AWN Headline News

Montreal, Canada-based Motion International has started production onMARSUPILAMI, a 26 episode, half-hour animated television series based on acomic strip by Belgium artist Andrè Franquin. French producer Marathon isco-producing, and the series will be aired by Tele-Quebec, as well asother, as yet undetermined, international broadcasters. Marsupilami is afunny animal-type character with yellow fur, black spots and many talents.He first appeared in 1952 in SPIROU MAGAZINE, a Belgian comic book. A

Lucas Learning Ltd. has released STAR WARS: PIT DROIDS, a STAR WARS EPISODEONE-based puzzle game. Players must direct an endless row of pit droidstoward appropriate goals, and prevent them from falling off the edge of theworld. Players can play the puzzles at random, or work from location tolocation to achieve a high score. There are eight game levels, six gameenvironments, and more than 300 puzzles. The game is compatible with bothPC and Mac, and has a retail price of US$29.99.

Antran Manoogian, President of the International AnimatedFilm Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, has announced the nominees for the 27th Annual Annie Awards, ASIFA-Hollywoods honoring of the best in animation. THE IRON GIANT leads the list of nominees with fifteen nominations, including best feature. The final winners will be presented with their awards at the Annie Awards Ceremony to be held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California on Saturday, November 6, at 7 pm. For more information about the event and tickets call (818) 842-8330.

CHERYL MILLS, Deputy White House Counsel, will join OXYGEN MEDIA, Geraldine Laybourne's media company founded to provide content for women, as senior vice president of corporate policy and public programming. In her new post, Cheryl Mills will address women's access to and participation in civic, political and public policy issues that affect their lives. She will oversee Oxygen's philanthropic activities, its grass roots initiatives and will work with Sarah Bartlett, Oxygen's Editor-in-Chief, to develop its legal and political programming.

Twentieth Century Fox has announced that X-MEN, the live-action film adaptation of the Marvel comic books about mutant superheroes which promises to be visual effects heavy, will be released on June 30, 2000. UNCANNY X-MEN #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, appeared in 1963, but the series was not popular until it was revamped by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in 1975. Since then it has spawned many spinoffs, and is probably the most popular US comic book series of the last twenty years.

UPN has ordered thirteen episodes of DOOMSDAY from Film Roman for the 2000-01 season. As previously announced [Flash 8/17/99], DOOMSDAY is an animated sci-fi/comedy series. While the concept was created by writer/producer Tracy Torme, Howard Stern will play an integral role in the development of the script and in the production of the series, as well as provide the voice for the family dog. Several of Stern's celebrity friends will appear as special guest voices.

Join The Creative Alliance Monthly Salon Series as they present TV and Film Producing for the Young Audience, a look at how decisions are made to produce today's entertainment for the young audience. The panel includes: Allison Abbate, Producer of THE IRON GIANT; Marne Jones, Children's Programming for CBS and others. The panel will be moderated by Stephen Galloway Executive Editor of THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The event takes place Tuesday, September 28, 7:30 pm in Los Angeles, California, USA at The Gower Theater, Paramount Studios. There is an admission fee. RSVP at (310) 789-5686.

The 16th EuropaCinema & TV Film Festival takes place November 27-December 3, 1999 inRome, Italy. The deadline for entries for the animated shorts competitionis October 10, 1999. For more information contact EuropaCinema & TV, Via XXSettembre, 3 - 00187 Roma, Italy; or Tel. +39 06 42011184 or +39 0642000211; Fax +39 06 42010599; or E-mail: europa.cinema@agora.stm.it. Alsovisit //rg.unicri.it/europacinema/.