Pixar Animation Studios—the legendary studio behind such features as Finding Nemo, WALL•E, and the Toy Story films, will receive Festival Honors at the opening gala of the 13th annual eDIT Filmmaker’s Festival, 26 September in Frankfurt.
Press Release from eDIT Filmmaker’s Festival
FRANKFURT, Germany (21 September 2010) –Pixar Animation Studios—the legendary studio behind such features as Finding Nemo, WALL•E, and the Toy Story films, will receive Festival Honors at the opening gala of the 13th annual eDIT Filmmaker’s Festival, 26 September in Frankfurt.
Additionally, the team behind the hit animated movie Despicable Me—the first release from Illumination Entertainment—will receive the Festival’s Special Achievement Award.
“Animation has grown exponentially in its ability to bring to life iconic characters and tell stories which capture the imagination of audiences worldwide,” said Festival Co-Director Tom Atkin. “Illumination Entertainment has demonstrated with its first release Despicable Me a crystal clear understanding of character, story and animation execution. And of course, Pixar stands at the top of the mountain for its extraordinary history of producing some of the most loved, respected and successful animated films ever. Pixar's first feature release was Toy Story, and it is most fitting that this year Toy Story 3 is now the largest grossing animated film ever."
Festival Honors is the highest award bestowed at the three-day international Filmmaker’s Festival, which is presented by the State of Hessen, the Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting and New Media (LPR Hessen) and the city of Frankfurt am Main, with presenting partners American Cinema Editors, Imago the European Federation of Cinematographers; and Motion Picture Sound Editors.
Disney subsidiary Pixar is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the history of animation, with a string of hits, starting with the first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and most recently with Toy Story 3, which crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Toy Story 3 is the only animated film to reach this box office milestone and the seventh title in movie history.
Pixar won Academy Award’s for Best Animated Feature for Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL•E, and Up. The later also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture—only the second animated film to achieve this feat.
Pixar’s successes also include A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Cars.
In addition to recognizing Pixar for his legacy, The Filmmakers Festival is honoring the team at Illumination Entertainment.
Founded in 2007, Illumination Entertainment recently released its first computer animated feature, Despicable Me, which was a critical and box office success with more than $325 million in global box office receipts so far with release in Europe still to come this fall. Upcoming films for Illumination Entertainment include a live action and hybrid film called Hop (April 2011), a Tim Burton-helmed stop motion retelling of “Addams Family” and a 3D CG feature based on Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” (March 2, 2012).
Ilumination Entertainment’s honor marks only the third time that the Festival bestowed its Special Achievement Award. In 2006, actor Andy Serkis received the honor for his performances of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Kong in King Kong. In 2009, Christoph Waltz was honored for his role as SS Col. Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds—a performance that went on to earn the actor an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Previous Festival Honorees are: * 2003Michael Ballhaus, ASC, BVK/CinematographerPeter Greenaway/DirectorDennis Muren, ASC/Visual Effects Supervisior* 2004Dante Ferretti/Production DesignerStanley Kubrick/DirectorTom Rolf A.C.E./EditorVilmos Zsigmond, ASC/Cinematographer* 2005Armin Mueller-Stahl/ActorPhil Tippett/Animator* 2006Ray Harryhausen/AnimatorTerry Gilliam/Director* 2007Sir Alfred Hitchcock/Director* 2008Anne V. Coates A.C.E/Editor2009Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E./Editor
About eDIT The Filmmakers Festival
eDIT The Filmmaker's Festival is the international platform for filmmakers from all production disciplines to discuss their work and share ideas to make them better filmmakers. Extraordinary worldwide filmmakers present their work to educate, entertain and inspire their fellow artists in a warm and personal state of the art environment. The goal is to advance the specific parts of the production process with a common purpose of creating better storytelling through understanding.Ms. Eva Kühne-Hörmann, Hessian Minister for Science and the Arts, is patron of the festival. eDIT 13. Filmmaker’s Festival presented by the State of Hesse, the Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting and New Media (LPR Hessen) and the city of Frankfurt am Main.
Also the Festival is at Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1222114279&v=wall&story_fbid=1352...
eDIT 13. Filmmaker’s Festival takes place 26-28 September 2010 in Frankfurt am Main. For more information see: www.filmmakersfestival.com
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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