On the heels of the record-breaking launch of My Hero Academia Season 4, Funimation Films, the theatrical division of Sony Pictures Television’s Funimation, today announced the premiere date for its new feature film, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, from Toho Co Ltd. The next installment from the hit My Hero Academia franchise will be released on February 26 in more than 1,000 theaters across the U.S. and Canada as a limited theatrical engagement in both Japanese (English subtitles) and English dub.
Advance ticket sales for My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising will launch on January 31.
The 2018 release of My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, the first-ever film from the franchise, was a huge hit with U.S. and Canadian audiences and screened in 556 U.S. and Canadian theaters during its release, which included a two-week extended run to meet overwhelming ticket demand from fans. When Two Heroes finally closed, it grossed an astounding $5,768,366 at the box office and ranked #10 on the Top 10 list of highest grossing domestic anime films of all time – surpassing The Wind Rises ($5.2M) by legendary director Hayao Miyazaki.
Synopsis: Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do some real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it’s more like a vacation … until they’re attacked by a villain with an unfathomable Quirk! His power is eerily familiar, and it looks like Shigaraki had a hand in the plan. But with All Might retired and citizens’ lives on the line, there’s no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes, and they’re the island’s only hope.
The nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced Monday morning, revealing the five contenders each in our can’t-miss categories: Animated Feature, Animated Short Film, Visual Effects and Original Song. The talented movie magic makers behind these projects have been reaching out to share their excitement:
Animated Feature Film Nominees
“Great news for the Dragon cast and crew! The Academy has been very kind to us over the past decade, honoring us with nominations for each installment of our trilogy. It’s been a labor of love and we greatly appreciate the acknowledgment.”
“We are immensely proud and honored to receive this nomination from The Academy. The story of Hiccup and Toothless has been a story of a life-changing friendship and a world that so many artists have brought their heart and immense talents to. We congratulate our fellow nominees and all who have given so much in the making of Dragon.”
— Bonnie Arnold, producer, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
“I’m excited, honored, and so thankful to the Academy to be nominated and so proud and happy for our amazing crew that put every ounce of their energy into this film, and a cast that brought such memorable performances to life.”
–– Brad Lewis,producer, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
“What a dream come true for myself and the whole crew! Who would have thought that an adult animated film, a bit weird and melancholic, about a severed hand and titled I Lost My Body could one day be Oscar nominated? It’s proof that a film made with limited funds and not playing by the usual rules can still achieve the highest artistic recognition. What an honor! Thank you to Guillaume Laurant, who wrote the book this film is based on. Thank you to my producer, Marc du Pontavice who never ceased to believe in me. Thank you to my voice cast, my composer Dan Levy and the whole crew at Xilam Studio.”
“I feel extremely proud and grateful for this nomination. Proud because this is celebrating an immense effort to cross the boundaries that are usually assigned to animation, to claim the right to draw adult stories that are complex and demanding. And grateful to the academy for demonstrating its love for diversity. It’s never been so urgent that the heart of the world entertainment industry encourages different voices, different art of storytelling. My admiration and thanks goes to the brilliant vision of film director Jeremy Clapin and to the talent and devotion of the artists at Xilam Animation Studio.”
— Marc du Pontavice, producer, I Lost My Body
“We are extremely honored to be nominated for an Oscar. Many thanks to the members of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Science. Klaus would not be here without our relentless crew of 260-plus talented artists and technicians representing 22 countries, and of course without ATRESMedia and Netflix, who believed in our vision to take traditional animation forward. We hope others will continue to innovate and diversify the animation medium.”
— Sergio Pablos, director/writer; Jinko Gotoh & Maris Roman, producers; Klaus
“Everyone at LAIKA is absolutely thrilled to be nominated for Best Animated Feature Film for Missing Link. Our film speaks to the human desire to belong, to find your place in life and to connect with others. For the hundreds of animators, craftspeople and technologists who create our films, that connection lies in the belief that movies matter and that creating beauty and emotionally rich film experiences is our best way to make a difference in the world. A most sincere thanks to the Academy for this acknowledgement.”
— Chris Butler, director, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight, producers, Missing Link
“Working on Toy Story 4 has been an incredible journey and a tremendous honor. We love these characters so much — they are like family to us. Our goal was to tell a story that explored the idea that our purpose is a moving target. It’s humbling how that message resonated with audiences around the world. We hope people have found it not only to be entertaining, but thoughtful as well.
Of course it’s also a film about toys, which hopefully helps imbue the experience with humor and fun as well as emotional depth. But for us, and our entire crew, when we receive an honor like today’s two nominations, it’s clear our purpose is to strive to tell great stories. Thank you Academy for this recognition — to infinity and beyond!”
— Josh Cooley, director, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera, producers, Toy Story 4
Animated Short Film Nominees
“Our Daughter is a dream of every parent. She is well turned out, doing great and making her parents proud. And considering her modest background, she went into the big wide world early, with full self-confidence. Her spiritual mother is a great person and film artist, and that must be the dream of every film producer, too. Daria created an exceptional film. I am happy that I could be at its birth and I am already looking forward to the new film that Daria is beginning to prepare with us. Last but not least, besides the closest colleagues, the editor Alexander Kashcheev and Zuzana Roháčová from the Department of Production, I have to mention the systematic and steadfast support of the Czech Film Fund, which – led by Helena Bezděk Fraňková – explores ways how to return Czech filmmaking and Czech animation to its distinguished international position.“
— Martin Vandas, producer (MAUR Film), Daughter (directed by Daria Kashcheeva)
“We are so very grateful to The Academy for this recognition. We set out on this journey to tell the story of a young black father whose love for his daughter takes him into uncharted territory – doing her hair for the first time. The story was incredibly personal to us because it allowed us to tackle the negative societal stereotypes around natural hair and black fathers, and to normalize the depiction of a loving black family that we know so well and yet have seen so little of in media. We are grateful for the overwhelming reception. It’s a testament to how much representation matters and how it can empower all of us to see ourselves in a more positive light. We humbly thank Sony Pictures Animation and everyone who played a part in getting Hair Love out to the world.”
— Matthew A. Cherry, director, and Karent Rupert Toliver, producer, Hair Love
“We are truly honored and humbled to receive this nomination and be celebrated alongside such an inspiring collection of shorts — it means the world to us and the entire Kitbull crew. Our biggest hope with Kitbull was for the audience to come away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of animals and their needs, and to give a voice to the voiceless… so to be recognized at this level, could not be more meaningful. A sincere thank you to the Academy. Now we are off to celebrate by watching more cat videos!”
— Rosana Sullivan, director, and Kathryn Hendrickson, producer, Kitbull
“Sister is a very special and personal film for me. When I started to make this film, I simply wanted to make a film to reflect on my childhood and tell the story of our generation that nobody has ever told before, never really thinking about how the film would eventually be received. It has been a fantastic journey to create Sister and to see her being embraced by audiences around the world. And today I’m extremely grateful to see Sister being nominated for an Oscar among this group of amazing films! I want to share the joy with my CalArts mentors and student volunteers who helped on the production, I could not have created this film without their guidance and support. And thank you to the Academy for this nomination, it means the world to us! When I left China six years ago to pursue my dream as a filmmaker, my parents told me: ‘Go explore the world.’ They probably didn’t see this coming.”
“For us, ‘Into the Unknown’ is more than a song — it’s a culmination of a decade-long collaboration with the incredible artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios, led by our partners and friends Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. We have been so lucky to work hand-in-hand almost daily for five years helping to craft the story and songs for Frozen II. To be honored by the Academy once more means the world to us.” — Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Frozen II “Into the Unknown”
This morning, the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards were announced at 5:30 by actors John Cho and Issa Rae in 24 categories. Here is the list of this year’s animation and vfx-related nominees:
Best Animated Feature:
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Directed by Dean DeBlois) DreamWorks/Universal
I Lost My Body (Directed by Jeremy Clapin) (Xilam/Netflix)
Klaus (Sergio Pablos) (SPA Studios, Netflix)
Missing Link (Directed by Chris Butler) LAIKA/United Artists
Toy Story 4 (Directed by Josh Cooley) Pixar/Disney
Best Animated Short:
Dcera (Daughter) Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic)
Hair Love (Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., Bruce W. Smith) (USA)
Kitbull (Rosana Sullivan) (USA) (watch online)
Memorable (Bruno Collet) (France)
Sister (Siqi Song) (USA)
Best Visual Effects:
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Original Song:
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4”
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”
Music by Elton John; Lyric by Bernie Taupin
“I’m Standing With You” from “Breakthrough”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Into The Unknown” from “Frozen II”
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“Stand Up” from “Harriet”
Music and Lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
Best Visual Effects
Avengers: Endgame (Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken, Dan Sudick)
The Irishman (Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli)
The Lion King (Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman)
1917 (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy)
Most awards watchers had predicted three of the contenders: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Missing Link (Golden Globe winner) and Disney/Pixar favorite Toy Story 4. However the sweet surprise was the appearance of the two Netflix contenders, I Lost My Body (Jeremy Clapin) and Klaus (Sergio Pablos) on the ballot. Also, the fact that Disney’s box-office winner Frozen 2 didn’t make the cut was quite the shocker.
Last year, Sony Pictures Animation’s critical and commercial success Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, and the prize for Best Animated Short went to Domee Shi’s Bao (Pixar). Black Panther was the winner of the Best Visual Effects Oscar,
The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
See oscars.org for additional category short lists and more information.
CBS All Access is ramping up its animation slate under the newly merged ViacomCBS umbrella, announcing orders for a new topical variety show from Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report, Our Cartoon President), an original family comedy from Brad Neely (China, IL; Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio) and Katie Krentz (All Access’ Star Trek: Lower Decks), as well as a trio of new series inspired by beloved children’s brands from DreamWorks Animation’s Classic Media. The animated additions were announced during the streamer’s TCA presentation Sunday.
Tooning Outthe News will feature daily short segments building into a weekly full-length episode, with animated characters mocking the most recent headlines and interviewing notable real-life guests. Nine-time Emmy-winning host and comedian Stephen Colbert and Late Show colleague Chris Licht are executive producing, along with RJ Fried and Tim Luecke off Colbert’s Showtime animated series, Our Cartoon President (season 3 premieres January 26).
Julie McNamara, EVP Original Content for CBS All Access, said, “This brilliant creative team is truly breaking new ground, marrying daily headline events with animation, to create their own unique spin on today’s news coverage. Whether you come for your daily dose or the full length episode at the end of the week, CBS All Access is the perfect destination for this innovative, comedic look at our culture of ‘Breaking News’ overload, and we are thrilled to be in business with these phenomenal creative minds from within the ViacomCBS family.”
The Harper House follows an overconfident female head-of-household as she struggles to reclaim her high status after losing her job and moving her family of oddball characters to the “poor side” of a small Arkansas town, where they find themselves living in an inherited Victorian fixer-upper. The series is created by Brad Neely, who exec produces with former Cartoon Network development director Katie Krentz, and is being produced by CBS Television Studios — where Krentz has an overall deal — and the animation veteran’s 219 Productions.
“It’s the big animated family show for the 21st century with a fun fallible lady up front and a neurotic husband at home,” Neely told Deadline. “Katie Krentz and I have been talking about this for years, and we know the folks at CBS Television Studios and CBS All Access get it. This will be crazy fun.”
McNamara added: “Brad is an exceptional talent, who has translated his affection for his hometown into a rich, animated universe, with a family at the center that you instantly want to be a part of. We are thrilled to be bringing the Harpers to our subscribers as we continue to expand our animated original programming.”
The streamer has also picked up three new iterations of classic kids’ toons from Classic Media (part of DreamWorks Animation), set to premiere January 17: Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo.
“We’ve seen a tremendous response from our subscribers in just the few months since CBS All Access began offering children’s programming,” said Marc DeBevoise, Chief Digital Officer of ViacomCBS and President/CEO of CBS Interactive. “Bringing new editions of legendary classics like Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo to the service is a fantastic benchmark for CBS All Access, and we look forward to continuing to expand our offering for families.”
These titles will join CBS All Access’s existing children’s offerings, such as Sony’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the new Danger Mouse produced by Boulder Media for Boat Rocker, and a library of titles including content from new sibling studio Nickelodeon.
Animator Rosa Fisher’s new short Sent Away is now available to view online. The short centers on her father’s experience of being sent away to boarding school when he was only eight. As well as this personal angle, it also speculates at how the cultural tradition of sending children to boarding school has shaped the U.K., as so many of the country’s politicians have been molded through these institutions. It recently won best documentary at the Factual Animation Film Festival in London, and has screened at various film festivals around Europe.
You can watch the short here:
Fisher was kind enough to answer a few questions about her short for us recently:
Can you tell us a little bit about the short’s origins and inspirations?
My dad has spoken about his experiences of being sent to boarding school throughout my life, and this made me really invested in showing the kind of damage these institutions can bring. I was greatly influenced by the research of Nick Duffel in this film. He has written at length about boarding schools, and writes that boarding schools force children to alter themselves and suppress their vulnerabilities in order to cope with the sense of abandonment it brings.
As well as telling the more personal story of my dad’s experience, I also wanted to show the wider political consequences that this cultural tradition of child abandonment under the guise of privilege has. The majority of the political leaders in Britain have been shaped and hardened through this system, and this no doubt feeds into the sometimes questionable ways that the country is governed.
How long did it take to make?
It was my graduation project from the Royal College of Art in London and it took about 10 months all together.
Which animation tools did you use to produce your short?
I used Photoshop to animate the characters frame by frame, and then the backgrounds were hand drawn on paper using a nice soft pencil.
When did you first realize that you wanted to work in animation?
I had always known that I wanted to do art and was always making things and drawing as a kid, but at first I had no idea in what form it would take. Then I realized that I loved coming up with characters and stories, which made me choose to study the illustration/animation course at Kingston University. One of the first things we had to do on the course was an exercise where you had to invent a character by taking two pre-existing characters and mashing them together, and then we did an animated walk cycle using that character. I found it to be a mind-blowing experience. and I just couldn’t get over the possibilities that had been opened up from adding movement to my drawing.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently freelancing as an animator, and right now am making an explainer video with my lovely friend Gabriella Marsh.
What are your plans for the future?
I would love to make another personal film soon, maybe on similar themes of masculinity. I also want to continue making things with the talented friends I have around me and collaborating on things together.
What was your father’s reaction to the short?
I was at first nervous to ask my dad if I could make the film, because it’s such a personal topic to him and to other people in my family, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react. It definitely takes a lot of bravery to share details about your life in such depth, but my dad is really keen to challenge the boarding school tradition and so was very on board with the project. Dad has told me that he feels really touched that I made it and so I’m very happy about that.
Family Guy creator and multi-Emmy-winner Seth MacFarlane is breaking up with Fox after two decades delivering hits for the network, having inked a new $200 million, five-year overall deal with NBCUniversal’s recently coalesced Content Studios, headed by chairman Bonnie Hammer. MacFarlane and his Fuzzy Door Productions will create and develop TV projects across NBCU’s large portfolio, including Universal Content Prod. (cable and streaming) and Universal Television (broadcast).
“Seth’s voice resonates across multiple demographics and mediums. We all admire his ability to create audacious commentary with bold, yet relatable, humor and I look forward to working with him behind and in front of the camera,” said Hammer.
The reported deal is the first major signing for the Content Studios division since it combined UCP and Universal TV this fall.
MacFarlane’s most recent deal with 20th Century Fox (now owned by Disney) expired in the summer of 2019. He had since been shopping around with the major streaming and TV players for a deal starting at $40 million per year, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.
A multi-talented jack-of-all-trades in film and television, MacFarlane has worked across animation (Family Guy, American Dad!, The Cleveland Show), live-action (The Orville) and feature film (Ted movies, A Million Ways to Die in the West). THR sources say the creative dynamo is interested in pursuing a range of concepts for NBCU, from musicals to political dramas to historical subjects, as well as new animated projects.
“All of us at UCP are huge fans of Seth’s work in television and film,” said UCP President Dawn Olmstead. “In my household, where the ages range from 11 to 52, Seth falls somewhere between an icon and a god. Whether it’s comedy, drama, science fiction, animation or musicals, his virtuoso knows no boundaries. This, combined with our shared desire to play in every sandbox that the industry has to offer, is why I believe we can be a great home for all of his creative pursuits. Plus, working with him just made me much cooler to my kids.”
MacFarlane commented, “I am extremely honored to be partnering with Dawn Olmstead and the entire UCP team. My relationship with Universal predates this new chapter, and if my experience producing television with UCP is anything like the experience I’ve had producing films with the company, it will be an exciting and creatively fulfilling one for me and for Fuzzy Door. I’m especially inspired by all of the opportunities that NBCUniversal Content Studios has to offer with George and Bonnie at the helm. I will remain indebted to my good friend Dana Walden [former chair & CEO of Fox Television Group] and the team at 20th for their collaborative partnership over the years, and I look forward to our continued work together on Family Guy, American Dad and The Orville.”
The Oscar-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival, now in its 23rd year, returns February 21 – March 15 to present another exciting slate of the very best animation, live-action, documentary and experimental features and shorts from around the globe. NYICFF 2020 will highlight the cinematic achievements of Japan in an expanded program, shine a spotlight on new Canadian animation, and introduce its first-ever Industry Forum to focus on inclusion and representation in children’s media.
Tickets go on sale January 15 for Members, and January 22 for the general public at www.nyicff.org.
Now in its fourth edition, NYICFF’s Friends & Neighbors program this year showcases the cinematic achievements of Japan. From anime to art-house, Japanese film is a global phenomenon, with enormous box-office success and loyal fans in both its home country and around the world.
“NYICFF has long been at the forefront of showcasing the latest and best Japanese features for an admiring U.S. audience; from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Steamboy (U.S. premiere 2005), and acclaimed Studio Ghibli titles including [Goro] Miyazaki’s From Up on Poppy Hill (U.S. premiere 2013) and Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s When Marnie WAs There (North American premiere 2015); to Mamoru Hosoda’s acclaimed Wolf Children (U.S. continental premiere 2013); and Makoto Shinkai’s box-office phenomenon Your Name. (East Coast premiere 2017). NYICFF has also long cultivated ties with Japanese filmmakers whose animation, live-action and experimental work has populated the Festival’s celebrated short film collections,” said Nina Guralnick, Executive Director NYICFF. “The 2020 Festival furthers this connection with Japan and offers a strong program that reflects NYICFF’s mission of demonstrating and fostering the best in films for all ages.”
On-Gaku: Our Sound
NYICFF 2020’s Friends & Neighbors: Japan shares a curated selection of four new and retrospective feature films and one short film collection, highlighting the region’s rich cinema and cultural history in a breathtaking range of styles: from the East Coast Premiere of Ayumu Watanabe’s atmospheric Children of the Sea (2019, NYICFF Opening Night Film), and the U.S. Premiere of the award-winning, fresh vision of Kenji Iwaisawa’s On-Gaku: Our Sound(2019) to Renpei Tsukamoto’s charming live-action inter-generational twist in Bento Harassment (2019); to a retrospective screening of Taiji Yabushita and Akira Daikuhara’s landmark anime Magic Boy (1961). A contemporary short film collection offers the world premiere of Koji Yamamura’s highly anticipated hand-drawn animation Dreams into Drawing (2020), alongside Takeshi Yashiro’s stop-motion piece Gon, the Little Fox and other animation, experimental and live-action shorts from a wide range of Japanese filmmakers.
Gon, the Little Fox
“We had an extraordinary opportunity to dig deeply into Japanese film, with the intent of expanding on NYICFF’s history of bringing the best anime titles to U.S. audiences,” noted Programming Director Maria-Christina Villaseñor. “With this year’s program, audiences will have the opportunity to see two premiere features that are truly expanding the visual style, language and thematics of Japanese animation with Children of the Sea and On-Gaku: Our Sound. Our live-action selection, Bento Harassment, offers a fantastic and witty exploration of strong Japanese female characters, and our retrospective title gives audiences a unique historical perspective through Magic Boy, the first anime Japan ever released in the U.S. in 1961 and an inspiration to anime titles since. Alongside this, we have a collection of gorgeous, alternately moving and hilarious shorts from Japan’s celebrated short filmmakers working in a range of styles.”
Japanese films at the Festival are generously supported by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Sony Pictures, and the Japan Foundation New York, and organized in part with the Kineko International Children’s Film Festival.
The celebrated annual Animators All Around will welcome Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi, filmmaker and co-founder of California-based Tonko House. Dice will share insight into Tonko House’s creative process and an exclusive look at some intriguing new projects in development. Previous to founding Tonko House in 2014, Dice was an art director at Pixar, and a visual development and color key artist for Blue Sky Studios. Dice joins Jill Culton, director of Abominable, for the discussion, with details on the full lineup forthcoming.
NYICFF 2020 showcases an exceptional range of animated shorts, features and episodic content from fresh and innovative filmmaker voices in its Spotlight on Canada program. Highlights include the world premiere of the second season of Netflix and Silvergate Media’s acclaimed series Hilda, with director Andy Coyle from Canada’s Mercury Filmworks appearing in person for an exclusive Q&A.
Hilda
With a dynamic animation and national film sector, unique cultural perspective, and outstanding animation schools, Canadian cinema is shaping new boundaries in creative visual storytelling. By turning a lens on Canada with 2020 program focus, NYICFF will explore the nuances of Canadian culture and highlight its national cinema for an avid all-ages audience — while also introducing Canadian filmmakers to the wider NYC film community.
“Canada is proud of its continued leadership in children’s cinema, and in the creation of films that promote Canadian values like inclusivity, diversity, and civic duty and resonate with young people around the world. The 2020 spotlight on Canada is a symbol of the strength and influence of Canada’s creative industries,” said Catherine Scheinman, Head of Cultural Affairs and Creative Industries; Film, Television & Arts, Consulate General of Canada.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the wealth of talent and animated works that delight audiences the world over,” said Francesca Accinelli, Director, Promotion and Communications at Telefilm Canada. “We get a chance to show audiences the wide range of voices and storytellers that we have shaping and expanding our entertainment landscape.”
Canadian films at the Festival are generously supported by the Consulate General of Canada and Telefilm Canada.
Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon has left Starburns Industries, Collider reports. Harmon co-founded the studio with Dino Samatopoulos, Joe Russo II, James Fino and Duke Johnson in 2010 to produce the animation for the Emmy-winning Community holiday episode. The prodco is behind innovative projects like Oscar-nominated stop-motion drama Anomalisa (2015), series animation Animals, Mary Shelly’s Frankenhole, HarmonQuest and the upcoming The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers adaptation.
A source told the news site, “Dan stepped away from Starburns some time ago to focus his time and attention on Rick and Morty.” It is unclear when the multiplatform creator made the move, but Collider notes that his Starburns Audio podcast Harmontown wrapped up last month.
Now in its fourth season, Rick and Morty (which Harmon created with Justin Roiland) should keep the Wisconsin-born Emmy winning writer and producer busy — the show received a 70-episode re-up from Adult Swim in 2018. He is also creator/exec producer of animated RPG comedy HarmonQuest on VRV, and of live-action hits Community and The Sarah Silverman Program.
The nominees have been announced for the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, and public voting is now open. Fans are encouraged to vote online every day (voting resets at 12 a.m. PST) between now and Friday, January 17, to help push their favorites to victory!
The winners, chosen both by fans across the global community and by a committee of judges, will be announced during a live show on February 15, starting at 5 p.m. PST. This year’s Anime Awards will be hosted by WWE Superstar and longtime anime fan Xavier Woods (host of YouTube gaming show UpUpDownDown).
Presenters will include industry and entertainment personalities Gibi, SungWon Cho, Cole Gallian, Miranda Sanchez, Tristan Gallant, Mark Phillips, Geoffrey Thew, Kiera Please, LilyPichu, Anthony Carboni, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean and Connor Colquhoun.
The 2020 Industry Icon award will be presented to George Wada, President of Wit Studio. After working as a producer at Production I.G (the studio behind the hit anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), Wada created Wit Studio in June 2012, taking on the role of President. Notable titles he has produced include Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2020 nominees:
Anime of the Year Carole & Tuesday Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mob Psycho 100 II O Maidens in Your Savage Season The Promised Neverland Vinland Saga
Best Protagonist
Emma, The Promised Neverland
Hyakkimaru, Dororo
Saitama, One-Punch Man Season 2
Senku, Dr. STONE
Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket
Best Antagonist
Ai Magase, BABYLON
Angela, Carole & Tuesday
Askeladd, Vinland Saga
Garou, One-Punch Man Season 2
Isabella, The Promised Neverland
Overhaul, My Hero Academia Season 4
Best Boy
Bruno Bucciarati, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
Hyakkimaru, Dororo
Kanata Hoshijima, ASTRA LOST IN SPACE
Naruzou Machio, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?
Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, Mob Psycho 100 II
Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Best Girl
Carole, Carole & Tuesday
Chika Fujiwara, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
Emma, The Promised Neverland
Kohaku, Dr. STONE
Nezuko Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Raphtalia, The Rising of the Shield Hero
Best Director
Tetsuro Araki, Attack on Titan Season 3
Kiyotaka Suzuki, BABYLON
Shinichiro Watanabe & Motonobu Hori, Carole & Tuesday
Yuzuru Tachikawa, Mob Psycho 100 II
Kunihiko Ikuhara, Sarazanmai
Shuhei Yabuta, Vinland Saga
Best Animation Attack on Titan Season 3 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia Mob Psycho 100 II Sarazanmai Vinland Saga
Best Character Design
Tsunenori Saito, Original Character Design by Eisaku Kubonouchi, Carole & Tuesday
Satoshi Iwataki, Original Character Design by Hiroyuki Asada, Dororo
Yuko Iwasa, Dr. STONE
Yuko Yahiro, Original Character Design by Aka Akasaka, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
Kayoko Ishikawa, Original Character Design by Miggy, Sarazanmai
Takahiko Abiru, Original Character Design by Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga
Best Score
Hiroyuki Sawano, Attack on Titan Season 3
Mocky, Carole & Tuesday
Go Shiina and Yuki Kajiura, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Tatsuya Kato, Hiroaki Tsutsumi and Yuki Kanesaka, Dr. STONE
Yugo Kanno, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
Kevin Penkin, The Rising of the Shield Hero
Best Fight Scene
Emperor Crimson vs. Metallic, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
Levi vs. Beast Titan, Attack on Titan Season 3
Mob vs. Toichiro, Mob Psycho 100 II
Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Thorfinn vs. Thorkell, Vinland Saga
Ushiwakamaru vs. Tiamat, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
Best Couple
Baki Hanma & Kozue Matsumoto, Baki
Kaguya Shinomiya & Miyuki Shirogane, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
Mafuyu Sato & Ritsuka Uenoyama, given Reo & Mabu, Sarazanmai
Rika Zonazaki & Shun Amagi, O Maidens in Your Savage Season
Ymir & Historia, Attack on Titan Season 3
Best VA Performance (JP)
Mamoru Miyano as Reo Niiboshi, Sarazanmai
Saori Hayami as Shinobu Kocho, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Yuichi Nakamura as Bruno Bucciarati, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
Yukino Satsuki as Ai Magase, BABYLON
Yuuko Kaida as Isabella, The Promised Neverland
Yusuke Kobayashi as Senku, Dr. STONE
Best VA Performance (EN)
Kyle McCarley as Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, Mob Psycho 100 II
Laura Bailey as Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket
Erica Mendez as Retsuko, Aggretsuko Season 2
Billy Kametz as Naofumi, The Rising of the Shield Hero
Faye Mata as Aqua, KONOSUBA -God’s blessing on this wonderful world!
Casey Mongillo as Shinji, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Best Comedy Aggretsuko Season 2 How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift? Isekai Quartet KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR My Roommate Is a Cat Sarazanmai
Best Fantasy Ascendance of a Bookworm ASTRA LOST IN SPACE Attack on Titan Season 3 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Sarazanmai The Promised Neverland
Best Drama BABYLON Carole & Tuesday Fruits Basket Stars Align The Promised Neverland Vinland Saga
Best Opening Sequence
♪ Kiss Me by Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann, Carole & Tuesday (Animation Director & Storyboard Artist – Bahi JD)
♪ Kawaki wo Ameku by Minami, Domestic Girlfriend (Animation Director / Storyboard – Shota Ihata; Character Designer – Naomi Ide)
♪ Inferno by Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Fire Force (Storyboards – Akitoshi Yokoyama; Direction – Yuki Yase; Animation Director – Hideyuki Morioka)
♪ 99.9 by MOB CHOIR feat. sajou no hana, Mob Psycho 100 II (Animation Director – Yoshimichi Kameda; Storyboard Artist – Yuzuru Tachikawa)
♪ Touch Off by UVERworld, The Promised Neverland (Animation Director – Kazuaki Shimada; Storyboard Artist – Atsushi Nishigori)
♪ Mukanjyo by Survive Said the Prophet, Vinland Saga (Animation Director – Takahiko Abiru; Storyboard Artist – Kazuya Murata)
Best Ending Sequence
♪ Hold Me Now by Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann, Carole & Tuesday (Animation Director – Yoshiyuki Ito; Storyboard Artist – Norimitsu Suzuki)
♪ Sayonara Gokko by amazarashi, Dororo (Animation Director – Osamu Kobayashi; Storyboard Artist – Osamu Kobayashi)
♪ veil by Keina Suda, Fire Force (Storyboards, Direction, Animation, Coloring & Backgrounds – Taiki Konno)
♪ Chikatto Chika Chikaa♡ by Konami Kohara, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR (Animation Director / Storyboard Artist – Naoya Nakayama)
♪ Stand by me by the peggies, Sarazanmai (Animation Director – Kayoko Ishikawa; Storyboard Artist – Tao Tajima)
♪ Torches by Aimer, Vinland Saga (Animation Director / Storyboard Artist – Toshiyuki Yamashita)
Vinland SagaThe Promised NeverlandO Maidens in Your Savage SeasonMob Psycho 100 IIDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Fans can venture “Into the Unknown” and explore Arandelle in a new, melodious way as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen II Special Sing-Along Engagement tunes up in select theaters nationwide on January 17. Tickets are on sale now for the limited cinema run on Fandango.
To help warm up the ol’ pipes, Disney has released a sing-along version of the full “Some Things Never Change” from the blockbuster sequel, featuring the original song performed by Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), written by Academy Award winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez. Check it out below!
(You can watch all the official Frozen II music videos here; the soundtrack is available from Disney Music here.)
The magic of friendship is quite literal in this weekend’s episode premiere of Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. Featuring the voices of stars Mandy Moore (This Is Us) and Zachary Levi (Shazam!) as Rapunzel and Eugene, “Pascal’s Dragon” sees the princess’s loyal chameleon sidekick befriend a baby dragon. But soon Pascal must decide between his new scaly pal, and the safety of all Corona.
In the clip below, the gang discovers that a bond with a baby dragon comes with some very special perks (or problems)!
The new episode debuts Sunday, January 12 at 7:05 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW.
When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down. Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson. Stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina and Ewan McGregor; introducing Ella Jay Basco. In theaters February 7.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina S3 “Straight to Hell” MV (Netflix)
Part Three finds Sabrina reeling from the harrowing events of Part Two. Though she defeated her father Lucifer, the Dark Lord remains trapped within the human prison of her beloved boyfriend, Nicholas Scratch. Sabrina can’t live with herself, knowing that Nick made the ultimate sacrifice and is suffering, burning in Hell under Madam Satan’s watchful eye. So with an assist from her mortal friends, “The Fright Club” (Harvey, Rosalind and Theo), Sabrina makes it her mission to free him from eternal damnation and bring him back into her arms. However, the Dark Lord’s unseating has sent shockwaves through the realms — and, with no one on the throne, Sabrina must assume the title of “Queen” to defend it against a challenger, the handsome Prince of Hell, Caliban. Meanwhile, in Greendale, a mysterious carnival rolls into town, bringing with it a threat to the Spellmans and the coven: A tribe of pagans looking to resurrect an ancient evil…
Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa wrote and exec produces the series from Berlanti Productions. Stars Kiernan Shipka, Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Ross Lynch, Gavin Leatherwood, Chance Perdomo, Jaz Sinclair, Lachlan Watson, Michelle Gomez, Richard Coyle, Tati Gabrielle, Adeline Rudolph, Abigail Cowen and Lachlan Watson. Netflix premiere January 24.
The New Mutants (20th Century Fox/Marvel)
An original horror thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive. Directed by Josh Boone. Stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga. In theaters April 3.
October Faction (Netflix)
Building on the success of IDW Publishing’s comic-book series written by Steve Niles, the series follows Fred (J.C. MacKenzie) and Deloris Allen (Tamara Taylor) who, after the death of Fred’s father, return to their hometown in New York with their 17-year-old twins Geoff (Gabriel Darku) and Viv (Aurora Burghart). Subsequently, Geoff and Viv’s lives are turned upside down when they discover their seemingly unremarkable insurance sales rep parents are, in fact, (spoiler alert!) trained assassins who hunt monsters. Produced by High Park Ent. in association with IDW Ent. Adapted and created by Damian Kindler. Netflix S1 premiere January 23.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Disney)
Selected to screen at the Sundance Film Festival “Kids” section this month, the Disney+ original 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. An elementary school oddball, the clueless but confident Timmy (Winslow Fegley) must navigate the world of adults around him, including his overburdened mother (Ophelia Lovibond), her well-meaning boyfriend (Kyle Bornheimer), his teacher/nemesis (Wallace Shawn) and a school-mandated guidance counselor (Craig Robinson), all in his quest to become the best detective in the world. Directed by Tom McCarthy, based on the book by Stephen Pastis. Disney+ premiere February 7.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were MadeOctober FactionBirds of Prey
With the brand-new DreamWorks Animation series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts set to bow on Netflix streaming next week, NBC Universal’s Back Lot Music is helping potential fans get in the groove by releasing the Season One Soundtrack/Mixtape on Friday, January 10.
The show’s music is created by composer Daniel Rojas, whose varied credit list of feature films, TV shows and video games includes Oscar-winning movie Room, thriller Money Monster and sci-fi comedy Downsizing.
“For almost two years now we’ve been working on the music for Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, so I am really excited for people to finally hear it. Kipo has been particularly fun because it has allowed me to combine a wide variety of genres into one project, as well as figuring out how to take those sounds from the songs and adapt them into the score,” said Rojas. “The soundtrack for the show is being released this Friday and has a combination of songs and score. Here is a sample of one of those songs, featuring vocals by my friend Michelle Gonzalez, and a short action cue full of pop/trap sounds.”
With the brand-new DreamWorks Animation series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts set to bow on Netflix streaming next week, NBC Universal’s Back Lot Music is helping potential fans get in the groove by releasing the Season One Soundtrack/Mixtape on Friday, January 10.
The show’s music is created by composer Daniel Rojas, whose varied credit list of feature films, TV shows and video games includes Oscar-winning movie Room, thriller Money Monster and sci-fi comedy Downsizing.
“For almost two years now we’ve been working on the music for Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, so I am really excited for people to finally hear it. Kipo has been particularly fun because it has allowed me to combine a wide variety of genres into one project, as well as figuring out how to take those sounds from the songs and adapt them into the score,” said Rojas. “The soundtrack for the show is being released this Friday and has a combination of songs and score. Here is a sample of one of those songs, featuring vocals by my friend Michelle Gonzalez, and a short action cue full of pop/trap sounds.”
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts S1 (10 x half-hour) premieres on Netflix January 14.
Just as Frozen II took the adventures of Elsa, Anna and Olaf into new territory, Myth: A Frozen Tale elevates Disney’s VR efforts to a new level.
Myth is a seven-minute VR short film that takes the viewer to a cozy Arendelle cabin just in time for a winter night’s bedtime story. As the children listen to the story, the world around the viewer transforms into a nighttime forest setting that reveals each of the spirits — air, water, earth and fire — and their roles in the world. Viewers get up close and personal with spirit characters from Frozen II: the wind spirit, Gale; Bruni, the fire spirit salamander; Elsa’s water spirit horse, Nokk; and the Earth Giants.
Myth follows Cycles, which was Disney’s first VR short film, and Jeff Gipson directed both projects. Myth began with the success at festivals of Cycles, Gipson says, which led to writer-director Jennifer Lee — also chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios — asking him to create a project tying into Frozen II.
Gipson says at first he was nervous, but warmed up to the idea. “That world is so special,” he says of Frozen. “I wanted to do something that was really true to that world, to those characters, but also was very much VR.”
Myth
Inspiration came from bedtime stories — including a traditional family story that featured real-life Western outlaw Jesse James — to try to recreate that feeling and bring the viewer into a new world. “You could do many things, but what is it about VR that is special?” Gipson says. “And one thing is that, just like the bedtime story, VR has the potential to bring us into a world, into that space where this story comes to life.”
Additional inspiration came from the studio’s long history, especially the 1940 classic Fantasia. “It’s almost like a visual poem that we’re experiencing in VR,” he says.
Key to the look of Myth is the work of production designer Brittney Lee, whose distinct style was influenced by the likes of Eyvind Earle and Mary Blair, emphasizing silhouette and giving the project a pop-up storybook look. The trees Lee designed for the forest, for example, are all stylized cutouts that evoke the location and the storybook esthetic.
Myth
Lee’s approach emulated the idea of a shadowbox: Using very flat and graphic images with the light at the horizon and shadows near the viewer. “It posed a very big challenge: How do we create something very flat and 2D and turn it into fully realized 3D?” says Michael R.W. Anderson, VR environment lead.
A veteran visual development artist at Disney, Lee says there was a learning curve when it came to adapting moviemaking skills to the needs of VR. “I think VR language is something that is still being established and I had to learn very quickly that things like rack focus, you can’t use in VR in a way that’s effective,” she says.
Color also played a key role in the film. “Each element has two color themes and we knew these needed to be reflected in the environment,” says Anderson. “Brittney Lee put together this color script which shows the flow of the color throughout the film and how it will transition from one moment to the next. We have no cuts, so we need to have a blend.”
Myth
One unusual advantage was having composer Joe Trapanese come on to the project early enough that animators were able to hear the music for the project as they were animating, Gipson says.
The project took around 10 to 11 months to complete, meeting a hard deadline to be finished to coincide with the worldwide release of Frozen II.
Anderson says a lot was learned in the production of Cycles that benefited the production of Myth. “We learned from [Cycles] that we required a lot more planning to go into a project,” he says. “The scale and scope is well beyond, 10 times more than anything we did on Cycles, both in character and material and models and the length, everything required just a whole lot more planning and that was something we learned the hard way on Cycles, but I think really paid off on this one.”
Myth: A Frozen Tale debuted at the world premiere of Frozen II; opportunities for fans to experience the new VR story will be announced at a later date.
Anima, the Brussels International Animation Film Festival, set to take place from 21 February to 1 March 2020 at Flagey and Cinéma Palace, will be kicking off with Anca Damian’s acclaimed film, Marona’s Fantastic Tale.
This poetic and touching film, the sixth feature by Damian ( Crulic – The Path to Beyond, The Magic Mountain), is a true modern-day fairytale about the big and small things in life. The story, served by a dazzling universe of colors and superb graphics, follows Morona, a little mixed-bred stray who has already had a few homes in her lifetime. After an accident, she looks back over the adventures and happy times shared with her various owners. Seeing the world through the eyes of a little dog gives us a real lesson in happiness and reminds us to live in the present and make the most of simple things.
Belgian illustrator Brecht Evens designed the characters, while visual artists Gina Thorstensen and Sarah Mazzetti looked after the gleaming backgrounds. Damian and Evens are expected to be present the festival opening night screening.
The same night Marona opens Anima in Brussels, the film is scheduled to open the J.E.F. festival for youth in Antwerp.
During a Pokémon Direct presentation Thursday morning, The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo unveiled Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. The game revisits the classic Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, which were originally released in the U.S. in 2006.
Now exclusively on Nintendo Switch systems and with updated visuals and a stunning picture-book art style, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX launches on March 6, 2020.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is set in a world inhabited only by Pokémon — including the player! According to the other Pokémon, natural disasters have suddenly started occurring all over this world, causing all kinds of problems. Players and their partner Pokémon decide to form a rescue team to go help Pokémon that are in trouble.
Players will answer a few questions that appear at the beginning of the game to help determine which Pokémon they will be. Next, they will decide the Pokémon that will be their partner on this adventure. The main character and their partner can be chosen from 16 different Pokémon. Players will get job requests in various forms — like on the Bulletin Board at Pelipper Post Office or from letters that will be delivered to the mailbox at the player’s rescue team base. As players complete jobs, their rescue team’s rescue points will increase. When they collect enough points, their rescue team’s rank will go up — from Rookie Rank all the way to the coveted the Gold Rank.
In this world, Mystery Dungeons can be found in various places, such as mountains, canyons, forests and more. Each time players enter a Mystery Dungeon; the layout is slightly different. They’ll need to adventure through these dungeons to complete the requested jobs. Inside dungeons, players will find various useful items — such as Seeds, Berries and TMs — which will help them on their adventure. As with the layout of the dungeons, the kinds of items and their locations will change each time players enter a dungeon. Players will need to use the right items at the right time to help out Pokémon that are in trouble.
Dungeons are also inhabited by many Pokémon that will attack. Battles are turn based, giving the player plenty of time to think about what their next move should be. If the player panics and presses a button or walks a bunch of steps carelessly, they could find themselves in a scrape they weren’t anticipating. Making decisions calmly and carefully considering how the opposing Pokémon are moving are the keys to successfully navigating a dungeon.
This title can be played in any mode on the Nintendo Switch (TV, tabletop or handheld). Features have been added that can assist players with controlling their Pokémon and progressing through the game, so even if it’s their first time, they can easily adventure through a dungeon.
Auto mode: Starting with this title, an auto mode feature has been added that lets players progress through their adventures more easily. By just pressing the L Button, the main character and their team will move efficiently. When a player approaches an enemy, auto mode will turn off automatically.
Unleash moves automatically with the A Button: Ordinarily the player would select from one of four moves to use on an enemy. When players aren’t sure which move to use, they can get the enemy right in front of them and press the A Button to automatically unleash the best move to use on that foe.
Up to eight Pokémon can travel with you: When Trainers depart for a dungeon, they can have three members on their team as usual, but in this title, they can also add Pokémon they encounter as they go through dungeons to get up to eight teammates walking through a dungeon with them.
Fainting in a dungeon: If a player is defeated in a dungeon, they can ask for other players to rescue them, or they can rescue themselves with another of their own rescue teams. Then they’ll be able to resume their adventure from where they fainted.
A demo version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is now available for download at no cost from Nintendo eShop. Aside from being able to play the early part of the story, demo players will also be able to carry save data over to the full version when it releases on March 6. Fans can also preload Rescue Team DX from Nintendo eShop starting at midnight on January 9.
The Oscar-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival announces its inaugural NYICFF Industry Forum: Towards an Inclusive Future, to take place at SVA Theatre in New York City, February 28-29, 2020.
The forum offers an unparalleled opportunity to bring a community of industry leaders and content makers together in New York to share new projects and discuss key issues around representation in all-ages media, on and behind the screen.
“With expanded industry presence in New York and growing opportunities that studios and SVODs bring to children’s media and the animation sector, we felt this was the perfect time to launch this valuable platform for exchange,” said NYICFF Executive Director Nina Guralnick.
“Our aim is to inject the same spirit from our curated festival selections — one that celebrates the best in filmmaking and distinctive, culturally rich storytelling for all ages — into inspired conversations around inclusive production practices, while sharing some enticing glimpses at new projects and collaborative opportunities,” said NYICFF Programming Director Maria-Christina Villaseñor.
The two-day program will include:
Introductory remarks from Anne del Castillo, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
A keynote address from Julie Ann Crommett, Vice President of Multicultural Audience Engagement at The Walt Disney Studios and Women In Animation (WIA) Secretary and Inclusion Committee Co-Chair
Presentations and panel discussions, including conversations on inclusive practices and exclusive looks of recent and new projects by:
Karen Rupert Toliver, producer of the acclaimed short film Hair Love and Executive Vice President, Creative, Sony Pictures Animation
Peilin Chou, producer of Abominable and Chief Creative Officer, Pearl Studio
Dice Tsutsumi, co-director of Oscar-nominated short film The Dam Keeper, and Founder, Tonko House
Gerta Xhelo, Director of Production, TED-ED, producer of 1,000+ mission-driven animated short films, professor at Pratt University, co-founder of Tomato Beach Animation
Animators All Around, NYICFF’s signature annual panel illuminating the creative process in animation, from inspiration to sketch to screen, featuring Jill Culton, director of Abominable and Open Season
Further announcements regarding networking opportunities, demonstrations, and full speaker line-up will be announced in late January 2020.
“As one of the world’s most diverse cities, and a celebrated capital of culture, New York has a rich history of producing children’s content. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment is proud to be a founding partner of the New York International Children’s Film Festival’s first industry forum. New York City has a longstanding tradition of championing storytelling that inspires the imaginations of children and adults alike and the five boroughs have been home to countless productions for children of all ages.”
— Commissioner Anne del Castillo
“I am thrilled to be representing Sony Animation this year at NYICFF. It is truly a unique and important festival showcasing the best of children’s programming from around the world, and with this year’s industry forum, it’s exciting to be given the chance to celebrate just how diverse this medium can be.”
— Karen Rupert Toliver
“I am honored to represent Pearl Studio at NYICFF this year, and excited to be a part of this important dialogue about diverse storytelling and inclusion. Pearl Studio’s mission to create extraordinary global family entertainment that awakens our audience through representation both on and off screen perfectly aligns with the values of NYICFF, so I am particularly thrilled to be a part of this inaugural forum and conversation.”
— Peilin Chou
NYICFF has long understood that children’s media is incredibly powerful — culturally, artistically, and economically. Family-focused content is a hugely significant cornerstone of the screen industry. At the same time, NYICFF recognizes that kids, tweens and teens are a voracious and discerning audience that appreciates diverse viewpoints and complex stories told in stylistically interesting ways. Creators of children’s media are often at the forefront when it comes to inclusion in storytelling, showing a path forward at a time when the wider entertainment industry is seeking ways to create meaningful, sustainable change in this area.
The NYICFF Industry Forum will host local, national and international creative and cultural practitioners and content creators: executives, directors, producers, distributors, writers, animators, and film and media students, to generate thought-provoking discussion, actionable ideas, and collaborative opportunities. Recognizing the importance of nurturing new and diverse voices, NYICFF welcomes participation from those at all career stages — from emerging, independent creators to established makers.
NYICFF Industry Forum is organized by The New York International Children’s Film Festival, with Inaugural Partner, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment; Presenting Sponsor: Xero; Impact Sponsors, The Gersh Agency, and Nathan Love; and Partners SVA Theatre, Women in Animation New York, and citizen.
The Cool Kids Club and Kevin Eastman Studios have launched a series of auctions to benefit organizations assisting wildlife rescue organizations working to save animals in the wake of the devastating bushfires in Australia. Running over the next few days, the collectible and original art offerings will be sold to benefit New South Wales-based WIRES (www.wires.org.au).
The auctions are being posed on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman’s Facebook as well as Cool Kids Club social media. Featured items include a signed Walkabout TMNT toy and an original cover art rough for TMNT No. 94.
Auction winners are being asked to provide a screenshot of their winning bids being paid directly to WIRES — there are no bidders premiums or shipping costs.
For more than 25 years, WIRES (a registered charity) has worked to rescue afflicted animals. In its call for emergency funds, the organization pointed out that there are over still more than 100 fires burning in NSW, and that the group received over 20,000 calls in December alone (a 14% increase), sending volunteers to 3,300+ rescues.
Over 4.9 million hectares (~19,000 square miles) of land has burned in the state of New South Wales alone, where animals were already suffering from water and food shortages caused by drought. Sydney University ecologists estimate more than 800 million animals in Australia have been affected by the fires since September.
Italian boutique animation studio Enanimation, which last year secured the rights to develop – globally and on all platforms – the popular preschool publishing property Olga the Cloud, has announced an agreement with a major international broadcaster for the forthcoming TV version of the much-loved Nicoletta Costa books.
Rai Ragazzi has pre-acquired the first season of the new show, called Nina & Olga, a 52 x 7’ 2D animation for kids ages 4-6-years old that is now in development.
Rai Ragazzi is a leading producer and broadcaster of children’s shows. It is owned and operated by Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the national broadcasting company of Italy, one of the major European public broadcasters and a leading key player in international children’s TV.
Enanimation points out the pick-up is a major vote of confidence for both the forthcoming series (due in Spring 2021) and for the studio, an award-winning independent TV production company with a strong track record.
“Having been given the chance to bring to life this wonderful children’s character by a much-loved author, we are absolutely thrilled to have Rai Ragazzi on board,” said Frederica Maggio, Producer, Enanimation. “We strongly believe that this animated adaptation of one of the world’s favorite preschool characters will have enormous appeal to a wide audience of children and families, and we are delighted that a major broadcaster shares our confidence.”
Created by beloved author-illustrator Costa, Olga has been a global publishing success for over 30 years. The title character is a cute, funny and soft cloud, who is friends with the moon, the stars and the sun – and also children! And of course, as a cloud Olga wants to rain – but when is the right time?
For the Nina & Olga animated series, Enanimation has developed a new character, Nina, a special friend of Olga’s who helps her to cope with everyday challenges. Olga helps Nina to understand and face her feelings, like a true Best Friend Forever, but a BFF who rains – and at the most unusual times! It’s a rich, colourful world of children, parents, grannies and teachers, not to mention animals, birds, the sun, the moon and the stars, all of whom come together as part of Nina & Olga’s daily adventures.
Olga the Cloud is popular not just in Italy, but worldwide and particularly in China, Russia, Spain and the U.S., offering numerous opportunities for the new series, which will be promoted throughout 2020 — beginning at Kidscreen Summit, where visitors will be able to discuss business opportunities related to this project.
Enanimation is an independent TV production company whose work covers all parts of the production process from creative to financial. Recent notable co-productions include Mystery After Mystery (a 26 x 2’ animated TV series); Mia et le Migou, winner of the European Animated Feature Film award at the European Film Awards 2009; the original animated TV series Linkers, released in 2014; and the successful animated TV series Mini Ninja, which was nominated for a Magnolia Award in the Best Animation category at the Shanghai International TV Festival 2019.
We recently got a chance to catch up with Erica Milsom, the director of a brand new SparkShorts project titled Loop. Milsom, who has been making behind-the-scenes documentaries about Pixar in the past, talks about how she and her team produced this beautiful animated short, which features the studio’s first non-verbal, autistic character, and is also voiced by a non-verbal autistic girl. The short, which is produced by Krissy Cababa and Michael Warch, will premiere on Disney+ this Friday (Jan. 10).
Animag is also delighted to share a new making-of clip that introduces you to this inspiring project, which you can find below the interview.
Here is what Milsom shared with us:
Animag: Congrats on your wonderful new short, Loop. Can you tell us a little about how you got involved with the SparkShorts program?
Erica Milsom: I’ve been making short documentaries about Pixar’s filmmaking process for about 15 years now as a member of the studio’s internal documentary team. In addition to that work, I’d directed and written a couple of independent films in collaboration with my friends and colleagues at Pixar that many folks around the studio had seen. So when I was asked to be a part of the SparkShorts program — a program at Pixar that identifies new directors, along with producers and leaders across the filmmaking spectrum — I was super excited to dive into the animated medium with artists I’d worked alongside for so many years.
What was your inspiration for Loop? What was your experience with autism before the project?
I had worked with people with disabilities as a job coach/vocational educator in my 20s, and always loved the connections I forged through my work. In the year before making Loop, I volunteered to teach a class on acting for the screen at a local Art Center called NIAD, which serves artists with disabilities of all kinds. I had a great time in the class exploring acting & filmmaking techniques with this group of visual artists. And, I loved hanging out in the powerful creative space that NIAD fosters, it’s a very neuro-diverse environment where artists communicate in a variety of different ways — sometimes they use words, sometimes they don’t.
Through the course of my time there, I made some fun connections, but I also had some awkward moments where I didn’t know how to connect with the person next to me. Eventually, over time, we’d find a way to connect, often without words… but it wasn’t immediate, and it took effort on both sides. It struck me as a storyteller that those moments of being lost and unsure were spicy emotionally; and, that there was a journey that comes with making the smallest of connections. When I started to think about making a SparkShort, and considering what kinds of worlds we haven’t explored before at Pixar, this world between us was the one I wanted to bring to the screen. And then, I love canoeing, so that part was a no-brainer.
Tell us more about the development of the young girl character in the short.
When I first thought about the story of Loop, I knew I wanted it to be about a girl who communicates without spoken language, although she uses assistive technology (her cellphone) sometimes. But in the beginning, I didn’t know why she wouldn’t speak. I know people who use communication devices for many different reasons, some may have Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy, or selective muteness, or they may be autistic, but I didn’t always know what someone’s diagnosis is or specifically why people use the device. I ended up connecting with a variety of people in the studio who have children with communication differences and we talked through how the story might play out if their kids were in this canoe. As these conversations progressed, my friend Adam Burke and I discussed the storytelling potential that came with expressing the unique point of view of an autistic person, whose interpersonal mannerisms and sensory experiences were unique, could be a very rich experience in our medium. Adam’s child is on the spectrum, and we were both excited to see an autistic character on screen.
So, in the beginning, my experience with autism wasn’t particularly deep, but I was excited to learn. We all were! Right away we connected with autistic consultants and creative partners who helped us to find our way to a story, a performance, and a filmic approach that felt authentic and honest. At all stages of the production, from the first script read-through to the next-to-last pass on animation and lighting, we had autistic partners giving notes and sharing their thoughts about the movie. And then we got to meet Madison Bandy, our voice actress, and her performance and personality lent so much to the character, as well. Overall, I feel like I got to have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the experiences of autistic people from all ends of the spectrum through making this film, and that was such a gift.
How long did the short take to make and how many people worked on it?
Timeline: April 23 to September 28, 2018 (five months!), not including post-production. We had 54 crew members.
What was your biggest challenge?
Gosh, the whole thing was a huge challenge, it’s making an animated film in six months! But, I think the nature of Loop as a slice-of-life story, it hinged on us forging a true connection to the film’s characters through the small parts of life — not just the tentpole moments. And that kind of slice-of-life story is dependent on great acting — creating characters who embody a truth that an audience can find commonalities with, even if that character initially seems very distant from their own experience. So, we were always challenging ourselves to create as much time and space as we could for our voice actors and our animators to get inside the experience of these two unique people.
For Renee, our non-verbal character, we had to find a great voice actress who is autistic and doesn’t use a lot of words to communicate but was willing to work with us to craft a performance. And then, we needed to figure out how to give her the space to improvise as well as act with direction.
In animation, we had to define a new non-neurotypical gestural vocabulary that animators could use to express anxiety, or hopefulness, or joy, or frustration. And then throughout the production, we challenged ourselves to use the camera work, lighting and sound to communicate Renee’s unique sensory experience of the world.
For Marcus, our neurotypical character, we had animators get out of their offices and visit a local non-profit, Waterside Workshops. There they got to meet with and paddle around with a bunch of young people from the East Bay who share Marcus’ passion for boat building and canoeing.
In animation briefings, we dug into each shot and talked about what the characters were saying, or feeling and discussed how they would express that particular emotion. And then throughout the production, from story, through edit, layout, sound design and lighting, we always considered how each character would experience this part of the story from their unique point of view.
What did you love about this project?
There are two main things I loved. First, learning from autistic people about how they experience the world. And then getting to bring that insight back to this amazing group of artists at Pixar and working side by side with them to bring Renee’s experience to life on the screen.
Who are your animation idols/favorite movies/TV shows?
Animation loves: The Point / Fantasia / Yellow Submarine / World of Tomorrow / Season 3 of The Simpsons / Moana / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Films: Days of Heaven / Moonlight / Little Women / Boy (by Taika Waititi) / The Rider
TV: Halt and Catch Fire / The Watchmen / Abstract / Pen15
What do you hope audiences will take from your short?
I hope audiences watch this story and see themselves in Marcus and Renee, and then consider reaching out and making a connection across a divide that may seem at first to be uncrossable.
