AWN Headline News

Studio City, California-based Phil Roman Entertainment Company hasannounced that it is co-producing THE GAUDINS: A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL withBarcelona, Spain-based ABCN Concept. S.L. The 22-minute animated specialwill use designs inspired by early twentieth century Spanish architectAntonio Gaudi. According to Phil Roman, the show will create a whimsical,fantasy world for family audiences. The show will be available Christmas2000, but has yet to be picked up. As previously reported, Phil Roman

On October 29 and 30 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Wayne Gilbert, Kyle Clark,and Mike Ford, who work as animators for feature film projects atIndustrial Light + Magic, will be giving seminars on classical and computeranimation principles. The three animators have started their owncorporation, Animation Foundation and Anamie, providing consulting,training and seminars for corporate and academic clients. This event iscoordinated by The Florida Center for Electronic Communication, The Fort

Toronto, Canada-based SoftQuad Software Inc., a provider of HTML and XML content authoring tools, has announced HoTMetaL PRO 6.0. HoTMetaL PRO 6.0's new features are designed to increase productivity and provide users with more control over the Web development and management process. They include new FTP and remote file editing capabilities, improved handling of imported HTML source code, an improved drag and drop asset management system, and new customization options.

WARNER BROS. TELEVSION ANIMATION has promoted LINDA STEINER from vice president of development to senior vice president of creative affairs and CHRISTOPHER KEENAN from vice president of programming to vice president of creative affairs. Steiner and Keenan will oversee the development of cartoon series, shorts and direct-to-video projects.

Iran-based SABA Animation Company has released an 85-minute animated film, THE PASSENGER OF STORY LAND. The film is a re-edited version of a six part, thirty-minute television series, and uses live-action, puppet animation and CGI to tell the story of a puppet who escapes from a film studio. The puppet befriends a boy whose father is a reporter who is covering the film from which the puppet escaped. The boy and puppet try to discover the end of the film, until they finally decide to write the ending themselves. The film was directed by Yosof Babareza.

Channel Four has bought the broadcast rights to London, UK-based Link Entertainment's GRABBIT THE RABBIT, a clay-animated series of thirteen eight-minute episodes. The episodes are based on fables from around the world including those of Jean de la Fontaine and Joel Chandler Harris. (Disney adapted some of Harris' Brer Rabbit stories in SONG OF THE SOUTH.)

Kid Rhino has released WHAT TO DO, BLUE?, an audio tape and booklet set. On the tape, the cast of Nickelodeon's BLUE'S CLUES, Steve, Blue and friends, are joined by BLUE'S CLUES co-creator Angela Santomero who reads, WHAT TO DO, BLUE? In the story Blue searches for something to do, while visiting her friends. The booklet allows listeners to read along with Santomero. WHAT TO DO, BLUE? retails in the US for $7.98. Kid Rhino and Nickelodeon will also release BLUE'S CLUES: GOODNIGHT BLUE on November 2, 1999.

Alexander Petrov, a Russian master animator whose best known films are THE MERMAID

and THE TRAGEDY OF A RIDICULOUS MAN, has completed a new film, THE OLD MAN

AND THE SEA, based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway about an old man's

struggle to catch a fish. Two years in the making, the film is now playing

at IMAX Theaters throughout the world and features Petrov's renowned

paint-on-glass technique for which he is world famous. For more information