The 11th annual Lumiere Awards took place Jan. 22, celebrating outstanding achievements in immersive audiovisual storytelling at the Steven J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros. studio lot. The awards are presented by the Advanced Imaging Society each year (theadvancedimagingsociety.com).
Disney’s Frozen IIreceived three Lumiere Awards, for Immersive Animated Feature Film, Original Song and use of HDR — director Jennifer Lee accepted the honors on stage.
A total of 23 awards were handed out, including a live-action feature prize, which went to Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.
2020 Lumiere Award winners:
Best Immersive Feature Film – Animated: Frozen II (Disney)
Best Immersive Feature Film – Live Action:Avengers: Endgame (Disney)
Best Scene or Sequence in a Feature Film:Aladdin,” “Friend Like Me” (Disney)
Best Original Song:Frozen II, “Into The Unknown” (Disney)
Best HDR – Animated: Frozen II (Disney)
Best HDR – Live Action:Alita: Battle Angel (Fox)
Best HDR – Episodic:Stranger Things (Netflix)
Best HDR – Legacy:The Wizard of Oz (Warner Bros.)
Best VR Musical Experience:Surviving Said the Prophet
Best VR Education/Museum Experience: Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb (CityLights)
Best VR Entertainment Experience:How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks)
Best Location-Based Entertainment:Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (Walt Disney Imagineering)
Best 2D to 3D Conversion: StereoD, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Sir Charles Wheatstone Award: Unity Technologies
Harold Lloyd Award: James Mangold (director, Ford v Ferrari)
Best Immersive Audio – Theatrical:Ford v Ferrari (Fox)
Best Immersive Audio – Episodic:Carnival Row (Amazon)
Best 8K Production:The Dawns Here Are Quiet (Shanghai Media)
Best Use of AR in Live Broadcast: Madonna/Maluma on the Billboard Music Awards 2019
Best AR Musical Experience:Grease AR
Best VR for Merchandising/Retail: VR Merchandising
Best Documentary: Save This Rhino (National Geographic)
Best Music Themed Motion Picture:Rocketman (Paramount)
Disney will return to an enchanting forest world of talking animals and lurking dangers with a remake of 1942 classic Bambi. The latest addition to the studio’s “live-action” update will boast a screenplay from in-demand scribes Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel, Tomb Raider) and Lindsey Beer (Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, Chaos Walking).
The new Bambi will be produced by Chris and Paul Weitz and Andrew Miano’s Depth of Field. The studio is already working on Disney’s live-action remake of Pinocchio; the Robert Zemeckis-helmed project is currently in active development.
Disney’s recent live-action revamps, Jon Favreau’s The Lion King and Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, both crossed the $1 billion box-office line. Next on the docket are remakes and retellings of Mulan (March 27), Cruella (Dec. 23; 101 Dalmatians), with The Little Mermaid starring Halley Bailey and David Lowrey’s Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) also in the works.
Robertson-Dworet and Beer have a number of high-profile projects in the works, writing for upcoming features Silver Sable (Marvel), M.A.S.K. (Hasbro) and Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (Hasro) and Universal’s female-lead Fast & Furious spinoff.
Robertson-Dworet is also on board Fox/Disney’s Andy Weir book adaptation Artemis, Harley Quinn outing Gotham City Sirens and Robin Hood inspired actioner Marian; while Beer is tapped for Warner Bros.’ Hello Kitty, the untitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and Sam Raimi’s The Kingkiller Chronicle, adapted from the book by Patrick Rothfuss.
Bambi centers on a young fawn coming of age and understanding his role in the forest, with the help of his meadow-dwelling friends Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk, and his doe companion Faline. Based on the 1923 novel by Austrian author Felix Salten, the animated feature was overseen by supervising director David Hand, and earned three Academy Award nominations (Best Sound, Best Song and Original Music).
A highly influential picture for generations of animators, Bambi has been named to the American Film Institute’s 10 Top 10 list for animation, and was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The film is also notable for its impressionist-inspired backgrounds, created by Chinese-born animator/artist Tyrus Wong.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ experimental Short Circuit films arrived on Disney+ on Friday, bringing 14 varied and innovative and short animated stories to fans.
Started in 2016, the program is open to any studio employee to pitch an idea and potentially create an original short film, with the support of Disney Animation and their fellow artists. The goal of Short Circuit is to take risks with visual style as well as story, buoy new voices and experiment with new filmmaking technologies while doing it.
So far, 20 Disney Animation Artists have worked with the program — including Jeff Gipson, who created the award-winning VR short Cycles as part of Short Circuit. This crop of directors includes talented artists who have worked on Disney hits including Frozen, Frozen II, Zootopia, Moana, Big Hero 6 and Wreck-It Ralph.
Short Circuit’s slate includes:
Cycles
Cycles | A story centered around the true meaning of creating a home and the life that it holds inside its walls. Director Jeff Gipson first joined the studio in 2013 as a lighting apprentice on Frozen, and made his directing debut with Cycles, Disney Animation’s first VR short, for which he won a Lumiere Award in 2019. He recently debuted his second VR short film Myth: A Frozen Tale, at the world premiere of Frozen II.
Downtown
Downtown | A commuter’s disappointment in missing the bus turns into a colorful and unexpected joyride when the surrounding street art bursts to life, revealing the heart of the city from an entirely new perspective. Director Kendra Vander Vliet joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2013 as a rough layout artist on Frozen, and went on to work on such films as Feast, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II. She enjoyed the challenge of telling her story through color and street art, with over 100 custom mural designs created for the project.
Drop
Drop | A newly-formed raindrop falls to earth for the first time and has an unlikely and heartfelt encounter with a young girl that proves to be uplifting for both. Director Trent Correy started at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2012 as an animation trainee in the Talent Development Program. He most recently oversaw the animation of the beloved character, Olaf, among others in his role as animation supervisor on Frozen 2. His other credits include Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana and multiple shorts.
Elephant in the Room
Elephant in the Room | A lost baby elephant is taken in by a boy and his father to work on their banana plantation. As the two quickly bond, the boy discovers that his new best friend yearns for her family and home in the wild. Director Brian Scott began his career at Walt Disney Animation Studios as an animator on Frozen. He then went on to work on such films as Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen II and the 2015 Oscar-winning short, Feast (on which he served as head of animation). A chance childhood encounter with a baby elephant, and, many years later, the arrival of his first child, provided the inspiration for Elephant in the Room.
Exchange Student
Exchange Student | Life is hard enough for an exchange student at a new school, but as the only earthling at a school for aliens, the central character in this fanciful story is the ultimate outsider and must prove her worth to be accepted by her unusual new classmates. Director Natalie Nourigat joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2015 as a story apprentice. She has gone on to serve as a story assistant and story artist on Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Fetch
Fetch | A child wants to play fetch with her pet. Unfortunately he’s wandered deep into an imposing forest. Director Mitch Counsell started his Walt Disney Animation career as a character TD on Big Hero 6. He has worked in a similar capacity on such films as Zootopia, Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet and most recently served as part of the “Tactics Team” consultancy group on Frozen II.
Hair-jitsu
Hair-Jitsu | A young girl faces off against an evil hairdresser as she goes through imaginative lengths to avoid her first haircut. Director Brian Estrada started at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2013 as a production assistant on the 3D version of The Little Mermaid, and has worked in many different departments at the studio including Story, Art, Editorial, Environment Assets, and Post Production, where he is currently the coordinator. At Disney Animation, his credits include Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II.
Jing Hua
Jing Hua | A grieving martial artist pays tribute to her recently departed teacher by creating a painted world using a magical form of kung fu. Director Jerry Huynh is a general TD at Disney Animation, with credits including Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Huynh drew upon his family roots and culture in telling this very personal story.
Just a Thought
Just A Thought | An awkward 12-year-old boy named Ollie experiences “bubble trouble” when his true feelings for a girl are embarrassingly revealed in the form of a physical thought bubble. Director Brian Menz fell in love with animation at a young age and came to Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2008 as an animator on Bolt. He then went on to work on such films as Big Hero 6, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia, Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet, and is currently an animation supervisor on Raya and the Last Dragon.
Lightning in a Bottle
Lightning in a Bottle | During a thunderstorm, a young boy’s effort to capture lightning in a glass bottle as part of a science fair project succeeds beyond his wildest expectations, but is shocked when he discovers the consequences of this unnatural feat. Director Virgilio John Aquino had early ambitions of becoming a comic book artist, but turned towards a career in animation at the age of 26. Starting as an effects animator on Hercules and Fantasia/2000, he went on to work as a modeler on such recent features as Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia and Frozen II.
Lucky Toupee
Lucky Toupee | This clever bit of balderdash lifts the lid on an original tale about a hijacked hairpiece, a gang of larcenous leprechauns, and a budding romance. Director Nikki Mull started as a trainee at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2013, and is currently a character look supervisor on Raya and the Last Dragon. Her credits include Moana, Big Hero 6, Frozen and Frozen II.
Puddles
Puddles | An adventurous young boy discovers that puddles can be portals to a fantastical world, but struggles to get his sister’s attention away from her phone to see the magic in the world around her. Director Zach Parrish joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2010 as an animator on Tangled. He then went on to work on such films as Wreck-It Ralph (supervising animator), Big Hero 6 (head of animation), Zootopia and Moana (animator), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (workflow supervisor and animator). The Race
The Race | Grim desperately needs one more soul to win his work competition, but his last scheduled collection at a rigorous bike race turns his world upside-down. At the finish line, he learns that life is not always about the trophy at the end of the race. Director Terry Moews is a 23-year Disney veteran, who came to Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1996 to supervise and shoot the live-action backgrounds for the innovative computer-animated feature, Dinosaur (2000). Moews was then chosen to create the CG layout department for Disney’s Chicken Little. He went on to serve as visual effects supervisor, layout supervisor, studio department leader and layout artist on such films as Bolt, Big Hero 6, Tangled, Frozen,Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II.
Zenith
Zenith | A luminous, ethereal stag bounds effortlessly through a dark expanse of the universe, leaving a galaxy of stars in its wake. When it accidentally creates a black hole that threatens to devour everything in sight, the stag is forced to make a decision that will leave a lasting impression. Director Jennifer Stratton started with Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2013 as a look development artist for Special Projects/Legacy, and segued into feature production where she has contributed to the look of such features as Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II. On Zenith, she was particularly excited to be working with the effects team to push the design of the characters, and bring unique, cool new visuals to the screen.
Christine MacKay, CEO at Salamandra.uk, has been named in f:Entrepreneur’s #ialso Top 100 list, which celebrates the U.K.’s inspirational and multi-achieving female entrepreneurs. MacKay, who has had a varied career spanning multiple countries and industries, has been recognized for both her business accomplishments as well as her dynamic journey.
“It’s humbling to be included on f:Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs, amongst such inspirational women! It’s a great opportunity to connect and to learn from one another,” said MacKay.
Falling in love with animation as an impressive medium for B2B visual communications, MacKay started animation and design studio Salamandra.uk back in 2014. Now, Salamandra.uk now has two studios, based in Eton and Dundee, and works with brands in 17 industries.
“Animation is like ice cream. Mentioning either of them will make people’s eyes light up,” MacKay observed. “In B2B, animation is the modern version of a jingle — remember those from your childhood that if you still sing, you can still remember the brand? That’s powerful branding!”
MacKay continues to steer the business, as well as sharing her expertise with other aspiring professionals. Most recently, she was a live-stream panellist for the Royal Television Society (RTS), sharing her tips on how to get ahead in animation, and was asked to be a London Regional Judge for the RTS Student Television Awards 2020 at Channel 4.
“You’ve got to find something that people want, that you are passionate about, where you and your team can shine and always go over and above what is expected,” said MacKay.
The aim of f:Entrepreneur (f-entrepreneur.com) is to showcase multi-achieving women like MacKay in the #ialso100, to provide lessons of challenge and success for all small business founders – both men and women. The campaign is built around a program of content, stories and events, including roundtables, Q&A sessions and panels as well as larger all-day events throughout the year. This year, the campaign will be holding its biggest ever event in London in the week leading up to International Women’s Day.
“I am delighted to reveal f:Entrepreneur’s second annual #ialso Top 100; the trailblazers demonstrating that entrepreneurialism is a space being reinvented by women. The stories of these women are incredibly inspirational and reach outside the traditional bounds of business, including a number of cancer survivors and carers, amongst many other people who do so much more than their day job,” commented Michelle Ovens MBE, founder of f:Entrepreneur. “This is a campaign that highlights the work of incredible women, but it is not only aimed at inspiring other women. This is for men, too; showing everyone that even in the toughest situations in life, it is entrepreneurs who are the people that not only survive but thrive, creating purposeful small businesses and supporting their communities every day.”
Salamandra.uk works as a visual content agency for FTSE 100 companies, start-ups, advertising and PR agencies alike, creating tailored animated content (in 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion graphics, AR and VR) and offering a full design and branding service. From children’s book illustrations to corporate explainers, training videos or epic presentations, this talented team of creatives produces unique and powerful visual productions for any platform. See the studio’s show reel and learn more at salamandra.uk.
Ahead of the February 14 release of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming major motion picture, Sonic The Hedgehog, hip-hop superstars Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty and Sueco the Child have teamed up for a new single titled, “Speed Me Up.” Together, the group mixes rapid fire lyrics over hip-hop infused ‘80s nostalgia production for a collaboration of blockbuster proportions. The single is available for download and streaming across major platforms.
The theme song, produced by superstar producer duo Take A Daytrip (Lil Nas X, Big Sean, YBN Cordae), arrives with a companion visual featuring all four artists transformed into 16-bit characters.
The new music video will make its broadcast premiere on MTV’s Grammy special airing January 24. The song will also appear throughout the film’s marketing campaign leading up its release on February 14.
“Speed Me Up” was overseen by Kevin Weaver, President, Atlantic Records West Coast (soundtrack album producer of Birds of Prey, The Greatest Showman, Suicide Squad, Furious 7, The Fault in Our Stars, The Fate of the Furious). Named by Rolling Stone as a “soundtrack guru,” Weaver is a Grammy Award winner and five-time nominee, who has produced numerous multi-platinum soundtrack projects that have amassed tens of millions of albums sold worldwide.
Based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog tells the story of the world’s speediest hedgehog as he embraces his new home on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic and his new best friend Tom (James Marsden) team up to defend the planet from the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination. The family-friendly film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.
Directed by Jeff Fowler, written by Pat Casey & Josh Miller, the movie is presented by Paramount Pictures in association with Sega Sammy Group, produced by Original Film, Marza Animation Planet and Blur Studio.
Sonic the Hedgehog opens in theaters February 14, tickets are on sale now.
Christmas Audiences Have a Huge Appetite for ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’
Lupus Films had a happy holiday, as its three festive specials attracted millions of viewers to Channel 4 (U.K.) over the season, spearheaded by the Christmas Eve premiere of the new animated outing inspired by the Judith Kerr picture book. Directed by Robin Shaw, The Tiger Who Came to Tea gained a total audience of 5.1M (21% audience share), which outperformed the slot average by 365%.
Lupus Films’ Christmas favorites also brought families together around the screen in December: The Snowman and the Snowdog (~3M) and WE’re Going on a Bear Hunt (750K). Lupus Films and Dream Logic’s The Christmas Letter special also made its Sky premiere on the holiday. Universal Content Group is managing international TV, home and theatrical rights for Tiger and The Christmas Letter.
“We’re delighted that audiences enjoyed The Tiger Who Came to Tea and we’re pleased our focus on adapting much-loved classic children’s novels and picture books into ever-green animated films which are enjoyed year after year, seems to resonate with viewers.” — Ruth Fielding, Joint Managing Director, Lupus Films.
LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES: Stuttgart Crazy Horse Animation Jam
The 27th ITFS will once again host the 48-hour non-stop live animation competition, for two-person teams of students, freelancers and producers aged 30 years or younger. The challenge is to create a short animated film starring festival mascot Trixi within the two days. The winning team receives an invitation (including accomodation, accreditation and some travel expenses) to the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film 2021. Register by February 1, 2020.
Annecy 2020 Adds 10 Screenings a Day, 26% More Seats
For the blowout 60th edition, the stories French animation festival is making room for the increased number of attendees (12,300 badge holders), adding new venues, new theaters (Auditorium Seynod and Le Rabelais in Meythet, adding 21,700 seats) and additional screenings each day — including more morning screenings so even busy professionals can take in some rejuvenating cinema before a day of meetings. Pierre Lamy will open as early as 7 p.m., directly after Work in Progress sessions, and badge holders will have exclusive, privileged admission to the Bonlieu for all screenings.
“Along with Dominique Puthod, President of CITIA, and Marcel Jean, Artistic Director, our priority is to enable each festival goer to access the theatres in the best possible conditions. For the 60th anniversary, and in order to respond to the significant growth of the last editions, we wanted to considerably increase our seating capacity. Annecy 2020 will offer more screenings, more theatres for a Festival that must address the next decade with the ambition of sustainable growth that puts the comfort of the festival-goer at the heart of its policy.” — Mickaël Marin, CEO
The Top 30 Comics on Webtoon in 2019
The Beat breaks down the most-read comics on the popular mobile platform. Romance titles lead the pack, with the top five spots taken by Lore Olympus, True Beauty, Let’s Play, action title unOrdinary, and the slice-of-life stories of My Giant Nerd Boyfriend.
What 6 Animated TV Bedrooms would Look LIke in Real Life
Simply Savvy recreates a range of interior decorating moments — from Tina Belcher’s modern horse girl apartment digs to Glimmer’s magical chamber. Check out the rooms and get inspired to create your own cartoon cocoon! (Or at least put your laundry away.)
’Sonic the Hedgehog’ Could Jump as High as $47M in Opening Weekend
The iconic videogame character is on track to debut February 14 after being pushed from a planned November release (with his new, more cartoony CG makeover). The Paramount release is expected to pull $41M-$47M in the four-day Presidents Day opening weekend, appealing especially to males under 25. The second trailer featuring the new character design was warmly received in November, and has since totted up nearly 28M YouTube views.
She-Ra bedroom recreated by Simply SavvyThe Tiger Who Came to Tea
The new crop of emerging creatives has been announced for Berlinale Talents, and among the 255 selected filmmakers from 86 countries invited to gather Feb. 22-27 in Berlin are 13 artists working in animation. All together, the various directors, producers, performers, writers, composers, etc. will bring along some 40 films in development to finesse in labs and presentations under the banner of this year’s theme, “Collectives.”
“At the Berlinale, we care about films as much as about the collective processes that shape these stories. Our lasting relationships with those behind and in front of the camera is what we wish to express and nurture with Berlinale Talents,” commented Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian and Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek.
Representing the animation sector are:
Jonatan Schwenk, director of Sog (winner of the Cristal for Best Graduation Film in Annecy, the European Animation Award at the Encounters Festival, Best Student Film at ITFS Stuttgart, and much more; screened at 124 festivals) as well as sound designer for Räuber und Gendarm, Rules of Play (Germany). Schwenk works as a hybrid filmmaker, often combining stop-motion, 2D and 3D — currently, on his graduation film.
Nara Normande, the France-based Brazilian director behind Guaxuma, an intimate anidoc about friendship which combines different animation techniques all connected with sand. Guaxuma screened internationally, winning more than 60 awards including SXSW and Palms Springs. (The film was produced by Justin Pechberty, a Berlinale Talents alumnus, whose credits include Wicked Girl.)
Esther Niemeier, German director of the 2D rotoscope animated doc Tracing Addai, about two German adolescents joining the Jihad in Syria, which screened at 70 film festivals and won 20 awards, including Best Short at the Oscar qualifying Docaviv, Best Animation at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and was a finalist for the 2018 Student Academy Awards. Niemeier is currently working on a hybrid documentary about her grandmother who was killed in the Third Reich for her outspokenness.
Martin Smatana, FAMU graduate and director of the award-winning puppet animation The Kite (including Annecy’s Young Audience Award, Best Short Film for Children at ITFS Stuttgart and Best Children’s Short Film at Anima Mundi) as well as his debut, Rosso Papavero (premiered at Berlinale 2015 Generation Kplus and won 13 international awards). Smatana is currently working on yet another animated short for children, Hello Summer, combing stop-motion object animation and hand-drawn animation, which was selected for the European Further Education Program “Animation Sans Frontiéres”.
Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis, whose experimental, hybrid work encompasses films such as the award-winning hybrid doc Swatted about online players and the fear of life-threatening cyber-harassment phenomenon (Special Jury Award in the category “Labo” at Clermont-Ferrand), or Ondes Noires, about three hyper-sensitive people. His editor on both films, Celine Perreard, is also part of Berlinale Talents 2020.
Josephine Lohoar Self, a dedicated stop-motion animator, whose film The Fabric of You was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA. Her further credits include Superfrog, a film based on a Murakami story.
Shirley Bruno (U.S.), whose An Excavation of Us (2D/3D compositing animation) won her the Off-Limits award in Annecy and an honorable mention at the Prix Ars Electronica among others. Drawing from her Haitian heritage she expresses herself in a unique manner; other films include Tezen and The Things I See.
Also on board is Alexandru Petru Bădeliţă, who edited An Excavation of Us and also works as a director, for example on I Made You, I Kill You, an autobiographical anidoc about complicated, violent family dynamics that was screened at IDFA and won several awards for its experimental style.
Martin Juza, producer, director and co-founder of animation studio and film production company Krutart. He produced Kosmix, a Czech animated series for kid about a robot and his adventures in space, which will be broadcast in 2020.
Sarah D’hanens (Belgium), who produces documentaries as well as animation films such as Jacky de Groen’s Spermaceti (drawing, painting, 2D computer) and Robbe Vervaeke’s Fighting Pablo (oil on glass animation).
Thomas Kunstler, Greek clay stop-motion animator and director of shorts Rebetiko and De Les Kouventa currently working on a feature film project.
Hannah Dougherty (Australia}), director for anidocs and animated fiction (Theo and Celeste made for TEDX 2018, upcoming web series Broken: A Sockumentary and others).
Laura Espinel, Colombian editor and director; her film Kosmiska Katter (Cosmic Cats) (objects, mixed media, collage) screened at a number of festivals, including DOK Leipzig. Espinel is currently developing a film as part of the HERSTORIES seminar in Berlin-Babelsberg.
Now in its 18th edition, Berlinale Talents strives for sustainable promotion and exchange amongst different disciplines across the worlds of film, series, theater, art and industry. The Talents community that has grown from this, which now counts nearly 8,500 alumni (including Chris Hees, who produced BAFTA and Annecy prize-winning short The Bigger Picture), is the Berlinale’s active push toward a diverse and highly-qualified film scene.
One of the biggest successes in the history of animation and Chinese cinema, the internationally-acclaimed animated fantasy-adventure Ne Zha weaves it magic on digital February 25, and on DVD, Blu-ray Combo and 4K Ultra Blu-ray Combo March 3, from Well Go USA Entertainment.
First-time feature film director Jiaozi brings to the screen the enchanting story of a boy with unique powers who is recruited to fight demons and save the community that initially fears him. In addition to box office success and critical acclaim, Ne Zha has been distinguished as the first animated film selected as the Chinese entry for Best International Feature Film, for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Synopsis: A young boy, Ne Zha, is birthed from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Born with unique powers, Ne Zha finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.
The Mouse House has revealed the February episodic premieres for Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD, which will included the season 2 finale of Big Hero 6 The Series (featuring returning voice talents Horatio Sanz, Isabella Gomez and Nestor Carbonell) and and the mid-season 2 finale of Big City Greens (guest starring Jameela Jamil and Alfred Molina).
On the streaming side, Disney+ is adding 2019’s The Lion King to its library on Tuesday, Jan. 28, followed by Toy Story 4 on Wed., Feb. 5; Marvel’s Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United (Sun., Feb. 16); Marvel Rising specials Operation Shuri and Playing with Fire (Fri., Feb. 21); Star Wars Resistance Season 2 (Tue., Feb. 5); Marvel’s Future Avengers S1, and Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars (Fri., Feb. 28).
Some of the exciting premieres coming soon to the platform include:
Exclusive Toy Story short Lamp Life (Fri., Jan. 31): Bo Peep makes a big comeback in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4, and she leads the way in Pixar’s all-new animated short film. Lamp Life answers the question of what happened to Bo since we last saw her in Toy Story 2. Join Woody and Giggle McDimples as Bo recounts her wild adventures.
Original movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Fri., Feb. 7): Directed by award-winning filmmaker Tom McCarthy and based on the best-selling book of the same name, the movie follows the hilarious exploits of quirky, deadpan hero, Timmy Failure, who, along with his 1,500-pound polar bear partner Total, operates Total Failure Inc., a Portland detective agency.
One Day at Disney “Grace Lee: Storybook Artist” (Fri., Feb. 7): Disney Publishing Worldwide’s Grace Lee provides an intimate look into the world of illustration and storytelling. Lee’s interest in the power of images began at an early age and inspired her to work in the visual arts. Today, she spends her days collaborating with filmmakers and other creatives to extend Disney’s most beloved stories from screen to book.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars“The Bad Batch”Season 7 Premiere (Fri., Feb. 21): Captain Rex and the Bad Batch must infiltrate an enemy base on Anaxes.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars“A Distant Echo” (Fri., Feb. 28): Anakin Skywalker, Rex, and the Bad Batch make a shocking discovery on Skako Minor.
Disney Television February animation highlights:
Saturday, Feb. 1
9:25-9:55 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Big City Greens “Level Up/Wild Side” When Bill gets hooked on a farm-simulating video game, Cricket must battle him to break his addiction. | Cricket’s wild side takes over when Bill is unable to replicate their old camping trips.
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Big Hero 6 The Series “Fear Not” Supersonic Stu busts his grandmother, Supersonic Sue, out of prison. Timothy Simons (Veep) guest stars as Supersonic Stu and Jane Lynch (Glee) returns as Supersonic Sue.
Friday, Feb. 7
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Puppy Dog Pals “Valentine’s Day Mix-Up/A Stinky Story” When Bob’s valentine for Ana accidentally gets mailed to Italy, the Pugs head out to bring it back. | When a young skunk accidentally ends up in Bob’s yard, the Pugs go on a mission to help her find her way home.
1:30-2:00 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Elena of Avalor “Giant Steps” Naomi returns to Avalor to warn Elena about a growing magical threat to the kingdom. John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge!) and WWE professional wrestler Roman Reigns guest star as Tziloco, a magical crystal bat, and Kizin, a mythical ancient giant, respectively. Gina Torres (Suits) returns as Chatana.
8:50-9:25 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Covention” Luz’s lesson about witch covens goes awry when she finds herself thrust into a witch’s duel.
Saturday, Feb. 8
9:25-9:55 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Mid-Season Two Finale: Big City Greens “Garage Tales/Animal Farm” After finding a box of mementos, Gramma tells the kids about her greatest adventure. | While the Greens are away, the animals compete to see who will rule the farm. Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) and Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark) guest star as Phoenix, a dog, and Cogburn, a rooster, respectively.
10:00-11:00 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Season Two Finale: Big Hero 6 The Series “Legacies – Parts I & II” Chief Cruz and the police get the upper hand in their battle with both villains and Big Hero 6 when they begin using Buddy Guardians, powerful new robots produced by Krei Tech. Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live) returns as El Fuego, Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time) returns as Megan and Nestor Carbonell (The Dark Knight) returns as Chief Cruz.
Friday, Feb. 14
1:00-1:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Fancy Nancy “Roses are Red, JoJo is Blue/Love, Lionel” Nancy breaks a promise to JoJo on Valentine’s Day. | On Valentine’s Day, Nancy helps Lionel say what’s in his heart.
Friday, Feb. 21
8:50-9:25 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Hooty’s Moving Hassle” When Luz, Willow and Gus accidentally animate the Owl House, the house runs amok around Bonesborough.
Friday, Feb. 28
1:00-1:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel)Fancy Nancy “Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet/Operation: Fix Marabelle!” Nancy becomes jealous when Bree gets the part in the ballet that she was hoping to play. | Nancy discovers she’s an exceptional doll surgeon who stays calm under pressure until Marabelle becomes injured.
8:50-9:25 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Lost in Language” While checking out the library, Luz’s pranks lead to unintended consequences.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were MadeStar Wars: The Clone WarsLamp LifeBig City Greens
Beijing-based innovator outfit Wonder Painter is introducing its one-of-a-kind technology to the world, which enables users to instantly transform a flat image into lively 2D or 3D animations with a smartphone or tablet. The technology was recently showcased at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas, where visitors had a rare chance to demo Wonder Painter first hand.
Users simply draw or snap a photo of the item they want to animate – with the help of a tablet or smart device, or even on paper – and then Wonder Painter’s proprietary algorithm brings the drawing to life against any desired background. Any sketch or image can be turned into animation, while users are given complete control over the animation process (unlike typical VR/AR applications), offering a unique blend of machine learning, artificial intelligence and human creativity.
Wonder Painter’s algorithm also acts to beautify the drawing or photo, making the animation have a clean, professional look.
Wonder Painter offers two standalone apps, Wonder Painter Theater and Wonder Painter 3D, as well as B2B services. The Wonder Painter Software Development Kit (SDK) allows app developers to integrate Wonder Painter into existing software or products, while Wonder Painter Cloud can host the program on existing mobile web pages and apps. Through its SDK, Wonder Painter powers a widely popular interactive storytelling experience on LG’s smart TV service.
Authoring software Wonder Painter Creator, meanwhile, allows customers the chance to create custom content with the help of Wonder Painter.
Wonder Painter offers a wide range of commercial and educational applications from interactive marketing and content production to gaming development and creative storytelling.
The tech can be used across a range of platforms as well, from phones and tablets to computers, smart TVs, gaming consoles and VR/AR handsets, offering users a variety of ways to experience and experiment with this cutting-edge animation software.
Launched by China’s Xiaoxiaoniu Creative Technologies, Wonder Painter has already seen considerable success with enterprise customers globally thanks to the experience of founder and CEO Dr. Xiang Cao – a former director at Lenovo Research, a researcher at Microsoft Research, and fellow at the University of Cambridge.
In China, Wonder Painter Cloud powers AI Artist, one of tech giant Baidu’s most popular apps, while China’s 2022 Winter Olympics committee has also integrated Wonder Painter into its interactive social media campaign.
Fans can follow Captain Gaz Digzy and The Leptons to the brink of victory (hopefully!) when season two of Ballmastrz: 9009 arrives Sunday, February 23 at midnight and 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim.
After “the burning spirit of teamwork in their hearts” inspired the offbeat oddballs to win their first game, The Leptons are actually showing moments of non-suckage! Led by Gaz Digzy and supercharged by the awesome power of Ballmastr, the team wrestle new foes as they claw their way to the top. Will The Leptons continue to surprise fans and reach their ultimate goal: a chance to play for the coveted Crazyar Cup in the Grand Championship? Or will the seductive distractions of newfound fame sideline them for good?
Created by Christy Karacas (Superjail!) and produced by Titmouse, the quarter-hour animated series stars Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black), who reprises her role as the voice of Gaz Digzy, along with returning cast members Eric Bauza (Unikitty!), Jessica DiCicco (The Loud House), Karacas, Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Dave Willis (Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell).
Special guest stars this season include Ed Asner, Rachel Dratch, Jo Firestone, Doc Hammer, Stephanie Sheh and Cree Summer.
Catch up on the first season of Ballmastrz: 9009 on adultswim.com.
Twins Dak and Layla — along with their little dragon friends! — are back in an exciting second season of DreamWorks Dragons Rescue Riders, taking flight on Netflix on February 7.
Raised by dragons and fluent in their language, the brave twins and young dragons Winger, Summer, Cutter, Burple and Aggro embark on all-new adventures rescuing, defending and protecting other dragons as well as their home of Huttsgalor. Expanding the world of DreamWorks Dragons, the series is executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jack Thomas (Regular Show, DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge) and co-executive produced by Brian Roberts (DreamWorks VeggieTales).
The series features the voice talents of Nicolas Cantu (The Amazing World of Gumball, Sofia The First, Lego Star Wars) as “Dak,” Brennley Brown (Semifinalist on The Voice, Sofia The First, Tangled: The Series) as “Leyla,” Carlos Alazraqui (Happy Feet, Inside Out, Batman: Arkham City) as “Guggard,” Moira Quirk (Skyrim, The Wild Thornberrys, Castlevania) as “Hannahr,” Roshon Fegan (Shake It Up, Camp Rock, Greenleaf) as “Elbone,” and Brad Grusnick (Bunnicula, Bioshock Infinite) as “Magnus Finke.”
Voicing the young dragons are Marsai Martin (Little, Black-ish) as “Aggro,” Zach Callison (Steven Universe, The Goldbergs, Just Add Magic) as “Winger,” Skai Jackson (Jessie, Bunk’d, Bubble Guppies, The Smurfs) as “Summer,” Noah Bentley (Adam Ruins Everything, Reel Kids, Afternoon Delight) as “Burple,” and Andre Robinson (Hotel Transylvania 2, Doc McStuffins) as “Cutter.”
Additional cast includes John C. McGinley (Scrubs, Stan Against Evil) as “Grumblegard,” Tara Strong (The Fairly OddParents, My Little Pony) as “Vizza,” Grey Griffin (DC Superhero Girls) as “Marena,” and Jacob Hopkins (The Goldbergs) as “Axel Finke.” Donald Faison (Scrubs, Robot Chicken), Talon Warburton (Man with a Plan), Danny Pudi (Harvey Girls Forever), Sam Riegel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Pinky and the Brain) also guest star.
Netflix and The Pokémon Company International announced today that the newest animated movie based on the beloved Pokémon franchise will premiere on Netflix around the world outside of Japan and Korea. Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution welcomes a new CGI style to animated Pokémon movies and is inspired by one of the most popular stories in the long-running franchise.
Ash and Pikachu’s next adventure — the 22nd animated film in the franchise since the first movie launched in 1998 — premiered in Japan over summer and will arrive on Netflix across the globe on February 27, a.k.a. Pokémon Day!
“The ubiquitous reach and expert team at Netflix make them the perfect partner to bring this special animated movie to kids and fans around the world,” said Emily Arons, SVP of international business at The Pokémon Company International. “Netflix is the ideal platform to help us execute a global simultaneous launch of an animated Pokémon movie on Pokémon Day, a special moment dedicated to celebrating the worldwide Pokémon fan community.”
Synopsis: When researchers discover and exploit a fossil of the Mythical Pokémon Mew, they unleash a creation that goes against the very laws of nature: Mewtwo, a Legendary Pokémon intended for use as a tool of destruction. But as Mewtwo becomes aware of its own dubious origin, it begins to resent its human creators and seeks revenge — and Ash, Pikachu, and their friends find themselves at the center of its rampage! With the future of the Pokémon world at stake, will our heroes be able to overcome Mewtwo’s challenge … and will Mewtwo be able to find a new meaning for its life?
Nickelodeon’s latest animated series It’s Pony scored the network’s biggest animated series launch since 2018’s The Adventures of Kid Danger (Monday, Jan 15, at 7pm (ET/PT), posting solid double-digit gains over last year with Kids 2-11 (2.1/453K, up +24%) and Kids 6-11 (1.9/250K, +27%).
The Saturday morning premiere (Jan. 18 at 11:30 a.m.) also drew 959,000 Total Viewers. And, the series ranked as TV’s #2 animated telecast for the week with Kids 2-11, behind only SpongeBob SquarePants.
It’s Pony is an original 2D-animated buddy comedy that follows the life of an average girl named Annie, her (almost) average family, and what happens when an enthusiastic, unpredictable and carefree talking pony comes to live with them in their city apartment.
The first animated comedy series to be greenlit for the U.S. from Nickelodeon International, It’s Pony is created by Ant Blades, based off a short of the same name from Nickelodeon’s 2015 International Animated Shorts Program.
It’s Pony will continue to air Saturdays on Nickelodeon and will roll out internationally beginning April 2020.
Award-winning global independent animation studio ZAG has promoted Ian Lambur to the post of Executive Vice President, Production, Distribution & Co-Production, reporting to CEO and Founder Jeremy Zag.
Lambur joined ZAG in November 2018, serving as SVP, Global Distribution & Co-Productions. With this new promotion, he also has oversight of the company’s TV productions, including several series under the ZAG HEROEZ™ brand label, including:
The action-comedy Ghostforce (52 x 11’ + 4 x 22’) for Disney Channel EMEA and Discovery Kids Latin America, about three junior high school students who form a secret team to defend their city from the ghastly ghouls haunting it. Created by Jeremy Zag and developed with Sébastien Thibaudeau, Pascal Boutboul, Nathanaël Bronn and Jérôme Cointre.
Seasons one and two of the groundbreaking 3D CGI animated/live-action hybrid TV series Power Players (78 x 11’), currently airing on Cartoon Network U.S., EMEA, and Asia Pacific, and set for debut on France’s France Télévisions, Germany’s WDR, Planeta Junior (several territories), Brazil’s Gloob and Discovery Latin America. Power Players is the first series that delivers action from a toy’s-eye view as the inventive and curious boy Axel transforms into a 6-inch superhero! The series was created by Jeremy Zag and developed in collaboration with ON Kids & Family and Man of Action Entertainment.
Seasons four and five of the company’s flagship property: the 3D CGI-animated superhero aspirational action-comedy series Miraculous™ – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (130 x 11’), winner of the 2018 Teen Choice Award for Choice Animated Series airing in over 120 countries across the globe. Created by ZAG, co-production partners on these new seasons include France’s Method Animation (part of ON Kids & Family), Brazil’s Globosat and Italy’s DeAgostini Editore S.P.A., in collaboration with Disney Channel EMEA, French broadcaster TF1, South Korea’s SamG Animation and Japan’s Toei Animation.
Lambur continues to lead global distribution and co-production strategy of content to all platforms, including television, home entertainment and digital media.
“Over the past eight months, Ian has made a substantial contribution to the growth of ZAG, building on his network of extensive relationships and keen understanding of current and future media distribution platforms,” commented Zag. “Adding oversight of production is a natural progression given Ian’s oversight of co-productions to date.”
“2020 is a pivotal year for ZAG with three series on air around the globe and two new series that we anticipate being greenlit in the coming months,” added Lambur. “We have tremendous co-production partners on board for each of our properties with a collective commitment to prioritize creativity and deliver series that we believe in, all featuring theatrical level animation that we are known for.”
Lambur joined ZAG from The Jim Henson Company, where he served as SVP of Global Distribution. Previously, he held positions based in London U.K. at Disney Channels EMEA, serving as Acquisitions Manager and as Director of Sales at Guru Studios.
The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards have announced the nominated titles in the nine categories of its third edition, which will be held on April 18 on the island of Tenerife. The selection reflects the richness, creativity and diversity of the animation produced in the Ibero-American regions and includes everything from popular fare to auteur or experimental works made by both established filmmakers and new talents.
With 14 each, Spain and Portugal top the list of countries with the most nominations, followed by Argentina and Brazil with 10 each. Also represented are Chile (four nominations), Mexico (four), Bolivia (two), Colombia (two), Costa Rica (one) and Paraguay (one). The 39 nominated works were selected from the 219 applications received, and will vie for finalist places in the categories of feature film, series, short film, school short film, animation for video game, commissioned film, visual development, animation design and sound design/original music.
The Spanish feature Klaus and the Portuguese shorts Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days and Nestor are the works with the highest number of nominations (four). Among those selected are works nominated for the Oscar and Goya awards, and others selected and awarded at international festivals such as Annecy, Locarno, TIFF, Dok Liepzig, IDFA or Havana, among others.
An international jury will choose three finalists in each category, to be announced at Casa de América de Madrid on Tuesday, February 18. The jury is made up of Alfredo Marun (Disney Television Animation) from Colombia; Anja Franczak (Human Ark), Poland; Simón Vladimir Varela (production designer and visual development artist for Pixar, Disney, Warner, etc.), El Salvador; Vera Verba (Sesame Workshop YouTube Channel), U.S.; and Véronique Encrenaz (MIFA Annecy), France.
2020 Quirino Award nominees:
Feature Film
Elcano and Magellan, the First Voyage Around the World, directed by Ángel Alonso. Produced by Dibulitoon Studio, Elkano Dibulitoon AIE (Spain)
Turu, the Wacky Hen, directed by Víctor Monigote & Eduardo Gondell. Produced by Tandem Films, Producions a Fonsagrada, Gloriamundi Producciones, Brown Films, Pampafilms, Argentina Sonofilm, Mediabyte, In Post We Trust, Malditomaus (Spain, co-production with Argentina)
Homeless, directed by Jorge Campusano, José Navarro & Santiago O’Ryan. Produced by Lunes, Fábula, Arco libre (Chile, in co-production with Argentina)
Klaus, directed by Sergio Pablos. Produced by The SPA Studios, Atresmedia Cine (Spain)
The Longleg, directed by Mercedes Moreira. Produced by Eucalyptus Animación (Argentina)
Reconciliation Stories, directed by Carlos Santa & Rubén Monroy. Produced by Carlos Santa, Rubén Monroy (Colombia)
Series
Cubs – Crocodiles, directed by Mélia Gilson & Camille Authouart. Produced by VIDEOLOTION, Praça Filmes, Jpl Films (Portugal, co-production with France)
The Legend of Zeta and Ozz– Spinner Master, directed by Leo Beltrán. Produced by Cartoon Network Latinoamérica, in co-production with Punkrobot, Typpo, Niño Viejo (Chile)
Mini Beat Power Rockers, directed by Pedro Blumenbaum. Produced by Mundoloco Animation Studio (Argentina)
Momonsters, directed by Javier Martínez. Produced by Big Bang Box, KD Toons & Games, 3Doubles Producciones, Vitotito Animation, TVE y Antaviana Films (Spain)
Space Chickens in Space, directed by Tommy Vad Flaaten & Markus Vad Flaaten. Produced by Ánima, Cake Entertainment, Disney (Mexico, co-production with United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia). Original idea by José C. García de Letona & Rita Street
Tainá and the Amazon’s Guardians, directed by André Forni. Produced by Hype, Sincrocine (Brazil)
Short Film
Flesh, directed by Camila Kater. Produced by Doctela, Abano Producións (Brazil, co-production with Spain)
The Cubicbird, directed by Jorge Alberto Vega. Produced by La Valiente Estudio, in co-production with Cintadhesiva Comunicaciones and with the associated production of Animaedro Estudio De Animación (Colombia)
The Peculiar Crime of Oddball Mr Jay, directed by Bruno Caetano. Produced by Cola – Colectivo Audiovisual, Wild Stream (Portugal, co-production with France)
Purpleboy, directed by Alexandre Siqueira. Produced by Bando à Parte, Rainbox Productions, Ambiances… Asbl, Luna Blue Film (Portugal, co-production with Belgium, France)
I Bleed, directed by Tiago Minamisawa, Bruno H. Castro & Guto Br. Produced by Thiago Minamisawa (Brazil)
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days, directed by Regina Pessoa. Produced by Ciclope Filmes, ONF/NFB, Les Armateurs (Portugal, co-production with Canada, France)
School Short Film
Curves, directed by Ane Escudero. DigiPen Institute of Technology Europe Bilbao (Spain)
Gravedad, directed by Matisse Gonzalez. Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Bolivia, co-production with Germany)
I Want a Sun in My Pocket, directed by Laui Laessa. Vancouver Film School Vfs (Costa Rica, co-production with Canada)
Nestor, directed by João Gonzalez. Royal College of Art (Portugal, co-production with United Kingdom)
I Guess It Went Something Like That, directed by Giovanna Muzel Da Paixao. Cinema de animação, Centro de Artes UFPEL (Brazil)
Tiny Snout and the Hare Migration, directed by Florentina González & Nerina Landi. Primera Escuela de Arte Multimedial Da Vinci (Argentina)
Commissioned Film
The Bitter Bond, directed by Paulo Garcia. Produced by Zombie Studio (Brazil, co-production with United Kingdom)
In Your Hands, directed by Ralph Karam. Produced by Le Cube (Argentina)
Mate?, directed by Dalmiro Buigues & Martin Dasnoy. Produced by Cecilia Martin (Argentina, co-production with Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay)
Root and Tomorrow, directed by Cesar Gabriel Cepeda. Produced by Kraneo Estudio (Mexico)
We Have Voice, directed by Juan Manuel Costa. Produced by Juan Manuel Costa (Argentina)
Firefly 2 – Shine in Your Own Way, directed by Paulo Garcia. Produced by Zombie Studio (Brazil)
Video Game
Arise a Simple Story. Produced by Piccolo Studio (Spain)
R.E.E.N. THE LIFE ALGOR1THM. Produced by Estación Pi Games (Mexico)
Gris. Produced by Nomada Studio (Spain)
Omen of Sorrow. Produced by AOne Games (Chile)
Shadow Brawlers. Produced by Guazú (Argentina)
Very Little Nightmares. Produced by Alike Studio (Spain)
Visual Development
Flesh. Produced by Doctela, Abano Producións (Brazil, co-production with Spain)
Klaus. Produced by The SPA Studios, Atresmedia Cine (Spain)
Nestor. Royal College of Art (Portugal, co-production with United Kingdom)
The Peculiar Crime of Oddball Mr Jay. Produced by Cola – Colectivo Audiovisual, Wild Stream (Portugal, co-production with France)
Root and Tomorrow. Produced by Kraneo Estudio (Mexico)
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days. Produced by Ciclope Filmes, ONF/NFB, Les Armateurs (Portugal, co-production with Canada, France)
Animation Design
Klaus. Produced by The SPA Studios, Atresmedia Cine (Spain)
Muedra. Produced by Mizunonaka (Spain)
Nestor. Royal College of Art (Portugal, co-production with United Kingdom)
The Peculiar Crime of Oddball Mr Jay. Produced by Cola – Colectivo Audiovisual, Wild Stream (Portugal, co-production with France)
Purpleboy. Produced by Bando à Parte, Rainbox Productions, Ambiances… Asbl, Luna Blue Film (Portugal, co-production with Belgium, France)
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days. Produced by Ciclope Filmes, ONF/NFB, Les Armateurs (Portugal, co-production with Canada, France)
Sound Design and Original Music
Drawing Life. Produced by Openthedoor Studios (Brazil)
In Your Hands. Produced by Le Cube (Argentina)
Klaus. Produced by The SPA Studios, Atresmedia Cine (Spain)
Nestor. Royal College of Art (Portugal, co-production with United Kingdom)
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days. Produced by Ciclope Filmes, ONF/NFB, Les Armateurs (Portugal, co-production with Canada, France)
Umbrella. Produced by Stratostorm (Brazil)
More information and registration available at premiosquirino.org (early bird rates through Feb. 20). The call for presentations at the Co-Production and Business Forumis still open.
***This article originally ran in the February ‘20 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 297)***
If there’s one night that unites all of animation’s different sectors and community members, it’s the Annie Awards. The annual event presented by the good people at ASIFA-Hollywood is a wonderful chance to catch up with everyone in the industry and pay tribute to some of the best work done by our talented peers throughout the year. With so many top-notch movies, TV shows, shorts and special projects produced this year, the star-studded ceremony on Jan. 25 promises to be another one for the books.
“This year saw a 20 percent increase in submissions, with over 1,900 worldwide entries,” says ASIFA-Hollywood’s executive director, Frank Gladstone. “That was a lot of work for our nomination committees and they have come up with a wide and varied selection for our members to vote on, including films using a vast array of techniques, designs and storytelling points of view, which will make this year’s Annie ballot both interesting and full of insight into the creative possibilities of our art form.”
Frank Gladstone
With titles such as Klaus, Missing Link and I Lost My Body competing against blockbuster franchise faves such as Frozen II, Toy Story 4 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, it’s getting harder to define what is an indie movie and what is a big studio picture. As ASIFA president and animation historian Jerry Beck points out, “Klaus and Missing Link are technically indies, and yet they are backed by major Hollywood studios (Netflix and Laika Studios/United Artists, respectively). And in our Feature Independent category, the anime films are as mainstream as any commercial productions.”
Beck says the blending of the two makes him happy. “Animation will always be independent and animators will always be artists,” he says. “The projects the animators align themselves to can be big or small, popular or personal. It’s the craft we celebrate with the Annies. It’s exciting. I see growth and progression each and every year — and with this year’s crop of nominees, the cup runneth over.”
Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti and Rodney Rothman won the 2019 feature directing Annie Award for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A Star-Filled Stage
The award ceremony will continue its no-host policy that was established a couple of years ago. Beck says he loves seeing a variety of presenters on stage, especially the animators themselves: “As they used to say, ‘animators are actors with a pencil.’ I suppose today they’d say ‘actors with a pixel’ — but many in our community love to perform and make great hosts themselves. Of course we will have an array of more well-known voice actors and some surprise star power. Mainstream Hollywood has embraced animation more than ever, and you’ll see that reflected at the Annies.”
Of course, one of the main challenges of recognizing good work is having to leave some amazing projects out. “The toughest part in recent years is that so many really good films, TV and short films didn’t get nominated,” says Beck. “It’s tough to have to turn away so many outstanding potential nominees. It’s an embarrassment of riches. We really are in a new ‘Golden Age’. I can think of several animated features that were phenomenal, some incredible TV or internet series that blew me away, and short films in particular — such great work that in another year might have won the top honors. On the flip side, every nominee this year really earned their place.”
Beck says he considers himself very lucky to preside over the event and not have to do all the hard work. He explains, “We have an incredible staff behind the scenes that pull off the show year after year. Frank Gladstone is our executive director, and Michael Mallory our writer along with Event Director Gretchen Houser and Show Producer Annette O’Neil all deserve the kudos. I love that I just show up, give my little speech on stage and sit back and watch the show like everyone else. Of course the best thing about the Annies is the party after the ceremonies on the [UCLA] campus, right outside Royce Hall. It’s a who’s-who of everyone making animation there. ASIFA-Hollywood thinks of itself as the ‘United Nations of Animation.’ No matter who you are making your films for, there is no competition here. We are all friends. All one community, celebrating each other.”
BoJack Horseman won the 2019 Annie Award for Best General Audience TV Series
In addition to producing the well-attended event, ASIFA-Hollywood is also continuing its amazing preservation work all year long. Beck says the org is preserving several personal short films made by Disney artist Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty). He adds, “We have discovered (and are preserving) a lost Fleischer Betty Boop cartoon — one that nobody has seen since 1936! We are also working with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in preserving rare animation art. More about this to come! “
For more info about the event and to purchase tickets, visit annieawards.org.
Klaus, Frozen 2, Missing Link, Toy Story 4, and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Major Categories at a Glance
Best Animated Studio Feature Frozen II (Disney) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (DreamWorks) Klaus (Netflix/SPA Studios/Atresmedia) Missing Link (LAIKA) Toy Story 4 (Pixar)
Best Indie Feature Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (Sygnatia/Glow/Submarine/Hampa) I Lost My Body (Xilam for Netflix) Okko’s Inn (Madhouse) Promare (Trigger/Xflag) Weathering With You (Toho/ Story/CoMix Wave Films)
Best Special Productions Guava Island “Titles and Prologue” (Six Point Harness/Amazon) How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming (DreamWorks Animation) Infinity Train “The Perennial Child” (Cartoon Network Studios) SpongeBob SquarePants “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout” (Nickelodeon/Jonas & Co.) Zog (Magic Light Pictures)
Best Short Subject Acid Rain (Animoon) Don’t Know What (Thomas Renoldner) Je sors acheter des cigarettes (Miyu Productions) Purpleboy (Bando à Parte/Rainbox Prod./Ambiances… asbl/Luna Blue Film) Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days (Ciclope Filmes/National Film Board of Canada/Les Armateurs)
Best TV/Media – Preschool Ask the Storybots (JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix) Elena of Avalor (Disney Television Animation) Let’s Go Luna! (Brown Bag Films/9 Story Media Group) Norman Picklestripes (Factory) Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (Brown Bag Films/9 Story Media Group)
Best TV/Media – Children Disney Mickey Mouse (Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel) Niko and the Sword of Light (Titmouse/Amazon Studios) Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon Animation Studio) Tales of Arcadia: 3Below (DreamWorks Animation) The Tom and Jerry Show (Warner Bros. Animation)
Best TV/Media – General Audience Big Mouth (Netflix) BoJack Horseman (Tornante Prod., LLC for Netflix) Harley Quinn (Warner Bros. Animation) Tuca & Bertie (Tornante Prod., LLC for Netflix) Undone (Tornante Co. and Amazon Studios)
Best Student Film Con Fuerza (Savannah College of Art and Design) Gravedad (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH Animationsinstitut) The Fox & The Pigeon (Sheridan College) Un diable dans la poche (Gobelins, l’école de l’image)
Best Direction – Feature Frozen II (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominees: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck I Lost My Body (Xilam for Netflix)
Nominee: Jérémy Clapin Klaus (Netflix/The SPA Studios/Atresmedia Cine)
Nominee: Sergio Pablos Missing Link (LAIKA, LLC)
Nominee: Chris Butler Weathering With You (Toho Co., Ltd. /STORY Inc. /CoMix Wave Films)
Nominees: Makoto Shinka
Juried Awards
Juried Awards will also be presented honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. Winsor McCay Award recipients have been selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors for their exemplary industry careers – Satoshi Kon (posthumously), Japanese film director, animator, screenwriter and manga artist; Henry Selick, director, producer and writer who is best known for directing the stop-motion animation films The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline; and Ron Clements & John Musker, for more than 30 years one of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ leading director teams.
The June Foray Award will be presented to Jeanette Bonds, writer, independent animator and co-founder and director of GLAS Animation; and the Ub Iwerks Award will be presented to Jim Blinn, computer scientist who first became widely known for his work as a computer graphics expert at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), particularly his work on the pre-encounter animations for the Voyager project.
Toss a coin to your original animation team, oh watchers of Netflix: io9 has confirmed that the streaming giant is developing The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, a standalone anime movie which will expand the world of the super successful live-action series adaptation and introduce “a powerful new threat facing the Continent.”
Nightmare of the Wolf will be directed by The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and writer Beau DeMayo, and produced at Korean animation shop Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts). It has not been confirmed whether The Witcher stars Henry Cavill (Geralt), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) or Freya Allan (Ciri) will be part of the project.
Based on the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and, in turn, on the hit video game series, The Witcher debuted December 20 and was reported by Netflix to have broken viewership records with 76 million subscriber households tuning in over four weeks (although it’s unclear how many of these merely hit the streamer’s new two-minute “watch” minimum, as pointed out by Hollywood Reporter). Regardless, the dark fantasy epic proved a big enough hit that a second season is on the way.
While the series concept was born out of initial plans for a Netflix original movie, producers have always been open to feature-length and other projects. Executive producer Tomek Baginski recently hinted to IGN Poland that an animated version could be on the table. With eight novels full of magic, monsters and medieval power struggles to play with, why not?
Veteran producers and entrepreneurs L.C. Crowley and Brandon Barr, along with acclaimed animator and VFX artist Greg Jonkajtys, announced the launch of Trioscope Studios: a groundbreaking new studio dedicated to next-generation enhanced hybrid animation. Crowley will serve as Chief Executive Officer with Barr as Chief Content Officer and Jonkajtys as Chief Creative Officer. Joining them is Brian Lavin, Senior Vice President of Development.
The Los Angeles-based studio will be developing original dramatic content as well as adapting and producing third party intellectual property, all to be produced in its proprietary enhanced hybrid animation.
Trioscope’s technique marries human performance with animated environments to produce a first-of-its-kind viewing experience filled with powerful human emotion and breathtaking cinematic visuals, bringing a photoreal level to human faces, character movement and action while allowing filmmakers to tackle powerful dramatic stories with sweeping scale on a cost-effective budget.
The newly launched studio is currently in production on the upcoming World War II animated drama series The Liberator, written by Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive), directed by Jonkajtys and produced by A&E Studios and Unique Features for Netflix. Additionally, Trioscope has already partnered with Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, Unique Features and Hulu for unannounced projects.
“Trioscope can effectively produce in ways no other platform can,” said Crowley and Barr. “So often, dramatic material can’t get made because it’s too creatively ambitious or costly. This technology allows creators to imagine without limits – from contemporary to historic periods, and from fantasy to reality – and all on an achievable budget.”
“Animation is great at building anything that can be imagined,” said Jonkajtys. “Trioscope’s technology allows creators the opportunity to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of a serious subject matter.”
Crowley and Barr have a long history, having launched the successful Atlanta-based production company School of Humans a decade ago. The company built a reputation on genre defying and experimental projects such as Daytime Fighting League (Adult Swim), Stuff You Should Know (Science Channel) and Behind the Screens (Netflix) as well as progressive approaches to content through their podcasts, including the critical hit Hell and Gone.
An award-winning director, animator and VFX artist, Jonkajtys has served as a VFX Creative at Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic as well as CafeFX. His directorial works include multi award-winner and Cannes selected animated short The Ark and The 3rd Letter. His many VFX credits include Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Avengers: Infinity War, Sin City, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Revenant.
With over 15 years of experience, Lavin has served as a senior development executive at Discovery Communications, Red Bull Media House and Viacom. He has developed series such as The Challenger Disaster starring William Hurt, The Horn, The Road Trick, The Post Up, Social Fabric, The Unexplained Files and NASA’s Unexplained Files.
Follow Trioscope Studios at www.trioscopestudios.com.
Multi-award-winning U.K. animation studio Aardman has been appointed as distribution partner for Glowberry’s exciting new entertainment series created by Olga Cherepanova, Brave Bunnies, in a deal brokered by Big Picture Licensing (BPL). The 52 x 7’ preschool series, currently in production with Anima Kitchent (Spain), follows a family of courageous and curious Bunnies as they seek adventure and exploration, travelling on their Bunny Bus.
Directed by Tim Fehrenbach, Every episode in the series starts with a bunny bus ride, and a cheerful song. On each stop, brother and sister bunnies, Bop and Boo discover different animals, creating new games to help build friendships.
Brave Bunnies shows children the diversity of the world, encouraging viewers to accept differences, no matter how big or small.
“We consider the Brave Bunnies to be a huge breakthrough for the Ukrainian animation world, and we feel proud about gathering an international team for the production of the series to be distributed worldwide by our new partner, Aardman,” said Marine Vardanyan, Head of Brand Management at Glowberry.
“Brave Bunnies looks like nothing else on our slate, and when Glowberry first pitched it to us at MIPCOM we could instantly see the series appealing to audiences all over the world,” said Alison Taylor, Head of Sales & Acquisitions at Aardman. “We are very excited to be working with the teams at Glowberry and Anima, and to be showing Brave Bunnies to our clients for the first time at the Kidscreen Summit.”
Aardman and Glowberry will present an episode of the new series at Kidscreen Summit in Miami next month. Spin Master is on board as a licensee, and the team is seeking further strategic partnerships with broadcasters, digital platforms, distributors, CP licensees and licensing agents for Brave Bunnies — due to launch in Spring 2021.
