AWN Headline News

PDI has recently promoted DENISE MINTER to vice president of production.

Minter will now oversee all of Pacific Data Images' production efforts

around the world. Most recently, she was been senior producer on PDI

commercials for Sega Dreamcast and Coca-Cola. Since joining the company in

1993, Minter has also served as production manager on the DreamWorks and

PDI feature ANTZ.

* Wednesday, March 1, 2000. Burbank, California, U.S.A.

Ideas, new properties and pitching will be the topic of discussion at this

month's Women In Animation Production Management Group Meeting (PMG). The

event will be held at Nickelodeon in Burbank at 7 pm. Monthly meetings will

be on the 1st Wednesday of each month at Nickelodeon. To attend please RSVP

to Kellie-Bea Cooper at (818) 623-0020 or E-mail:

kellie-bea@kellie-bea.com. For more information on WIA events please visit

* Friday, March 10 - Friday, March 17, 2000. Santa Clarita, California, U.S.A.

The Santa Clarita International Film Festival is strictly dedicated to

family entertainment. It includes a film and screenplay competition,

student filmmaker award, as well as panel discussions. Co-sponsored by

FOCUS Institute of Film, the winning screenplay will be mentored and

developed for future production with a later-announced studio. For more

* Thursday, March 16 - Tuesday, March 21, 2000. Stuttgart, Germany.

The 10th International Trickfilm Festival will present the best animated

productions from the past two years. More than 500 films will be screened

at the festival. The Best of Animation includes a selection of the most

interesting films in the history of artistic, animated film. Young

Animation is a competition featuring animated film schools and colleges.

The festival will also present the International Panorama, Tricks for Kids,

* Sunday, April 9 - Sunday, April 16, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Comic book fans can hobnob with the best in the business on a 7 day/7 night

cruise benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit

organization protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics community.

The "Making WAVES" cruise will stop at three Mexican ports -- Puerto

Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. The event will feature week-long

* Friday, February 18, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.

Cinema Village, the city's venue for alternative animation, will be

presenting the U.S. theatrical premiere of KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS from

French filmmaker Michel Ocelot. Based on a West African legend, this film

follows a miraculous infant who singlehandedly saves his small village from

a sultry yet evil wizard. Featuring an original score by Senegalese music

artist Youssou N'Dour, KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS offers a unique spin: an

Riding the wave of the box office success of STUART LITTLE, Columbia/Sony

Pictures has announced a sequel to the tiny toon. Shooting on the new film

could start as soon as this summer. The intended release date for the flick

is Christmas 2001. Producer Doug Wick is set to return, however actors,

director and screenwriter have not yet been confirmed. Sony Picture

Imageworks, who comprised the effects for the first flick, are expected to

return on the sequel. The first STUART LITTLE was directed by Rob Minkoff,