AWN Headline News

Macromedia Inc. has announcedthe worldwide availability of Flash 4. Flash 4 includes support for high-fidelity MP3 streaming audio and commands for creating interactive sites. In addition, Flash 4 streamlines the development process with a revamped authoring environment optimized to help developers create bandwidth-efficient Web sites. MP3 streaming audio support in Flash 4 allows designers to create new Web audio applications, such as long-form animations with voiceovers and background music, while keeping files small enough for low-bandwidth delivery.

The Moondance International Film Festival will be held in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival in January 2000, and is open to all women screenwriters and film-makers from any country. All finalists and semi-finalists will have their work read in a public staged reading or viewed at The Moondance International Film Festival. Awards will be given for best original screenplay, best independent feature film, and best documentary, animation or short film. The entry deadline has been extended to September 1, 1999.

Work from the films of British animator Mark Baker will be on display as part of London, England's Museum of the Moving Image's animation exhibit from Tuesday, June 1 - Tuesday, August 31. For more information call 0171 401 2636.

AWN's 1999 Oscar showcase features "Jolly Roger," an Astley Baker production directed by Mark Baker at www.awn.com/oscars.For more information about MOMI, visit the

Master animator Barry Purves will be teaching Acting for Animation at the Museum of the Moving Image in London. The class takes place from Saturday, July 10 to Sunday, July 11, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm both days. Barry Purves is one of the world's leading stop-motion puppet animators. He began his career at Cosgrove Hall Productions working on such programs as THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Since then Barry has gone on to write, direct, and animate several award-winning films: NEXT (1989), SCREEN PLAY (1992), RIGOLETTO (1993), and GILBERT & SULLIVAN (1998).

Dan Romanelli has signed a new long-term contract with Warner Bros., extending his tenure as president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products. Along with continuing responsibility for all the business units within the Warner Bros. Consumer Products division, such as Warner Bros. Licensing and Warner Bros. Studio Stores, Romanelli adds to his charter the ability to acquire properties intended primarily for the creation of licensing and merchandising franchises.

Beginning September 6, 1999, NODDY will air Monday through Friday on PBS stations in the US as part of PBS's "Ready to Learn" service. NODDY debuted in the US in the fall of 1998. The program's success has led to the production of 25 new episodes, bringing the total number of episodes to 65. The new episodes will begin airing in the fall of 1999. Based on the world-renowned children's books by Enid Blyton, NODDY, a show for children ages three to seven, is co-produced by BBC Worldwide, The Enid Blyton Company and Toronto-based Catalyst Entertainment, Inc.

The Cartoon Art Museum presents a show of animation art from the collectionof Mike and Jean Glad featuring Disney villains. Marc Davis, animator ofThumper, Tinkerbell, Malificent, and many other Disney characters, as wellas other Disney artists, will appear, although they will not be doingautographs. The opening takes place on Saturday, June 19, 1999, 6-8 pm, butthe show begins on June 16 and continues through September 5, 1999. Themuseum is located at 814 Mission Street, 2nd floor in San Francisco,

THE IRON GIANT, which opens in the US on August 6, will be accompanied bythe following merchandising. On August 3 Rhino Records will release THEIRON GIANT soundtrack. In addition to an original score by Michael Kamen(LETHAL WEAPON, 101 DALMATIONS), this collection includes tracks such asEddie Platt's 1958 hit "Cha-Hua-Hua," The Magnificents' "Let's Do TheCha-Cha," and Jimmie Haskell's "Rockin' In Orbit." Compiled by Rhino'sJames Austin, THE IRON GIANT soundtrack will retail for $16.1998/CD,

Women in Animation will hold their Annual Meeting and Elections onSaturday, June 26 at 10:30 am at Gnomon, Inc. Ballots were due by mail orfax on June 18, but can still be delivered in person at the June 26meeting. Gnomon is located at 1015 North Cahuenga Bl., First Floor,Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information call 818-759-9596.