AWN Headline News

Lucasfilm's STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE took in $16.5 millionin 24 territories over the weekend, bringing its foreign total to $154.3million. In its second weekend in the UK, it finished first and grossed$8.1 million, which was 70% of the market, for a total of $32.7 million in11 days alone! It finished first for the third straight weekend in Japan,as it grossed $4.5 million, for a total of $39.1 million. DreamWorks' THEPRINCE OF EGYPT grossed $758,000 to bring its foreign total to $118.2

Sydney, Australia-based SOUTHERN STAR SALES has appointed TELERI ROBERTS asthe first General Manager of its business unit Southern Star Kids, andKATHERINE KAUFMAN to the position of Sales Executive for Latin America.Roberts has most recently been working as Sales Head of Cascade, theinternational sales division of Scottish Television Enterprises based inGlasgow, and prior to that worked in several sales positions at Channel 4Wales. As General Manager of Southern Star Kids, she will be based in the

Toronto-based TOPIX/MAD DOG has completed the computer animated :15 RussellStover Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups "Oil Well" for Russell Stover andBerstein-Rein. For the spot, TOPIX/Mad Dog developed proprietary fluiddynamics software that can be customized to replicate jelly spurting out ofan "oil" derrick. Done in Softimage, the spot features little chocolateconstruction workers who become excited when their derrick hits jelly. SeanMontgomery directed.

The Action Young Independent Talent Award is an annual contest organized byFilms Action Inc., in partnership with Ina-Imagina. This 3D contest's goalis to promote new 3D computer artists talents. Prizes include hardware andsoftware packages. The best animation will be transferred to 35 mm. Entrydeadline is October 10, 1999. The festival takes place in Paris, FranceJanuary 28-February 3, 2000. For more information contact Films Action,Laurent Rodon, 25 rue Le Peletier, 75009 Paris, France; Tel: +33 1 47 70 45

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival (aka SF IndieFest) seeksfeature length film and video and short animation films for its secondannual festival to take place December 9-12, 1999. All films in thefestival will compete for the Audience Awards for best feature and bestanimated short and for a prize (new this year) which will be awarded to theIndieFest Staff Favorite. Early deadline with no entry fee is September 1.Late deadline with $20 entry fee is September 17. For an entry form contact

* Friday, July 23, 8 am. Hollwyood, California, USA.

Ray Harryhausen will appear at a screening of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS.Tickets (donations) are $20, which includes a souvenir booklet. Location:Mann's Chinese Theatre. For more information contact The ArgonautFoundation, 10153 1/2 Riverside Dr. #290, No. Hollywood, CA 91602. Tel:818-890-4492; fax: 818-896-6613; e-mail: argonautfound@webtv.net; or visitwww.zwebb.com/7thvoyageprod/argonaut/index.html.

DEPTH is a project of Village Arts (Animha Productions). DEPTH is lookingfor challenging contemporary Puppet or 3D Model animation of any genre.DEPTH accepts films from around the world in any of the followingcategories: Experimental, Professional, and Student & Non-Professional. Allfilms submitted will be considered equally for screening. Provisional entrydeadline is July 30, 1999. For more information contact DEPTH, VillageArts, Stable House, Water Lane, Loftus, Saltburn, TS13 4JT, England; Tel:

The Academy for Television Arts and Sciences have announced the nomineesfor the 1999 Primetime Emmy Awards. The awards ceremony will be telecast onFox on September 12 and held in Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Theanimated nominees include the following programs:

The category for OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM (For programming one hour orless) includes five nominations:

FUTURAMA - A BIG PIECE OF GARBAGE (FOX/Curiosity Company Productions inassociation with Twentieth Century Fox).

Vancouver, Washington-based Hash, Inc. has released an update to AnimationMaster 99, the 3D animation software program. In addition to carrying a lowprice tag, Hash offers many features found in higher priced packages and issupported by many animators as a low cost package that is capable of goodwork. New to version 7.1 are advancements in new real-time hardwaretechnologies, enhanced rendering tools, and overall workflow performanceenhancements. The upgrade is free to owners of Animation Master 99. Formore information visit www.hash.com.

Don't miss out on your chance to save by registering your exhibit early forAnimation Expo 2000. The deadline for registration at the Early Bird ratesis July 30, 1999. ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Expo 2000 will be held at theGlendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California, USA on March 3 and 4,2000. This 7th annual animation trade and technology show focuses on therecruitment of animation related talent and personnel, demonstrations ofcomputer technology, animation related products and services, and the sale

Director John Adams has signed to be represented by Santa Monica,California-based AREA 51 Films. Prior to launching his commercial directingcareer last year, Adams was director of broadcast production at DDBNeedham, Dallas.

Cartoon Network, the 24 hour all-cartoon cable service, has announcedseveral highlights on its fall schedule. These include: a TINY TOONMARATHON on Sunday, September 19, 12-8 pm; the premiere of new series MIKE,LU & OG, created by Chuck Swenson, Mikhail Aldashin, and Mikhail Shindel,on November 12; the premiere of new series COURAGE, THE COWARDLY DOG,created by John R. Dilworth, on November 12; the television premiere of thefeature-length SCOOBY-DOO AND THE WITCH'S GHOST on November 27 at 8 pm.