AWN Headline News

Chicago, Illinois-based commercial production house TRICKYPICTURES has hired New York-based rep firm BLAH BLAH BLAH to represent thecompany with East coast clients. Blah, Blah, Blah's ANDY ARKIN and MIKEEASTWOOD will serve as Tricky Pictures' sales and marketing representatives.

Columbia TriStar Home Video is releasing Ray Harryhausen's first color andindependently produced feature, 1958's THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, on DVD inthe US on November 30, 1999. Extras include a documentary called THE RAYHARRYHAUSEN CHRONICLES; THIS IS DYNAMATION, a documentary about RayHarryhausen's animation techniques; A LOOK BEHIND THE VOYAGE and JASON ANDTHE ARGONAUTS, two interviews; and textual supplements on the cast andcrew, including Harryhausen, director Nathan Juran, Kerwin Matthews

On December 7, 1999, Disney is releasing MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS onDVD. This all-new, full-length video features three tales starring Mickey,Donald and Goofy, each one about Christmas. In the first story, Mickey andMinnie recall the year they both gave up what was most important to themfor the sake of the other, making for one unforgettable Christmas. In thesecond story, Goofy and Max remember when they experienced a series ofhilarious, but faith-shaking events - and a visit from the real Santa made

Chicago, Illinois-based TRICKY PICTURES has completed "Hello Kitty," a :30spot for Target Stores and Minneapolis, Minnesota-based agency PetersonMilla Hooks. Tricky Pictures used After Effects to composite thelive-action footage and the animated characters. Bruce Alcock directed thespot.

As part of ASIFA-Hollywood and Glendale Community College's Fourth AnnualLecture Series on Careers in Animation, Sari Gennis will speak aboutSpecial Effects on Tuesday, October 12 at 7 pm. Sari designed and animatedeffects for the first STAR TREK movie and went on to form her own company,ANIMATRIX, where she has produced and directed commercials, televisiongraphics, and theme park special effects. Since 1987 Sari has specializedin effects animation for feature films, including ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN and

Children's bookstore Storyopolis celebrates the launch of Fox FamilyChannel's THE KIDS FROM ROOM 402. Meet Fox Family Channel characters andcreator Michael Paraskevas, and see an episode of the show. An exhibit ofart by Michael Paraskevas begins on October 5. Storyopolis is located at116 N. Robertson. For more information Tel. (310) 358-2500. The event takesplace Saturday, October 9, 11 am - 2:30 pm in Beverly Hills, California,USA.

The 2nd Matita International Animation Film Festival was held September 23- 26 in Guardiagrele, Italy. The jury consisted of Jury President GiulioCingoli (producer and director), Milan, Italy; Piotr Dumala (director,animator, and teacher at the Film School of Lodz), Warsaw, Poland; RuthLingford (director, animator, and teacher at the Royal College of Arts andNational Film & Television School of London), London, UK; Laura Ruggeri(student at the International Academy of Image, Lanterna Magica), L'Aquila,

Toronto-based NELVANA LIMITED has appointed IRENE WEIBEL and JILL NEWHOUSECALCATERRA as marketing vice presidents of the company's newly-formedcorporate sponsorship division. They will be responsible for the creationof national corporate advertising opportunities for Nelvana's animated TVprograms. Weible was previously vice president of national sponsorship forWGBH-TV, the Boston PBS affiliate. Calcaterra was previously vice presidentof marketing, licensing and public relations for Santa Monica,

Disney will release A BUG'S LIFE - COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD on November 23, 1999. The Disney/Pixarfilm, which crosses the Western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (a remake of AkiraKurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI) with Aesop's THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, isabout an inventive ant named Flik who hires what he believes are "warriorbugs" to defend his colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers. Aswith the TOY STORY laserdisc box set, the supplemental features areplentiful:

DISC ONE: THE MOVIE

Warner Bros. Online, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, and Brilliant Digital Entertainment, an Internet content and tools developer, have announced the formation of a co-production and Internet distribution relationship to launch a co-branded 3-D animation channel, the MULTIPATH MOVIE CHANNEL, on Time Warner's Entertaindom Web site at www.Entertaindom.com.

STUART OKEN has been promoted to the position of senior vice president ofcreative affairs for WALT DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS. Oken joined WaltDisney Theatrical Productions in 1995, and has been closely involved withthe Tony Award-winning stage show, THE LION KING, and Elton John and TimRice's new musical, AIDA, set to premiere in Chicago in December 1999. . .TOM WILLIAMS, a 29-year company veteran and former president and chiefexecutive officer of Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, Florida, has been