AWN Headline News

Disney Press has released a package called DISNEY'S ANIMATION KIT by Don Hahn that is intended for ages 8 and up. Priced at $19.95 the package includes the following:

18 pieces of 3-hole punched white paper4 cels1 Blue pencil1 Graphite pencil1 Flipbook featuring Mickey Mouse from "The Brave Little Tailor"1 Blank Flipbook6 non-smudge markers (red, yellow, green, blue, violet, black)1 plastic "peg bar"1 68 page workbook

*Friday, May 7th - Sunday, May 9th, Valencia, California, USA.

Students in the Character Animation program at CalArts will screen theirfilms at the Bijou at CalArts, 24700 McBean PKWY, Valencia, California.Open shows: May 7th at 8 pm; May 8th at 7 pm; and May 9th at 1:30 pm and 7pm. Producers Show: Thursday, May 13th at 7 pm. For more information call(805) 253-7818.

A boxed set of TV shows made by Sid and Marty Krofft in the 1970's collectsepisodes from thirteen Krofft programs, including the short programs thatwere part of "The Krofft Super Show," and will be released by Rhino HomeVideo on May 18 in the USA. These shows are not animated, but their cheesy"special effects" have a camp appeal for many fans of animation, especiallyfor the children of the Seventies.

Tape 1 (120 mins.) includes:

H.R. PUFNSTUF - "Book, Flute, & Candle" Episode 12. Jimmy finds Freddie The

A BUG'S LIFE, a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar AnimationStudios film, has climbed to $358 million in worldwide box office receiptsto become one of the top-grossing animated films of all time. With itsdomestic gross of $163 million, the film has already become the fourthbiggest animated feature released in the United States (behind THE LIONKING, ALADDIN and TOY STORY). Internationally, A BUG'S LIFE has agross-to-date of $195 million and has set records in the United Kingdom,

WATERSHIP DOWN, a $10 million TV series of 26 half-hour episodes based onthe novel by Richard Adams and the feature film directed by Martin Rosen,both of which are also called WATERSHIP DOWN, is being produced by Britishindependent Alltime Entertainment and Toronto-based DECODE Entertainment.Beth Stevenson, of DECODE, and Simon Vaughan, of Alltime, are producing;Neil Court, of DECODE, is executive producing with Steven DeNure and MartinRosen. The series will debut this Fall in the UK on ITV and Canada on YTV,

Andreas Wessel-Therborn, animator, will speak on The Animator on Animating as part of The Careers in Animation Third Annual Lecture Series. Mr. Wessel-Therborn has worked on THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER, SPACE JAM, BALTO, TARZAN, and FANTASIA 2000. The event takes place Tuesday, May 4, at 7 pm in the Glendale Community College Auditorium, 1500 North Verdugo Road, Glendale, California, USA. Admission is $5 in advance, or $7 at the door. Tickets are available from GCC Bookstore Business Office (818) 240-1000, ext. 5695; or ASIFA-Hollywood (818) 842-8330.

Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis' new film, WHEN THE DAY BREAKS, willcompete with ten live-action films, and one animated film, BILLY'SBALLOON by Don Hertzfeldt (LILY + JIM), for the top prize in the ShortFilm competition at this year's 52nd Festival de Cannes in Cannes,France. The Festival takes place Wednesday, May 12th through Sunday, May23rd. Wendy Tilby is perhaps best known for STRINGS. For moreinformation visit the festival's official homepage atwww.festival-cannes.fr/cannes99.

The Kushner-Locke Co. has announced that they have entered an agreementwith Toei Animation to license Toei's animated product. Toei has one ofthe largest animation libraries in the world. K-L plans to use the newlyacquired product to launch its own Spanish language animation channel inLatin America. The deal gives K-L 1400 half-hour episodes, in the firstthree years, of Toei animated product including the popular seriesSAILOR MOON and DRAGON BALL Z. Toei is one of the leading animation