DreamWorks

Abominable is a film certain to please middle school to younger age kids and those who love movies classified as “Family Friendly.” However, this approval is purchased at far too high a price. Adorable? Yes. Animated with technical virtuosity? Indeed. Formulaic and derivative? Unfortunately so. Abominable belongs in that category of movies that include “The […]

First Image
Anime

Like Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi (Justin Cook), the hero of the brawling fantasy-adventure Yu Yu Hakusho (1992), is “a low-down cheap little punk.” He boasts that he’s the toughest kid in Sarayashki Junior High. He cuts classes and loves duking it out with other guys, especially with his red-haired […]

First Image
DreamWorks

As we wrap-up the first decade of the How to Train Your Dragon saga in pop culture, the folks at DreamWorks are targeting a new demo: young kids. The new animated show Dragons: Rescue Riders is designed to be a starter series for those in Pre-K and elementary school to watch before they’re old enough […]

First Image
WB Animation (TV)

It’s one of the biggest superhero showdowns of the year. Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans is available this week on Digital. I recently met cast and crew members who dived into the collaboration and successes of these two similar, yet distinct, franchises. Jackson Murphy: What were the origins of this movie? Marly Halpern-Graser (Writer): […]

First Image
Disney

Disney Junior has ordered a third season of Emmy Award-nominated series Fancy Nancy ahead of its season two premiere on Friday October 4th (11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT), on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW. Based on the New York Times bestselling books by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, the series was Cable’s #1 series with […]

First Image

Women in Animation’s ongoing WIA Scholarship Program is being enhanced this year with the addition of two new partners – Animation Mentor and Toon Boom — who are granting workshops and software packages to add to the usual cash prize. The WIA Animation Scholarship is an annual award committed to furthering deserving animation students who […]

First Image
Anime

From the chief director of Psycho-Pass, the director of Afro Samurai, and the studio that brought you Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters comes the animated feature film Human Lost – Osamu Dazai’s masterpiece of Japanese literature re-imagined into a hyper-kinetic deep dive into human consciousness. Funimation Films will give Human Lost a limited theatrical release, […]

First Image
Events

Animation Is Film has announced the preliminary competition line-up for its third annual edition to take place October 18-20 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The Festival will present a selection of new animated feature films from Asia, Europe, South America and North America, with both juried and audience prizes. Tickets are available for […]

First Image

A update on filmmaker Emily Hubley’s crowdfunding project: The Faith Journal Project, a 3-part undertaking (short film, an installation and an application) related to the 7000+ self-portraits (in 49 journals) created by her mom, artist/filmmaker Faith Hubley, in the final decades of her life. Says Emily, “We have completed scanning all the faces, gathered many […]

First Image
DreamWorks

Jill Culton is the first woman who is the writer and main director of a major, original animated film. Her passion project for close to a decade, DreamWorks’ Abominable, finally opens Thursday September 26th. Culton shares behind the scenes stories about creating the world of teenager Yi and her new yeti friend, Everest. Jackson Murphy: […]

First Image

Archive