann, Kyle Webb; Foley Artist: Gregg Barbanell; Music Editor: Derek Duke; Sound Designer: Harry Cohen; Sound Effects Editor: Keith Bilderbeck, Alexander Ephraim
StartUp 104 “Angel Investor” (Hollywood Gang Productions)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Sean Higgins, Eric Lalicata; Audio Leads: Dan Snow; Dialogue Editors: Brian Dunlop, Dhyana Carlton-Tims; Foley Editors: Leah Putlek, Ryan Maguire; Foley Artist: Tara Blume; Music Editor: Chris McGeary; Sound Designer: Alex Weiss; Sound Effects Editor: Ryan Gegenheimer
Vixen (Berlanti Productions Inc.)
Nominees: Dialogue Editors: David Cowan, Patrick Foley, Kelly Foley Downs, Mike Garcia; Foley Editors: Shaun Cunningham, David Bonilla; Foley Artist: John Lampinen; Sound Designer: Robert Duran
GAME CINEMATICS
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (Infinity Ward)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Charles Deenen, Csaba Wagner, Shannon Potter; Audio Director: Stephen Miller; Foley Editor: Matt Cavanaugh; Sound Designers: Tim Walston, Eliot Conners; Sound Effects Editors: Braden Parkes, Brent Burge, Patrick Ginn, Chad Bedell, Scott Wolf, Mike Schapiro; Music Editor: Sam Marshall; Foley Artist: Gary Hecker
Gears of War 4 (The Coalition)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editors: Charles Deenen, Csaba Wagner; Sound Designers: Tim Walston, Sam Justice; Sound Effects Editors: Braden Parkes, Justin Davey, Chris Diebold, Mike Schapiro, Malte Bieler, Jamey Scott; Foley Editors: Matt Cavanaugh, Colin Hart, George Pereyra, Craig Tomlinson; Audio Director: John Morgan; Audio Lead: Josh Linton
Mafia III (Hangar 13 – 2K Games)
Nominees: Audio Director: Matt Bauer (MPSE); Foley Editors: Scott Curtis (MPSE); Foley Artists: John Roesch (MPSE), Sean England, Shelley Roden, MPSE, Dennie Thorpe, Jana Vance, Ronni Brown; Sound Designers: Alexandre Saba, Jamey Scott (MPSE), Petr Klimunda; Sound Effects Editors: Kegan Chau, Mitchell Lincoln; Foley Editor: Jason Butler; Scoring Editors: Jesse Harlin, Jim Bonney; Music Editor: Ronan Chris Murphy
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End(Naughty Dog)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Shannon Potter; Audio Director: Phillip Kovats; Sound Designers: Chad Bedell, Patrick Ginn, Scott Wolf, Dutch Hill, Alan Rankin, Jeremy Rogers, Robert Krekel, Erick Ocampo, Neil Uchitel; Supervising Music Editor: Scott Hanau; Music Editors: Andrew Buresh, Ernest Johnson, Rob Goodson, Ted Kocher; Foley Artists: Alicia Stevenson, Dawn Lunsford; Sound Effects Editors: Alexander Leeman Johnson, Jesse Garcia
World of Warcraft: Legion Cinematic (Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.)
Nominees: Supervising Sound Editor: Caroline Hernandez; Supervising Music Editor: Neal Acree; Audio Lead: Paul Menichini; Foley Editor: Darrin Mann; Foley Artists: Gregg Barbanell; Scoring Editor: John Kurlander; Sound Designers: Alexander Ephraim, David Farmer; Dialogue Lead: Andrea Toyias; Dialogue Editor: Michael Roache, Gary Rizzo; Sound Effects Editor: Isaac Hammons
The 23rd Slamdance Film Festival held its Park City awards ceremony Thursday night, honoring feature and short film winners with the 2017 Sparky Awards in the Audience, Jury and Sponsored Categories.
“Independent film is made beautiful not by those individual artists that form celebrity culture but by creative collaboration” said Slamdance Co-Founder and President, Peter Baxter. “At Slamdance this year we’ve experienced an entire program of beautiful independent film and the promise of great emerging artists continuing the legacy of what we set out to do. With our awards we honor several filmmakers yet we know and must acknowledge Slamdance has just been made stronger by everyone of them who has taken part.”
This year’s Grand Jury Prize for Best Animated Short was bestowed on US director Renee Zhan for her film Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw), “For its brilliant, and nuanced portrait of power and control and the pain that this artists creates. This honest voice found a way to share a very private moment with a flawless combination of oppressed levity,” per the Jury.
An honorable mention by the jury went to Nari Jang of South Korea for My Father’s Room, which made its North American premiere at the festival. The jury called the film a “heartbreaking portrait of a girl’s broken relationship and the lifelong effects of growing up with an abusive father found a way to sear into its audience to look at the root of pain, asking us to reflect if we could ever escape its cloud. A complete and touching film.”
This year’s Slamdance Narrative Shorts and Animated Shorts jury prizes were selected by: filmmaker Sonia Albert Sobrino, Jeffrey Bowers (Vimeo, Sr, Curator), and filmmaker Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams).
Learn more at slamdance.com.
Slamdance Animated Shorts Grand Jury Prize winner Renee Zhan. Photo credit: Ian StroudHold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw)
The Animacam Online Animation Short Film Festival has announced the top prize winners of its 6th edition. Both the Best Animated Short Film Award (3,000 euro prize) and Audience Award (2,000 euro) were awarded to Belgian films: Manu Gomez’s Roller Monster and Julien Dykmans’ The Mechanical Waltz. The winners were selected from 50 competing shorts hailing from 33 different countries.
Roller Monster director Manu Gomez is an accomplished multidisciplinary artist who has featured in exhibitions in Paris, Brussels, Canada and Beirut. His film resume includes nearly 20 productions, 16 of which are animations, which have screened on international TV channels and received awards from top festivals including Cannes, Annecy, Sitges and the LA Film Festival.
The Best Animated Short Film Award is awarded by Spain’s Museo de Arte Contemporáneo / gasNatural Fenosa. The directors of the Museum and Animacam stated: “Roller Monster is a singular, delirious and truly free animated adaptation of one of the most important works in the contemporary literature, as The Metamorphosis by Kafka is … This film reflects perfectly the distress and impotence of the main character, Gregor Samsa, as well as the cruelty of his father and the vulnerability of his mother, always through a great plasticity and a specially relevant style.”
The Mechanical Waltz by Julien Dykmans has previously won distinguished awards and been selected for festivals including Sound & Image Challenge in Macau, BIFFF Brussels and SIGGRAPH.
According to the Animacam audience, “this work (The Mechanical Waltz) made in 3D is a magnificent allegory of the freedom, a traditional topic which continues to be very present nowadays.” The Animacam Audience Award prize is granted by Arranz Dental.
Rocket Licensing has secured its first UK partners for Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming animated feature The Emoji Movie. Rocket is managing the UK and Eire licensing program for the flick on behalf of Sony Pictures Consumer Products, pulling together a line-up of partners to target kids ages 6-12 across key categories. The first products will roll out at retail this spring and summer.
On board are Centum Books (sticker, joke and novelty books), Smith & Brooks (kids’ apparel), TDP/Aykroyds (kids’ nightwear and underwear), Pyramid International (posters and stationery), Dreamtex (bedding) and Whitehouse Leisure (plush for leisure).
“Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming release The Emoji Movie presents a compelling licensing opportunity for UK licensees and retailers keen to capitalise on the emoji phenomenon that has been embraced by younger generations,” said Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD at Rocket Licensing. “Consumers have an instant emotional connection to the icons and the movie offers a narrative depth and humour that will bring them to life. This provides huge potential for product development and we’re incredibly excited to now be unveiling our first partners and to be bringing the movie merchandise to the UK market.”
The recent deals build on Rocket’s successful partnership with Sony Pictures and Sony TV in the territory for properties including Ghostbusters, The Smurfs, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Rocket is also representing UK licensing rights for Sony Pictures’ major 2016/2017 releases including Dark Tower, Jumanji, The Star, The Smurfs: The Lost Village and Sausage Party.
VIDEO: ‘Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter’ Trailer
The new Amazon Original Kids Series has debuted on Prime Video, offering all 26 enchanting episodes of the Goro Miyazaki-directed Studio Ghibli/Saltkrakan production, narrated by Gillian Anderson.
ABC Offers Mandarin Shows Online
Aussie broadcaster’s kids’ department will launch dubbed versions of Peppa Pig, The Octonauts, Peter Rabbit and Australian/Chinese copro Hoopla Doopla! in celebration of Chinese New Year.
UK Toy Industry Awards Fetes Winners
Animation properties Pokemon, DC Super Hero Girls and PAW Patrol took prizes at the industry awards held on the first day of UK Toy Fair in London.
VIDEO: Latin America & the US Hispanic Market – The Big Picture
World Screen’s Anna Carugati moderated an informative NATPE session on these markets with Viacom’s Pierluigi Gazzolo, Cisneros’ Adriana Cisneros, Endemol Shine’s Cris Abrego, and Brazilian producer Carla Affonso.
Marvel Studios has announced the start of production on the highly anticipated comic-book flick Black Panther — the character’s first solo big-screen outing since he first appeared on the page in 1966, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The film is due out February 16, 2018.
Black Panther follows T’Challa, who, after the events of Captain America: Civil War, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T’Challa’s mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.
The titular role is being reprised by Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther in the blockbuster smash Captain America: Civil War. His costars are Michael B. Jordan, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman and Daniel Kaluuya, with Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett, with Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
Additional cast members include Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Sterling K. Brown and John Kani.
Black Panther is being filmed in Atlanta and South Korea, under the direction of Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole (The People v. O.J. Simpson). Kevin Feige is producing, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.
Director Coogler’s creative team for this film includes frequent collaborators: director of photography Rachel Morrison, ASC; production designer Hannah Beachler; editors Claudia Castello and Michael P. Shawver; along with costume designer Ruth E. Carter; VFX supervisor Geoffrey Baumann (Doctor Strange, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Oscar-winning makeup designer Joel Harlow and seven-time Oscar nominated SFX supervisor Dan Sudick (CA: Civil War, The Avengers).
Lionsgate’s Summit Premiere has released a new poster for next month’s feature release Rock Dog, arriving in theaters February 24. The art features the reclusive music star Angus Scattergood (voiced by Eddie Izzard) and the film’s hero Bodi (Luke Wilson) high-tailing it away from pursuers. A series of character posters was released earlier this month.
Rock Dog is directed by Ash Brannon from a screenplay written by Brannon and Kurt Voelker, with story by Brannon and Zheng Jun — creator of the graphic novel Tibetan Rock Dog which inspired the film. The voice cast features Izzard, Wilson, JK Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, Mae Whitman and Jorge Garcia, with Matt Dillon and Sam Elliot as Fleetwood Yak.
Summit Premiere presents Rock Dog, a production of Huayi Brothers Media Corp. and Mandoo Pictures, in association with Huayi Tencent Entertainment Company, Eracme Entertainment, and Dream Factory Group.
Synopsis:
For the Tibetan Mastiffs living on Snow Mountain, a dog’s life has a simple riff: Guard a peaceful village of wool-making sheep from the thuggish wolf Linnux (Lewis Black) and his rabid pack. To avoid distractions, Mastiff leader Khampa (J.K. Simmons) forbids all music from the mountain. But when Khampa’s son Bodi (Luke Wilson) discovers a radio dropped by a passing airplane, it takes just a few guitar licks for his fate to be sealed: Bodi wants to be a rock ‘n’ roll star. Yet that means defying his father’s wishes, heading to the city, and locating the legendary – and reclusive – musician Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard), who needs to write a new song and fast.
If Bodi can put a band together, help Angus with his song, and defeat the wolves’ plot to take Snow Mountain, his life will be in tune. Bodi will become what he’s always dreamed of being: More than a dog … more than a Rock God… he’ll be a ROCK DOG!
Enchanté! Walt Disney Studios is introducing cinema guests to the enchanting (and mostly enchanted) cast of characters awaiting them in the live-action reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, waltzing into theaters March 17. The magical, musical cinematic fantasy is directed by Bill Condon and inspired by the animated classic.
Featured are Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast and as the Prince, Luke Evans as Gaston, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Josh Gad as LeFou, Ewan McGregor as Lumière, Stanley Tucci as Cadenza, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, Audra McDonald as Garderobe, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.
You can also check out the new motion posters here.
Fan-favorite series Steven Universe is coming back to Earth next week as Steven and the Crystal Gems return for a full week of premieres on Cartoon Network, beginning with back-to-back episodes Monday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Then, Steven Universe will move into its new weekly timeslot starting Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
Scroll down to check out a clip from Monday episode “Steven’s Dream,” in which after a mysterious dream, Steven embarks on a quest for the truth.
Next week’s episodic premieres:
Monday, Jan. 30: “Steven’s Dream” – A strange dream prompts Steven to search for answers.
Monday, Jan. 30: “Adventures in Light Distortion” – Steven and the Gems take off on a search-and-recovery mission.
Tuesday, Jan. 31: “Gem Heist” – The Gems try to pull off a heist.
Wednesday, Feb. 1: “The Zoo” – Steven visits a special zoo.
Thursday, Feb. 2: “That Will Be All” – Steven and the Gems make a daring escape!
SC Films has picked up international sales rights to the latest animated feature from Oscar-nominated producer Didier Brunner (The Triplets of Belleville, The Secret of Kells, Ernest and Celestine), ScreenDaily reports. The project, Pachamama, is the first 3D CG film produced by Damien and Didier Brunner’s company Folivari.
Directed by newcomer Juan Antin from a script he wrote with Patricia Valeix (Long Way North), Pachamama is set in the Andes mountains and follows a young boy named Tepulpaï — who dreams of becoming a shaman — and his best friend, Naïra. When a sacred treasure is taken from their village, the youths set out determined to retrieve it.
“Pachamama will be the first animation film ever made about the conquest of America, as seen from the point of view of the natives,” Antin told SD. Brunner describes the project as “an invitation for young viewers to discover a culture and civilization that are different from their own.”
Now in the works in France, Pachamama is a production of Folivari, O2B Films, Doghouse Films, Kaïbou Productions, Blue Spirit Studio, and Haut et Court Distribution, which will release the film in France in 2018. Studiocanal is also onboard for some home entertainment rights in the country.
Rapidly rising Korean hip-hop duo XXX has released online the provocative, dizzying new animated video for the song “Liquor” off their first EP KYOMI (released July 2016). Blending the look of black and white graphic novel illustration and retro videogames, “Liquor” is an engrossing and at times disorienting visit to a seedy bar, where a night out goes violently wrong for the video’s protagonist.
The scene for “Liquor” is set with the death of an unknown character, and ends up with a bloody twist. The story journey is a brutal reflection on drinking culture and the social reality of Korea. The music video received a fitting sneak peek showing in Tokyo when XXX was a guest at the Kitsune Club Night Asian Tour in December.
“Liquor” is a follow-up to XXX’s previous video, “Flight Attendant,” with both animated by Paris-based artist Mattis Dovier. The illustrator-animator has gained recognition for his distinctively gruesome yet beautiful low-bit style. Dovier’s portfolio was hand-picked for Video’s flagship “Vimeo Staff Picks” channel, earning him greater recognition, and “Flight Attendant” has earned numerous international accolades, including a nomination for Best Animation at the Ibiza Music Video Festival.
Former Mitsubishi executive Ryoichi Ueda has assumed the post of President of national pubcaster NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). He is taking over for Katsuto Momii, whose three-year term ended this week.
NHK offers a variety of programming, including anime. The channel has debuted popular series like Bakuman, Cardcaptor Sakura, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and Princess Nine. It is currently home to long-running kids’ anime Nintama Rantaro and Ojarumaru.
“As president, I will devote constant attention to the fair and efficient management of public broadcasting; am firmly resolved to protect autonomy and independence and furnish public broadcasts which all of our viewers and listeners will trust”, Ueda told a press conference at NHK’s headquarters. “Further, in this globalized world, the public broadcaster also has the great mission of displaying Japan’s presence in the world. NHK has declared in its corporate plan that it will provide broadcasts and services of the very highest quality in 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Ueda, age 67, was previously a member of the NHK Audit Committee as well as its Board of Governors, joining following his resignation from major Japanese trading company Mitsubishi Corporation in 2013. He joined Mitsubishi Corp. in 1973, and during his career held the position of EVP for the Americas and later Senior EVP of the company.
Born in Nagasaki, Ueda earned a BA from Hitotsubashi University’s Faculty of Law in Tokyo and later an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment has adjusted the planned release dates for sequel entries in three of their growing hit franchises: The Secret Life of Pets, Minions and Sing.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 is being knocked back a year for a 4th of July weekend release of July 3, 2019. Announced in August of last year, Pets 2 will see the return of director Chris Renaud, producers Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and writer Brian Lynch. The first film was released July 8, 2016 and raked in an impressive $875.4 million at the global box office.
Minions 2 is making a small move, coming forward a weekend to take advantage of the same holiday by opening July 3, 2020. Released July 10, 2015, the first Despicable Me spinoff featuring the little banana-loving baddies made an astounding $1.159 billion worldwide despite a middling critical reception.
And Sing 2 will return to the winter holiday spot with a Christmas release on Friday, December 25, 2020. The all-animal, music-driven film came out December 21 and has accumulated a global box-office take to the tune of $425 million, so far.
Illumination also has Despicable Me 3 coming June 30, 2017 and How the Grinch Stole Christmas set for November 9, 2018. It is unclear what will take Pets 2’s previous July 2018 spot. It’s possible that one of the studio’s in-development titles may swoop in, or distributor Universal may reorganize its DreamWorks feature releases to fill the summer spot — DWA’s Tim Minchin project Larrikins is currently set for February 2018.
