AWN Headline News

* Saturday, February 12, 2000. Ontario, Canada.

Cinematheque Ontario will present Lotte Reiniger's timeless silhouette

animation, THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (DIE ABENTEUER DES PRINZEN

ACHMED). The story is adapted from the "Tales of the Arabian Nights." The

film, that took Reiniger two years to make, captures fantasy, romance,

adventure, and humor. The screening will begin at 2 pm. The Jackman Hall

Box Office opens 30 minutes prior to the first screening of the day. Ticket

* Sunday, February 20 - Wednesday, February 23, 2000. Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

Created in 1979, the Monte-Carlo Television Market was established as a

companion to the world renowned Monte-Carlo International Television

Festival. Today, the Television Market ranks as one of the top program

markets in the world. In 1999, the Market had 487 registered buyers and

1,920 participants on hand. For 2000, two new events have been added to the

* Monday, February 28 - Saturday, March 11, 2000. Brussels, Belgium.

Each year the Brussels Cartoon and Animated Film Festival programs the

"crème de la crème" in international animation. It is one of the top

festivals on the international cartoon and computer generated images

circuit. It features 150 to 200 films, plus premieres, original

retrospectives, exhibitions, "making of" programs and invites a host of

* Wednesday, March 8 - Sunday, March 12, 2000. Tampere, Finland.

As the biggest short film event in Northern Europe, the Tampere

International Short Film Festival features 80 screenings, a film market and

seminars. 16mm and 35mm films under 30 minutes, completed after January 1,

1998, are accepted for competition. Awards available include Grand Prize,

Special Prize of the Jury, Best Animation, and an Audience Award. Last

Walt Disney and Pixar have yet another trophy on their mantle, this time

it's the grand prix at Imagina 2000. The computer conference and festival,

which started in Monaco on January 31 and then continued in Paris on

February 2, finishing Friday, February 4, is often referred to as the

European equivalent to SIGGRAPH. The events in Monaco included the "Prix

Pixel-INA" awards competition, the Innovation Space, and various

conferences and panel discussions such as "2D/3D Animation," a discussion

On Wednesday, December 26, 2000, a second child was reported to have

suffocated on Burger King's promotional POKEMON ball. The 4-month old,

Indianapolis, Indiana boy was found dead by his grandmother who left the

toy in the crib with the sleeping child. Millions of the toys were recalled

on December 11, 1999 after a Sonora, California girl was found in her

playpen with half the ball over her nose and mouth. U.S. federal officials

accused the Miami-based fast food chain of being too slow in recalling the

Imax has inked a deal with Fox, DreamWorks and Sony Pictures to deliver to

audiences 3D versions of THE SIMPSONS, Princess Bala from ANTZ and several

original animated characters. The Imax feature will be entitled CYBERWORLD

and will hit U.S. theatres in October. Produced by Hugh Murray and Steve

Hoban, the 45-minute pic will feature 3D clips from ANTZ and THE SIMPSONS

interwoven with Phig, the tour guide of this futuristic animation museum.

Michael Webster, who established Walt Disney's television animation

division in 1984, passed away at the age 60 following a long battle with

multiple sclerosis. On Saturday, January 29, 2000, Mr. Webster succumbed to

complications from pneumonia at his home in Port Townsend, Washington,

U.S.A. During his 42 year tenure, Webster created the Walt Disney

Television Animation division and served as its senior VP until his

retirement in 1992. He oversaw production of the Emmy-winning NEW

ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT INC., a leading worldwide interactive entertainment

company, has appointed JAY ANDRONACO as manager of public relations and

BRADFORD W. LOUCKS as vice president of sales. Andronaco will oversee

public relations initiatives for Acclaim's recently announced Extreme

Championship Wrestling (ECW) license, including the launch of the first

video game title on February 17, 2000, ECW HARDCORE REVOLUTION. In

addition, Andronaco will manage media relation initiatives for select

Funkmation Studios, an animation house providing services for film,

television, CD-Rom and the Web, has floated into a new home in Brooklyn's

Navy Yard. The animation house will share the new space with New York

Studios' film and television sound stage. Funkmation's credits include:

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH CD-Rom; storyboard and background design on

COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG; Flash animation on Partner Re's screen savers;

and a 2D animation pilot with C&C Films entitled MAXIMUM BLACK. The new

Tom Snyder Productions' HOME MOVIES has found a new home at Cartoon

Network. The Atlanta-based toon channel has ordered 13 episodes for 2000.

The order also includes five episodes, which originally aired on UPN last

spring and eight new episodes, to be produced beginning in February. HOME

MOVIES is about Brendon Small, a restless, creative third-grader, who uses

his video camera to deal with his problems. The cast includes Brendon

Small, Melissa Bardin Galsky and H. Jon Benjamin. The show is very funny as