AWN Headline News

Curt Roth has been named CEO and chairman of ExtraTainment.com, a content creator focusing on short cartoons for the Internet, WAP and third generation mobile phones. Before joining ExtraTainment.com, Curt Roth was founder and president of GSM Information Network (GIN), a service provider supplying information services to over 14 digital mobile phone operators worldwide. Hubert Roth, founder and COO of ExtraTainment.com, said, "I am confident that this company will become a stunning success and has all the ingredients available to become a world player within a short time."

Blur Studio recently provided motion graphics design and production services for a new 60-second spot for the U.S. Army Reserve. The spot entitled "Dot You" promotes opportunities in the Army Reserve and highlights the service's Website, goarmyreserve.com. Typography animates over the live-action, echoing values such as "leadership," "dedication" and "adventure." The spot culminates with a series of hero shots over which appears the Army Reserve's Website address.

Quiet Man searches for "Intelligent Life" in two new 15 and 30-second spots for K'nex toy company. In the commercial, two animated aliens are sent to Earth to search for "signs of intelligent life." When they arrive, they ignore human beings and concentrate instead on a robotic toy built with high-tech plastic blocks called K'nex. The robotic toy has a Cyber Key device used to program it to perform different types of behavior such as that of a guard dog or a battle robot.

* November 2000 - February 2001. World Wide Web.

Entry Deadline: November 15, 2000.

* Tuesday, February 20 Saturday, March 3, 2001. Brussels, Belgium.

Entry Deadline: November 1, 2000.

* Monday, October 23, 2000. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

* Wednesday, October 25, 2000. Burbank, California, U.S.A.

An evening of rare English-dubbed Japanese animated TV series of the 1960s that DIDN'T make it to America! Osamu Tezuka's BIG X, Toei's KEN THE WOLF BOY and Tatsunoko's SPACE ACE (aka RING-O) will be screened. Jerry Beck, Fred Patten and Fred Ladd (producer of the English language SPACE ACE) will introduce the screening. The event takes place at 7:30 pm. Admission for ASIFA members is US$2, non-members $5 and seating is limited. For more information call: Tel.: (818) 842-8330.

* Sunday, February 25, 2001. London, U.K.

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, October 31, 2000.

Upon the success of the TNT original movie, a new TV series based on the WITCHBLADE comic book will go into production. TNT has ordered 11 episodes from Warner Bros. to be broadcast next summer. The WITCHBLADE telepic was seen in 3.5 million households and was the most watch telepic for the week of August 21-27.

The I Castelli Animati Festival has split its grand prize between Igor Kovalyovs FLYING NANSEN and Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newloves VILLAGE OF IDIOTS. The event took place in Genzano, Italy from Wednesday, October 4 Sunday, October 8, 2000. This years international competition jury was composed of Furio Scarpelli, Julian Nott, Massimo Bucchi, Paul Driessen and Wendy Tilby.

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.