AWN Headline News

German childrens content producer EM.TVs Florian Haffa has stepped down from his position as chief financial officer. Haffa will remain with the company as deputy chairman to help his brother and founder Thomas Haffa run the day-to-day operations. Currently, EM.TV is seeking out Haffas replacement. Even though the move was planned in advance, it comes after the company announced Monday that it was adjusting its figures for the first six months of the year to fix an accounting error in their acquisition of the Jim Henson Company and Formula 1 Racing.

From Masaki Kajishima, creator of PHOTON, SPACESHIP AGGA RUTER "Sweet Release" sets down in video stores on October 10, 2000. The AGGA series is an adult adventure set in the future where space pirates fight for domination of the heavens. The new installment will sell for US$29.99. The previous installment, SPACESHIP AGGA RUTER "Troublemaker," was released on August 8, 2000.

From the screenwriter of PHOTON and RECORD OF LODOSS WAR Katsumi Hasegawa, the newest episode of MAZE is about to debut in video stores. "Whirlwind Showdown" picks up on the bizarre adventures of Maze, who wakes up one day with amnesia and new superpowers. However, Maze transforms into a flirtatious man every evening. The MAZE tapes will retail at US$19.99 each. "Whirlwind Showdown" will hit stores October 10, 2000, with "Evil Labyrinth" to follow on November 14, 2000, "Time Traveling Playboy" on December 12, 2000 and four more titles coming in 2001.

* November 2000 - November 2001. World Wide Web.

* Sunday, October 22, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Black Logic has completed its second spot for Lexmark Printers. The first Lexmark spot was directed by famed fashion photographer Herb Ritts and created by BlackLogic, NYC and Warwick Baker O'Neill, NYC. "This is the second spot we've done for Lexmark," said Black Logic designer/director Patrick Ferguson. "For the Z52, they wanted to maintain the Ritts' style, but point out that this printer is much faster. Essentially, the Z52 is the best of both worlds." The spot opens to the telltale sounds of a jet aircraft preparing for take-off. The camera slowly pans along the Z52.

Rhinoceros Visual Effects and Design has added award-winning director/designer Harry Dorrington to its team of digital artists. London native Dorrington has garnered numerous awards including two Clios, two New York International Awards, one BDA Award, one RTS Craft Award, one British Festival Computer Award and many more. The Dorrington addition complements former R/Greenberg executive producers Michael Miller and Rick Wagonheim's strategy of reuniting a number of digital artists that worked together at the now defunct company.

The chairman of Jim Henson Co., Brian Henson, has signed on to direct CBS' four-hour miniseries JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY. The production will start within the next two months in London with the Creature Shop handling the job of bringing the land of giants to the small screen. Henson and Bill Haber will executive produce the program with writer James V. Hart. Martin G. Baker and Tom Smith are producing and Alex Rockwell co-producing.

* Thursday, October 19 Saturday, October 21, 2000. Babbeck, Canada.

The Baddeck International New Media Festival is a festival highlighting the growing world of new media. The informal event gives attendees a real chance to interact. The event features speakers and participants from across Canada, U.S., U.K., Europe and South America. For more information contact Rebecca MacKenzie of the Baddeck International New Media Festival at: Tel.: (902) 425-0943; Fax: (902) 445-7936; or Web: www.baddeckfest.com.

The hit British comedy program, MR. BEAN, is about to be transformed into an animated series. The live-action series production company, Tiger Aspect, will be producing the US$15 million animated television series, which will air on ITB. Rowan Atkinson, who plays the live-action Bean, will voice the animated character. In addition, Robin Driscoll, who served as the original writer on the live-action series, will be scribing the new toon version. Currently, Tiger Aspect is looking for an animation company to perform the physical production.

From the director of anime flick, OUTLAW STAR, Mitsuru Hongos SHAMANIC PRINCESS will descend onto video on October 10, 2000. In the third installment in the SHAMANIC series, "Guardian World" picks up Tiaras journey to recover her stolen talisman. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.99 and the subtitled version for $24.99. Early this year, U.S. Manga Corps released the first two titles in the series, "Tiaras Quest" and "The Talisman Unleased."

With Denzel Washingtons football flick, REMEMBER THE TITANS, firmly taking the top spot, the reissue of THE EXORCIST repossessed second place. The classic horror flick, with digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, scared up another US$7.21 million, levitating its cume to $17.67 million. Taking third for the second straight week was ALMOST FAMOUS, with a gross of $5.57 million. The rock n roll romp, with primary visual effects by Manex and Pacific Title Digital, raised its cume to $17.83 million.