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Today, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced nominees for The PGA Innovation Award ahead of the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. This Award recognizes the production of a noteworthy, impactful new media program that significantly elevates the audience’s viewing experience.
“As the PGA Innovation Award enters its third year, we are continuously blown away with the creative and technological advancements that each of our nominees represent. We’re honored to shine a light on the amazing artists and producing teams that not only define excellence in the immersive medium, but showcase to audiences all over the world the emotional and storytelling magic that these experiences present,” said Eric W. Shamlin, Committee & Jury Chair of the PGA Innovation Award.
The recipient of the 2022 PGA Innovation Award, as well as the PGA Award-winners of the Short Form, Sports and Children’s categories, will be announced during the New York Nominees Celebration on Monday, March 14 at the Bryant Park Grill Garden, sponsored by Cadillac and GreenSlate.
Nominees for the 2022 PGA Innovation Award are listed below in alphabetical order. The PGA will honor the program as a whole, rather than the individual producers. As such, the producers of these programs are not required to go through the awards eligibility determination process.
Clockwise: Namoo, Madrid Noir, The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite
2022 PGA Innovation Award nominees:
Artificial: Factions (96 Next)
Breonna’s Garden (YesUniverse)
Eschaton (Chorus Productions Holdings, INC)
Eternals: AR Story Experience (Walt Disney Studios)
For All Mankind: Time Capsule (Apple)
Live@Expo (Hovercast)
Madrid Noir (Atlas V / No Ghost)
Namoo (Baobab Studios)
Pacha Mama (Noitom International, Inc.)
The MetaMovie Presents: Alien Rescue (The MetaMovie)
The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite (Ferryman Collective)
Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb (CityLights)
Clockwise: Breonna’s Garden, For All Mankind: Time Capsule, Artificial: Factions, Eternals: AR Story Experience
The award honors exceptional distinctiveness, inventiveness and the impact of the submitted work in expanding the conventions of program format, content, audience interaction, production technique and delivery. Such work may reflect a reimagining or reworking of existing concepts and approaches in a new way, or may be an entirely novel type of experience.
Entries are vetted by a nominating committee and reviewed and voted-on by a jury of experts. Programs released between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 were eligible for the honor.
In 2019, the PGA awarded the inaugural PGA Innovation Award to the team behind Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series Episode 1. Last year, the team behind BRCvr, an official virtual Burning Man Experience hosted on AltSpaceVR, was honored with the prize.
The PGA Awards Ceremony will be held on the evening of Saturday, March 19 at the Fairmont Century Plaza. The winners of the Innovation Award, as well as the Short Form, Sports and Children’s categories, will also be highlighted at the Ceremony.
See the previously announced 33rd PGA Awards animated feature nominees here.
New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA) and the Visual Arts Foundation announced today that the College has partnered with Braintreehouse, creators of the award-winning design tool Sketchboard Pro, for a new scholarship for students in the MFA Visual Narrative program.
Awarded to two students annually in support of their thesis projects, the scholarship provides each recipient $2,500, an iPad Pro and the Sketchboard Pro artist bundle, which includes a Sketchboard Pro for iPad, Sketchboard Pro travel bag and sticker pack, and Braintreehouse’s original Essential Procreate Brushpack, plus advisory expertise from designated Sketchboard Pro artists.
Additionally, all MFA Visual Narrative students will be eligible for an annual discount accessible up to one year after graduation.
Sketchboard Pro artist bundle
Created in 2019 by illustration studio Braintreehouse, the Sketchboard Pro iPad holder has quickly become a must-have tool for artists. Designed for and by artists and featuring strong legs that easily fold out to create a comfortable 20-degree angled drawing surface or a tabletop easel, a form-fitted cradle and a charging port for your device, the ergonomically designed stand allows users to bring the drawing desk experience virtually anywhere.
The company also partners with climate collective Ecologi, which plants a tree for every Sketchboard Pro sold.
Sketchboard Pro Scholarship applicants were asked to provide an essay detailing how they will use the technology and financial award for the creative and production process of their thesis project; 10 samples of their best work to demonstrate the strength and merit of their creative and professional pursuits; and a formal presentation of their thesis project story and concept, including visuals. Two MFA Visual Narrative program alumni were included in the submission review panel.
For upcoming years, the application deadline will be in October with the final award decision announced in November and awarded in December ahead of their final semester.
Laura Brown and her drawings of Stone Arch Bridge and Woodstock (from lauracatherinebrown.com)
The first two scholarship recipients, Laura Brown (lauracatherinebrown.com) and Oret Peña (digitalartmonstr.com), are both second-year MFA Visual Narrative students. Brown’s novel project, Fallen, uses a base of scanned pencil drawings to tell a story of friendship, desire and loss, touching on the self-help paradox. Peña’s project, currently titled Magical Girl Leila, brings Latino lead characters and representation to American comics, inspired by her love for cartoons, anime and classic magical-girl manga heroes such as Sailor Moon, Tokyo MewMew and Madoka Magica.
“It began as a cute pun when we would tell people that our mission with Sketchboard Pro is to support artists,” said JJ Harrison, Co-Founder of Braintreehouse. “As artists ourselves, we understand the grave importance of raising awareness, appreciation and value of the arts with the hope that each new generation of artists has it better than the last. We are incredibly grateful that the success of Sketchboard Pro is allowing us to make good on our mission and sponsor scholarships for such talented young artists as Oret and Laura. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this endeavor than the School of Visual Arts and we look forward to broadening our relationship with education.”
Oret Peña and her “Fruit Girl” illustrations (from digitalartmonstr.com)
Introduced in 2013, MFA Visual Narrative is a flexible, low-residency program designed for working professionals and students of visual storytelling alike. Three onsite summer sessions are connected by two years of online study during the fall and spring semesters. Through creative writing and visual development, graduates are empowered to become the next generation of original content creators. Alumni have moved into careers in creative direction, animation, comics, game development, film, toy design, information and motion design, education and many other disciplines. Recent graduates have worked for such organizations as Apple, Fisher Price, Penguin Books, Disney+, Chase, Deloitte Digital, Nickelodeon, MTV2, Exploding Kittens, Major League Baseball, Nike, Google, The Boston Globe and the White House. Founding program chair Nathan Fox and artist, printmaker and faculty member Panayiotis Terzis also created the SVA RisoLAB, the only dedicated educational Risograph printing facility of its kind.
Founded in 1968, the Visual Arts Foundation provides scholarships for deserving students to study at the School of Visual Arts; supports exhibitions, conferences, and competitions and promotes the study and improvement of the arts; encourages cooperation and exchange among artists, designers, students, publishers and others engaged in artistic activities; receives gifts, legacies and donations; and offers awards, appropriations and scholarships from these resources.
Emmy Award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, a division of FOX Entertainment, has entered a development deal with ex-WarnerMedia executives Chris Linn and Marissa Ronca’s Contrast Media. Under terms of the agreement, Linn and Ronca will work closely with Bento Box’s development department, advising on creative strategy, packaging and development of animated projects for FOX Entertainment, its free streaming service Tubi, and third-party platforms.
Linn and Ronca also will offer support regarding Bento Box’s NFT studio, Blockchain Creative Labs.
“Chris and Marissa are fantastic executives, whose work we’ve admired for quite some time,” said Scott Greenberg, Co-Founder & CEO, Bento Box Entertainment. “As we continue to grow Bento Box’s output and expand into Web3 with Blockchain Creative Labs, we’re thrilled to be partnering with them, and are eager to create amazing new content together.”
“Scott Greenberg and his team share our passion for comedy, collaboration and fan-favorite content,” added Linn and Ronca. “We look forward to bringing our expertise to Bento Box during this exciting period of growth.”
Linn, the former President at WarnerMedia’s truTV, and Ronca, the cable network’s former Executive Vice President and Head of Original Programming & Development, spearheaded the comedic rebrand of truTV, with successful fan-driven franchises, such as Impractical Jokers (series and feature film), Billy on the Street, I’m Sorry and At Home with Amy Sedaris. In 2021, the two formed the consulting firm Contrast Media to assist companies in developing breakthrough content and creative teams.
From its studios in Los Angeles and Atlanta, Bento Box produces animated programming, features, music videos, branded content and motion graphics, wielding and innovative digital production pipeline and talent-centric focus. Recent work includes shows on Apple TV+ (Central Park), Comedy Central (Brickleberry, Legends of Chamberlain Heights), FOX (multiple Emmy Award-winning Bob’s Burgers, Duncanville, The Great North, Housebroken), Hulu (The Awesomes), NBC (The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special), Netflix (Mulligan, Paradise PD, Farzar, The Who Was? Show) and Syfy (Alien News Desk).
Arthouse video-on-demand service OVID.tv is offering a special animation festival featuring ten acclaimed features from around the world in March. The celebration kicks off with the seminal 1926 feature The Adventures of Prince Achmed and continues with modern animated classics such as Aurel’s award-winning 2021 feature Josep (streaming premiere), Joann Sfar’s The Rabbi’s Cat, Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef’s This Magnificent Cake!, Michel Ocelot’s Tales of the Night, Sebastian Laudenbach’s The Girl Without Hands and Ignacio Ferreras Wrinkles.
Monday, March 7
The Adventures of Prince Achmed – Directed by Lotte Reiniger; Milestone Films, Germany (1926)
Tales of the Night – Directed by Michel Ocelot; GKIDS, France (2011)
Tuesday, March 8
This Magnificent Cake! – Directed by Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef; GKIDS, Belgium, France, Netherlands (2018)
The Rabbi’s Cat – OVID Exclusive – Directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux; GKIDS, France (2011)
The Girl Without Hands – OVID Exclusive – Directed by Sébastian Laudenbach; GKIDS, France (2016)
The complete list of the films premiering on OVID this month:
A Town Called Panic, Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar (2009) Adama, Simon Rouby (2020) The Adventures of Price Achmed, Lotte Reiniger (1926) Aya of Yop City, Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie (2013) Becoming Traviata, Philippe Béziat (2012) Chinese Portrait, Wang Xiaoshuai (2018) El Mar La Mar, Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki (2017) The Girl Without Hands, Sébastian Laudenbach (2016) Into the Night, Helen Whitney (2021) Jealousy, Philippe Garrel (2013) Josep, Aurel (2020) Kékszakállú, Gastón Solnicki (2016) Kent State: The Day the War Came Home, Chris Triffo (2000) Le Chant de Styrene, Alain Resnais (1958) Les Enfants Terrible, Ahmet Necdet Çupur (2021) Linefork, Jeff Silva and Vic Rawlings (2016) Lourdes, Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai (2021) Maborosi, Hirokazu Koreeda (1995) The Modern Jungle, Charles Fairbanks and Saul Kak (2016) On the Way to School, Pascal Plisson (2013) Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune, Kenneth Bowser (2010) The Rabbi’s Cat, Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux (2011) Rocco and His Brothers, Luchino Visconti (1960) The Salt of Tears, Philippe Garrel (2020) Step Up To The Plate, Paul Lacoste (2012) Suburban Birds, Qiu Sheng (2018) Tales of the Night, Michel Ocelot (2011) This Magnificent Cake! Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef (2018) The Wandering Soap Opera, Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento (2017) Winter Soldier, The Winterfilm Collective (1972) Wrinkles, Ignacio Ferreras (2011)
OVID is available in the U.S. and Canada. New subscribers can sign-up for a free seven-day trial. Afterwards, subscriptions are just $6.99/month or $69.99 for an annual subscription. For more info, visit OVID.tv.
Netflix’s animated civics-lesson themed series We The People won the NAACP Image Award for Best Animated Series last night. The NAACP Image Awards organization is revealing several winners every night this week in the lead-up to Saturday’s main show, which will air live on BET.
Produced by veteran animation icon Chris Nee (Doc McStuffins, Vampirina) , Michelle and Barack Obama and Kenya Barris, the series used a variety of animation styles and directors and original songs performed by the likes of Janelle Monae, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Lambert, H.E.R. and Brandi Carlile to reframe understanding of what government and citizenships mean in our modern world. The show tapped a wide range of top notch directors including Benjy Brooke, Everet Downing Jr., Trisha Gum, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Daron Nefcy, Peter Ramsey and Tim Rauch to direct each of the episodes of the anthology. Top animation houses Titmouse and BUCK helped produce the animation for the show. We the People has also been nominated for two Annie Awards (Best Animated TV Media Production for Children, Best Character Animation for a TV Production).
Zach Parrish’s Disney piece Us Againwon the award for Outstanding Short-Form (Animated).
The Image Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Television was awarded to the amazing Cree Summer for her role as Suzie Carmichael in Nickelodeon’s recent version of Rugrats. The Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Motion Picture prize went to Letitia Wright for starring as Nooshy in Universal/Illumination Ent.’s blockbuster feature Sing 2.
Cree Summer as Suzie Carmichael (Rugrats)
Letitia Wright as Nooshy in Sing 2
The 53rd NAACP Image Awards airs on Saturday, Feb. 26th on BET. For more info, visit naacpimageawards.net. See the full list of animation nominees here.
The Miami Media and Film Market and Film London will co-host a special live animation webinar, “Get Animated in 2022!” featuring a special introduction by Film London Chief Exec Adrian Wootton, OBE on Thursday, February 24, beginning at 11 a.m. EST / 4 p.m. GMT.
This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Fred Seibert (Fred Films), a legend in animation and a visionary in TV branding (MTV, Nickelodeon) who has served as executive producer Adventure Time,Bravest Warriors, The Fairly Oddparents, Castlevania and Bee & Puppycat.
Peter Lopez and Jorge Otero of the Miami- and Colombia-based iKartoons will also serve as panelists to discuss their work in the Latin American market, particularly their animation work for Discovery Inc, NatGeo Kids, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Televisa. There will be some time for participant Q&A and networking immediately following the panel discussion. This virtual event is in partnership with the Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States and Miami Dade County. Register at Eventbrite or at miamimediafilmmarket.org.
VIEW Conference is laying on the virtual panels this season. Up first will beFive Oscar Contenders for Best Animated Feature (in partnership with OGR), featuring director Byron Howard, co-director/co-writer Charise Castro Smith and producer Yvett Merino of Encanto (Disney); director Jonas Poher Rasmussen and producer Charlotte de la Gournerie of Flee (Final Cut for Real); director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren of Luca (Pixar); director/co-writer Mike Rianda and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller of The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Sony/Netflix); co-director Carlos Lopez Estrada, co-writer Adele Lim and producer Osnat Shurer of Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney). March 4, 10 a.m. PST.
VIEW and VFX Festival have also teamed up to present a panel with Five VFX Oscar Contendersa few days later. Learn the secrets of this year’s top contenders with visual effects supervisors Paul Lambert (Dune), Swen Gillberg (Free Guy), Charlie Noble (No Time to Die), Christopher Townsend (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Kelly Port (Spider-Man: No Way Home). March 9, 10 a.m. PST.
Then, get the scoop on Pixar’s latest feature from the Turning Red Creative Team, presented with OGR and moderated by Animation Magazine‘s own Ramin Zahed. The panel will feature director Domee Shi, producer Lindsey Collins, VFX supervisor Danielle Feinberg, production designer Rona Liu, director of photography Mahyar Abousaeedi and animation supervisor Aaron Hartline. (Prep for the talk by picking up the April ’22 issue of Animag and reading all about this hairy coming-of-age comedy.) March 18, 10 a.m. PST.
2022 Goya winners The Monkey and Valentina
With a refreshed selection of animated nominees to choose from, the 2022 Goya Awards gave Spain’s top cinema honors to Chelo Loureiro’s Valentina, a 2D/3D, feature-length musical about a young girl with Down syndrome who dreams of being a trapeze artist; and the dark period drama short The Monkey by Lorenzo Degl’Innocenti and Xosé Zapata, about an animal tried as part of the 1588 Spanish Armada and sentence to death.
Meanwhile, at the 12th MyFrenchFilmFestival, Rémi Chayé picked up another accolade for Calamity by winning an International Press Jury Special Mention for a Feature Film.
Eternal Spring | Tacheles – The Heart of the Matter
The 26th Human Rights Watch Film Festival (March 17-25; London; ff.hrw.org) will present 10 compelling new films from around the world, including documentaries which make use of animation and drawings to tell their stories and reflect participants’ personal experiences.
Through insightful interviews and beautiful animated sequences, Jason Loftus’ immersive documentary Eternal Spring reveals the persecution of religious movements and political dissent by the Chinese government. Animation by the comic-book artist Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars) graphically reveal his personal memories and experiences, on the 20th anniversary of a bold and perilous hack into state television by Falun Gong activists.
In Jana Matthes and Andrea Schramm’s Tacheles – The Heart of the Matter, Yaar, a young Jewish Berliner, attempts to process and overcome intergenerational trauma by developing a video game set in 1940’s Germany, where he enables Jews to defend themselves and Nazis to act humanely. He decides to model one of the game’s protagonists, a young Jewish girl, on his grandmother Rina. Her opponent is an SS officer, who is inspired by one of his friend’s actual ancestors. Yaar’s father is shocked, and the work opens old family wounds left unaddressed for generations. While we also witness the creative process of developing the game project — with animated sequences and original illustrations featured — Yaar must find his way between the trauma of preceding generations, and his own claim to an unburdened life.
Animated sequences of crumbling homes also enhance the creative storytelling in Silence Heard Loud – the Opening Night film of this year’s festival, by artist-filmmaker Anna Konik, that weaves together journeys of seven asylum seekers in the U.K. and elusive dream of home and better life.
CartoonNext 2022 projects
CartoonNext (April 12-15; Marseille, France) unveiled the eight cross-media projects selected to pitch at the event for “the future of animation and digital content.” Learn more about them at cartoon-media.eu/next.
Astrid and the School of Astronauts. Lumiar (Italy), TV Series
Ewilan’s Quest. Andarta Pictures (France), TV Series
Eyes of Shame. Joni Art (Lithuania), Feature/VR/Comic
Here. Patrones y Escondites (Spain), Videogame/AR/VR/Live
Journey to Yourland. BFilm (Slovakia), Feature/AR/VR/Mobile Game
Lumieres! Les Films du Tambour de Soie (France), Webseries/AR/VR/Live
Sex Symbols. TV ON (Spain), TV Series
Subtopia. Curio and Co. (Austria), TV Series/Licensing/Videogame/Comics
SXSW Game of the Year nominees (clockwise) Psychonauts 2, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, Resident Evil Village, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The South by Southwest Gaming Awards announced that this year’s virtual ceremony will be co-hosted by two of TV’s freshest faces — Jana Morrison and Samantha Aucoin, the heroic leads of SYFY network’s Astrid & Lilly Save the World. A diverse roster of presenters from entertainment and sports has been assembled, as well as some special partnerships and premiere content. Produced by Georgia-based Peach Maria Productions, executive produced by Laurie Lockliear (upcoming esports reality competition series GameMaster), the 2022 Awards will stream for free as part of SXSW Online on March 12 at 7 p.m. CT.
The final nominees for Game of the Year are Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (Square Enix), It Takes Two (Hazelight/EA), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac/Sony Interactive) and Resident Evil Village (Capcom). Find the full list of presenters, partners and nominated titles at sxsw.com.
Calls for entries, dates & updates:
New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival General Public tickets are now on sale. Animation Magazine readers can apply the promotional code ANIMMAGNYICFF22 to receive 10% off the first four tickets purchased (excl. special events). nyicff.org
Long Story Short is returning to Kickstarter for another month-long celebration and an open call for filmmakers. Don’t wait to bring your vision to life! kickstarter.com/short-films
Screen Ireland has extended the application deadline for its flagship short film scheme Frameworks, aimed at boosting the Irish animation sector. Deadline: March 4, 2022. screenireland.ie
NVIDIA GTC (March 21, 2022) invites you to see the future of entertainment in a series of free sessions, covering immersive possibility, virtual production, global workflows and more. nvidia.com/gtc
MoCCA Arts Festival 2022 (April 2-3; NYC) unveiled its official artwork. This year’s key visual is created by Yadi Liu. Several notable artists will create additional work for the show, including badges by Natalie Andrewson and spot illustrations featuring Patrick McDonnell‘s Mutts. moccafest.org
MAKE is now taking applications for its Summer ’22 Internship. Interns will work alongside full-time artists on internal projects and client work at the creative studio, based in Minneapolis and specializing in motion graphics, VFX and animation. Send resumes and portfolios to internships@makevisual.com.
Animasyros 2022 (Sept. 20-25; Syros Island, Greece) calls for entries for its 15th edition in seven competition categories. Deadline: June 30, 2022. animasyros.gr
Stereopsia EUROPE 2022 will take place Oct. 17-19 in Brussels, introducing two new conference sections: Europe Track and Human Connection Track. stereopsia.com
MoCCA Arts Festival official artwork by Yadi Liu (left), Natalie Andrewson (top right) and Patrick McDonnell (bottom right)
Producer managers, supervisors, design assistants, casting assistances, storyboard coordinators and office production workers on adult sci-fi comedy toons Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) and Solar Opposites (Hulu) are beaming up with The Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839, to collectively bargain for their first union contract. TAG filed a petition for a union election following the request.
“This move follows a request by a super majority of the workers last week to be voluntarily recognized,” the Guild stated. “Attorneys representing both production companies responded to this request by contacting TAG and stating that the productions’ parent studios, Adult Swim and 20th Century Fox [Ed. note: Now 20th Television], were not willing to voluntarily recognize the entire unit as was proposed by The Animation Guild.”
Solar Opposites production manager Kallan Zimmerman offered comment on the move through TAG: “Production workers are the heart of the animation industry and have been underappreciated and undercompensated for far too long. It’s time for us to have a seat at the table alongside our artist colleagues.”
One of cables #1 watched comedies, Rick and Morty was co-created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. The show follows the misadventures of a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. Rick Sanchez (voiced by Roiland) is living with his daughter Beth’s (Sarah Chalke) family and constantly bringing her, his son-in-law Jerry (Chris Parnell), granddaughter Summer (Spencer Grammer) and grandson Morty (also Roiland) into intergalactic escapades.
Produced by Williams Street with animation duties split between Rick and Morty LLC and Green Portal Productions, Rick and Morty premiered on Adult Swim in 2013 and has aired five seasons so far. Adult Swim announced an order for 70 episodes back in 2018 — the same year TAG helped the show’s animators ratify a new labor agreement and Roiland took to the show’s subreddit with some (soon deleted) pointed words.
Rick and Morty has won numerous accolades over the years, including two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, two Annie Awards and a Critics’ Choice TV Award.
Solar Opposites
Co-created by Roiland and Rick and Morty writer/EP McMahan, Solar Opposites centers on a team of four aliens who escape their exploding homeworld, only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. Korvo (Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see Earth’s pollution, crass consumerism and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth.
The Hulu Original series, which first premiered in 2020, is produced by 20th Television, with animation services provided by Green Portal, Bardel and Copernicus Studios. Solar Opposites has been renewed through season four (two seasons currently available to stream).
Hasbro’s entertainment studio, eOne, and Netflix are gearing up to launch Transformers: BotBots, the first-ever comedy series in the beloved Transformers franchise. The charged up 10 x 22′ animated series is set to make its streaming premiere on March 25, in a month packed with animation and anime series and season premieres. (Read on for the full lineup!)
Full of high-energy humor designed to delight kids, Transformers: BotBots will transport the next generation of viewers into a brand new world of mischievous little ‘bots. When a mall is hit with Energon, everyday objects from the food court, the hardware store and other locations spring to life and convert into tiny Transformers robots called BotBots — a wide and comical range of characters, who are the epitome of “more than meets the eye.” These squads hide quietly by day but jump into adventure at night … until a misfit group called ‘The Lost Bots’ run into a security guard and put all the BotBots in danger.
Kevin Burke and Chris “Doc” Wyatt (Spider-Man, Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy, Stretch Armstrong & the Flex Fighters) are executive producers and serve as showrunners on the series.
March 3 – He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Season 2 (Netflix Family) The fate of Eternos hangs in the balance as He-Man and the heroes forge new alliances — and new destinies — to outrun evil Skeletor’s pursuit of power.
March 8 – Chip and Potato Season 3 (Netflix Family; Canada) Chip’s learning even more about the great, big world with a little help from Potato — from getting her first haircut to getting on her first airplane!
March 10 – Karma’s World Season 2 (Netflix Family) New challenges inspire new songs for Karma as she starts a new job, runs for school president and works to make a difference in her community.
March 10 – Kotaro Lives Alone (Netflix Anime; Japan) A lonely little boy moves into a ramshackle apartment building all on his own and makes friends with the broke manga artist who lives next door.
March 15 – Adam by Eve: A live in Animation (Netflix Anime; Japan) Anime, live action and music by cutting-edge artist Eve — all weave together into this dreamlike sonic experience inspired by the story of Adam and Eve.
March 15 – Team Zenko Go (Netflix Family) No good deed is too small for this kind kid squad! Niah, Ari, Ellie and Jax go undercover to help others and squash their town’s problems in secret!
March 18 – Human Resources (Netflix Series) The Big Mouth spin-off pulls back the curtain on the daily lives of the creatures — Hormone Monsters, Depression Kitties, Shame Wizards and many more — that help humans journey through every aspect of life from puberty to parenthood to the twilight years. It quickly becomes clear that though the protagonists are creatures, they have a lot of humanity themselves. (Read more in the April ’22 issue of Animation Magazine, coming soon!)
March 29 – Thermae Romae Novae (Netflix Anime; Japan) A proud bath architect in ancient Rome starts randomly surfacing in present-day Japan, where he’s inspired by the many bathing innovations he finds.
Mighty Express Season 6 (Netflix Family) A team of trains and their kid friends overcome trouble on the tracks with quick thinking and teamwork in a new season!
Last Chance (Leaving March 31) –Bee Movie, Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Happy Feet Two, Kung Fu Panda, Madascar: Escape 2 Africa, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends
Netflix Games is also rolling out new titles to Netflix subscribers on Android and iOS devices. Coming soon:
Shatter Remastered: A retro-inspired brick-breaking game that combines classic action with unique twists and incredible boss battles.
Into the Dead 2: Unleashed: Do whatever it takes to save your family and survive the zombie apocalypse in this ultimate action shooter! How far will you go to make it out alive?
This Is a True Story: Explore a beautiful, hand-painted landscape in this lush narrative puzzle game that’s based on actual events and interviews.
Legendary road cyclist Gino Bartali has become the inspiration for a new feature film, this time an animated treatment targeted at a younger audience. Global animation major Toonz Media Group is teaming up with Lynx Multimedia Factory, Rai Ragazzi and Telegael to co-produce Bartali’s Bicycle (working title), inspired by the sportsman’s daring acts of courage and humanism during World War II. Bartali’s Bicycle is set for release in early 2023.
“Gino Bartali was not only a great cycling champion, but a man who risked his life to fight racism and discrimination and for this he was honored as Righteous among the nations. In a world still plagued by wars and conflicts, his fast and brave bicycle is a symbol of peace for kids and families. That is why RAI has promoted the project of this important film from the very beginning.” said Luca Milano, Director of RAI Kids.
The PG-rated 2D animated feature will be targeted at the 7+ and family audience. Set in the modern day in the Middle East, the 80 minute feature follows two young boys from rivaling communities who are brought together by their shared love for cycling. The movie’s theme is woven around Bartali’s awe-inspiring services for Holocaust victims during World War II.
As the producers explain: “Bartali saved many Jewish lives during the Nazi occupation of Italy by concealing their documents in his bicycle. The feature begins 60 years later, when Bartali’s bicycle becomes the tool and symbol of victory for David, a smart and sensitive Jewish boy. David accepts the challenge of winning a cycling championship together with his Arab friend Ibrahim, violating rules but making peace and tolerance triumph between their communities.”
The multinational co-production focusing on themes of tolerance, teamwork and diversity will be released in Italy by RAI and distributed worldwide by Toonz and Rome-based distribution and production company TVCO.
“Bartali’s Bicycle is a story that will resonate with audiences all across the world. It is exactly the kind of story that Toonz is committed to relate to the younger generation. This is, indeed, a prestigious project for Toonz and we are very excited to team up with our amazing partners Lynx, Rai Ragazzi, TVCO and Telegael for this international co-production,” said Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar.
Gino Bartali (photo from Federazione Ciclistica Italiana)
The development, pre-production and picture post-production of the movie will be led by Lynx Studio in Italy, while the animation production will be done at Toonz studios in India. Final backgrounds and sound post-production will be carried out at Emmy Award-winning Irish studio and Toonz group company Telegael, who will also handle some elements of pre-production.
“We are so proud to be in co-production for the film Bartali’s Bicycle with Toonz Media Group, a major international animation group, and Rai Ragazzi which from the beginning believed in this project. It is wonderful to share with our partners themes such as solidarity in sports, altruism in life, friendship that wins over everything, and more in- depth important topics such as the Shoah and civil coexistence, and try the best way to represent them in animation,” said Evelina Poggi, Lynx Multimedia Factory CEO.
Lynx Multimedia Factory is a Rome- and Milan-based animation prodco creating original transmedia projects and work for third parties. The studio notably worked on the award-winning 2019 TV special The Star of Andra and Tati (Larcadarte/Rai Ragazzi) and is currently working on a new special based on Fabio Geda’s In the Sea There Are Crocodiles and developing preschool series Nip & Lena, Fin Friends and feature film Giants by Enrico Paolantonio .
The film’s crack Italian creative team is led by director Enrico Paolantonio (The Extraordinary Adventures of Jules Verne, Egyxos) and head of production Sabrina Callipari. The original idea was conceived by the late Roman writer Israel Cesare Moscati (A Starry Sky Above the Roman Ghetto), who also developed the screenplay with Marco Beretta (Foot 2 Rue Extreme). Noted comic-book artist Corrado Mastantuono (Nick Raider, Magico Vento) is creating the character designs for the project, while illustrator Andrea Pucci is the background artist. Valentina Mazzola (The Star of Andra and Tati) serves as script editor.
“I am proud to collaborate with Toonz, such a prestigious brand in animation. It is the first cooperation of this kind between our two companies,” noted Vincenzo Mosca, CEO of distributor TVCO. “Bartali’s Bicycle is a story of human endurance and trust that has deep and distant roots in the true story of the rescue of hundreds of Jews during the German occupation in Italy by a cycling legend: Gino Bartali. We look forward to bringing this animated movie to the world market and to contributing to making that story known to all worldwide.”
Paul Cummins, CEO of Telegael, added, “Bartali’s Bicycle is a very emotional story which is inspired by the heroic and humanitarian actions of champion cyclist, Gino Bartali, during World War II. Telegael is delighted to partner with Lynx, RAI, TVCO and Toonz to co-produce this animated feature and to bring the story of David and Ibrahim to children’s and family audiences around the world.”
Toonz Media Group is a 360-degree media powerhouse and one of Asia’s most active animation production studios. ITs credits include Wolverine and the X-Men, Speedracer: Next Generation, Gummybear and Friends and Fruit Ninja, with current upcoming projects including Keith Chapman’s Paddypaws, Janet Hubert’s JG and the BC Kids, Olvier Jean-Marie’s Sunnyside Billy and Pierre the Pigeon Hawk, starring Whoopi Goldberg, will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson and Snoop Dogg. (toonz.co)
GKIDS, producer and distributor of multiple Oscar-nominated animated features, announced today it will bring the stylish and humorous ode to filmmaking Pompo the Cinephile to cinemas nationwide this April. In addition to the full feature, audiences will view a special introduction from director Takayuki Hirao, exclusive to the Fathom Events screenings.
Continuing their partnership with Fathom Events, fan preview events for Pompo the Cinephile will play in cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, April 27 (Japanese language) and Thursday, April 28 (English language dubbed). Fan preview events will be followed by a limited theatrical release in select markets nationwide by GKIDS starting April 29.
Pompo the Cinephile
Acclaimed director Hirao (God Eater, The Garden of Sinners), known for his dynamic, maximalist animation sequences, returns to the director’s chair with this production from the all-new studio CLAP. An official selection and nominee for the Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival, Pompo the Cinephile was domestically released in Japan on June 4, 2021, and swiftly became an indie hit. Fueled by the excitement from the film’s domestic release, a crowdfunding campaign to create a 35mm print of the feature achieved its fundraising goals of ¥10,000,000 (approx. $91,000 USD) in just 11 days.
Pompo the Cinephile
Synopsis: Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Pompo the Cinephile is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a “masterpiece.”
Pompo the Cinephile
Tickets will be on sale March 25 at FathomEvents.com, PompoMovie.com and participating theater box offices. Ticket on-sale date may vary based on local cinemas, so check back often. (Theaters and participants are subject to change).
Nobody has ever failed so hard at trying to be good as The Bad Guys… In the new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on Aaron Blabey’s New York Times best-selling Scholastic book series, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws are about to attempt their most challenging con yet — becoming model citizens.
A new trailer for the madcap morality play dropped today, whetting audience’s appetite for crime ahead of the April 22 theatrical release.
Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys — dashing pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), seen-it-all safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron, GLOW), chill master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson, Hot Tub Time Machine franchise), short-fused “muscle” Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) and sharp-tongued expert hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians), aka “Webs.”
But when, after years of countless heists and being the world’s most-wanted villains, the gang is finally caught, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal (that he has no intention of keeping) to save them all from prison: The Bad Guys will go good.
The Bad Guys
Under the tutelage of their mentor Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade, Paddington 2), an arrogant (but adorable!) guinea pig, The Bad Guys set out to fool the world that they’ve been transformed. Along the way, though, Mr. Wolf begins to suspect that doing good for real may give him what he’s always secretly longed for: acceptance. So when a new villain threatens the city, can Mr. Wolf persuade the rest of the gang to become … The Good Guys?
The Bad Guys
The film co-stars Zazie Beetz (Joker), Lilly Singh (Bad Moms) and Emmy winner Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
The Bad Guys is directed by Pierre Perifel (animator on the Kung Fu Panda films), making his feature-directing debut. The film is produced by Damon Ross (development executive, Trolls, The Boss Baby; co-producer Nacho Libre) and Rebecca Huntley (associate producer, The Boss Baby). The executive producers are Aaron Blabey, Etan Cohen and Patrick Hughes.
In a letter to AMPAS members, Academy President David Rubin revealed that this year’s 94th Oscars ceremony is aiming for a ‘tighter and more electric’ three-hour viewing experience on March 27, as part of a wider strategy to boost the audience for the ABC broadcast. Eight categories, including Best Animated Short Film and Best Original Score, will be taped before the telecast, and then re-inserted into the show as it goes.
The other categories getting the pre-tape treatment are Documentary Short, Film Editing, Makeup & Hairstyling, Production Design, Live-Action Short FIlm and Sound. The letter goes on to insist that all winners will have their ‘Oscar moment’, as the plan will include all nominees being named and all winners’ speeches included in the broadcast.
To recap, this year’s short film Oscar nominees are Affairs of the Art by Joanna Quinn (U.K.), Bestia by Hugo Covarrubias (Chile), BoxBallet by Anton Dyakov (Russia), Robin Robin by Dan Ojari & Mikey Please (U.K.) and The Windshield Wiper by Alberto Mielgo (Spain). Germaine Franco is up for Best Original Score for Encanto, which is also represented in Best Original Song for “Dos Oruguitas” (performed by Sebastián Yatra, lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda).
The Animated Feature, Visual Effects and Best Original Song categories remain in the live presentation lineup.
The 94th Oscars ceremony will be hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. Will Packer is producing the show, which will once again be helmed by veteran director Glenn Weiss.
Rubin’s letter reads in full:
“Dear Fellow Academy Members,
We’re excited to present a 94th Oscars broadcast that both honors the year’s achievements in motion pictures and provides boundless entertainment for our global audience of movie lovers. After carefully listening to feedback and suggestions from our film community, our network partner, and all those who love the Oscars, it was evident we needed to make some decisions about the broadcast that are in the best interest of the future of our show and our organization.
When deciding how to produce the Oscars, we recognize it’s a live event television show and we must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant. This has been an important focus of discussion for quite some time. We do this while also remembering the importance of having our nominees relish a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In order to provide more time and opportunity for audience entertainment and engagement through comedy, musical numbers, film clip packages and movie tributes, a change in the show’s production will take place. This year’s show producers and Academy leadership with oversight of the Oscars have made the decision, with endorsement from the officers and the Awards Committee, that every awards category must be featured on the television broadcast, though eight awards will initially be presented in the Dolby Theatre in the hour before the live broadcast begins.
They will not be presented in the pre-show nor on the red carpet, as some have speculated. Instead, the in-person ceremony at the Dolby Theatre will begin one hour earlier to present eight awards categories before the live telecast starts. Those presentations will then be edited by our creative and production teams and will be folded seamlessly into the live televised show.
To be clear, all the nominees in ALL awards categories will be identified on air and ALL winners’ acceptance speeches will be featured on the live broadcast. Every awarded filmmaker and artist in every category will still have the celebratory ‘Oscar moment’ they deserve on the stage of the Dolby, facing an enrapt audience.
For the audience at home, the show’s flow does not change, though it will become tighter and more electric with this new cadence, and the live broadcast should end – yes, with the Best Picture category – at the three-hour mark.
This year, those categories presented in the evening’s first hour and seen later in the live broadcast are, alphabetically: Documentary (Short Subject), Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Short Film (Animated), Short Film (Live Action), and Sound.
The categories to be presented live on this year’s broadcast are, alphabetically: Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Documentary (Feature), International Feature Film, Music (Original Song), Visual Effects, Writing (Adapted Screenplay), and Writing (Original Screenplay).
We realize these kinds of changes can prompt concern about equity, and we ask you to understand our goal has been to find a balance in which nominees, winners, members, and viewing audience all have a rewarding show experience. Moving forward we will assess this change and will continue to look for additional ways to make our show more entertaining and more thrilling for all involved, inside the Dolby Theatre and watching from home.
Every Academy branch and award category is indispensable to the success of a film and vital to this industry. Both our challenge and our goal is to create an exciting, streamlined Oscars show without sacrificing the long-held fundamentals of our organization. We appreciate your understanding and will be grateful for your unwavering support.”
The animated short Freebird, written and directed by Joe Bluhm and Michael McDonald, chronicles the experiences of a spirited boy with Down syndrome. We had a chance to catch up with the short’s creative director NicholasHerd, who shared some photos from a typical day in his amazing life:
I’m a sleep diva. Morning isn’t my thing.
They look calm, but you should see them tug-a-war.
Zoom meeting with the L’Arche creative team. This snap was from when they changed their backgrounds without me knowing. Then I put it together: Freebird was Oscar-eligible!
Took the metro to the Disability Channel to shoot my talk show. Today, I’m interviewing a dentist in Syria whose dad has Down syndrome.
Back home now. Time for my theater troupe, Sol Express — but we’re on Zoom. Today’s topic is character psychology.
Painting time is how I nurture my spirit and work through ideas.
My night to cook for mom and dad. I’m making a keto-friendly pasta dinner. Yes, the hat is necessary.
Bedtime ritual: I lip sync MammaMia every night. You think I’m joking?
As I go to bed, I watch my DVDs in alphabetical order. Tonight I’m at “G,” so GoldenGirls, Gray’sAnatomy and Glee keep me entertained until 3 a.m.
Cinesite (cinesite.com) has announced the appointment of Bradley Wald as Chief Operating Officer for Animation. Currently based in Los Angeles, he reports to Cinesite’s Group CEO Antony Hunt and the board of directors. Wald will operate as part of Cinesite’s senior leadership team and brings over 25 years of senior-level experience to the newly created role which stretches across the company’s international animation operations in Vancouver, Montreal and London. Wald will be responsible for leading Cinesite’s animation business operations as the studio continues to grow its roster of animated feature films and series while also cultivating a broad range of growth opportunities. His appointment coincides with the studio’s decision to embrace and facilitate remote working permanently.
Bradley Wald
“I am honored and excited to join Cinesite at such an electrifying time in the animation business as we continue collaborating with incredible filmmakers on commercial films and series with global appeal,” said Wald. “There is a lot of momentum around Cinesite and I’m taking on this new role knowing how well-positioned the studio is for continued success.”
Wald’s career highlights include managing the release of LAIKA’s award-winning feature films Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link, as well as growing brand extensions and commercial opportunities through live exhibitions, consumer products and planning its move into TV adaptation, whilst developing the studio’s social media presence. He also managed NBCU’s highly successful brand and commercial activities surrounding Downton Abbey via distribution, home entertainment as well as other ancillary revenue streams including a LIMA Award-winning consumer products portfolio, and other apps and games.
Wald previously was SVP and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa, at Comcast International Media Group, where he led a team which developed and distributed E! and other Comcast television brands throughout the region, running all aspects of sales, business development, marketing and finance.
David Cobb has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations & Content Planning for Disney Branded Television, as announced by President Ayo Davis. In this new role, Cobb is responsible for strategic oversight and content planning for Disney Branded Television, a provider of original content — scripted and unscripted, live-action and animated — for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior, with a primary focus on imaginative, aspirational stories geared towards kids, tweens, teens and families.
Cobb will also now oversee studio operations and technology teams supporting DBT’s Disney Television Animation and the entertainment property acquisitions and partnerships for Disney Branded Television overall. He also serves as a strategic advisor to Davis and the executive leadership team. Reporting to Cobb is Scott Erickson, VP Technology, Disney Television Animation; the yet-to-be-announced VP Studio Strategy & Operations, Disney Television Animation; and Kelly Fountaine, manager integrated culture, Disney Branded Television.
Previously,Cobb was VP Business Planning & Strategy for Disney Channels since 2010. He joined The Walt Disney Company in 1996 and held positions in Disney Consumer Products, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks and Resorts divisions. Cobb has a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Architecture from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering from Tennessee Technological University.
Guillermo del Toro
On the heels of being named the recipient of the 2022 VES Award for Creative Excellence, the Advanced Imaging Society (theadvancedimagingsociety.com) announced today that Academy Award-winning director and producer Guillermo del Toro will be honored with the first ever Gene Kelly Visionary Award at the 2022 AIS Lumiere Awards. AIS will also present The Sir Charles Wheatstone Award to Epic Games for Unreal Engine, the real-time 3D tool used by filmmakers to enhance production pipelines. These join previously announced honorees Denis Villeneuve (Harold Lloyd Award) and Adam McKay (Voices For the Earth Award) at the 12th annual awards ceremony, which will take place as a luncheon on Friday, March 4 at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Gene Kelly’s widow and biographer Patricia Ward Kelly will present del Toro’s award.
Acclaimed Mexican director-producer-screenwriter del Toro has received multiple awards and nominations. His films have alternated between Spanish-language fantasy films, such as The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, and American studio films such as Blade II, Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak. He received the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture for the fantastical romance The Shape of Water. Nightmare Alley, del Toro’s latest project, has received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture; three BAFTA nominations; a WGA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay; and an ASC nomination for Best Feature Film, among many others. Del Toro’s upcoming projects include his stop-motion adaptation of Pinocchio, and the Netflix anthology series Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Del Toro was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2018 and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
Ethel Rubinstein (LVLY) | Kevin Robinson (Juniper Jones)
New York, L.A. and cloud-based creative content specialists LVLY Inc. (lvly.tv) has recently acquired Brooklyn-based studio Juniper Jones (juniperjones.tv), expanding its capabilities as a strategic creative partner for advertising agencies and global brands. Moving forward with Juniper Jones as a key division, LVLY will leverage the combined depth of their creative talent, problem solving approach, and technology-forward workflows to empower all clients, through creative collaboration, to grow and express their brands.
“We can deliver the full range of communication services that brands need today and serve as a long-term creative partner helping them adapt to the communication landscape of the future,” said Ethel Rubinstein, LVLY’s CEO. “The demand for digital content continues to accelerate and evolve. With virtual engagement between companies and their customers more important than ever, our Clients are looking for agile partners who can support them throughout the entire content creation lifecycle from Brand Strategy to Design to Content Creation.”
Acquiring Juniper Jones makes LVLY home to a full-lifecycle of creative specialists, providing a connected portfolio of services including Strategy, Ideation, Visual Identity, Motion Design, 3D Animation, VFX, Live Action, Social/Digital, Editorial and Sound.
“Our clients value true collaboration with skilled artists in every creative capability. They want to work with people who invest the time to know and love their brands as much as they do. They trust us to tailor solutions that grow their brands through storytelling,” said Juniper Jones founder Kevin Robinson, now Executive Creative Director at LVLY, “By merging the content creation and production know-how from LVLY Studio with Juniper Jones, we super-charge those capabilities with big-picture creative strategy, making our interface with client teams more seamless and growing our capability to craft innovative solutions. We’re built to shorten the distance between a strategy and its execution.”
Javier Barboza
Film Independent (filmindependent.org), the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, has selected 30 filmmakers for Project Involve 2022 — a free nine-month program for writers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, animators, programmers and entertainment executives from diverse backgrounds. During the program, participants meet one-on-one with film industry mentors, create short films, attend master workshops taught by top film professionals and industry networking events. The fourth LAIKA Animation Fellowship provides a production grant to produce a stop-motion animated short film in Project Involve. This year’s LAIKA Animation Fellow is Javier Barboza.
Didimo, Inc. (didimo.co) has made a series of key staffing hires in the past quarter that highlights a deeper capability in gaming character design, planning and support as the company rolls out additional capabilities for the important Gaming and VR industries. These senior hires continue to expand capabilities as the company seeks to elevate the capability and identity likeness of characters for games and VR. In addition to developing new support tools like a Unity SDK and new visualization standards, this team has helped Didimo prepare to launch bodies this Spring, to provide game designers full 3D characters with incredible quality and animation capability. Among the recent hires:
Sean Cooper
Sean Cooper, Lead Platform & SDK Developer. With over 30 years of experience in game and character design, Sean has designed and programmed many hit titles for Electronic Arts (which collectively sold 20+ million copies) such as Magic Carpet, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, Battlefield, 007, Godfather and more. Since then, he has developed key technologies for gaming in browsers and designed & developed digital twin technologies for various industries. Sean has also worked to design and build configurators in Unity, including defining new character creation methods. He is currently leading the development of Didimo’s next-level user likeness and bodies systems.
Hai Phung
Hai Phung, Senior Character Artist. Hai brings a wealth of character artistry experience working at companies like Browzwear, Industrial Light & Magic, Bild Studios and Dimension. At Didimo, he has helped to revamp and automate the 3D character art pipeline and AI deep learning system to generate full-body avatars able to work with industry-standard animation and fashion tools.
Jamie Blyth
Jamie Blyth, Lead Rigger. Whilst working at leading VFX studios MPC and Framestore, Jamie has led the asset development and animation systems for multiple award-winning films – most notably bringing to life characters such as Smart Hulk and the Black Order for Avengers: Endgame & Infinity War, Lady for Lady and the Tramp and a menagerie of cartoon animals for Tom and Jerry. His other credits include Doctor Strange 2, Fantastic Beasts 2 & 3, Venom 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Mowgli and many more. Jamie is now helping to guide next-level animation capabilities, with new Didimo animation features set to launch in March 2022.
Veronica Orvalho
Veronica Orvalho, Founder and CEO of Didimo, stated: “We are excited that Didimo is growing and attracting industry-leading talent. Our most recent additions of Sean, Jamie, and Hai greatly expand our abilities to serve Gaming and VR clients and are helping to advance our product to include bodies, additional animation capabilities and continuously improving likeness quality. We are excited for the expertise they bring and their deep knowledge in helping clients make the most of our leading-edge technology.”
Dan Shimmyo
Multi-talented developer and CG artist Dan Shimmyo has joined Nice Shoes (niceshoes.com) as its Lead XR Developer. With over 15 years of experience across the industry, Shimmyo has an impressive background in feature animation, working on such favorites as the Ice Age film series and its spin-offs, the Rio films, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, The Peanuts Movie, Epic and Ferdinand. Following this hugely successful career in feature animation, Shimmyo has turned his attention to crafting VR experiences, sculpting and 3D modeling, using Unity and Unreal Engine to develop a range of exciting projects such as the ‘Saber Thing’ plasma sword mechanic. He previously collaborated with Creative Director Ninaad Kulkarni to build an immersive virtual showroom for Audi.
Sporting a keen eye for creative solutions, Shimmyo has been an asset when it comes to automating numerous repetitive processes in animation, notably during his time at Blue Sky Studios as Materials Technical Director and Senior Fur Technical Director. During this time, he handled asset management and pipeline tools development, using PERL, MEL and CGI Studio scripting languages. He also handled shaders development using Maya Hypershade, and colored and textured 3D models using a proprietary shading language. Working across character and environment models, he used procedural tools to apply fur and hair to characters, leaves and branches on trees, and grass on ground planes. Shimmyo also developed Maya nodes and fur generator plug-ins using C++.
For the Ice Age franchise, Shimmyo developed a way to add barnacles to a character’s skin using shaders and materials, rather than by modeling it. This eliminated the need for extra geometry to be built, as barnacles could be positioned in code and generated at render time. For the Rio movies, meanwhile, Dan created a way to automate the process of mapping bricks onto the various buildings in the films. He built a procedural brick wall texture that could detect the orientation of each wall and position the brick texture appropriately. In addition to this, he crafted a fur coloring pipeline that would automatically convert all the characters from the first film to fit the updated workflows of the second.
Fred Rogers Productions, the award-winning children’s media organization behind multiple Emmy-winning PBS KIDS series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, has received grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Heinz Family Foundation. The combined funding totals $350,000 to support onscreen programming and community outreach initiatives for its newest hit series, Alma’s Way and Donkey Hodie, which launched in 2021 on PBS KIDS.
The Richard King Mellon grant for $250,000 will be split between the two series, while the $100,000 from Heinz Family Foundation is designated for Donkey Hodie. Both Foundations have a history of supporting local efforts to foster early learning. The Richard King Mellon Foundation’s most recent contribution to Fred Rogers Productions was the lead gift to the “Legacy Lives On Campaign,” of which the Heinz Family Foundation was also a generous supporter.
“The Richard King Mellon Foundation and Heinz Family Foundation are long-time supporters of the organization and our mission to provide quality programming that serves the needs of children and helps to foster a love of learning,” said Paul Siefken, President and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions. “We’re grateful to both foundations for their commitment and support that make our work possible.”
Aimed at viewers ages 4-6, Alma’s Way follows six-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her parents, younger brother, Junior and Abuelo as well as a diverse group of close-knit and loving friends, family and community members. Each episode models self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and empathy, while encouraging kids to generate and value their own ideas and questions.
Alma’s Way is created by Sonia Manzano, best known to generations of kids and families as “Maria” on Sesame Street. Ellen Doherty, Chief Creative Officer at Fred Rogers Productions, and Manzano are executive producers. Alma’s Way is produced by Fred Rogers Productions in association with Pipeline Studios.
Inspired by the funny, quirky side of children’s television pioneer Fred Rogers, Donkey Hodie is an imaginative puppet series following the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic and charming go-getter who takes on each day with curiosity and resilience, and her pals Purple Panda, Duck Duck and Bob Dog. Set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, the social-emotional series is designed to empower children ages 3-5 to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, to work hard and persevere in the face of failure, to be resourceful and discover they can solve problems on their own — and to laugh themselves silly along the way.
Donkey Hodie is created by Adam Rudman and David Rudman, co-founders of Spiffy Pictures, and developed by Ellen Doherty; all three are executive producers.
Boston public media producer GBH has awarded five fellowships to early-career writers who will bring diverse viewpoints and BIPOC representation to Work It Out Wombats!, a new animated GBH Kids series for PBS. The GBH Kids Scriptwriting Fellowship aims to diversify the pipeline of writers for both the series and the greater children’s media industry by providing early-career writers who are members of underrepresented groups with hands-on learning experience in television writing for children.
“The GBH Kids team is incredibly excited to welcome our five accomplished scriptwriting fellows to Work It Out Wombats!,” said GBH Kids Executive Producers Marcy Gunther and Marisa Wolsky. “We can’t wait to see how each individual brings their unique style, perspective and experience to the Wombats world.”
Work It Out Wombats! is a new animated series for kids ages 3-6 from GBH Kids (Arthur, Molly of Denali) and Pipeline Studios (Nina’s World, Bubble Guppies). The series stars Malik, Zadie and Zeke — three energetic and creative marsupial siblings who live with their grandmother in her treehouse apartment complex, known as the Treeborhood. The playful trio will demonstrate computational thinking (CT) for preschoolers, a way of thinking that enables them to solve problems, express themselves, and accomplish tasks using the practices, processes and ideas at the core of computer science.
Work It Out Wombats! will premiere on PBS KIDS in early 2023.
The GBH Kids Scriptwriting Fellowship is taking place virtually, with weekly writing assignments, along with mentorship and feedback sessions. The Fellowship will cover all aspects of writing for GBH Kids, with support on writing stories that specifically engage children in STEM learning. It also will provide guidance for the writers’ individual career development within the children’s media field.
The Fellowship is led by head writer Kathy Waugh, whose credits include Peep and the Big Wide World, Curious George and Arthur, and who co-created and executive story edited Molly of Denali; senior producer Gabe Monje-Paulson, who is also a Senior Manager, Development & Current for Mattel TV; and production manager Melissa Martin Pollard, who has years of experience coordinating and production managing large series with multiple episodes, including Work It Out Wombats!
Work It Out Wombats! Scriptwriting Fellows:
Mercedes Brazier-Thurman is a Harlem-based screenwriter and abolitionist educator from Detroit. Mercedes has a BA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Film and Dramatic Writing and an MA in Educational Theater from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.
Shemeka Foster is a New York-based writer, educator and youth motivational speaker. Her mission is to write stories that empower children and help build their self-esteem. Shemeka is a member of Women In Animation, Children’s Media Association and Act One.
Sofia Geck is a writer and composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Her children’s writing has been featured in Sesame Workshop’s “Caring for Each Other” initiative as well as the animated web series Gnome Bros.
Cheyenne “Casper” Lynn is a Toronto Film School graduate. They produced an award-winning short film, Her Little Rose, recipient of the Writers for Writers Diversity Initiative in 2019 and the Al MaGee Diverse Screenwriter Award.
Dejen Tesfagiorgis is the founder of a media education startup and has appeared in videos for Disney+, NBC News Digital, Bleacher Report and Cosmo. Dejen performs standup, improv and sketch regularly throughout NYC, and trained at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
Major funding for this fellowship is provided by a Ready To Learn Grant from the U.S. Department of Education; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People; and public television viewers.
The contents of this Scriptwriting Fellowship were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. [PR/Award No. S295A200004, CFDA No. 84.295A]
Warner Bros. Animation continues to glean beloved characters from DC’s robust library for the popular DC Showcase line of animated shorts, this time opting to elevate Constantine, Kamandi, The Losers and Blue Beetle in the 2021-2022 compilation release, DC Showcase: Constantine – The House of Mystery. The R-rated shorts collection will be available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray (U.S. $24.99 SRP; Canada $29.99 SRP) and in 4K on Digital starting May 3.
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and inspired by characters and stories from the iconic DC Universe, the all-new quartet of DC Showcase shorts are produced by Rick Morales (Mortal Kombat Legends franchise, Injustice). Jim Krieg is producer, and Sam Register is executive producer.
While Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!, The Losers and Blue Beetle have all appeared as enhanced content on past DC Universe Movies, the extended-length Constantine – The House of Mystery makes its public debut as the anchor for this dynamic shorts compilation.
Matt Ryan (Constantine, Legends of Tomorrow) reprises his live-action and animated role as the Hellblazer himself in Constantine – The House of Mystery. In the all-new short, John Constantine wakes up in the eerie House of Mystery with no recollection of how he got there. Fortunately, Zatanna and his friends are all there. Unfortunately, they have a bad habit of turning into demons and ripping him to shreds, over and over again!
Camilla Luddington (Grey’s Anatomy) and Ray Chase (Licorice Pizza) reprise their roles from Justice League Dark: Apokolips War as Zatanna and Jason Blood/Etrigan, respectively, while Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain) and Damian O’Hare (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) reprise their roles from Constantine: City of Demons as Negral and Chas, respectively. In addition, Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo franchise) and Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, Longmire, Young Guns) join the cast of the short, which is directed by Matt Peters (Injustice) from a script by Ernie Altbacker (Batman: Hush).
Also included in the collection:
Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth! — Directed by Matt Peters (Justice League Dark: Apokolips War) from a script written by Paul Giacoppo (Young Justice, Star Wars: Resistance), initially released as a bonus feature on Justice Society: World War II in Spring 2021. Jack Kirby’s beloved DC comic creation features the last civilized teenage boy on a post-apocalyptic Earth ruled by talking animals. In this short, Kamandi and his friends Prince Tuftan of the Tiger Kingdom and humanoid mutant Ben Boxer are kidnapped by a gorilla cult dedicated to finding the reincarnation of their god, The Mighty One. Golgan, the cult’s leader, puts Kamandi’s team through a series of deadly tests to find if any of them know the secret of The Mighty One.
The thriller features the voices of Cameron Monaghan (Gotham, Shameless) as Kamandi, Steve Blum (Star Wars: Rebels, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto franchise) as Golgan & Tuftan, Adam Gifford (Masters of the Universe: Revelation) as Zuma and Armen Taylor (Justice Society: World War II) as Ben Boxer.
The Losers — The legendary rag-tag team of World War II outcasts – Captain Storm, Johnny Cloud, “Mile-a- Minute” Jones, rookie Gunner and Sarge – find themselves marooned on an uncharted island in the South Pacific that is completely overrun with dinosaurs! Their would-be ally on this deadly mission, the mysterious and beautiful Fan Long of the Chinese Security Agency, tells them their job is to rescue the scientists that have been sent to study a time/space anomaly. Perhaps… but what is her mission?
Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Book of Boba Fett) leads the cast as the mysterious Fan. Along for the journey is Dean Winters (John Wick, 30 Rock) as Captain Storm, Dave B. Mitchell (Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms) as Gunner & Sarge, Eugene Byrd (Bones, Arrow) as Mile-a-Minute Jones and Martin Sensmeier (Westworld, The Magnificent Seven) as Johnny Cloud. Initially included as a bonus feature on Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, The Losers is directed by Milo Neuman (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash) from a script by Tim Sheridan (Batman: The Long Halloween).
Blue Beetle — Sufferin’ Scarabs! Silver Age Blue Beetle is back! And had he ever starred in a 1960s Saturday morning limited-animation cartoon with its own jazzy earworm of a theme song, it would have been just like this short! Welcome to the adventures of Ted Kord, alias the Blue Beetle, as he teams up with fellow Super Heroes Captain Atom, The Question and Nightshade to battle that nefarious finagler of feelings, Doctor Spectro.
Matt Lanter (Timeless, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 90210) stars as Blue Beetle alongside Jeff Bennett (Johnny Bravo, Curious George) as Captain Atom & Pops, Ashly Burch (The Ghost and Molly McGee) as Nightshade, David Kaye (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, He- Man and the Masters of the Universe) as The Question and Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Dr. Spectro. Originally attached to Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, Blue Beetle is directed by Milo Neuman (Freedom Fighters: The Ray) from a screenplay by Jennifer Keene (Phineas and Ferb) based on a story by Jeremy Adams (Mortal Kombat Legends franchise).
Launched in 2010, DC Showcase was originally comprised of four animated shorts: The Spectre (2/23/2010), Jonah Hex (7/27/2010), Green Arrow (9/28/2010) and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (11/9/2010). An additional short, Catwoman (10/18/2011), was attached the following year to the release of Batman: Year One. For 2019-2020, DC Showcase returned with five shorts: Sgt. Rock (8/6/2019) Death (10/22/2019), The Phantom Stranger (3/17/2020), Adam Strange (5/19/2020), and the interactive Batman: Death in the Family (10/13/2020).
DC Showcase: Constantine – The House of Mystery – Special Feature (Blu-ray and Digital)
DC Showcase: One Story at a Time (New Featurette) – Since the 1993 debut of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Warner Bros. Animation has revolutionized and mastered the feature film world with their critically successful DC Universe Movies and DC Animated Movies. In 2010, the creative team hit upon the idea of presenting some of the more under-utilized DC characters in shorter stories – and thus, the DC Showcase was born. The shorts program has provided a fertile venue for creators and animators to explore the vast array of DC’s diverse heroes, worlds and universes, and gives audiences a taste of their infinite possibilities. Featuring some big names as well as the deeper cuts, these short films reflect different styles and sensibilities, and are inspired by renowned creators like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Alan Moore. This documentary takes a look at the roots of DC Showcase – from Catwoman and Sgt. Rock to Death and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, as well as the current quartet of shorts. Included are interviews with producer Rick Morales and directors Matt Peters & Milo Neuman as they explore the featured heroes and villains, the comics that inspired them, and these adventures’ place in the bigger picture of the DC animated universe.
Ahead of the Cartoon Movie‘s live event return in Bordeaux, France March 8-10, organizers have revealed a dozen nominees for this year’s Cartoon Movie Tributes. Created in 2001, the awards recognize the work of European animation professionals in the categories of Producer, Distributor and Director. Most of the nominated films have gone through the pitching and co-production confab in their development or production stage, reasserting the importance of Cartoon Movie to the local industry.
The Cartoon Tributes were last awarded in 2020, honoring Zabou Breitman & Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec (The Swallows of Kabul) as Directors of the Year, Lumière (Belgium) as Distributor of the Year, and France’s Xilam Animation / Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma as Producers of the Year for I Lost My Body by Jérémy Clapin. Because the 2021 Cartoon Movie was held virtually, due to the pandemic, the Tributes were not organized last year.
But, 2022 will at last see the 21st edition of the Cartoon Tributes. During Cartoon Movie attendees can hear a few words from all the nominees before the vote starts. All participants on site will have the possibility to vote for their peers during dedicated timeframes for each of the three categories. The result of the votes will be announced on Thursday, March 10 at the end of the closing day lunch.
Cartoon Tributes
The 2022 nominees are:
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Lardux Films / MIDRALGAR (France) for The Neighbors of My Neighbors Are Neighbors of Mine. Together with Bordeaux-based MIDRALGAR, Lardux created a sort of Nouvelle Vague in animated cinema for this film.
Julianne Films / Folivari (France) / Mélusine Productions (Studio 352) (Luxembourg) for The Summit of the Gods. An adaptation of the manga by Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura, the animated film is a great cinematographic expedition. Nominated at the César & at the Annie Awards for Best Animated Film 2022; Winner of the Prix Lumière Best Animated Film 2021.
Purple Whale Films / Walking the Dog (Belgium) / Samsa Film / Doghouse Films (Luxembourg) / Bridgit Folman Film Gang (Israel) / Submarine (Netherlands) / Le Pacte (France) for Where Is Anne Frank?. Based on the successful graphic novel, the movie was a major new step for this emblematic story. Renowned Israeli director Ari Folman created the graphic novel and directed the animated movie.
Fresh Films (Czech Republic) / Les Films du Cygne (France) / Cinemart SK (Slovakia) / Animoon (Poland) for Even Mice Belong in Heaven. The fully European team shared creative enthusiasm for making a beautiful stop-motion film for the whole family. Nominated for the 2022 César.
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
Charades (France) | Carole Baraton, Yohann Comte and Pierre Mazars founded Charades in January 2017, following successful tenures as head and VPs of International Sales at Wild Bunch, Gaumont and StudioCanal, respectively. A dynamic sales company based in Paris with a global reach, Charades offers a fresh perspective and wealth of experience in international sales, packaging and distribution. Charades wishes to promote the singularity of each film and the plurality of cinema. Their catalog includes eclectic and prestigious animated movies such as The Queen’s Corgi and I I Lost My Body.
Folkets Bio (Sweden) | An art-house distributor in Sweden that has been in business since 1973. Every year Folkets Bio releases around 25 feature films and 15-20 short films theatrically. Its latest animation releases are Latte Igel and the Magic Waterstone, Shooom’s Odyssey, Wolfwalkers and The Breadwinner.
New Europe Film Sales (NEFS) (Poland) | A Warsaw-based boutique world sales company selling quality-feature films and shorts from all over the world. The company’s catalog includes award-winning and widely-sold films Gordon & Paddy and Jacob, Mimmi & the Talking Dogs, among others, as well as the upcoming new movie from Oscar-nominated Loving Vincent director Dorota Kobiela, The Peasants (coming in 2023).
Spamflix (Portugal) | Created in 2019, Spamflix is a VOD streaming platform focused on avant-garde and cult films that are difficult to frame into one precise genre. Recent additions to its animated offerings include A Town Called Panic, Birdboy: The Forgotten Children and The Old Man Movie.
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Michaela Pavlátová for My Sunny Maad (Czech Republic) | Pavlátová started her career directing short animation movies, and this is her first feature-length animation. She won the short film Cristal at Annecy 2012 for Tram, which was also shortlisted for an Oscar. In 2021, My Sunny Maad won the Annecy Jury Award for feature film.
Florence Miailhe for The Crossing (France) | Miailhe is a visual artist, painter and engraver at the school of Decorative Arts in Paris. She makes pictorial and personal animated short films. Her work has garnered many awards, including an Honorary Cristal at the 39th Annecy Festival in 2015, and a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 for Conte de quartier. The Crossing is the first feature animated entirely by oil painted on glass; it won the Jury Distinction in Annecy 2021.
Jonas Poher Rasmussen for Flee (Denmark) | His latest film Flee, an animated documentary about a close friend, was officially selected for Cannes 2020, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Best Doc Prize at Gothenburg, the Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film and the Gan Foundation Award for distribution. It is nominated in three categories at the 2022 Oscars — Animated Feature, Documentary Feature and International Feature — further demonstrating animation ability to go beyond its traditional boundaries.
Julien Fournet for The Adventures of Pil (France) | Julien, screenwriter and director, worked for several years on the series The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue, for which he wrote or directed more than 50 episodes. Convinced by his talent, TAT asked him to develop his first animated feature film.
Learn more about Cartoon Movie 2022 and register to attend at cartoon-media.eu.
Apple today released the official trailer for season two of The Snoopy Show, which is set to premiere with all six episodes Friday, March 11 on Apple TV+.
Peanuts fans all around the world can also look forward to two brand new Peanuts specials coming soon to Apple TV+, including It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown a new original special in celebration of Earth Day featuring an original song by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds, premiering on April 15; and, To Mom (and Dad), With Love, launching on Friday, May 6, just in time for Mother’s Day Sunday.
Also coming soon to Apple TV+ through its partnership with WildBrain are classic Peanuts titles, including Charlie Brown’s All Stars!; You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown; She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown; It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown and Snoopy’s Reunion. The anthology collection will make its streaming debut March 4, on Apple TV+.
The expanding and award-winning lineup of original animation for kids and families on Apple TV+ also includes the recently premiered, critically-acclaimed El Deafo; Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and Harriet the Spy from The Jim Henson Company; Wolfboy and the Everything Factory from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment; Get Rolling with Otis; Helpsters from Sesame Workshop; Academy Award-nominated animated film Wolfwalkers; Peabody Award-winning series Stillwater; new series and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including Snoopy in Space S2 and For Auld Lang Syne; and Daytime Emmy-winning Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, based on the New York Times best-selling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions for a broad range of screen devices. tv.apple.com
Disney+ has released the key art for Ice Age: Scrat Tales, a series of six all-new animated shorts starring Scrat, the franchise’s hapless saber-toothed squirrel, who experiences the ups and downs of fatherhood as he and the adorable, mischievous Baby Scrat alternately bond with each other and battle for ownership of the highly treasured Acorn.
Featuring the vocal talents of Chris Wedge (Scrat) and Kari Wahlgren (Baby Scrat), the series is produced by Anthony Nisi, with Robert L. Baird and Andrew Millstein serving as executive producers. Ice Age: Scrat Tales will debut on Disney+ on April 13.
Ice Age: Scrat Tales
The shorts series comprises the following misadventures:
“Nuts About You” Directed by Michael Berardini and Donnie Long, story by Michael Berardini – Scrat meets his son Baby Scrat and experiences the pure joy of being a new parent — until Baby Scrat sees The Acorn for the first time.
“LoFi Scrat Beats to Sleep/Chill To” Directed by Donnie Long and Matt Munn, story by Donnie Long – Scrat pounds out a percussive lullaby to get a crying Baby Scrat to fall asleep.
“X’s and Uh-O’s” Directed by Donnie Long and Drew Winey, story by James Young Jackson and Drew Winey – Scrat demonstrates for Baby Scrat how to plant The Acorn, but Scrat is really the one being taught a lesson.
Ice Age: Scrat Tales
“Nutty Reflections” Directed by Donnie Long and Eric Prah, story by Galen Tan Chu. – Scrat and Baby Scrat run after The Acorn into a dark cave, which resembles a creepy funhouse hall of mirrors.
“Teeter Toddler” Directed by Jeff Gabor and Donnie Long, story by Galen Tan Chu – Thanks to a dodo bird, Scrat and Baby Scrat end up on opposite sides of a log held up by a single branch.
“Nut The End” Directed by Lisa Allen Keane and Donnie Long, story by Michael Thurmeier – The Acorn goes flying off a cliff. With it seemingly gone forever, can Scrat and Baby Scrat live in harmony?
