Leading anime outlet Crunchyroll has announced that a new series has ‘made the cut’ and will be included in one of its upcoming seasons. as it has acquired the streaming rights to the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man.
In a supernatural world of Devils manifested from the collective fears of humans, the series follows a teenage Devil Hunter named Denji who makes a contract with his pet Devil, Pochita, in order to be resurrected from the dead, thus becoming “Chainsaw Man.”
Crunchyroll will simulcast the series from Japan later this year, subtitled and dubbed, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Dubs will include English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.
Synopsis: Denji is a teenage boy living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. Due to the debt his father left behind, he has been living a rock-bottom life while repaying his debt by harvesting devil corpses with Pochita.
One day, Denji is betrayed and killed. As his consciousness fades, he makes a contract with Pochita and gets revived as “Chainsaw Man”—-a man with a devil’s heart.
Based on the widely popular and award-winning manga of the same name written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Fire Punch; Look Back; Goodbye, Eri) and serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump, Chainsaw Man is directed by Ryū Nakayama (Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia,The Rising of the Shield Hero).
Chainsaw Man is brought to screens with a screenplay by Hiroshi Seko (Attack on Titan Final Season,Mob Psycho 100,Banana Fish), character design by Kazutaka Sugiyama (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation), devil design by Kiyotaka Oshiyama (The Wind Rises, The Secret World of Arrietty,Space Dandy), art direction by Yusuke Takeda (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-,Sword Art Online,Penguin Highway) and music composed by Kensuke Ushio (The Heike Story,Devilman: Crybaby,Space Dandy).
Animation is produced by MAPPA (Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association), the prestigious anime studio from Japan known for Attack on Titan Final Season.JUJUTSU KAISEN,Yuri!!! on Ice, takt op.Destiny and the upcoming Hell’s Paradise. MAPPA also released the global box office sensation JUJUTSU KAISEN 0, which has become one of the top five highest-grossing anime movies in the U.S., top 10 highest-grossing anime movies in the world, and top 20 highest-grossing movies in Japan.
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories with the content and experiences they love. In addition to free ad-supported and subscription premium content, Crunchyroll serves the anime community across events, theatrical, games, consumer products, collectibles and manga publishing. The Crunchyroll app is available on over 15 platforms, including all gaming consoles.
***This interview originally appeared in the May ’22 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 320)***
Thorsten Wegener
For the past three decades, Thorsten Wegener has been producing high-profile international animated features and TV shows which have been entertaining family audiences around the world. After producing three successful Maya the Bee movies in 2014, 2018 and 2021 (Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb) as well as the 2019 Princess Emmy feature and the 2019 Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword, he is back with a big-screen adaptation of the popular TV series Mia and Me.
In the new feature Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia, directed by Adam Gunn and Matthias Temmermans, an ancient prophecy surrounding the magical gem in Mia’s bracelet takes her to some enchanted remote islands where she faces a powerful enemy. We caught up with Wegener to find out more about the new Studio 100 Film project, which will be showcased at the Cannes Film Market (May 17-25):
Animation Magazine: First of all, congrats on your latest movie. Can you tell us a bit about how you got involved with this project?
Thorsten Wegener: Mia and Me was already internationally successful and extremely popular when Studio 100 Media acquired m4e, the company that created, produced and distributed the TV show, back in 2017. Because of its production value, the colorful characters, fancy unicorns and artistic themes, we always considered this to be a top-notch brand which deserved a movie adaptation. In fact, it was so strong that we decided to produce a fourth Mia and Me season. This led to the next logical step of making a film, which made the whole project come full circle.
When did you start the project and when will the movie be ready for delivery?
The basic idea of producing a movie for Mia and Me had been in our minds for quite a long time. But the real concept for it only ignited and came to fruition when Studio 100 teamed up with the show’s creator, Gerhard Hahn, to write the story for the movie. The project started in June 2019, was challenged by the global pandemic and today we are happy that the movie was completed in April and is now ready for delivery.
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
Where was the animation produced and how many people worked on it?
The animation was created at multiple studios as part of the co-production work split. The four key studios were based in Germany (Studio 100 Media / Studio Isar Animation), India (Broadvision Services) and Australia (Studio B Animation Pty. Ltd./Flying Bark Productions), but we also had contributions from New Zealand and Spain.
As with any animated film, the size of the crew is enormous; from the writers and designers, the technical crew, every department of the pipeline process as well as all voice talents, sound FX and the orchestra recording the score. There were over 600 people involved in the production of the film. Plus, we had all the crew involved in the live-action elements, too. We had a lot of people working through the COVID restrictions. In fact, we were very lucky to get the live-action shoot done before the massive lockdowns in 2020. The crew had to be very vigilant throughout as they didn’t have any rapid antigen tests then, so it wasn’t easy to monitor and test everyone on set.
Which animation tools were used to produce it?
It was a pretty much standard animation pipeline. The modeling was done with Maya and for texturing we used Substance. We animated in Maya, used ShotGrid for asset and shot management, the lighting was done in Katana and rendering in RenderMan. We also used Nuke for compositing and the FX was created in Houdini.
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
What would you say makes this feature different from other similar fare targeted at family audiences?
I really love the message this movie brings to the audience. Mia teaches you to feel empowered and not to be afraid to follow your heart. She shows the true values of friendship and how to overcome any challenges in life, especially with the help of friends. And finally, by showing her courage, determination and a vast inner strength, Mia brings a lot of girl power to the movie!
What makes this movie outstanding is the unusual combination of live action and CGI animation. The original TV series has already set new standards in terms of production values and the quality of the animation. With this movie, we want to raise the bar once again, within the scope of our capabilities and possibilities. So, the characters will have a much more detailed look. For example, you will see real fur on Pan Phuddle and on the unicorns. The overall look stays uniquely true to the work of famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, which already inspired the TV series creators in terms of patterns and shape in the world of Centopia.
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
What would you say were your biggest challenges in the process?
Needless to say, our biggest challenge was the COVID pandemic arriving shortly after the start of production. Suddenly, remote working was the norm and we had to get used to it very quickly. While we managed to work from home, we did face some delays because of the effects the pandemic had in the countries where our co-producers are based. Our Australian partners had to send their entire teams home to work remotely without losing any time in the schedule. The same thing happened in Germany and India, where many people became ill with COVID. But the worst situation was in India, with so many people sick or even in a critical condition — and, sadly, so many crew members even losing family members. It truly was a difficult time for everyone.
Like the series, the movie is a mix of live action and CGI animation, which is a special challenge to the production team since you have to plan a real movie shoot with real actors whilst at the same time handling a complete CGI production. Here, too, the pandemic posed major challenges in terms of timings, permissions, testing, etc.
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
What do you hope audiences will take home from the movie?
While the core target group of the series are girls, we are aiming to expand the franchise and brand with the movie to include boys as well. The new adventures and storyline really promote a wider audience and for Mia to conquer even more hearts worldwide. Overall, the audience can expect an exciting ride from the real world into the fantastic realm of Centopia, with all its mysterious and fabulous creatures, thus continuing the ongoing saga of Mia and Me. This is not only a movie for the fans of the series — it will attract the whole family and beyond!
Can you tell us why you think the Mia and Me brand has been so popular over the years?
First of all, elves and mainly unicorns have always been top favorites over the decades — and the series adventures revolve exclusively around these characters. The show offers tremendous identification potential, since friendship, team spirit, trust, courage and adventure are always at the center of its stories. There are also still far too few strong female leading roles encouraging fans not to be afraid, to take their lives into their own hands and to go their own way. Mia and Me concentrates a lot on true friendship and trust, so any challenge can be faced with friends standing right by your side. And last but not least, the series’ extraordinary look, inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt, attracts viewers too.
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
You’re quite the veteran of the animation business. What is your take on the state of European animated movies in 2022?
The animation movie market is continuing to grow and evolve. Many projects are focusing on streaming content given the quota, which offers new possibilities for European content. The classic independent companies are still around, continuing to produce wonderful and outstanding high-quality animation films for the world market. We know there are a few animation projects on hold or that have suffered delays due COVID, but hopefully they will have a chance to be seen on the big screen in the near future.
Studio 100 Film’s Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopiawill premiere at the Cannes Film Market this year. The film is set for theatrical release in Germany, Austria & German-speaking Switzerland on May 26, with additional European releases slated through summer. For more info, visit studio100film.com.
The Quirino Awards for Ibero-American Animation announced the winners of its 5th edition on Saturday, recognizing works from Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Spain. The award ceremony was held on May 14 at the Teatro Leal de San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, streamed live worldwide.
The winning works in the three main categories feature characters as different as a punk anti-hero, a mysterious ghostwriter and a secret police agent during the military dictatorship in Chile. In addition, all three were made in stop-motion, confirming the boom of this animation technique in Ibero-America.
Frankelda’s Book of Spooks
Bob Spit – We Do Not Like People, the debut feature film by Brazilian director César Cabral, received the award for the Best Animation Feature Film. Combining elements of documentary and fiction, the film is a post-apocalyptic road movie starring Bob Spit, a mythical character from the Brazilian underground culture of the ’80s, created by cartoonist Angeli. The film was produced by Coala Filmes, and was also recognized with the Best Sound Design and Original Music awards.
Frankelda’s Book of Spooks
Produced in Mexico, Frankelda’s Book of Spooks was recognized with the Best Animation Series award. This children’s horror series stars Frankelda, a mysterious ghostwriter who seeks to become the most well-known horror author in history with the help of an enchanted book. Directed by Roy and Arturo Ambriz, the show’s first season has premiered on the HBO Max streaming platform. Frankelda also received the Quirino Award for Best Animation Design.
Bestia
Recognized as the Best Animation Short Film, Oscar-nominated Chilean project Bestia enters the psyche of a secret police agent during the military dictatorship in Chile. Directed by Hugo Covarrubias and inspired by real events, the short also received the Quirino Award for Best Visual Development.
Flies Only Live One Day
Flies Only Live One Day by Mauro Luis López (Máster en Animación UPV, Valencia, Spain), took the Best School Short Film award, a category that recognizes emerging talents in Ibero-American animation. In addition, #binarygendernorm:Girls, directed by Bernardita Ojeda and Cristián Freire (Chile), was awarded Best Commissioned Animation, and Greak: Memories of Azur, a co-production between Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador and Venezuela, developed by Navegante Entertainment, received the award for Best Video Game Animation.
The winners were chosen by a jury composed of Sebastian Debertin (KiKA, Germany), Magdiela Hermida Duhamel (LatinX in Animation, United States), Zofia Jaroszuk (Animoon, Poland), Kenneth Ladekjær (Sun Creature Studio, Denmark) and Hernán La Greca (Creative Director and Content Developer, United States).
Animation Magazine Publisher Jean Thoren, who attended the Tenerife event, extended congratulations to the winners and “especially the team that has done such a spectacular job in five short years making this world-class festival such a success. It was a pleasure to meet so many people from all of the represented Ibero-American countries. It is quite obvious that our industry is thriving and growing in this sector with amazing creativity and talent.”
Best Ibero-American Animation Feature Film —Bob Spit – We Do Not Like People, directed by Cesar Cabral. Produced by Coala Filmes and Cup Filmes (Brazil).
Best Ibero-American Animation Series — Frankelda’s Book of Spooks – Season 1, directed by Roy Ambriz and Arturo Ambriz. Produced by Cinema Fantasma (Mexico).
Best Ibero-American Animation Short Film — Bestia, directed by Hugo Covarrubias. Produced by Trebol 3 Producciones and Maleza Estudio (Chile).
Best Ibero-American Animation School Short Film — Flies Only Live One Day, directed by Mauro Luis López. Máster en Animación UPV (Spain).
#binarygendernorm: Girls
Best Ibero-American Animation Commissioned Film — #binarygendernorm: Girls, directed by Bernardita Ojeda and Cristián Freire. Produced by Pájaro (Chile).
Best Ibero-American Animation for Video Game — Greak: Memories of Azur. Developed by Navegante Entertainment (Mexico in coproduction with Argentina, Ecuador and Venezuela).
Best Visual Development of Ibero-American Animation Work — Bestia. Produced by Trébol 3 Producciones and Maleza Estudio (Chile).
Best Animation Design of Ibero-American Animation Work — Frankelda’s Book of Spooks – Season 1. Produced by Cinema Fantasma (Mexico).
Best Sound Design and Original Music of Ibero-American Animation Work — Bob Spit – We Do Not Like People. Produced by Coala Filmes, Cup Filmes (Brazil).
Greak: Memories of Azur
Sponsored by the Cabildo de Tenerife through the Tenerife Film Commission, with this new edition, the Quirino Awards ratify their relevance in the construction of a common space for animation in the 23 countries of this region formed by Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Created in 2018 by a group of professionals from Latin America and Spain, the Quirino Awards seek to value talent and the Ibero-American animation industry, in addition to promoting professional networks and contributing to the construction of an Ibero-American animation market. The awards were named in honor of the creator of the first animated feature film in history, the Italian-Argentine Quirino Cristiani, who in 1917 directed El Apóstol — an Argentine production made with 58,000 hand-drawings shot in 35mm.
Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt’s adult stop-mo comedy M.O.D.O.K. has been canceled by Hulu after one season, Deadline reports. The irreverent supervillain series was one of a slate of Marvel animation projects projects greenlit as Hulu originals, alongside Howard the Duck and Tigra & Dazzler, which were scrapped in early 2020 when the Jeph Loeb-headed Marvel Television division shut down, and Hit Monkey, which premiered in November 2021.
Animated by the wizards at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. launched on Hulu nearly one year ago with 10 episodes. The serialized story finds the megalomaniacal supervillain (voiced by Oswalt), after years of trying to conquer the world, ousted as the leader of his evil organization. Not only that, but his marriage and family life are crumbling around him, leading the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing to confront his greatest challenge yet: a midlife crisis.
Released in 2018, ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ is one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time with $122.7 million worldwide.
Toei Animationannounced its earnings for the fiscal year ending March 2022, netting sales totalling 57 billion yen (about $440 million USD), +10% over the previous fiscal year (51.5B yen); this includes an operating income of 18.1B yen (+16.8%). Toei’s net income for the FY was 12.8B yen / ~$99M USD (+15.8%). The anime powerhouse saw record highs across all numbers.
The company noted that its overseas business, video distribution and copyright business were key contributors. Driven by hit properties like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Mobile Suit Gundam and Naruto, Toei’s copyright activities saw increased sales (32.9B yen, +13.8%) and operating income (15.9B yen, +11.9%). Dragon Ball remains the company’s top-performing property, raking in 127.6B yen (~$987.6B USD), up slightly from 127.4B.
With the highly anticipated movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero dropping worldwide this summer, the company has pinned a seemingly modest forecast of 133.5B on the IP for the current fiscal year. Toei also has One Piece Film Red and Slam Dunk: The Movie slated, and predicts a 70B yen in sales for FY 2022-2023.
‘The Windshield Wiper’ producer Leo Sanchez and director Alberto Mielgo accepting the award for animated short at the 94th Oscars
Here we go again! Now that we’ve recovered from the dizzy, nail-biting days of awards season, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC have announced the key dates for the 95th Oscars, which will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The show will air live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. (More info at oscars.org.)
Key dates:
General entry categories submission deadline — Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Oscar Nominations Announcement — Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Oscar Nominees Luncheon — Monday, February 13, 2023
Final voting begins — 9 a.m. PT, Thursday, March 2, 2023
Final voting ends — 5 p.m. PT, Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Dino Fino | Tiger & Bear
Wrapping up in step with ITFS and FMX in Stuttgart, Animation Production Days (APD) announced the top projects on offer this year. The event is a curated business platform for the German and international animation industry. In exclusive pre-planned one-to-one meetings producers present their fresh ideas for animated feature films, TV series, games or transmedia projects to broadcasters, streamers, investors, distributors and potential co-production partners.
A jury of German broadcasters (KIKA, SWR, Super RTL, Walt Disney Germany, WDR, ZDF) awarded two projects from Germany with a direct selection to Cartoon Forum (Sept. 19-22 in Toulouse, France):
Dino Fino produced by German Film Partners. Based on a children’s book series, Dino Fino tells the adventures of two dinosaur friends, Dino and Ricky, who couldn’t be more different.
Tiger & Bear produced by Wolkenlenker. A concept for a TV series for young children: Little Tiger and his best friend Bear live in a house at a lake where they experience little everyday life moments.
Pour une heure et demie
CARTOON also announced the winner of the Cartoon Springboard Award for a Young Author Series, with a direct selection to Cartoon Springboard (Oct. 25-27 in Madrid, Spain). The project was selected by the partners and juries of the 2022 National Animation Film Festival from AFCA:
Pour une heure et demie (“For an Hour and a Half) by Marie Derambure & Paco Moccand. A gripping story that plays with the codes of love during a rather unusual train journey. A romantic comedy in a very colorful, joyful universe and a delicious little suspense.
DC has dropped a gameplay walkthrough for Gotham Knights, the new open-world, action RPG set in the most interactive Gotham City yet. The sneak peek, presented by Warner Bros. Games Montreal director Geoff Ellenor, sees Nightwing and Red Hood agreeing to work together to protect their metropolis.
Leading VFX and animation studio DNEG has officially opened its previously announced outpost in the King West district of Toronto today (Friday). With more than 150 employees already hired for its fourth location, the company is enjoying significant progress in its aggressive Canadian expansion efforts.
“I am thrilled with the progress DNEG has made over the past six months in establishing a strong presence in Ontario, with exciting career opportunities in visual effects work for film and episodic projects, feature animation, and technology,” said DNEG General Manager Gavin Graham. “The welcome we have received from local trade associations, Toronto Mayor John Tory and his team, and of course the incredible talent pool in Toronto, has been overwhelming.”
Mayor John Tory commented, “Toronto’s film and television production industry is second to none in the world, and I am delighted to welcome DNEG to be a part of this dynamic and thriving sector. DNEG will join industry leaders and our locally-based, globally-minded talent, to further grow and diversify the sector. We welcome DNEG to the Toronto Region and embrace its enhanced presence and partnership in original content production.”
DNEG is in the midst of increasing its Canada-based VFX and animation operations and talent pool to meet surging worldwide multiplatform demand for its award- winning VFX, animation and leading-edge virtual production services across film, television and multiplatform content.
The company remains on track to hire 200 employees for its Toronto studio in year one, including many new technology positions, and is planning to scale the studio even further in year two in response to demand from clients. The company has embraced a flexible, hybrid in-office workforce approach to address ongoing COVID-19 precautions and to maximize the company’s appeal in securing the premier talent in the competitive VFX and animation labor marketplaces.
Fresh off another year of prestigious industry honors and recognition for its work at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs and VES Awards, DNEG also reported ongoing progress in its Canadian hiring efforts, with more than 1,500 employed nationwide. Current headcount in Canada now includes approximately 850 in Montreal and 520 in Vancouver, which includes the company’s new DNEG Animation location in Vancouver and its ReDefine brand, which has employees in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
“DNEG is proud to invest in its Canadian studios, providing the local VFX, animation and high-tech talent pool in the area with opportunities to work on some of the world’s biggest films as we experience increasing demand from the entertainment industry for our premium quality work,” said DNEG Chairman & CEO Namit Malhotra. “We remain committed to our long-term growth strategy as DNEG expands from feature film and episodic TV content to take advantage of opportunities in adjacent markets, including gaming and the metaverse.”
DNEG has been working closely with Toronto Global, a team of experienced business advisors assisting global businesses to expand into the Toronto Region, to launch the new studio.
“Toronto Global was pleased to work with DNEG to help establish its new studio in the Toronto Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and significant economic benefits to our world-class television and film production sector,” said Stephen Lund, CEO, Toronto Global. “DNEG’s investment is yet another signal that the spotlight continues to shine brightly on the Toronto Region.”
Current DNEG career opportunities worldwide are posted at DNEG.com.
DNEG’s work has won dozens of awards, including seven Best Visual Effects Oscars (Dune, Tenet, First Man, Blade Runner 2049, Ex Machina, Interstellar, Inception), seven BAFTAs, 18 VES Awards and three Primetime Emmy Awards. The studio toasted a record number of nomations for the 2022 awards season, recognized for its work on Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Matrix Resurrections and No Time to Die.
On January 25, DNEG announced its entry into a definitive business combination agreement with Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: AKIC). Upon the closing of the business combination, which is expected in the first half of 2022, the combined public company will be named DNEG.
This August, the first edition of a new animation film festival Hiroshima Animation Season 2022 will be held at JMS Aster Plaza and other venues from August 17-21.
The competition, one of the core elements of the festival, received 2,149 entries from 86 countries and regions around the world. A total of 54 films have been selected for the two competitions, both screening short and feature-length films.
Bestia
The Pan-Pacific and Asia Competition has a regional diverse variety, including Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Iran, Singapore, Malaysia, India, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Chile. The latest films by distinguished filmmakers who now represent the region will be represented, including Oscar-nominated short Bestia, directed by Hugo Covarrubias (Chile); The Fourth Wall, directed by Mahboobeh Kalaee (Iran), the Grand Prix winner at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival – Animation Division; and Bird in the Peninsula, directed by Atsushi Wada (France, Japan), which received Special Mention at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022.
The World Competition presents films in different categories according to the genres of their films, so as to clarify the evaluation criteria for the various works of animated art. There are five categories in this edition: “Allegories Nowaday” for fiction; “A Slice of Society” for animated documentaries and films featuring social issues; “Adventure in Storytelling” for films with a unique narrative; “Visual Poetry” for poetic films; and “The Spark: Films for Children” for younger audiences.
Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish
Chinese director Lei Lei’;s debut feature film Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish (“A Slice of Society”), selected for the Rotterdam Film Festival, will have its Asian premiere at Hiroshima. Archipelago (“Visual Poetry”), the second animated feature film by Canadian director Félix Dufour-Laperrière, whose debut feature Ville Neuve was released in Japan, will also have its Japan premiere. A TownCalled Panic: The Summer Holidays, the latest in Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier’s series popularly known in Japan as Panic in the Village, was selected for “The Spark: Films for Children.”
The juries for the World Competition have also been announced. They includ not only animation professionals (Sarina Nihei, Koji Yamamura, Shizuka Miyazaki, Honami Yano, Ryutaro Miyajima) but also a wide variety of specialists in the fields of culture and art, including literature (Arthur Binard), picture books (Yukiko Hiromatsu), dance (Min Tanaka), contemporary art (Yuki Harada), live-action films (Kiki Sugino), music (Hiroko Sebu), manga (Kotobuki Shiriagari), documentary (Asako Fujioka) and media art (Daito Manabe, Jung-Yeon Ma).
The jury for the Pan-Pacific and Asia Competition, which consists of international animation professionals, will be announced later.
HAS poster, artwork by shunshun
The main visual for Hiroshima Animation Season 2022 is also unveiled. The artist is Hiroshima-based illustrator shunshun. The newly created visual, which is delicate and emotionally enriched picture through line drawings, expresses multiple layers of meaning: the “water” of Hiroshima, a city with many rivers flowing through it, the “egg” representing the birth of a new film festival, and the “magic mirror” to see the many different landscapes of the world through the animation.
For more information on the competition selection line-up, jury members, and the main visual, visit animation hiroshimafest.org
Hiroshima Animation Season 2022 is an animation film festival to be held as the main program of the Media Arts Division of the Hiroshima Festival (August 1-28).
Bird in the Peninsula
The Pan Pacific & Asia Competition
Ma Ma Hu Hu(Liang-Hsin Huang/Taiwan, Japan/0:03:00)
Flowing Home (Sandra Desmazieres/France, Canada/0:14:00)
Misery Loves Company (Sasha/Korea/0:03:23)
Red Fire (Mona A.Shahi/Iran/0:11:00)
Wandering with NONO and PUPU (See Ek Chang/Malaysia/0:02:30)
How I Grew Up (Yufei Liu, Yike Cen, Jiawei Li/China/0:07:43)
Worms Ate My Flesh (Nigel Braddock/New Zealand/0:04:56)
Modo De Vida – A Goan Sketchbook(Rohit Karandadi/India/0:04:00)
Bird in the Peninsula (Atsushi Wada /France, Japan/0:16:00)
Bestia (Hugo Covarrubias/Chile/00:15:00）
The Loach(Xi Chen, An Xu/China/0:07:00)
The Visit (Morrie Tan/Singapore/0:09:06)
Patient’s Mind(Zhiheng Wang/China/0:06:00)
Charlotte (Zach Dorn/United States/0:12:21)
The Fourth Wall (Mahboobeh Kalaee/Iran/0:09:00)
Los Huesos (Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociñ/Chile/0:14:22
The Fourth Wall
The World Competition
“Allegories Nowadays” (fiction)
Jury: Arthur Binard, Hiroko Sebu, Shizuka Miyazaki
Tiger Is Strolling Around (Anastasiia Falileieva/Ukraine/0:12:00)
Reduction (Réka Anna Szakály/Hungary/0:11:00)
Helfer (Anna Szöllősi /Hungary/0:09:45)
In the Mountains (Wally Chung/United States/0:05:20)
Prince in a Pastry Shop(Katarzyna Agopsowicz/Poland/0:16:00)
Confessions of an English Ant-Eater (Alex Crumbie/United Kingdom/0:05:03)
A Story for 2 Trumpets (Amandine Meyer/France/0:05:26)
Skinned (Joachim Hérissé/France/0:15:00)
When You Get to the Forest (Eric Power/United States/1:12:38)
Apple TV+ today announced summer premiere dates for a full slate of all-new original series, specials, shorts and returning fan favorites for kids and families.
The all-new summer shows kick off on July 8 with the premiere of Duck & Goose, an endearing animated series based on The New York Times bestselling books by Tad Hills. More animated delights arrive on August 12, when Apple will debut a new Peanuts family special from their exclusive partnership with Peanuts and WildBrain: Lucy’s School.
This summer, the critically acclaimed The Snoopy Show also returns with new episodes on August 5, the same date a bundle of classic Peanuts titles from Mendelson/Melendez Productions debut on the platform, including:
A Charlie Brown Celebration
He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown
He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown
It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown
There’s No Time For Love, Charlie Brown
Why, Charlie Brown, Why?
You’re In Love, Charlie Brown
You’re The Greatest, Charlie Brown
Duck & Goose
Duck & Goose – New Series (July 8): Inspired by the New York Times bestselling books by Tad Hills, Duck & Goose is a preschool series that celebrates the unique friendship of Duck and Goose, two best feathered friends that don’t always see beak to beak. That is until they discover that embracing and appreciating each other’s differences can help them think up entirely new ideas to help solve everyday challenges, both big and small.
Duck & Goose is directed by Brian Muelhaupt (Sesame Street) with Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted); Titmouse Inc.’s Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Ben Kalina (Harriet the Spy) & Antonio Canobbio (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) executive producing with Hills . Peabody Award winner Douglas Wood (Bob the Builder, Little Einsteins) is exec producer and showrunner. Cathy Davidson, Ph.D., founding director of the Futures Initiative and a distinguished professor in the Ph.D. Program in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and Christina Katopodis, Ph.D., executive director and postdoctoral associate at Transformative Learning in the Humanities, serve as the transformative learning experts on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.
The Snoopy Show – Season 2 (August 5): The world’s most iconic dog is ready for his close-up. Dive into new adventures with the happy-dancing, high-flying, big-dreaming beagle, who’s joined by best friend Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, the series is directed by Rob Boutilier (Snoopy in Space) and executive produced by Craig Schulz, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Mark Evestaff and Anne Loi, and produced by Kimberly Small.
Lucy’s School
Lucy’s School – New Family Special (August 12): The Peanuts gang are anxious about starting at a new school in the Fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead — but teaching isn’t as easy as it sounds. Lucy’s School is a love letter to teachers and an appreciation of what makes teaching such a noble and fulfilling profession. It explores the fear of change, and shows Lucy facing and overcoming her fears with the support of her friends.
Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, the special is directed by Raymond S. Persi (It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown) and executive produced by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Amir Nasrabadi and Anne Loi, and produced by James Brown and Timothy Jason Smith.
The slate also includes live-action kiddie fare, including the new series about paralympic athlete Josh Sundquist, Best Foot Forward (July 22); Bonnie Hunt’s adaptation of Amber Brown (July 29); May Chan’s graphic novel adaptation Surfside Girls (Aug. 19) and Life By Ella, starring Lily Brooks O’Briant, Artyon Celestine and Vanessa Carrasco. Plus, fan-favorite series Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show returns with an all-new special and four original shorts, launching June 24.
Another vintage sitcom hit is primed for a comeback: An animated reboot of Married… with Children(1987-1997), featuring the voices of the original Bundy family, is reportedly being pitched to networks to “strong interest.”
Stars Katey Sagal (Futurama, Sons of Anarchy), who played layabout housewife Peggy; Ed O’Neill (Modern Family, Wreck-It Ralph) — misogynistic shoe salesman Al; Christina Applegate (Dead to Me, The Book of Life) — ‘dumb blonde’ daughter Kelly; and David Faustino (DreamWorks Dragons, The Legend of Korra) — hormone-addled son Bud — have all signed on to reprise their roles.
Family Guy executive producer Alex Carter is writing the reboot and serves as showrunner. The project is in the works at Sony Pictures Television, which distributes the original series and has also announced an animated reincarnation of Norman Lear’s Good Times for Netflix, from Black Dynamite creator Carl Jones.
Created by Michael Moye and Ron Leavitt, Married… with Children originally aired on FOX, and the dysfunctional Chicago family delivered an impressive 11 seasons — introed throughout by the ironic opening theme, “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra. The series remains popular in syndication, and streaming viewers can revisit the Bundys on Hulu and Peacock.
As a touchstone of 1990s pop culture, the show got a nod in Futurama Season 2 (2000). The episode “A Bicyclops Built for Two” saw Sagal’s Leela falling for another cyclops she meets online, Alcazar (voiced by David Herman), who quickly devolves into a slovenly male chauvenist once she moves in. Trying to please “Al,” Leela gets a Peggy-style makeover
A live-action spinoff focusing on Bud, pitched by Faustino, was announced several years ago but never took off due to the actors’ busy schedules. Animation will give the TV family the flexibilty they need to torment each other once again.
YouTube today announced updates to their Kids & Family offerings with the greenlight of four new projects, including the animated series Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island, Jam Van and seasonal special Buster’s BIG Halloween, plus the second season pick-up of the popular live-action/animation preschool series Tab Time, starring Tabitha Brown, plus 18 projects in development.
The new, diverse global slate is part of YouTube’s previously announced $100 million commitment to invest in the future of quality kids, family and educational programming.
This raft of projects builds on the tremendous success of the slate from the Kids Fund, with approximately 330 million lifetime views — garnering 18 esteemed accolades (winning a Prix Jeunesse, Webby Award, Content Innovation Award and an Emmy, and an NAACP Image Award nomination) — and presenting one-third of its total content in multiple languages.
Under its new “Ready to Be You” learning framework bulit in collaboration with experts around the world, the global platform strives to be a place where kids are encouraged to explore their interests and creativity, appreciate their diverse world, affect change in their communities, and care for their minds and bodies. This new programming includes series that offer a ‘view and do’ experience, where children are encouraged to explore their world, ask questions and practice new skills.
“We are proud of our new kids slate which is supercharged with learning, diversity and fun,” said Craig Hunter, Global Head of Kids & Family for YouTube Originals. “Our programming has been designed to represent a wide landscape of children’s intersecting cultures and identities. Children’s holistic learning and development are prioritized in our content — whether they are experimenting with slime, making their first braid, planting seeds, learning about voting rights, or mastering dance moves — we’ve got them covered.”
Following the Season 2 greenlights of other Kids & Family Originals such as The Guava Juice Show, Super Sema, Lockdown and Pinkfong Wonderstar, YouTube has now picked up a second season of Tab Time. The series is one of YouTube Originals kids’ marquee preschool titles of 2021 from Kids at Play and Scale Productions, starring Tabitha Brown — an actress, vegan foodie and mother, also known as “America’s mom.” Tabitha or “Ms. Tab ” as the kids call her, taps into her natural capabilities as a cook, storyteller, mom and motivational leader, to teach children how to live their best life. S2 will include 10 x 22′ episodes that will begin to roll out this fall.
Animation Premieres Coming Soon:
Corpse Talk (May 13): It’s the show that brings the dead famous to life! Produced by Tiger Aspect Kids and Family (Mr. Bean) in the U.K., part of Banijay Kids & Family, and based on the popular graphic novel series of the same name published by David Fickling Books and created by Adam and Lisa Murphy, an award-winning husband-and-wife comics-making team. Corpse Talk is a lethally entertaining, comedy-led chat show hosted by history-loving Adam (voiced by popular British actor and YouTube creator Joe Sugg), who is very much alive, even though his famous guests are not. In each episode, Adam will dig up the dirt on some of the most famous, infamous and incredible figures in history, unearthing the unknown and surprising stories from these amazing characters. Corpse Talk will premiere on the Cartoons for Kids YouTube channel (8.6M subscribers) and features a diverse line-up of guests including Mozart, Ching Shih, Cleopatra, Josephine Baker, Ibn Al-Haytham and more.
The Guava Juice Show (June 4): Following up on its hit sneak preview episode, The Guava Juice Show will make its official premiere in June on the Guava Juice YouTube channel (16.8 million subscribers). Produced by Studio71 and Mainframe Studios, the madcap animated series follows the extraordinary adventures of 14-year old Roi (played by YouTube superstar creator and Guava Juice’s Roi Fabito) and his best friends, fellow teenager Jenny (Bethany Brown) and the safety-conscious talking guava fruit Guava (Adrian Petriw) as they work at a mysterious curio shop and travel to parallel worlds and dimensions throughout the multiverse in a magical bathtub.
Super Sema (June 17): The African animated series, produced by Kukua’s female-led team including Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, follows the adventures of a young superhero girl named Sema as she uses her technovation skills to change the world and help protect her town of Dunia from the villainous robot Tobor. Since its debut in March 2021, Super Sema has become a global hit reaching millions of viewers around the world, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for outstanding animated series. The second season will premiere on the Super Sema YouTube channel.
Super Sema (image courtesy Kukua)
Buster’s BIG Halloween (2022): From Moonbug Entertainment, of the globally beloved animated series Go Buster and Buster Saves Christmas, comes an all-new Halloween special for preschoolers. It’s Halloween and Buster can’t wait to dress up for trick or treating! He’s even more excited this year because he gets to spend it with his little cousin Bella Bus, who is celebrating her very first Halloween. Buster revels in the role of being her personal guide and helping her find an awesome Halloween costume; but when the town’s precious pumpkin light (a Jada-Lantern) and tasty treat bowl go missing, it’s up to Buster, Bella and all his friends to Save Halloween before the big parade!
The Eggventurers (2022): From the producers of the popular GoldieBlox YouTube Channel, this new preschool animated seriesbrings an eggs-citing machine-building format featuring a zany cast of thrill-seeking egg characters. A wacky crew of eggventurers will jump into grand engineering adventures, building spectacular Rube Goldberg machines to help them overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. This dialogue-minimal show can be enjoyed by young viewers globally. The Eggventurers is produced by GoldieBlox, the media and entertainment company using storytelling to make STEM fun and empower young girls.
Jam Van (2022): From the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning team of Believe Entertainment Group (Dear Basketball), animation studio Global Mechanic and composer/producer Bill Sherman (Hamilton, In the Heights, Sesame Street) comes a road-tripping, original music series for preschool kids and families. Each episode, hosted by best friends Lamb and Anne the Alligator, travels to a new location around the country, straight to the homes and cities of some of your favorite musicians and celebrities, culminating in a new music video with positive social-emotional lessons.
Tab Time (2022): FromKids at Play and Scale Productions Tab Time is a preschool series starring Tabitha Brown, an actress and vegan foodie who has become one of the most visible social media personalities today. Tabitha or “Ms. Tab” as the kids call her, taps into her natural capabilities as a cook, story teller, mom and motivational leader, to teach children how to live their best life.
Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island (2023): Featuring actress, creator and producer Lilly Singh in partnership with mindfulness and meditation app Headspace, Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island is an animated series that incorporates mindfulness principles to help kids navigate challenges in their life. In each episode, young Lilly is transported to Unicorn Island, a colorful wonderland where life’s struggles manifest in fantastical ways. With the help of her imaginary friends, Lilly learns new mindfulness activities to overcome her troubles and brings those skills back to the real world to deal with her real problems. The school-age series is produced by Headspace’s multi-platform production studio, Headspace Studios and Unicorn Island Productions.
Select Projects in Development:
The Ann Ziety Show: Created by GraveRobber Productions, The Ann Ziety Show is an animated comedy series for school-aged kids and tweens that follows the soap opera adventures of preteen Rachel (Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels) and her imaginary frenemy Ann Ziety (Golden Globe Award-winning actress Gina Rodriguez) using humor and empathy to destigmatize the conversation around mental health. Each episode explores how kids deal with anxiety and presents specific coping skills, like imagining your safe space, accessing your inner wisdom, opposite action, and remote control.
Bob the Train: The YouTube-first Bob the Train Preschool franchise (10M+ views daily in 28 different languages) takes Bob and his friends to new levels with this brand-new preschool series. With the help of friends, Bob navigates the challenges, fun and excitement of Toot Town through songs and lessons on perseverance, self-help, and friendship. This series is produced by Mumbai-based USP Studios.
Nadine Zylstra is Global Head of YouTube Originals. Craig Hunter serves as Global Head of Kids & Family Originals for YouTube. Daniel Haack and Zoe Di Stefano are creative leads for YouTube Originals Kids & Family.
Part 1 of the epic(urean) two-part finale for Bob’s BurgersSeason 12 kicks off this Sunday, and we’re delighted to offer an amuse-bouche for fans to enjoy!
In the all-new episode “Some Like It Bot: Eighth Grade Runner,” when Tina’s new shirt is ridiculed by Tammy and Jocelyn in a Wagstaff News segment called “Wow or Weird,” she turns to her erotic friend-fiction and writes about a futuristic world in which she is a robot.
But, in the exclusive clip provided to Animation Magazine, Tina’s (Dan Mintz) day is still full of hope and promise. Excited to show off her sartorial splurge, she enters a musical fantasy moment inspired by the 1978 classic Grease, casting Jimmy Jr. (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, in addition to Bob) as the swooning Danny to her vamped-up Sandy…
The episode premieres Sunday, May 15 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Part 2 of the finale, “Some Like It Bot: Judge-bot Day” will air May 22 on FOX, just ahead of the May 27 theatrical debut of The Bob’s Burgers Movieon May 27! (Don’t miss our feature article in the supersized 35th Anniversary issue of Animation Magazine, available soon!)
Premiered in 2011, Bob’s Burgers chronicles the adventures, schemes and mishaps of the ever-quirky Belcher family as they work to keep their restaurant afloat. The show has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program every year since 2012, winning in 2014 and 2017. Bob’s Burgers is produced by 20th Television Animation and animated by Bento Box.
Friday the 13th feels a whole lot luckier this year, since the teaser trailer for the upcoming CG-animated feature Luck was just released by Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation. In the spot, Bob — a lucky black cat with a charming Scottish Burr — takes us on a a sure-footed tour of the industrious Land of Luck.
Luck is set to premiere worldwide on Apple TV+ on August 5.
Synopsis:Luck is the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. When she stumbles into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam sets out on a quest to bring some good luck home for her best friend. But with humans not allowed in this world, her only chance is to team up with the magical creatures who live there.
Directed by Emmy winner Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, Secret of the Wings), exclusive first look footage of Luck will be revealed at the upcoming Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s Work in Progress sessions on June 14. Holmes, along with key members of the animation team, will share insights into the creative journey behind this highly anticipated, must-see family event.
Eva Noblezada (Broadway’s Hadestown, Miss Saigon) stars as the voice of Sam. The voice cast also features Jane Fonda as The Dragon, Whoopi Goldberg as The Captain, Simon Pegg (Ice Age) as Bob, Flula Borg (Trolls World Tour) as Jeff the Unicorn, Lil Rel Howery (Free Guy) as Marv, Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time) as Gerry, John Ratzenberger (The Empire Strikes Back) as Rootie and Adelynn Spoon (Watchmen) as Hazel.
Luck is written by Kiel Murray (Raya and the Last Dragon, Cars). The film’s producers are John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, David Eisenmann.
Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy-winning VFX studio Framestore (Gravity, Paddington 1 & 2, Spider Man: No Way Home, His Dark Materials,Blade Runner 2049) announced Mel Sullivan as its new CEO, with founding member and CEO of 26 years Sir William Sargent stepping down to focus on the wider Framestore Company 3 Group. (framestore.com)
“Framestore has grown and evolved in startling ways since we started the company with five people and a big idea,” said Sargent. “From ad spots and pop promos for David Bowie and Madonna we’ve moved into blockbuster franchises, tentpole episodic productions and landmark theme park installations. In less than five years the company has doubled in size and expanded into three new territories, so it definitely feels like Mel is taking the reins at another pivotal stage of the company’s evolutionary growth. I have absolutely no doubt that under her stewardship we will see the company continue its ambitious trajectory.”
Sullivan has been with Framestore since 1998, most recently serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. The new role will see her increase her focus on the company’s strategic direction, with new group CFO Claire Price taking on the day-to-day financial responsibilities for both Framestore and Company 3 as of July 1. Sullivan will be supported in her new role by Fiona Walkinshaw, who takes on the role of CEO, Film & Episodic, and Charles Howell, who will serve as President, Global Advertising and Content.
Sir William Sargent and Mel Sullivan
“From day one I always felt like Framestore had a rare, lightning-in-a-bottle quality as a company,” said Sullivan. “I think it stems from a unique mixture of creativity, collaboration and boldness of vision — it sets our work apart and it sets our people apart, and it’s something we’ve been keen to hold onto throughout the integration of studios in Montreal, Vancouver and Melbourne, the growth of our Mumbai studio and the strides we’re making in fields like real-time, machine learning and virtual production. I’ve been constantly amazed by the people here and what they do, and it’s my absolute pleasure to be playing an even bigger part in Framestore’s story as we move forward. I’m grateful to William for his ongoing support, and to an incredible management team whose diligence and expertise have helped so much on this ongoing journey.”
The new CEO began her career in finance and corporate brokerage, which helped hone her business acumen and gain a deep understanding of investor relations and the corporate landscape — two skills that would prove invaluable for a career within a very different industry. Since joining Framestore, Sullivan has played a pivotal role in growing the company from its London roots and a staff of 150 to a global company with eight offices across four continents and a headcount of some 3,000 artists, producers and technologists. She has a deep understanding of Framestore’s business, its people and its unique creative culture, and balances her day-to-day operational knowledge with a keen strategic focus.
Melinka Thompson-Godoy
Framestore Canada previously announced key changes to its Montreal office as the company continues to grow.
Melinka Thompson-Godoy joins as the new Head of Studio, Montreal. Her career spans some 20 years — the last decade of which has been with DNEG, where she held roles such as Head of Production for Montreal and senior producer at the outfit’s London office. Her successful VFX production career takes in blockbuster films like Avengers: Infinity War and three installments of the Hunger Games franchise, as well as 16 episodes of the game-changing TV series Lost.
Chloe Grysole
Chloe Grysole, meanwhile, expands her role to MD Canada, Film & Episodic. She has been with Framestore for over four years, serving as Managing Director, Montreal and overseeing the studio’s exponential growth as it delivers impeccably-crafted visuals for the world’s biggest directors, films and episodic projects. Prior to her time with Framestore, Grysole’s experience encompassed a variety of high-profile roles, including General Manager of Cinesite’s Montreal facility and over 15 years producing VFX on a wide range of projects ranging from the Harry Potter franchise to Edge of Tomorrow and Skyfall.
Tom Ascheim
Amid leadership shuffles at Warner Bros. Discovery, it was announced that Tom Ascheim is leaving his post of President of Kids, Young Adults & Classics. He joined Warner Bros. in April 2020 after spending several years as President of Freeform, leading its rebranding from ABC Family. Prior, Ascheim was Chief Strategy Offices of Sesame Workshop and EVP of Sesame Learning. He has also served as EVP and General Manager for Nickelodeon Television.
“I was fortunate to have two unbelievably exciting years rejuvenating some of the world’s most iconic franchises and IP and helping create a vision for kids, young adults and classics within Warner Bros.,” said Ascheim. “While it’s now time for me to move on, I hope the new Warner Bros. Discovery leadership team will continue to nurture future generations of fans and the incredible teams who are so committed to these brands.”
Polly Cochrane
Earlier this week, Polly Cochrane announced her intention to step down as EVP & Country Manager, U.K. & Ireland, WarnerMedia after 13 years in senior management at the company, and more than three decades taking the reins of leadership roles in the entertainment industry. Following the close of the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia, Warner Bros. Discovery continues its integration of the two businesses. Priya Dogra will announce her new management team in due course, and Cochrane will stay on in the interim as well as a subsequent transition period.
Cochrane joined WarnerMedia in 2009 as SVP of Group Marketing. In 2014, she took on responsibility for the global development and management of the Wizarding World franchise, overseeing a period of significant expansion and growth. In 2020, she was appointed Country Manager for the U.K. and Ireland, leading the development and execution of WarnerMedia’s commercial and marketing activities across the region. In this role, she integrated the Warner Bros. and Turner businesses in the region, delivered significant synergies and built and executed a cohesive strategy across the company’s many lines of business. Cochrane leaves the company to pursue a portfolio career, which will include coaching and mentoring leaders and emerging talent.
Marie-Laure Roche
Magic Light Pictures (magiclightpictures.com) announced the appointment of Marie-Laure Roche as Head of International Sales. This new position, with a focus on Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Middle East & Africa and Latin America, has been created to reflect and build upon the company’s expanding global footprint. In this key new role, reporting to International Distribution Director Muriel Thomas, Roche will support business development, seeking new opportunities across broadcasters, streamers, distributors and on-demand platforms. She will also maintain and build existing relationships, collaborating closely with Marketing and International Licensing to be across all aspects of the business to ensure successful launches of Magic Light’s brands in each market.
Roche has a 360-degree understanding of content distribution and content strategy gained over 15 years’ experience in the field. Specializing in Kids & Family Entertainment and Factual, she has worked on the distribution of iconic TV programs including Talking Tom, Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed, Thomas and Friends, Barbie, Angry Birds and the BBC Open University catalog, building a strong network and relationships with media partners in Europe, and APAC. She joins Magic Light from Superights SAS, where she was Sales Director, and has also worked at Jetpack Distribution as Head of Global Sales, Mattel Inc as Senior Manager Content Distribution Europe and Cake Entertainment as Senior Sales Manager.
Mark Pinder
Leading children’s entertainment co. Guru Studio (gurustudio.com) announced the appointment of Mark Pinder as VP of Technology. The new hire comes as the company continues to expand its production technology infrastructure to support the studio’s rapid growth. The powerhouse animation studio is currently in production on several new projects, including Mecha Builders, the Sesame Street animated spin-off which debuted this week on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network and on HBO Max, as well as new seasons of the smash hit PAW Patrol.
In his role as VP of Technology, Pinder will lead all production pipeline strategies at Guru including production technology, IT/business systems and post production. He’ll advise on all technology requirements to grow and strengthen the studio’s infrastructure with a focus on innovation, data management performance and overall quality and productivity.
Pinder is a highly accomplished technology leader with expertise leading IT, Pipeline and Software Development teams at some of Canada’s leading animation and VFX studios such as Pixar Canada, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Image Engine and Cinesite. Most recently Mark was Head of Technology at IoM Media where he initiated and oversaw large-scale pipeline enhancements, and led the company through major technology upgrades as they transitioned from in-person to remote work.
Moonbug Entertainment (moonbug.com) appointed Francesca Romana Gianesin as Head of Consumer Products EMEA & ANZ.
Peter Hemminger announced that he is stepping down as Executive Director of Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society (quickdrawanimation.ca) at the end of May, after nine years.
Fresh off the VFX Academy Award win for their work on Dune, Wylie Co. (wylie.co) welcomes back Daniel Lang as full-time staff Compositor, along with the talented Unreal Engine artist Bryan Bigler.
TBD Post has hired Evan Linton as Editor (tbdpost.com), signaling further expansion after the appointment of EP Ron Rendon earlier this year.
30-year Walt Disney Co. veteran Charissa Gilmore has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for Disney General Entertainment.
Katherine Nelson has been named Vice President of Corporate Communications for Disney Branded Television.
Comics publisher IDW (idwpublishing.com) bolstered its editorial staff with three new hires: Jamie S. Rich as Executive Editorial Director, and Charles Beacham and Russ Busse as Senior Editors.
Animate BootCamp, a creative innovation company, has launched in Syracuse, New York with a mission to provide education and workforce development initiatives, offering professional-level training in animation and visual effects. Classes begin June 1, and interested students can find more information and sign up at liveanimationstudios.com.
Dean Lyon
Co-founder and key mentor Dean Lyon has relocated to Syracuse to lead the program. Having worked on countless film and video productions, including award-winning blockbusters like Lord of the Rings, Avatar and the Star Wars franchise, Lyon honed his skills and built his reputation working on creative special effects at the top geographic centers in the world, including Hollywood, New York City, London, New Zealand and Miami.
Now, Lyon is bringing his expertise in visual effects and computer animation to central New York state to help grow a new epicenter for the global animation industry.
“The Animate BootCamp model is something we’ve developed over several years and tested in other parts of the world. It’s proven to identify top talent and then nurture the up and comers,” said Lyon. “The content creation industry is rapidly expanding and is an exciting place to be, with a plethora of opportunities for young people to explore. We want to share our knowledge of the industry so that newcomers not only know what the choices are, but also walk away with the basic training, the skills and the portfolio to go out and pursue their careers.”
The Animate BootCamp program includes paid internship opportunities and career placement advice for all graduates.
Five Peaks logo
Lyon has also partnered with Syracuse-based Five Peaks Animation, founded by the successful producer, director, and writer Monte Young, a Syracuse University alumnus. Headquartered at PBS WCNY-TV, they have an impressive slate of projects in various stages of production.
“There is not a single industry these days that doesn’t rely on display technology,” Lyon adds. “Teaching visual storytelling and artistic screen design prepares our graduates to succeed in any career path they may choose.”
The first Animate BootCamp, beginning June 1, is aimed at college-level artists and animators. It will be followed on July 16 by a program that will accept high school-age mentees. These ongoing BootCamp programs will repeat throughout the year, with additional advanced level and related industry BootCamps to be announced.
Initially, classes will be held online, with Animate BootCamp providing several support locations where mentees can access robust computers and faster internet connections. Learn more and register here.
If you’re missing the bustle of the Croisette this year, fear not: Animation Nights New York is bringing together artful, contemporary and entertaining toons for a virtual Cannes showcase.
The films will also be presented as ANNY’S June 26 Screening Event of In Competition Films (screening #72, Season 7).
ANNY Cannes participants will receive festival accreditation with online support from the ANNY team. ANNY is organizing mixer events and networking opportunities with industry professionals via ANNY Exchange. In addition, ANNY will participate in events with the Cannes Court Métrage Short Film Corner hybrid events.
L-R: (top) 6 Paws Under, Cheese, Hot Singles in Your Area, (bottom) The Melomaniacs, In the Woods, Morning Grass
The directors and producers participating in the ANNY 2022 Cannes Program represent over 15 countries across three continents. Running for approximately 88 minutes total and curated by ANNY with programming by Chitra Roy, the selected short films are (in program order):
In the Upper Room. Alexander Gratzer. Austria.
Little Clouds. Liza Skvortsova. Russia.
The House of Loss. Jinkyu Jeon. Japan.
Despera. Alicja Liss. Poland.
Shpija. Flaka Kokolli. Kosovo.
6 Paws Under. Nicolas Bianco-Levrin. France.
Hot Singles in Your Area. Nicolás Petelski. Spain.
The Melomaniacs. Marc-Aurèle Versini. Belgium.
Morning Grass. Alina Milkina. Netherlands.
Cheese. Claudio Giusti. Italy.
In the Woods. Ilgin Saçan. Turkey.
Making an Entrance. Susan Crowe. United Kingdom.
Melting. Susana Miguel António, Filipa Gomes da Costa. Portugal.
The Power of Love. Thomas Costa Freté. Sweden.
Welter of Words. Tessa van Vuren. Netherlands.
Red Fire. Mona A. Shahi. Iran.
The Fisherman. Francois Balanant. France.
L-R: (top) Welter of Words, The Power of Love, Melting, (bottom) The Fisherman, Red Fire, Making an Entrance
Dedicated exclusively to short films and filmmakers, the Short Film Corner’s focus is creating a meeting place for filmmakers from all over the world, offering workshops and roundtable discussions for attendees to learn more about the film industry and current trends and a daily 5 p.m. networking cocktail hour. ANNY films will be available on a dedicated channel from May 23-27.
The Marché du Film is the commercial side of the festival, facilitating exchanges between sellers and buyers. Thousands of films are screened in the marketplace for buyers to view, and the market provides an incredible opportunity for networking with companies and industry professionals. ANNY has arranged a screening of its selected 17 films as a part of this market.
Animation Nights New York holds curated monthly screening events in NYC featuring animated short films and virtual reality animation experiences from all around the world. Project submission is free and admission to our monthly screenings of In Competition films is free. animationnights.com
New figures show a strong post-pandemic bounce back for the U.K. entertainment industry, as films shooting in the country over the last 12 months have made record contributions of £1.4 million (approx. $1.7M USD) to the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund and the Animation Skills Fund.
A total of 66 productions paid in £1,436,701.94 for the year to the end of March. The previous Film Skills Fund record was £1,081,352 in 2019/20, with a slump to £474,000 in 2020/21 when production was hit by lockdown. Productions irrespective of size are encouraged to contribute 0.5% of U.K. production spend up to a cap, which was £61,000 for 2021/22.
Contributors included Wonka, Downton Abbey: A New Era, Dungeons & Dragons, drag queen documentary Maisie, Persuasion (the new Jane Austen adaptation starring Dakota Johnson), The Lost King (starring and co-written by Steve Coogan), George Clooney’s Boys in the Boat and the murder mystery See How They Run.
A short film made in Northern Ireland, True Colours became the smallest contributor at £12.50 after writer-director Arón Holden and producer Lisa Service decided it was important to do their part. “We thought if we could help donate even a small amount then it would be paying it forward for the next person,” said Service.
The Animation Skills Fund, which was re-launched in 2019 after a period of inactivity, also recorded a best-ever total of £187,030 contributions from productions. The cap for animation contributions was £44,500.
Tom Box, co-founder of Blue Zoo Animation and chair of the Animation Skills Fund, said, “The U.K. animation industry has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, but this is at risk if the skills pipeline can’t keep up with demand. So it’s fantastic to see so many companies investing in talent through the Animation Skills Fund, so our buoyant industry can retain its cherished reputation. There’s still so much more work to be done, so we encourage everyone to pay in so that we can nurture even more amazing animation talent.”
Training supported by the Animation Skills Fund last year included Toon Boom rigging, leadership and management essentials, writing for children’s animation and becoming an animation production manager as well as the launch of Animation Trainee Finder. More than 350 people underwent training.
The fund also supports the Young Animator of the Year (YAY) initiative for 11- to 18-year olds, through which 104 young animators took part in tutorials, after-school club, summer studio and portfolio reviews with in excess of 400 signed up to the YAY website.
Councils and working groups for both funds are now meeting to confirm training priorities to meet pressing demand and address skills needs across the sector. The skills funds are invested alongside National Lottery funds from the BFI under its Future Film Skills strategy, which ends this year.
“I want to offer a personal note of thanks to everyone who plans the ScreenSkills Skills Funds contribution into their budgets because we know that costs have been rising and every budget line is scrutinized,” said Gareth Ellis-Unwin, ScreenSkills’ Head of Film & Animation. “The funding is vital in enabling us to help find, develop and retain the workforce who are the lifeblood of our amazing industry — for studio production as well as independent film.
“But money is only one part of the equation and we are also really grateful to those productions who offer training opportunities. Whatever stage you are at in your career, there is no better way of cementing skills than by using them, so placements are invaluable.
“It is mission critical for the creative and commercial success of filmmaking in the U.K. that there is sustained investment in the freelancers who are at the heart of it. You can’t make great films without investing in the people.”
Anita Overland, whose producing credits include Small Axe, The Iron Lady and The Beautiful Game and is the chair of the Film Skills Fund, commented, “I know from my own experience just how hard it is crewing up when there is so much production underway. But we should be using the boom to make sure that we are finding and developing a greater diversity of new talent and to support the existing workforce to progress — because it is at the mid- to senior-level that the problems are most acute. I ask all my industry colleagues to help build a bigger and better skilled labour pool by contributing to the Film Skills Fund.”
Training supported by Film Skills Fund contributions last year included the transfer program for people experienced in working with Black hair and make-up for people of color, hiring and managing a team, deaf awareness and virtual production training.
The fund also supports Film Trainee Finder, the paid placement program for new entrants. Contributing productions receive a subsidy to support the placements in a range of skills shortage job roles. More than 1,500 individuals were supported with training or career development with support from the fund.
Silvergate Media is joining forces with Tencent Video to bring its new animated series The Creature Cases to China. Silvergate will also partner with Tencent Video on a full consumer products roll-out in China from 2023, to be led by toys and publishing.
The Creature Cases is an action, comedy and detective series animated by TeamTO that follows the adventures of a unique detective duo who specialize in solving animal mysteries. The first season, launched on Netflix on April 12, is soon to be released on Tencent Video, which will significantly expand the broadcast reach to families across China.
The Creature Cases
“The Creature Cases storylines have a vibrant, universal appeal and we’re excited that this new partnership with Tencent Video will bring the show to viewers in China,” said Ron Allen, EVP Commercial. “Tencent Video shares our passion for bringing audiences innovative children’s content and we look forward to showcasing the series on China’s leading VOD platform and building a broad consumer products program.”
Selina She, Director of Kids’ IP Development & Programming Center at Tencent Video, added, “We are delighted to get our paws on The Creature Cases and thrilled to be partnering with Silvergate Media on this dynamic new series. We deduce that its exotic mix of real-life fascinating facts from the amazing animal kingdom along with side-splitting, super-sleuthing detective antics will have broad appeal in China. We are excited to be launching the series in the territory shortly, followed by the start of our consumer products program which will be full of animal wonder!”
The Creature Cases
In The Creature Cases, Sam Snow and Kit Casey are the lead agents of CLADE: the Covert League of Animal Detective Experts, who solve animal mysteries by exploring the habitats and behaviors of fascinating, sometimes bizarre creatures. Armed with top-secret intel from their miniature contacts, the Mice Squad, these brilliant animal sleuths travel a world populated exclusively by animals, solving mind-boggling animal mysteries that mix real zoological facts with wild detective action.
Silvergate Media is an award-winning media company developing world-class children’s brands with offices in London, New York and operations in China. Its award-winning productions include Octonauts, Peter Rabbit, Hilda andChico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt for Netflix, and Sunny Day for Nickelodeon; current productions include a number of commissions for new properties from partners such as Disney, Netflix and Tencent Video as well as producing a string of new content for hit shows Octonauts and Hilda.
Everypony is in for enchanting surprises and feel-good adventure in My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, the new 44-minute animated special set to launch on Netflix on May 26. A prelude to the “mane” 8 x 22′ series coming in September, the CG sparkle of this new rodeo brings audiences back into the world of the 2021 movie My Little Pony: A New Generation for a journey of self-discovery told with action, humor and heart.
Synopsis: Months after magic has returned to Equestria, Sunny Starscout and her new pony friends are excited to celebrate their new lives on Maretime Bay Day! But while their group may have adjusted to magic’s return, plenty of Unicorns and Pegasi are still having trouble mastering their powers, frustrating the non-magical Earth Ponies who wish to return to how things were before.
This division worries Zipp, who notices that the Unity Crystals have begun glitching, disrupting magic for everyone. Zipp begins investigating, discovering the glitches seem to be happening more and more, their chaos further dividing the ponies of Maretime Bay. She tries to convince her friends that the Unity Crystals are acting strange, but they think she’s worrying over nothing and don’t believe her. That is, until they witness a Pegasus falling out of the sky onto an Earth Pony themselves. This spurs outrage from the Earth Ponies, who threaten to boycott Maretime Bay Day if the town isn’t made a magic-free zone.
Now on her side, Zipp explains to her friends her discovery that magic is glitching when ponies aren’t treating each other with kindness. Their mission now is to throw such an amazing Bay Day that everypony comes together in harmony to stabilize magic again. But as the Earth Ponies air their frustrations with the inclusion of Pegasi and Unicorns in a holiday they see as their own, the glitches escalate, bringing about a massive magical storm that threatens to swallow the town.
In the end, it’s only the power of Sunny and her friends working together that saves the day. As magic stabilizes, the Earth Ponies discover they now too have powers! Feeling included and having seen the error of their ways, they apologize and come together with the Unicorns and Pegasi in harmony to celebrate the rest of Maretime Bay Day together.
Make Your Mark featueres the voices of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever, Turning Red) as Zipp alongside Jenna Warren (Kody Kapow!) as Sunny, JJ Gerber (Monster Pack) as Hitch, Ana Sani (The Boys) as Izzy, AJ Bridel (Odd Squad) as Pipp and Bahia Watson (The Handmaid’s Tale).
The new MLP iteration was developed for television by Gillian Berrow, is produced by Atomic Cartoons, with Cort Lane serving as executive producer, Tristan Homer as co-executive producer and William Lau (The Last Kids on Earth, Barbie Fairytopia) as supervising director.
Continuing the secondary backlash to Disney’s response to Florida’s anti-LGBTQ “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has introduced legislation that takes aim at the studio’s seemingly unsinkable copyrights. The “Copyright Clause Restoration Act” put up Tuesday would reinstate the 56-year cap on copyright protections.
Current law gives corporations copyright protections for 95 years from the year of publication — a period which has been extended multiple times, most recently in 1998 when the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act added an extra 20 years. This Act was signed into law by President Clinton, taking effect from 2019.
Disney’s influence in the realm of copyright legislation is seen this Act’s nickname: the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Under the current law, the copyright on the iconic character’s first appearance, Steamboat Willie (1928) is set to expire next year. (Mickey Mouse is six years shy of his 100th birthday, at which point he will have outlived Walt Disney for 62 years.)
Hawley, in a press release, declared, “The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over,” and described the Disney company as a “woke corporation” earning billions while “pandering to woke activists.”
Responding for the Copyright Alliance, CEO Keith Kupferschmid said the change would hurt “millions of everyday Americans” working in creative industries “largely dominated by independent and small businesses.”
Gucci created a $4,500 3D Mickey Mouse purse in 2018, timed to the character’s 90th birthday.
Mickey Mouse was named to Forbes‘ annual list of ‘fictional billionaires’ in 2004. According to the Wall Street Journal, Mickey Mouse and the classic characters gang (Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald) sold $3 billion in merchandise alone. The character has appeared in a staggering number of cartoon shorts, animated movies, TV series, video games, park attractions, comics and more.
Previously, in what was seen as a retort to Disney finally voicing public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis stripped the company of a special tax district that encompasses the Walt Disney World theme park. The Mouse House has not commented on these moves, and few expect Hawley’s legislation to advance due to bilateral support for the entertainment industry.
Plus, the company is probably too busy toasting the strong growth of Disney+ around the world, having added 8 million new subscribers in fiscal Q2. The streaming platform has added almost 20 million subs in the past six months, reaching a global total of 137.7M as of April 2 (+33% over last year). Bundled services Hulu and ESPN+ also saw gains, reaching 45.6M (+10%) and 22.3M (+62%), respectively.
Q2 for Disney the streaming debuts of several highly anticipated titles, including the latest Pixar movie Turning Red, while Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning Encanto kicked off 2022 with a Disney+ debut and seems to have worked its magic (the movie spent 12 weeks in Nielsen’s Top 10 U.S. streaming list following its holiday season theatrical release).
Per the enthusiastic response to Disney+ in its first year, in 2020 the company set out a goal of 300-350M total subscribers and 230-260M for Disney+ alone by the end of fiscal year 2024.
In a note to Animayo Gran Canaria 2022 participants, festival director & producer Damián Perea congratulated the events’ top-notch speakers, visiting schools and studio delegations on a successful face-to-face edition. The live on the island stage of the 17th Animayo has closed and organizers are now preparing for the continued online phase, set to launch in October.
The festival enjoyed a total participation of 15,610 people across events at the Cicca Center, the Guiniguada Theater, the International Competitions and the School Activities “without leaving the classroom” (9,000+ students). These figures are particularly impressive as they denote a willingness to return to in-person events. Masterclasses attracted 2,304 attendees; 53 jobseekers sat for 235 recruitment interviews with leading production companies and studios, such as Skydance Animation, The SPA Studios and Platige Image; and more than €500,000 scholarships at top-level educational institutions like U-tad, UDEM and ESCAV were on offer.
Perea also shared the big announcement that the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has endowed the festival with a second Oscar-qualifying award. Building on its distinction as the only Qualifying Festival in Spain for the animated short Academy Awards category with the international Grand Jury Award, Animayo is now also the only festival elevating the best work in the Spanish language — “Animation with Ñ” — to its own shot at consideration for the Oscars.
Damián Perea
The news was delivered into Perea’s hands in an official letter from the Academy during the festival. During the closing address, the festival director said he was honored by the distinction and very happy for this “acknowledgement of the immense work done by the Animayo team.”
He added that the Academy recognizes “Animayo Gran Canaria’s solid background, the fact that it has a Jury of the highest level in all its editions and the enormous quality of the films that come to the Festival from all over the world to compete for its Awards. An Award Winners’ List which is screened in the best studios in the world throughout the year and which, in its Travelling Animayo version, has reached destinations such as India, Colombia, Prague, Los Angeles, Madrid, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Portugal… even as far as Mumbai and Korea.
“Moreover, from the Academy’s point of view,” Perea pointed out, “the Canary Islands are the tricontinental bridge between America, Africa and Europe.”
With that in mind, top prize winners Prisoner Outside and Leopoldo from the Bar have embarked on the road to Oscar gold. This year’s film competition presented 63 films, chosen from more than 2,000 entries by filmmakers all over teh world.
Grand Jury Award (3,000 euro prize) — Prisoner Outside by Igor Medvedev | Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | 3D/2D CG | Germany
Locked up and isolated, a prisoner starts to lose his grip on reality. Without the influence of the outside world his imagination and the real world start to merge. Over time, he learns to control his surroundings and sees the opportunity to escape with the help of his newly found powers. After a long chase, he manages to reach the prison gates. But the renewed contact to the outside world and its impact on the senses makes him lose his capabilities to shape the environment. Eventually he decides to return to his cell, now that his self imposed illusions appeal more to him than the comparatively dull reality.
Animation with Ñ — Leopoldo el del bar (Leopoldo from the Bar) by Diego Porral | prod. Joaquín Garralda; dist. Distribution with Glasses | 2D | Spain
Leopoldo is an old man living in the center of Madrid, and he has been going to the same bar every day for the last 12 years. This bar is the last remnant of his old life. When it is shut down, the loneliness he had been avoiding catches up to him in the shape of Mauricio. This humanoid pigeon seems to suffer from verbal diarrhea, and it will try to talk Leopoldo into accepting his fate. Death? No, something a bit more surprising.
The international competition was juried by chairman Henri Magalon (CEO & Producer, Maybe Movies), Carlos Zaragoza (production designer, Sony Pictures Animation), Claus Toksvig (CEO/Partner & producer, Nørlum Ent.), Aurora Jiménez (visdev artist, DreamWorks Animation) and Hidetaka Yosumi (character TD, facial rig developer & Founder, Studio Nowake).
The Animation with Ñ jury for Spanish-language films comprised chairman Daniel Martínez Lara (director, Pepe School Land), Carlos Fernández de Vigo & Lorena Ares (Founders, Dr. Platypus & Ms. Wombat), Zaragoza and Jiménez.
Good Night Mr. Ted
Additional Animayo 2022 award winners include:
Best Director: Nicolas Sole Allignani for Good Night Mr. Ted | ECIB | Spain
Best 2D: Frydenlund Hair Parlor by Hanne Berkaak | Belgium, Norway
Best VFX: Absence by Marc Hericher | France
Best Comedy: Leopoldo el del bar by Diego Porral | Spain
Social Awareness Award: Flower Under Water by Aitor Oñederra | Spain
Best Stop Motion: Elena by Biruté Spdeikaité | Lithuania, France, Croatia
Best Student Short: Good Night Mr. Ted by Nicolás Sole Allignani | Spain
Best Short Film for Adults: Depths of Night by Step C. | Hong Kong.
Animation with Ñ – Social Awareness Award: Mula by Carlos Balseiro & Mariano Benayón | Spain.
Coming up, the International Official Selection will screen for Animayo’s My First Festival contest, which awards the Children & Youth Audience Award (winner to be announced at the beginning of June). On June 30, the festival will open the call for applications for the Animayo Talent Scholarships with more than 500,000 euros in scholarships for face-to-face and online training up for grabs for the 2022-23 academic year.
Visit animayo.com to learn more, and stay tuned for the virtual online stage of Animayo 2022 in October!
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