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Fans can take home a feel-good, slice-of-life anime in a deluxe new set this spring, when Anime Unlimited and Shout! Studios release A Place Further than the Universe Collector’s Edition in North America on April 22. Produced by Madhouse (Perfect Blue, Death Note, Hunter x Hunter), the series has won over fans and critics by capturing the spirit of youth through beautiful animation, charming characters and an incredible adventure to the ends of the Earth.
The series follows the journey of four girls in their travels to Antarctica and is directed by Atsuko Ishizuka (Goodbye, Don Glees!; No Game No Life), with script and series composition by Jukki Hanada (Steins;Gate, Love Live! Superstar!!). The lauded original anime drama won the hearts of coming-of-age enthusiasts, as well as the 2019 Anime Trending award for Anime of the Year.
Pre-orders are now open through shoutfactory.com and select participating online stores.
Synopsis: Scenery that we have never seen. Sounds that we have never heard. Scents that we have never smelled. Food that we have never tasted. And the surge of emotion that we have never experienced. This is the expedition of recollecting the pieces torn apart and sensation left alone. When we reach that place, what will we think?
Howling, 40 degree angle. Raging, 50 degree angle. Shouting, 60 degree angle. A wilderness beyond the heavy sea. The furthest south, far from civilization. At the top of the Earth. We will find lights through the girls’ eyes to live tomorrow.
For the Collector’s Edition, the full series of A Place Further than the Universe is presented in both the Japanese version and an all-new English dub available for the first time ever in home video. The set is packaged in a slipcase housing all 13 episodes on two Blu-ray discs, accompanied by:
Two CDs of the original soundtrack
Four art cards
11.7” x 16.5” poster
92-page booklet
On-disc extras include clean opening, clean ending and Making of the English dub featurette
Anime Limited’s English version dub cast features the voices of Xanthe Huynh (Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis, Edens Zero), Ama Lee (One Piece Film: Red, Attack on Titan), Kayli Mills (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Seven Deadly Sins), Erica Mendez (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, Suzume), Daisy Guevara (Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens, Brok the Investigator), Cassandra Lee Morris (Barbie: A Touch of Magic, My Hero Academia), Caitlyn Elizabeth (Little Witch Academia, Super Mario Bros. Wonder), Morgan Lauré (My Hero Academia, Death Parade), Cristina Vee (Sailor Moon, Miraculous Ladybug), among others.
Eric Jackson of Saskatoon’s Paxolotl Media Inc. and Leslea Mair of Winnipeg’s Zoot Pictures, announced today that Chums, a new 3D-animated series currently in production for preschoolers aged 3-6, has been renewed for a second seasonof 9 x 30’ episodes by broadcasters APTN and Citytv Saskatchewan. The first season of the series is slated to premiere this Spring, and will also be available for streaming on APTN lumi.
Additionally, Franco-Ontarian network TFO has also come on boardto broadcast a French-language version of both Season 1 and 2 of Chums.
The series producers will soon introduce Chums to the festival circuit, planning an official selection premiere at the 11th Māoriland Film Festival in Otaki, New Zealand (March 20-24). The festival showcases new Indigenous film and television productions from around the world.
Synopsis: In the world of Chums, a young Eaglet named Ira and her rag tag group of furry friends on Turtle Island are discovering their relationships to each other and to their environment on Mother Enmmarth. Ira’s group of “Chums” — friends — includes Flies with Eagles, a young girl who is always willing to help; Emiree, a baby beaver with the softest heart; Romper, a rabbit that has trouble paying attention; and Pterry, a ptarmigan who wishes he could fly better. Our newfound chums take it upon themselves to be the explorers of Turtle Island, and to discover and learn about the world around them.
The show is designed to encourage the discovery of traditional Indigenous relationships to the animals and environment around us. It is being produced in four languages — English, Cree, Ojibwe and French — with the aim of encouraging Indigenous languages for children. The show is formatted for lip synching and versioning the characters into various languages.
Chums director and co-writer Dennis Jackson created the popular stop-motion kids’ series Wapos Bay, which aired between 2005 and 2011 in Canada on APTN and in the U.S. on the First Nations Experience Network (FNX). A collaboration between Dennis and his son Eric (co-writer and producer of Chums), the new series features an Indigenous creative team and cast. For many of the Indigenous kids voicing the animated characters, this is their first acting break.
The production partnership between Paxolotl Media and Zoot Pictures includes a mentoring element with the goal of helping develop more Indigenous production companies in Canada/Turtle Island.
Animator Bailey Sanderson working on ‘Chums’
Director Dennis Jackson conducts a recording session for ‘Chums’ [ph: Leif Kaldor]
Chums also marks the creation of a new animation studio based in the Canadian Prairies. The producers have assembled a team of talented people from across the two provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The project offers experience to under-represented cast and tech people in the film and television industry and acts as an important vehicle for training. Junior animators have been paired with experienced veterans as part of a multi-year program to train Indigenous animators, modellers and riggers.
“It’s great to receive this vote of confidence from our broadcast partners APTN and Citytv Saskatchewan to go forward with a second season,” said producer/co-writer Eric Jackson of Paxolotl Media. “As I’ve said before, creating an entirely new animation studio in the Prairies with my dad and my kids makes this a pretty unique thing for all of us. Not just now, but for the future if they follow in our footsteps to continue creating Indigenous stories.”
Exec producer Leslea Mair of Zoot Pictures adds, “We’re also really delighted that TFO has come on board to broadcast Chums. The show is an exciting, innovative project is so many ways, and we’re pleased that French-speaking kids and families will also get a chance to tune in and enjoy the adventures of Ira and her furry friends.”
Chums is written by Eric and Dennis Jackson, as well as by Justina Neepin, directed by Dennis Jackson, produced by Paxolotl Media’s Eric Jackson, and executive produced by Zoot Pictures’ Leslea Mair. Art director is Stephanie Boulet. Tech design is by Frank Digital.
The series is produced by Paxolotl Media and Zoot Pictures in association with APTN and Citytv Saskatchewan. It was developed with APTN, the Canada Media Fund and the Indigenous Screen Office, and is produced with the participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund, the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Manitoba Provincial Tax Credit, the Saskatchewan Feature Film and Television Production Grant Program and the Indigenous Screen Office.
Sky Kids has unveiled two new animated Sky Original series coming to the channel later this year. Happy Town (50 x 7′) and Let’s Go, Bananas! (52 x 11′) are two of the new original and exclusive titles coming to Sky in 2024 revealed in the channel’s UP NEXT announcements.
Narrated by Mel B of Spice Girls fame, Happy Town follows the problem-solving adventures of an adorable hedgehog and ladybird best friend duo, Pep and Tabitha, in a charming and unique community. The brightness of the light in Happy Town depends on the townsfolks glee, so each time it starts to fizz out, the duo set out on a mission to make the sign shine bright again by helping others and encouraging everyone to help each other, too.
Mel B [c/o Sky]“This is a huge moment for me to be the voice of Happy Town for Sky Kids — my first time ever as a narrator,” said Mel B. “I’ve actually spent years looking for the perfect children’s show to get involved with because I’m a mum of three and I strongly believe that little ones learn so much through brilliant, colorful, creative storytelling. Happy Town is all about kindness and community and a cute ladybird and hedgehog duo who make it their mission to help people. I’m totally in love with this gorgeous Sky Kids show. At its heart is fun, adventure and great entertainment — just like me, really!”
The series was commissioned by Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky and Ireland. The commissioning editor for Sky is Ian France. The series is produced by Happy Town Productions; James Fox is creator and director; Dominic Buttimore is producer.
The fast-paced animated comedy series Let’s Go, Bananas! created and written by Tim Bain (Bluey, PJ Masks), focuses on a community of three sweet and silly neighboring animal families who share each other’s triumphs, dramas and completely bananas lives. The show is a feel-good celebration of different family structures, and all the wonderful chaos, joy and messy moments which will be recognized by young viewers and their own families.
“Full of positivity and encouraging creative thinking, Happy Town is a burst of color and joy which is completely encapsulated in the brilliant Mel B’s warm and engaging narration,” said Sky Kids’ Murphy. “And we’re delighted to be working with Tim Bain on the hilarious Let’s Go Bananas, which shows kids that family is what you make it.”
Let’s Go, Bananas! was also commissioned by Murphy for Bennett. The executive producer for Sky Kids is Lisa Mackintosh. The series is produced by 9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films; Sonia Santarelli is producer.
Indie distributor Viva Pictures (The Amazing Maurice, Inspector Sun; upcoming Dragonkeeper, Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights), has signed a distribution agreement with Gold Valley Films, represented by producer Allen Tsang, for the animated family feature Emma’s Big Adventure. The film will enjoy a U.S. release through the Viva Kids label.
Gold Valley and Viva previously partnered to bring the Terry Pratchett adaptation The Amazing Maurice to U.S. screens. That project was produced and written by Robert Chandler, who serves as creative producer for Emma’s Big Adventure.
The magical fantasy-adventure film follows the journey of a very tiny girl called Emma. As the only human living in a world of animals, Emma challenges societal norms as she seeks her true identity. Viva Kids believes that the narrative, centered on breaking barriers and fostering friendship, resonates profoundly with today’s American audience, making it a perfect fit for families and children to enjoy in theaters everywhere.
“We couldn’t be more excited to embark on this magical journey with Emma,” said Victor Elizalde, President at Viva Kids. “The film’s themes of courage, self-discovery, and embracing diversity align seamlessly with our vision to deliver compelling and heartwarming stories to audiences of all ages.”
Tsang added, “Victor and I have been good friends for many years, and we’ve known each other since I entered this industry. We’ve always been exploring possibilities for collaboration, and I’m delighted to finally initiate a partnership with Viva Pictures. Their commitment to presenting high-quality stories to audiences aligns perfectly with the essence of Emma’s Big Adventure. We believe this collaboration will bring joy and inspiration to North American audiences and set the stage for our long-term partnership in the future.”
Hulu’s first original kids’ animated series is preparing to return with Season 2 of The Bravest Knight, produced by Big Bad Boo Studios. Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated, GLAAD Media Award-winning actor Alan Cumming (The Good Wife, My Father’s Dragon) and five-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch (Glee, Wreck-It Ralph) are joining the voice cast for the recently renewed show, which debuted in 2019. The show is broadcast by CBC Kids in Canada.
A pioneering show for LGBTQ+ representation in kids’ television and winner of the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids’ & Family Programming in 2020, The Bravest Knight unfolds as Sir Cedric — a former pumpkin farmer turned knight, now grown up and married to the prince of his dreams — shares the story of his transformative journey with his 10-year-old adopted daughter, Nia. Through his stories, Nia, who is herself training to become a knight, learned important chivalric values such as honor, justice and compassion.
Created by Daniel Errico and directed by Big Bad Boo’s Shabnam Rezaei, The Bravest Knight features the voices of T.R. Knight as Sir Cedric; Bobby Moynihan as young Cedric’s troll sidekick, Grunt; and Storm Reid as Nia (Season 1), now played by Millie Davis in Season 2.
In Season 2, young Cedric and Grunt will continue their travels into a fantasy kingdom. Lynch will be voicing a vegetarian ogre named Lug Lug, while Cumming plays the pompous, scheming Sheriff Reginald. Returning from Season 1 will be Wilson Cruz as Prince Andrew, Christine Baranski as the Red Dragon. Teri Polo plays the messenger raven, Saylor, and Steven Weber is the Head Knight. Season 1 guest stars included LGBTQ+ icons such as RuPaul, Wanda Sykes and Jazz Jennings.
Despite being in the middle of shooting his next film, The Phoenician Scheme, eight-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch) has been announced as a special guest of the 2024Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June 9-15). The director won the feature film Cristal and Audience Awards in 2010 for his stop-motion film Fantastic Mr. Fox and the festival’s Commissioned Film Jury Award for the “Aline” music video from The French Dispatch in 2022.
“Over the last decade, Wes Anderson has had an incredible influence on the revival of stop-motion animation,” said the festival’s Artistic Director, Marcel Jean. “His intricate, theatrical style and his sophisticated, holistic approach to directing have set an example and inspired a score of young filmmakers. His visit to Annecy will mark a long love story and admiration for his work. For us, this is an immense gift to offer our festivalgoers!”
Here’s what Annecy is planning to celebrate Anderson’s work:
Fantastic Mr. Fox | Isle of Dogs
Fantastic Mr. Fox & Isle of Dogs Return to the Big Screen
A virtuoso director with a unique sense of humor, Wes Anderson brings a highly personal visual style and universe to each of his films, which are instantly recognizable by their lavish sets and vibrant colors.
In 2010, Wes Anderson branched out into animation and directed Fantastic Mr. Fox, a stop-motion feature film adapted from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name. Annecy rewarded his talent with the Cristal for a Feature Film. Eight years later, he directed Isle of Dogs, a tribute to Japanese culture and film.
Both these feature films will be screened at Annecy in June.
Exclusive Masterclass
Aside the pleasure of being able to discover or rediscover his films, some festivalgoers will have the privilege of attending an exclusive Masterclass!
Wes Anderson is a source of inspiration for many young filmmakers. He will discuss his approach to animation film, especially stop-motion animation and his directorial vision.
This week, a new out-of-this-world medical is paging viewers to Prime Video: From Emmy-winning creator Cirocco Dunlap and Maya Rudolph, Danielle Renfrew Behrens and Natasha Lyonne’s Animal Pictures, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premieres February 23, introducing viewers to Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak — intergalactically renowned surgeons and best friends, working together to tackle any malady the cosmos throw at them.
In a new exclusive clip shared with Animation Magazine, we get an advance look at the premiere episode. The excerpt features Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu), Dr. Vlam (Maya Rudolph) and Dr. Plowp (Kieran Culkin). In Season 1, doctors Sleech and Klak take on a highly dangerous and potentially groundbreaking case and, in doing so, put existence itself in jeopardy. (Although considering their dismal personal lives, oblivion might be an improvement.)
The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, with animation by Titmouse Studios, and is under a two-season order from Prime Video, which will stream The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Series creator Dunlap also serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer along with executive producers Rudolph, Behrens and Lyonne for Animal Pictures. Shauna McGarry, Shannon Prynoski, Chris Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Ben Kalina from Titmouse executive produce. Artist and animator Robin Eisenberg is co-producer and production designer.
We recently had the chance to catch up with Marc du Pontavice, founder of French animation studio Xilam (founded in 1999) and producer of the Oscar-nominated feature I Lost My Body and popular shows such as Oggie and the Cockroaches, Mr Magoo, Zig and Sharko and Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life. His new project Lucy Lost, an animated feature based on award-winning author Michael Morpurgo’s Listen to the Moon, which will be showcased at next month’s Cartoon Movie event in France.
The period pic centers on Lucy, lively child with extraordinary faculties, which makes her look out of place amongst the fishermen of the Isles of Scilly. But all the care and affection she gets from Alfie and his family can’t shelter her from the rumors and superstitions that she unknowingly stirs up. When Lucy meets Milly, a mysterious girl, she embarks on an incredible race in pursuit of her true origins.
Here is what the veteran French animation figure shared with us about his new movie:
Animag: Can you tell us a bit about how Xilam became involved in Lucy Lost?
Marc du Pontavice: I first read Michael Morpurgo’s (War Horse) best-selling mystery novel Listen to the Moon – which Lucy Lost is adapted from – back in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the story. It’s a captivating novel that weaves together themes of family, love and memory against a backdrop of vivid landscapes, which I knew would translate beautifully to the screen.
From there, we picked up the rights and got going on development. Initially, we were adapting the book into a TV miniseries but then in 2022 I met the director, Olivier Clert, whose vision for the project convinced me to pivot to making it into a theatrical movie.
What do you love about the original book and why did you believe it would make a great animated movie?
This is a story of mystery and resilience. This is about dealing with a wounded memory and finding your place as a stranger in a suspicious community. In other words, it’s a very rich story thematic-wise, led by a fragile yet courageous child in a world that is constantly moving between colorful fantasy and harsh reality.
What were your biggest challenges as you set out to realize this project?
Proving that when it comes to family movies, the western animation industry is not just about comedy — animation is a medium through which heartfelt, dramatic and captivating stories can be explored and brought to a large international audience.
Where is the animation being produced? Can you tell us more about visual style?
At our animation studio in France – it will be fully animated in a mix of 2D and 3D. We’d like to propose a clear style that is rich and visually pleasing. Our aim is to find a balance between the efficiency that is found within Japanese animation (such as Myazaki, Hosoda and Shinkai), and a slightly graphic and pictorial approach that is specific to illustration and painting, which can be seen in movies like Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea.
Xilam Films’ “Lucy Lost” debuts at Cartoon Movie in March.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the movie?
A desire to reach out and connect with others, and to consider our differences with understanding and kindness. I also hope it will offer audiences a sense of optimism and give them the self-confidence to overcome difficulties and traumas.
What is your take on the state of global feature animation scene in 2024?
There is a growing demand for storytelling and a visual approach that is less formulaic and offers something unexpected. Yet to meet this demand, there needs to be significant investment and commitment to exploring animation projects beyond the traditional and expected CGI comedy genre. We can only hope that the precedent created by Myazaki with The Boy and the Heron, and the remarkable success this film has had on the global stage, will inspire the decision makers.
Moonbug Entertainment and Disney’s new animated series Morphle and the Magic Pets will unleash their special brand of mischief on Disney Junior and Disney+ next month. Deadline reports that the CG-animated series will premiere on the Mouse outlets in the U.S. on March 20 and will debut globally at a later date this year.
The new show is based on Arthur van Merwijk’s My Magic Pet Morphle and co-developed by Mark Palmer (Hello Ninja) and consulting producer Jill Sanford (Go! Go! Cory Carson). Nick Confalone (Helpsters) is the show’s story editor. The first season of the show has 52 seven-minute shows and 50 three-minute shorts.
The series follows the adventures of Mila and her stepbrother, Jordie, as they leap into a world of adventure with the help of Morphle, Mila’s magical and loyal pet who has the power to morph into whatever she imagines. The three central characters use their skills and smarts to keep magic pets out of mischief, solve problems and find ‘magic matches’ for each newcomer.
Candle Media-owned Moonbug is best known for YouTube hits such as CoComelon and Blippi. Morphle and the Magic Pets began as short-form three-minute YouTube series, Morphle.
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron and Yorgos Langthimos’ Poor Things were two of the top winners at last night’s 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, hosted by David Tennant at The Royal Festival Hall in London. Miyazaki’s acclaimed feature beat Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of The Nugget, Disney/Pixar’s Elemental and Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for best animated film. The Boy and Heron became the first Japanese production to win the Best Animated Feature BAFTA and it also marked the first BAFTA win for Hayao Miyazaki, who turned 83 last year.
Yorgos Langthimos’ Poor Thingswon the BAFTA for Best Visual Effects. The other nominees were 20th Century Studios’ The Creator, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Paramount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and Columbia Pictures’ Napoleon.
Crab Day by Bart Stanislawek, Ross Stringer and Aleksander Sykulak took home the BAFTA for the Best Animated Short, beating the other nominees Wild Summon (by Karni Arieli, Saul Freed and Jay Woolley) and Visible Mending by Samantha Moore and Tilley Bancroft.
Watch below:
You can read our interview with the director Ross Stringer here and watch the short below:
The animation community showered Sony Picture Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Pablo Berger’s Robot Dreams and Netflix’s Blue Eye Samuraiwith a lot of love at the 51st edition of the Annie Awards on Saturday night.
Spider-Verse, which has been going head to head with Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed hit The Boy and the Heron during the award season, ended up winning most of the major awards, with seven Annie nods (Best Studio Feature, Direction, Character Design, Effects, Music, Production Design and Editorial). The Boy and the Heron won two Annies, one for Best Storyboards (Miyazaki) and another one for Best Character Animation (Takeshi Honda). Spanish writer-director Pablo Berger took home the Annie for Best Independent Feature Annie for his charming underdog movie Robot Dreams, which was produced by his start-up studio Arcadia Motion Picture and has been picked up by Neon, with a late spring release date. Netflix’s Nimona, which was another popular title, also took home two Annies, for Voice Acting (Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona) and for Best Writing (Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor).
On the TV/Streaming side, Blue Eye Samurai was the clear champion of the night. The Blue Spirit-Netflix series won six Annies (Best Mature TV Media, effects, character animation, production design, writing and editing). Set in 17th century Edo period Japan, the beautifully animated 2D French-American series was created by wife and husband team Amber Noizumi and Micheal Green, with supervising director and producer Jane Wu. It debuted in November 2023 to top reviews, and it has been renewed for a second season. Disney+’s Star Wars: Visionswas another favorite. Cartoon Saloon co-founder Paul Young won the Best TV Direction Annie for the episode “Screechers Reach,” while Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries and Dineo du Toit won for Best Music for the episode “Aau’s Song.”
Star Wars Visions: “Screechers Reach”
Here is the complete list of this year’s Annie winners (winning title is in bold).
2024 Annie Awards Winners & Nominees
BEST FEATURE
Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse– Sony Pictures Animation
Suzume – CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
The Boy and the Heron– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS
BEST FEATURE-INDEPENDENT
Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia– Folivari, Mélusine Productions, Studio Canal / Distributed by GKIDS
Four Souls of Coyote– Cinemon Entertainment
WINNER: Robot Dreams– Arcadia Motion Pictures
The Inventor– Curiosity Studios
White Plastic Sky– SALTO Films & Artichoke
BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION
Invincible: Atom Eve – Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Entertainment
Shape Island: The Winter Blues– Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple
WINNER: Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie – WildBrain Studios in association with Apple
The Smeds and The Smoos– Magic Light Pictures
The Velveteen Rabbit– Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple
BEST SHORT SUBJECT
Carne de Dios– Ojo Raro & Fedora Productions
Daffy in Wackyland– Warner Bros. Animation
Humo – Outik Animation, 3rd Street Video, Mindsoup Entertainment, IMCINE
Pina– Punchline Cinema / Next Days Films
WINNER: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko– ElectroLeague
War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko
BEST SPONSORED
WINNER: “Video Games” by Tenacious D – Pinreel Inc.
Alzheimer’s Research UK “Change The Ending” – Passion Pictures
“Laugh Track” by The National (featuring Phoebe Bridgers) – Bernard Derriman
WWF “Up in Smoke” – NOMINT
BEST TV/MEDIA – PRESCHOOL
Batwheels“To the Batmobile!” – Warner Bros. Animation
WINNER: Ghee Happy “Navagraha” – Ghee Happy Studio
Playdate with Winnie the Pooh“Piglet, Tigger and the Cardboard Box” – Oddbot Inc.
StoryBots: Answer Time“Fractions” – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
The Creature Cases“The Forest Food Bandit” – Silvergate Media/Team TO/Choice/Provisions/Netflix
BEST TV/MEDIA – CHILDREN
Curses!“The Baboon Temple” – DreamWorks Animation
WINNER: Hilda “Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle” – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur “The Beyonder” – Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation
My Dad the Bounty Hunter“Bizarre Ride” – A Netflix Series
Shape Island“Square’s Special Place” – Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple
Hilda: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle
BEST TV/MEDIA – MATURE
Big Mouth “The International Show” – Netflix
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai “Pilot: Hammerscale” – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
Bob’s Burgers “Amelia” – 20th Television Animation
Scavengers Reign “The Signal” – Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street
Tomato Kitchen –Special Production – Bilibili / Studio Reflection
BEST TV/MEDIA – LIMITED SERIES
WINNER: Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire –“Enkai” – Triggerfish Animation Studio & Blinkink
Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection– “Yellowbird” – Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery
Pokémon: Path to the Peak– “Episode: 1” – The Pokémon Company International
BEST STUDENT FILM
From The Top– Student Director: Rich Farris – Student Producer: Martina Buendia Silva – School: National Film and Television School
La quête de l’humain– Student Team: Mélina Ienco, Lucie Juric, Caroline Leibel, Faustine Merle, Claire Pellet – School: Gobelins, l’école de l’image
Quem Salva – Student Team: Laure Devin, Maxime Bourstin, Nathan Medam, Charles Hechinger, Titouan Jaouen – School: Supinfocom Rubika
WINNER: The Little Poet– Student Director: Justine King – Student Producer: Justine King – School: California Institute of the Arts
BEST FX – TV/MEDIA
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai “All Evil Dreams and Angry Words” – Production Company: A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions – FX Production Company: Blue Spirit — Thomas Decaens, Karl Burtin, Laurent Bretonniere
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire“Moremi” – Production Company: Triggerfish for Disney+ – FX Production Company: Lucan — Matthew Dunwoody, Dmitry Sarkisov, Podchasha Yuri Anatolyevich, Richard Bothma, Emile Van Straaten
Star Wars: Visions“Sith” – Production Company: Lucasfilm Ltd. – FX Production Company: El Guiri Studios — Jonatan Catalán, Alberto Sánchez, Phoebe Arjona, Virginia Cantaro, Rubén Hinarejos
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday – Production Company: DreamWorks Animation – FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation and 88 Pictures — Sateesh Malla, Russell Richardson Jr., Akash Gopal, Basavaraj P, Kevin Rumold
What If…?– “What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?” – Production Company: Marvel Studios – FX Production Company: SDFX Studios — Ryan Barringer, Rajkumar Gurudu, Bipin Kumar Patra, Pranil Ravindra Mahajan
BEST FX – FEATURE
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget– Production Company: Netflix Presents An Aardman Production – FX Production Company: Aardman Production — Charles Copping, Jon Biggins, Jim Lewis, Rich Spence, Martin Lipmann
Elemental – Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios – FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios — Chris Chapman, Tim Speltz, Krzysztof Rost, Amit Baadkar, Ravindra Dwivedi
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse– Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation – FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks — Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari, Naoki Kato, Nicola Finizio, Edmond Boulet-Gilly
Suzume– Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. – FX Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Yoshitaka Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Seshita
The Peasants– Production Company: Breakthru Films – FX Production Company: Breakthru Productions — Lukasz Mackiewicz, Kamil Polak
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – TV/MEDIA
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake– “The Winter King” – Cartoon Network Studios — Alex Small-Butera
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai Episodes 101, 104 and 106 – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions — Alex Bard
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire“Moremi,” “Surf Sangoma,” “Stardust” – Triggerfish Animation for Disney+ — Andre DeVilliers
Star Wars: Visions “I Am Your Mother” – Lucasfilm Ltd. — Laurie Sitzia
The Amazing Digital Circus Pilot – Glitch Productions — Kevin Temmer
Suzume– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Kenichi Tsuchiya
WINNER: The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Takeshi Honda
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – LIVE ACTION
Ahsoka– Production Company: Lucasfilm – FX Production Company: Industrial Light & Magic — Rick O’Connor, Mike Beaulieu, Stewart Alves, Kevin Reuter, Wai Kit Wan
Cocaine Bear– Production Company: Wētā FX – FX Production Company: Wētā FX — Carmelo Leggiero, Steve Braggs, Kevin Kelm, Cedric Enriquez Canlas, Kane Elferink
WINNER: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3– Production Company: Marvel Studios – FX Production Company: Framestore — Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw
The Little Mermaid – Production Company: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures – FX Production Company: Framestore — Pablo Grillo, Kayn Garcia, Ferran Casas, Stuart Ellis, Joseph Lewis
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts– Production Company: Wētā FX – FX Production Company: Wētā FX — Kevin Estey, Kai-Hua Lan, Blaine Toderian Toderian, Richard John Moore, Joseph C.K Leong
Merry Little Batman – Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment — Nikolas Ilic
Nimona– Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Aidan Sugano
Robot Dreams – Arcadia Motion Pictures — Daniel Fernandez Casas
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse– Sony Pictures Animation — Jesús Alonso Iglesias
BEST DIRECTION – TV/MEDIA
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire“Moremi” – Triggerfish Animation Studio & Lucan Studio — Shofela Coker, Andrew McNally
My Dad the Bounty Hunter“Bizarre Ride” – A Netflix Series — Kenji Ono, Kai Akira, Patrick Harpin
Pokémon Concierge“What’s on Your Mind, Psyduck?” – dwarf studios for Netflix — Iku Ogawa
Scavengers Reign“The Fall” – Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street — Diego Porral
WINNER: Star Wars: Visions“Screecher’s Reach” – Lucasfilm Ltd. — Paul Young
BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE
Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
Robot Dreams– Arcadia Motion Pictures — Pablo Berger, Benoît Feroumont
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation — Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies — Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears
The Boy and the Heron– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Hayao Miyazaki
BEST MUSIC – TV/MEDIA
Animaniacs “Talladega Mice” – Warner Brothers Animation/Amblin Entertainment/HULU Originals — Steven Bernstein, Julie Bernstein
Babylon 5: The Road Home Special Production – Warner Bros. Animation — Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis
PacemakerShort Film – A Running Commentary — Christopher Lennertz
WINNER: Star Wars: Visions “Aau’s Song” – Lucasfilm Ltd. — Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit
The Smeds and The Smoos Special Production – Magic Light Pictures — René Aubry
BEST MUSIC – FEATURE
Elemental – Pixar Animation Studios — Thomas Newman, Ari “LAUV” Leff
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation — Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin
Suzume – CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Kazuma Jinnouchi, RADWIMPS
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Joe Hisaishi
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TV/MEDIA
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai “Hammerscale” – Netflix Animation — Jason Scheier
Blue Eye Samurai “The Great Fire of 1657” – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions — Toby Wilson, James Wilson, Emil Mitev
Scavengers Reign “The Storm” – Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street — Charles Huettner, Jonathan Djob Nkondo, Pauline Mauvière, Hugo Moreno, Jon Juarez
Star Wars: Visions “Sith” – Lucasfilm Ltd. — Carlos Salgado
What If…? “What if… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” – Marvel Studios — Paul Lasaine, Kristina Vardazaryan, Cynthia Halley, Ryan Magno, Simon Dunsdon
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE
Elemental – Pixar Animation Studios– Don Shank, Maria Yi, Dan Holland, Jennifer Chang, Laura Meyer
Nimona– Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Aidan Sugano, Jeff Turley
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse– Sony Pictures Animation — Patrick O’Keefe, Dean Gordon
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies — Yashar Kassai, Arthur, Tiffany Lam
The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Yoji Takeshige
BEST STORYBOARDING – TV/MEDIA
Craig Before the Creek – Cartoon Network Studios — Erik Fountain
Fright Krewe “The Blood Awakening, Part 1” – DreamWorks Animation — Leah Artwick
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai“Never Give Up” – Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television — Kristine Lee
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight “Apok-ta-pokalypse Now, Part II” – DreamWorks Animation — Grace Liu
WINNER: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur “Run the Rink” – Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions — Ben Juwono
BEST STORYBOARDING – FEATURE
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget– Netflix Presents An Aardman Production — Richard Phelan
Nimona– Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Esteban Bravo
Robot Dreams– Arcadia Motion Pictures — Maca Gil
Suzume– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Makoto Shinkai
WINNER: The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Hayao Miyazaki
BEST VOICE ACTING – TV/MEDIA
Archer“Keys Open Doors” – FX Productions — Aisha Tyler (Character: Lana Kane)
Craig Before the Creek– Cartoon Network Studios — Vico Ortiz (Character: Serena)
WINNER: Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur “Moon Girl Landing” – Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation — Diamond White (Character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl)
Solar Opposites“The Re-Visibility Bouillabaisse” – 20th Television Animation — Dan Stevens (Character: Korvo)
The Velveteen Rabbit– Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple — Alex Lawther (Character: Velveteen Rabbit)
BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE
Merry Little Batman – Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment — David Hornsby (Character: Joker)
Suzume – CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Hokuto Matsumura (Character: Souta Munakata)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie – Illumination — Jack Black (Character: Bowser)
Chloe Grace Moretz won the Annie for Best Voice Actor in a feature for “Nimona.”
BEST WRITING – TV/MEDIA
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride” – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions — Amber Noizumi
Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection“Yellowbird” – Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery — Tsvetelina Zdraveva, Jerred North
Rock Paper Scissors“Birthday Police” – Nickelodeon Animation Studios — Josh Lehrman, Kyle Stegina, Aram Spencer Porter, Julia Prescott, Mike Trapp
Rosie’s Rules“Time Trouble” – 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films — Leyani Diaz, Maria Escobedo
Scavengers Reign“The Reunion” – Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street — Sean Buckelew
BEST WRITING – FEATURE
WINNER: Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor
Robot Dreams – Arcadia Motion Pictures — Pablo Berger
Suzume – CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. — Makoto Shinkai
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies — Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit
The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS — Hayao Miyazaki
BEST EDITORIAL – TV/MEDIA
WINNER: Blue Eye Samurai “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride” – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions — Yuka Shirasuna
Hilda “Chapter 6: The Forgotten Lake” – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks — John Mckinnon, Mike Stefanelli
I Am Groot “Groot’s Snow Day” – Marvel Studios — Dan Urrutia
The Legend of Vox Machina “The Sunken Tomb” – Amazon MGM Studios, Critical Role Productions, Titmouse — Todd Raleigh, Joelle Kristy
BEST EDITORIAL – FEATURE
Elemental – Pixar Animation Studios — Stephen Schaffer, Amera Rizk, Gregory Snyder, Jen Jew, Kevin Rose-Williams
Leo– Happy Madison for Netflix — Patrick Voetberg, Joseph Titone, Darrian M. James, Danny Miller, Brian Robinson
Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix — Randy Trager, Erin Crackel, Stephen Schwartz, Ashley Calle
WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies — Greg Levitan, Illya Quinteros, David Croomes, Myra Owyang
This year’s Winsor McCay Juried Awards were given to:
Legendary animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous)
Prolific Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi
National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page
The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact was given to BRIC Foundation, Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders.
The Ub lwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry was awarded to John Oxberry (posthumous).
The Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure was given to The Artists of Walt Disney Animation.
For over two decades, Randi Wilens has been managing animators and producing a wide array of projects for music videos, global tour visuals, live concerts, promos, feature film title sequences, branded content, commercials, animated installations on historical buildings and documentaries. Most recently she has produced animated projects for the likes of Bad Bunny, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Odesza, Blink 182, Billy Idol, Hulu, The New York Times and The Atlantic. She was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about her special brand of animated content.
Animag: Thank you so much for finding time for us. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in animation?
Randi: I am a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of USC’s school of cinema with a degree in film production. In 1997, I was at a movie theatre and a commercial played before the film. It was a stop-motion spot for LA NPR station, KCRW. It just blew me away it truly resonated and I had to know who created it. I called the radio station and was introduced to the brilliant James Caliri. I signed him immediately and knew at that moment that I was in love with animation.
What was your first foray into animation?
Our first animation project together was a music video for Cypress Hill featuring The Fugees. It was a wonderful experience. Our next project was Grammy nominated for best video of the year Morphine’s “Early To Bed.” Other projects were Clio winning United Airline spots and Emmy winning film title sequences. James subsequently became an animation entrepreneur when he invented Dragonframe — the globally utilized animation software. Having come from a live-action background, I knew I had a keen eye for animators. I was hooked!
Can you tell us a bit about your current projects?
I am currently producing exciting animation projects for feature films, commercials, music videos, short films, branded content, tour visuals. Recent projects include Bad Bunny, Hoka, Billy Idol, Blink 182, Nina Simone, The Smashing Pumpkins, Brandi Carlile, Anderson Paak, Odesza, a film title sequence for an upcoming feature film, cover art for Harper Collins, and a five-minute music video for The Polyphonic Spree, which will be screened in a planetarium in Dallas!
Animated visualizer for Nina Simone’s song “For a While”
What drew you to explore animation in alternative formats such as music videos and concerts?
When the pandemic hit I knew labels and agencies would still want concerts and I pursued animation projects with a fervor. Tour visuals became the new MTV — animation globally resonates with all recording artists and tour visuals at live concerts is a truly viable art form. My animators have worked with Metallica, SZA, The Weeknd, Matchbox 20, Travis Scott, Lil Nas X, as well as music festivals such as Coachella.
Please tell us about your installation work and building projections?
One of the animators I represent introduced me to an art curator who was soliciting artists to create motion art to be projected on the Daniels & Fisher Clocktower in Denver… which was viewed by thousands of people. My animator Chris May created one piece that was highly regarded… Subsequently, I introduced the curator to my roster of animators I represent and he was wowed. He subsequently hired me to curate ten art pieces for 2024. I am now working with the city of West Hollywood to create content for billboards on the Sunset strip. We have also created an art installation screening on a major billboard in Tokyo. It’s a very exciting endeavor and only just the beginning.
Chris May’s animated installation
What are some aspects of the job you absolutely love and what are the big challenge?
I love that animated content is globally respected as an art form in all genres and people will take chances on innovative and experimental content. The challenges come about when there is not enough time or enough money or both. But I always find a solution.
What excites you about animation in the year ahead?
The sky’s the limit – the future of animation content will be trailblazing.
What kind of advice do you offer young people who want to get into animation, beyond taking the usual studio and TV animated content route?
I lectured and mentored film students at USC for 10 years. My advice to young animators is to ‘just do it’! Create your own content — a music video, a spec commercial, an art piece. Don’t wait for things to happen: make them happen.
For more info Randi and her cutting-edge animation projects, visit rwmedia.tv. You can watch some of her animated projects below:
With several months of award-season hype and daily prognostication from experts, the actual arrival of the Annie Awards evening comes as a welcome event. Conceived by the late, great actress June Foray, the Annies have been a part of animation life in Los Angeles since the first edition took place at the banquet room of the Sportsmen’s Lodge (which has now been converted to a shopping center) in Studio City.
This year, the 51st edition of the Annie Awards will take place on Saturday, February 17 at UCLA’s Royce Hall and will honor the best of the industry in 37 categories. As always, the event promises to be a festive, entertaining and celebratory affair.
Sue Shakespeare
ASIFA-Hollywood president Sue Shakespeare says she’s looking forward to celebrating the best of the animation world at the popular event. “It is so exciting to look back on this year and see how animation has flourished at the box office,” she notes. “Finally, we are back in the theaters, experiencing the amazing films on the big screen! It’s so impactful! The state of the animation industry has never been better. More films are being produced each year, and the variety of subjects being explored is fabulous.”
Global Champions
Shakespeare adds, “We’re seeing the ‘value’ of animation in film. Animated films are among the highest earners at the box office. Of course, this is not surprising to many of us, for we recognize that animation can tell stories and create memorable movie experiences that communicate across boundaries and barriers of all kinds. When I look at the cross section of domestic and international, studio-backed and independent films released in 2023, I marvel at the amazing sophistication in them. So many styles are now being produced, and there is a greater prevalence of hybrid styles this year than ever before.”
Shakespeare is also optimistic about the future of the industry. “Technology keeps moving forward, and I see more applications of technology forthcoming,” she says. “I expect the importance of animation to continue growing in the years to come. I’m also excited that animation has proven yet again its resilience. While much of the industry was impacted due to the strikes, animated projects in film and television were able to continue moving forward and keeping people employed if their scripts and voice recordings had been finalized. Much like how we were able to adapt and set up remote working processes during COVID, we were able to continue working through these challenging times. I’m excited to be a part of this amazing industry.”
‘Because we champion everyone in the animation community, in some ways we are the proverbial melting pot. All are welcome, treated equitably, listened to, celebrated.’
— ASIFA exec director Frank Gladstone
Frank Gladstone, the executive director of ASIFA-Hollywood and the executive producer of the Annie Awards, tells us that he has bought a new tuxedo jacket and is ready for the show. This year, the awards ceremony is a particularly special one for Gladstone: The much-respected animation veteran will be stepping down from his job at ASIFA in March after spending 12 years at the helm, but he says he will continue to be active as an ASIFA board member.
When asked about how it feels to be retiring from the job after so many years, he says, “I don’t know yet! I am still the exec producer for this year and haven’t had any time to think about anything else. I suppose that any sort of change always has its bittersweet moments, but I have had a great run. Also, the ASIFA executive committee has asked me to stay on as a board member, so I’ll still have a chance to put in my two cents now and then!”
Looking back at his tenure with the animation organization, Gladstone says he is quite happy with what ASIFA has achieved over the year. “We worked diligently to stabilize and then grow ASIFA-Hollywood and that, at least most of the time, was fun. I am also convinced that it’s the right time for other folks to take things even further.”
‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ won the top feature animation prize at last year’s Annies. [Photo c/o the Annie Awards, 2023]
Making an Impact
Gladstone adds, “The first two or three years were all about just trying to save the organization. At some point, maybe during the third year, I was looking around the table during a board meeting, and it dawned on me that whatever we were doing was working. We were actually growing again. That was a very gratifying moment.”
Regarding the importance of ASIFA as a vital organization, Gladstone says, “Because we champion everyone in the animation community, in some ways we are the proverbial melting pot. All are welcome, treated equitably, listened to, celebrated. That is our mission and our primary agenda. I think that every community needs a space like ours, maybe now more than ever.”
And what is his take on the state of animation? Gladstone responds, “This is one of the most consistent questions I’ve been asked over more than 50 years in the business … and, being in the business so long and seeing what I have been able to see, it’s a question I never know how to answer. It’s like what Chicagoans say about their city’s weather, ‘Don’t like it? Wait five minutes and it’ll change!’”
He also has some profound advice for whomever succeeds him as the executive director. “Make sure to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep!” he says with a smile.
The Annie Awards take place on Saturday, February 17, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit annieawards.org.
The Annies: Major Categories at a Glance
Best Studio Feature Nimona (Annapurna Animation for Netflix) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Animation) Suzume (CoMix Wave Films, STORY Inc.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount, Nickelodeon) The Boy and the Heron (Studio Ghibli, GKIDS)
Best Indie Feature Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (Folivari, Mélusine, StudioCanal, GKIDS) Four Souls of Coyote (Cinemon Ent.) Robot Dreams (Arcadia Motion Pictures) The Inventor (Curiosity Studios) White Plastic Sky (SALTO Films, Artichoke)
Best Special Production Invincible: Atom Eve (Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound) Shape Island: The Winter Blues (Bix Pix Ent., Apple) Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie (WildBrain Studios, Apple) The Smeds and the Smoos (Magic Light Pictures) The Velveteen Rabbit (Magic Light Pictures, Apple)
Best Short Subject Carne de Dios (Ojo Raro, Fedora Productions) Daffy in Wackyland (Warner Bros. Animation) Humo (Outik Animation, 3rd Street Video, Mindsoup Ent., IMCINE) Pina (Punchline Cinema, Next Days Films) War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (ElectroLeague)
Best Sponsored
“Video Games” by Tenacious D (Pinreel Inc.)
Alzheimer’s Research UK “Change The Ending” (Passion Pictures)
“Laugh Track” by The National (featuring Phoebe Bridgers) (Bernard Derriman)
WWF “Up in Smoke” (NOMINT)
Best TV/Media, Preschool Batwheels “To the Batmobile!” (Warner Bros. Animation) Ghee Happy “Navagraha” (Ghee Happy Studio) Playdate with Winnie the Pooh “Piglet, Tigger and the Cardboard Box” (Oddbot) StoryBots: Answer Time “Fractions” (JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix) The Creature Cases “The Forest Food Bandit” (Silvergate Media, TeamTO, Choice, Provisions, Netflix)
Best TV/Media, Children Curses! “The Baboon Temple” (DreamWorks Animation) Hilda “Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle” (Hilda Productions, Silvergate, Netflix, Mercury Filmworks) Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur “The Beyonder” (Flying Bark Productions, Disney TV Animation) My Dad the Bounty Hunter “Bizarre Ride” (Netflix) Shape Island “Square’s Special Place” (Bix Pix Ent., Apple)
Best TV/Media, Mature Big Mouth “The International Show” (Netflix) Blue Eye Samurai “Pilot: Hammerscale” (Netflix, 3 Arts Ent., Blue Spirit) Bob’s Burgers “Amelia” (20th Television Animation) Scavengers Reign “The Signal” (Max, Titmouse Animation, Green Street) Tomato Kitchen (Bilibili, Studio Reflection)
Best Student Film From The Top. Rich Farris, Martina Buendia Silva (National Film and Television School) Kolaj. Besen Dilek (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH) La quête de l’humain. Mélina Ienco, Lucie Juric, Caroline Leibel, Faustine Merle, Claire Pellet (Gobelins, l’école de l’image) Quem Salva. Laure Devin, Maxime Bourstin, Nathan Medam, Charles Hechinger, Titouan Jaouen –(Supinfocom Rubika) The Little Poet. Justine King (California Institute of the Arts)
Best Director, TV/Media Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire “Moremi.” Shofela Coker, Andrew McNally My Dad the Bounty Hunter “Bizarre Ride.” Kenji Ono, Kai Akira, Patrick Harpin Pokémon Concierge “What’s on Your Mind, Psyduck?” Iku Ogawa Scavengers Reign “The Fall.” Diego Porral Star Wars: Visions “Screecher’s Reach.” Paul Young
Best Direction, Feature Nimona. Nick Bruno, Troy Quane Robot Dreams. Pablo Berger, Benoît Feroumont Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears The Boy and the Heron. Hayao Miyazaki
Juried Awards
The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions:
Legendary animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous)
Prolific Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi
National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page
The June Foray Award: The BRIC Foundation, Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders.
The Ub lwerks Award: John Oxberry (posthumous).
The Special Achievement Award: The Artists of Walt Disney Animation.
Jon Hamm may be best known as a serious Emmy-winning actor who played troubled ad exec Don Draper in Mad Men and recently delivered top performances in the new seasons of Fargo and The Morning Show. However, the talented actor has also lent his famous voice to close to 20 animated shows and movies over the years, including The Simpsons, Robot Chicken, Bob’s Burgers, Archer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Family Guy, Metalocalypse, M.O.D.O.K., Big Mouth, Invincible, Big City Greens and Minions.
Hamm, who executive produces FOX’s new Sunday night show Grimsburg and also voices its main character, Marvin Flute, says he knew he wanted to be part of the new primetime show when he first read the script. “It wasn’t quite like anything I had seen before,” he tells Animation Magazine in a recent phone interview. From a tonal standpoint, it was a bit different from everything else, and I thought it offered plenty of fertile ground to plow from a comedic standpoint. Mostly, I thought the show was something that I would watch myself and it seemed like a fun thing to do!”
The 52-year-old actor says he has always been a big fan of animation, mentioning a wide range of favorites, from Chuck Jones classics, Terrytoons’ Heckle and Jeckle, Tex Avery’s Droopy and Bill Plympton movies. “I also love all the great Miyazaki movies, and Spike and Mike’s animation festivals. Those were always my jam,” he mentions. “There’s just so much amazing animated stuff out there.. A lot of them are super interesting and worthwhile. I mean if you’re a fan, all it all triggers an amazing response in your psyche.”
Hamm, who is also voicing Sentinel Prime in the upcoming Transformers One movie, says he has already started working on the second season of the show, although there’s still work to be done on the first one. “With animation, there are always quite a bit of pickups and edits. It’s not a quick process, and you’re constantly tweaking jokes and, hopefully, you’re making things funnier and sillier. I just love doing that stuff. I hope audiences will be also enjoy visiting this world on Sunday nights and find it entertaining and worthwhile, because just like Krapopolis, it has a different vibe from the other adult animated shows on the lineup.”
Following last month’s special preview, Grimsburg makes its regular time slot premiere on FOX this Sunday, February 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Among the global animated features making a splash at the European Film Market is the sequel to the CG-animated title Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, which is based on the popular Dark Horse comics franchise. The sequel is titled Chickenhare and the Very Very (Very) Old Groundhog, is produced by nWave Pictures (The Inseparables, The Queen’s Corgi, The Bigfoot Family) and Octopolis, in assoc. with Sony Pictures Intl. Releasing.
Directed by Benjamin Mousquet, who also helmed the first Chickenhare movie, from a script by Dave Collard, the movie is based on the graphic novels written and illustrated by Chris Grene. According to Variety, the film has a $23 million budget, which is quite a large one by European standards. The production is “eggspected” to be delivered by the end of 2024. Producers are Matthieu Zeller and Matthieu Gondinet.
To date, the movie has been picked up by distributers in Benelux (BelgaFilm), Spain (A Contracorriente), Greece (TFG), Scandinavia and Iceland (Scanbox), Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania (Vertical), Czech Republic and Slovakia (AQS), ex-Yugoslavia (Blitz), Russia (Volga), Baltics and Ukraine (AdAstra), Turkey (Filmarti), Lebanon and Gulf (Salim Ramiah), South Africa (Film Finity), Africa (Les Films 26) and Vietnam (Blue Lantern)
The first Chickenhare movie was release in 2022 and was picked up by Netflix for the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Australia/New Zealand where it stayed on the top three-list for several weeks. It followed the adventure of a half-chicken, half-hare hero who was adopted by King Peter, a famous hare adventurer. When the Kingdom’s greatest villain (who is also Chickenhare’s uncle) escapes from jail and threatens to overthrow his father, our misfit hero embarks on an epic journey accompanied by Abe, a sarcastic turtle, and Meg, a martial arts expert skunk.
For more info, visit nwave.com
Watch the trailer for the first Chickenhare movie below:
Toyota is bravely merging into the anime production lane. Variety reports that the Japanese carmaker has produced a new anime series titled GRIP, centered on a brave hero who is taking on the evil of soulless automated driving. The five-episode show will be released weekly beginning Feb. 26 on Toyota.com/grip.
The show is produced for Toyota by Intertrend, which is a Long Beach-based marketing agency. The animated series centers on the car brand’s Gazoo Racing motorsport division and its current roster of cars to appeal to a Gen-Z and young Asian-American audience. “GRIP is the perfect conduit for this audience, leveraging a storytelling platform that wasn’t the usual, expected ad campaign,” says director of strategy and creative Matthew Choy. “This series is not just for anime lovers and nerds, but also for anyone interested in watching a thrilling story unfold.”
According to Choy, classic anime titles like Initial D inspired the idea of using anime to promote Toyota’s cars. “Anime allows for larger-than-life portraits of both cars and people and helps amp up the thrill and excitement of driving,” he told Variety. He said GRIP will also provide a special look at custom cars in an alternate, animated universe.
Created by Intertrend, GRIP’s is executive produced by Frank Mele and directed by Jae Woo Kim (Blood of Zeus, TRON: Uprising, Ben 10 Omniverse). You can check out the five-part anime series at toyota.com/grip.
After a quarter century, Nickelodeon’s preschool edutainment brand Noggin is being taken off air. Paramount Global enacted its latest round of layoffs Tuesday, impacting roughly 800 U.S.-based employees and a majority of the Noggin staff. Presented as an SVOD since 2015, the app will stop taking new subscribers and carry out a transition for current subs to Paramount+, which hosts Noggin content under the Nick Jr. brand.
Paramount Global was said to be shopping a majority stake in Noggin in early 2023 as a means of Noggin its VOD focus to devote more attention and resources to Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The kids’ (aimed at ages two to seven) streamer is home to animated favorites like PAW Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues and Blaze and the Monster Machines among its 1,000-plus title library of videos, games and ebooks. The platform reported 2.5 million subscribers worldwide in 2019.
Noggin was created by Nickelodeon parent company MTV Entertainment and Sesame Street not-for-profit studio Sesame Workshop and launched on television on February 2, 1999. The original lineup included library series like Sesame’s The Electric Company and Ghostwriter and Nick’s Nick News and Doug, and soon brought in Bill Nye the Science Guy with new Noggin-specific segments. The cabler’s first original series was Phred on Your Head Show, featuring an animated host.
The channel — named for the slang for head/brain to emphasize its mission to inspire children to think, imagine, create and learn — expanded to international territories including the U.K. in 2006, Latin America in 2015 and more recently in France, Germany and Austria in 2020. Various websites and content blocks on Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. channels carried Noggin content over the years.
Industry watchers believe that the Paramount layoffs and other cost-cutting efforts presage a potential sale to another entertainment giant.
Fans can pack their rucksacks and return to the crazy comedic world of Rooster Teeth’s Camp Camp next month, when the long-awaited fifth season officially debuts. A newly released trailer offers a first look at what’s in store for the campers, including wacky experiments, infectious disease, occult magicks and a newcounselor.
Rooster Teeth has also dropped some social videos featuring the adult animated comedy’s voice cast and creatives, which you can also check out below!
Created by Jordan Cwierz and Miles Luna, Camp Camp is about a dysfunctional summer camp owned by absentee con-man, Cameron Campbell, and ran by the overly optimistic camp counselor, David. An irreverent comedy about “found family,” the episodes often feature the camp’s resident 10-year-old troublemaker, Max, and his group of misfit campers as they struggle to find joy in inane camp activities like talent shows, awkward Summer Socials, invasions from the rival summer camps and the occasional apocalyptic Lovecraftian event.
The current series voice stars — including Miles Luna (David), Shannon McCormick (Quartermaster) , Elizabeth Maxwell (Nikki), Krishna Kumar (Max) and Yuri Lowenthal (Neil) — reprise their roles for the new season.
Camp Camp is produced by Rooster Teeth Productions, with Austin Harper as supervising producer and Kerry Shawcross as showrunner. Episodic directors are Ariel LaCroix and Kerry Shawcross; writers are Eddy Rivas (writing supervisor), Armando Torres, Andrew Rosas, Kerry Shawcross and Leigh Lahav & Oren Mendez.
Season 5 of Camp Camp (four 12-minute episodes) premieres March 1, with new episodes rolling out weekly for free on roosterteeth.com.
The finalists for the British Animation Awards 2024 (britishanimationawards.com) have been announced. The BAAs are the only awards to recognize all forms of animation and artists at all levels in their careers across all aspects of the U.K. animation industry from student work to commercials, children’s entertainment, short and experiential films, music videos and new technologies.
Now in its 28th year, the 2024 BAA ceremony is being held at London’s BFI Southbank on March 7. Presented by the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn, the awards will unveil the latest names to join the list of winners from past years, which includes Nick Park, Joanna Quinn, Tim Burton, Martin Freeman, Simon Tofield and Gorillaz.
Competing for honors in the Best Feature Film category are: Aardman Animation’s latest blockbuster for Netflix, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (director: Sam Fell), which sees a band of fearless fowl flock together to save chicken-kind from a new threat; A Cat Called Dom, Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson’s inventive film about a son dealing with his mother’s cancer diagnosis; Lupus Films’ hand-drawn animated feature film based on Michael Morpurgo’s classic adventure story about a boy washed up on a seemingly deserted island, Kensuke’s Kingdom (dir: Neil Boyle, Kirk Hendry); Cartoon Saloon and Dog Ear’s Netflix feature about an island and its avian inhabitants facing the perils of climate change, Puffin Rock and the New Friends(dir: Jeremy Purcell); and Sky Cinema’s fantasy comedy feature based on the Terry Pratchett novel about a streetwise cat and his gang of rats, The Amazing Maurice (dir: Toby Genkel, Florian Westermann).
The Best Long Form category contenders are The Illuminated Film Company’s special about Edinburgh Zoo’s famous brown bear, A Bear Named Wojtek (dir: Iain Gardner); Bad Robot/NoneMore Productions’ Oscar-winning short about the unexpected friendship between The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (dir: Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy); Blink Industry’s animated re-telling of the classic story Peter and the Wolfby musicians Gavin Friday and Bono (dir: Stephen McNally, Elliot Dear); and Lupus Films’ festive hand-drawn animation about everybody’s favorite cat, Mog’s Christmas (dir: Robin Shaw).
Up for Best Short Film are Christopher at Sea by Tom C J Brown, The Debutante by Elizabeth Hobbs and All Gucci My Broskiby Harry Plowden.
ITV series dominate the Best Children’s Series award with contenders including The Sound Collector “Harp Strings,” The Rubbish World of Dave Spud “Moonbreaker” and Lloyd of the Flies. Channel Five’s Milkshake!’s Tweedy and Fluffcompletes the nominations.
Nominees for Best Children’s Preschool are family favorites Hey Duggee, The Adventures of Paddington, The Very Small Creaturesand Odo.
The Best International Animated Series will be decided between Captain Fall, Milo, The Tiny Chef Show and Supa Team 4.
“Despite a myriad of changes and challenges facing the animation industry in the U.K. over the last couple of years, the sector remains thriving and productive,” said BAA Director Helen Brunsdon and Producer Kieran Argo. “The quality and quantity of the work submitted to the BAAs is evidence of the dedication and creative ingenuity of all who work in animation and is a great indication of how U.K. animation continues to punch above its bodyweight on the world stage.”
Additional category nominees are:
Best Design
Ms. Marvel – Head Creative: Ian Spendloff, Lead Designer: David Lochhead
Odo “Mum” – Dir: Piotr Szczepanowicz, Mikolaj Pilchowski, Art directors Alicja Gapińska, Natalia Garbaciak
Puffin Rock and The New Friends – Dir: Jeremy Purcell, Art director, Design team
Best Use of Sound
Kensuke’s Kingdom – Dir: Neil Boyle, Kirk Hendry, Sound designer: Will Cohen
The Smeds and The Smoos – Dir: Daniel Snaddon, Samantha Cutler, Sound designer: Adrian Rhodes
The Sound Collector “Harp Strings” – Dir: Chris Tichborne, Sound: Tom Angell
With the 96th Academy Awards around the corner, VIEW Conference (viewconference.it) in partnership with The VFX Festival (thevfxfestival.com) is has announced exclusive virtual panels featuring this year’s Oscar contenders for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Animated Short Film. A virtual Q&A allows everyone attending to put their questions to the panels. Registration is free.
Moderated by Ramin Zahed, editor-in-chief of Animation Magazine, the live, one-hour Oscar Contenders for Best Animated Feature session brings together an elite group of acclaimed filmmakers for an inspiring and lively discussion. It takes place Wednesday, February 21 at 9:30 a.m. PST / 5:30 p.m. GMT / 18:30 CET. Register for free at the VIEW Conference website.
“Awards season is one of the most exciting times of the year,” says Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “I am thrilled that VIEW Conference is able to present this amazing panels featuring a stellar group of legendary filmmakers. Having so much talent in the same place, at the same time, is nothing short of breath-taking. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the achievements that have been made in animation this past year.”
VIEW Conference and The VFX Festival are also putting on a panel for the Oscar Contenders for Best Animated Short Film, moderated by Dan Sarto, editor-in-chief of Animation World Network. The one-hour live event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 a.m. PST / 5:30 p.m. GMT / 18:30 CET. Free registration available here.
Participating panelists include:
Letter to a Pig– Tal Kantor (director) and Amit Gicelter (producer)
“I am thrilled that VIEW Conference is once more hosting an exclusive panel of filmmakers nominated for this year’s Best Animated Short Film Oscar,” Gutierrez adds. “It is truly a privilege to have so much talent in the same place, at the same time!”
VIEW Conference 2024 will be held October 14-19 in Turin, Italy. Registration for the English-language event is now open.
![Director Dennis Jackson conducts a recording session for 'Chums' [ph: Leif Kaldor]](https://www.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/CHUMS-Director-Dennis-Jackson-in-studio-photo-by-Leif-Kaldor.jpg)
