AWN Headline News

FRANK SAPERSTEIN has been appointed Creative Director of Philippines-basedpasi (PHILIPPINE ANIMATION STUDIO, INC.). His responsibilities will includequality control, co-productions and marketing, and technical development ofthe studio. He is based out of Los Angeles, California. Saperstein comesdirectly from Matinee Entertainment where he served asProducer/Director/Writer of KAMPUNG BOY, a co-production with pasi, whichwon a Special Prize for Best TV Program at Annecy '99. In addition, MIMBI

The 2nd Annual Worldfest-Flagstaff International Film Festival. Worldfest,which has been held in Houston for 32 years and additionally in Charleston,South Carolina for five years, takes place in Flagstaff, Arizona, thefestival's second appearance there. The festival's focus is on independentworks that have not yet been picked up for distribution. The widecompetition program features eight animation categories and several others,which may accept animated works, such as "computer generated/mixed media."

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents the seventh annual New YorkDigital Salon, an international juried showcase of computer-generatedartwork. Computer animation screenings will be shown at the SVAAmphitheatre and the exhibit takes place in the School's Visual ArtsMuseum, both located at 209 East 23rd Street. The event takes place Monday,November 8 in New York, New York, USA. For more information and to viewwork on-line, visit www.sva.edu/salon.

New York University hosts a symposium on The National Film Board of Canadain honor of the NFB's 60th anniversary. The event takes place Thursday,November 11 - Sunday, November 14 in New York, New York, USA. For moreinformation Tel. (212) 596-1660.

Imagine Entertainment, a film and television production company formed in1986 by producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard, and DreamWorks SKG,which was formed by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen,are joining forces to create a new internet entertainment company calledPOP.com. The new company is an equal partnership, to be funded by VulcanVentures, Inc., the investment organization of DreamWorks investor Paul G.Allen. Launching in Spring 2000, POP.com is an independent digital

Fox has removed Saban Entertainment's SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED, the futuristicSpider-Man series, and Columbia/TriStar Television's BIG GUY AND RUSTY THEBOY ROBOT, which was based on the Frank Miller/Geoff Darrow comic bookabout a little Astro Boy-like robot and his Gigantor-like pal, from the FOXKids line-up. Both series debuted in September. They have been replaced bySaban Entertainment's THE AVENGERS, and additional time slots for BKN(Bohbot Kids Network)'s MONSTER RANCHER and Toei Animation Co.'s DIGIMON:DIGITAL MONSTERS.

The annual Best Of Banff Television Festival is a traveling showcasefeaturing highlights of the 20th Banff Television Festival, which tookplace June 13 - 19 in Banff, Canada. The program will make its Ottawa,Canada stop at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull on November 17,1999. S4C/BBC's GOGS: GOGWANA, winner of this year's Banff's Best AnimationProgram Award, and NFB of Canada/Channel Four's SNOW CAT, a nominee forBest Animation Program at Banff, will be the featured animated programs.

The Women In Animation Shorts Fest 2 is a showcase for short animatedfilms made by WIA members and other filmmakers from around the world. Thisevening's program includes LIFE, the hilarious new animated jam sessionfrom Mo Willems and 32 other animators from New York, including TissaDavid, George Griffin, Yvette Kaplan, Candy Kugel and Bill Plympton.Admission is FREE and open to the public. The event takes place Friday,November 12, 1999 at 7:00 pm at Santa Monica College, Academy of

London-based HRA has completed "Eddie Spaghetti," a :30 for Heinzspaghetti and agency Leo Burnett, Chicago. The spot depicts the journey ofa piece of spaghetti from plate to boy's mouth, inside of which a party isin progress. The ad, directed by Kim Burdon, features 3D computeranimation, traditional cel animation, live-action, and puppetry.

North Hollywood, California-based Film Roman has begun production on THE OBLONGS, a television series that will be distributed by Warner Bros. Television on The WB Network for the 2000 season. THE OBLONGS is the second animated prime-time series, after Howard Stern's DOOMSDAY for UPN, that Film Roman has added for the 2000 television season.

The Savannah College of Art and Design will host animators Bill Plymptonand Larry Lauria during the week of November 8, 1999 at the Savannah FilmFestival in Savannah, Georgia. On Monday, November 8, Bill Plympton willtalk about "Life as an Independent Animator and Filmmaker" at 11:00 am inthe City Lights Theater. Plympton will discuss his work and show footagefrom past and recent works. On Friday, November 12, Larry Lauria will givea "Character Design Workshop" at 9:00 am in SCAD's Trustee Theater. Lauria,