Independent

‘Animation Is Film’ Announces 2025 Winners
ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF) today announced the winners of its 8th annual festival, with AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, receiving the festival’s top honor, the Grand Jury Prize.
INTERVIEW: Putting Together “Stitch Head”

INTERVIEW: Putting Together “Stitch Head”

Avatar photoJackson Murphy|
October 20th, 2025
We spoke with Steve Hudson, the director of the new animated feature Stitch Head, which opens in theaters on Wednesday Oct. 29, just in time for Halloween.
INTERVIEW: Presenting “Light Of The World”

INTERVIEW: Presenting “Light Of The World”

Avatar photoJackson Murphy|
August 27th, 2025
John J. Schafer and Tom Bancroft directed the new hand-drawn animated feature Light of the World, which opens in theaters on September 5th (John’s birthday). They hope audiences, especially families, respond well to their portrayal of the story of Christ, successfully made outside the major studio system. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) […]

Latest in Category: Independent

TRAILER #2: “Farmageddon: A Shaun The Sheep Movie”

Dropping today – Independence Day appropriately – check out the new, official Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Trailer. Aardman’s 2nd feature featuring the lamb character, opening in the US December 13th via Studiocanal, is directed by Will Becher and Richard Phelan. Synopsis: When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|July 3, 2019
TRAILER #2: “Farmageddon: A Shaun The Sheep Movie”

TRAILER: “Arctic Dogs”

Swifty the arctic fox works in the mail room of the Arctic Blast Delivery Service but dreams of one day becoming a Top Dog. That’s the premise behind Aaron Woodley’s (Spark: A Space Tail) new film Arctic Dogs. Produced in Canada by many behind The Nut Job and its sequels, this new film boasts an […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|June 22, 2019
TRAILER: “Arctic Dogs”

REVIEW: “The Secret Life Of Pets 2”

When we last saw the Secret Life of Pets crew in 2016, all of them were contented indeed. Doggies Max and Duke had learned to happily co-exist, Gidget the Pomeranian continued to dream of marrying Max, Pops retired, Snowball the anarchist rabbit was happily adopted, and pampered feline Chloe presumably busied herself packing on a […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|June 10, 2019
REVIEW: “The Secret Life Of Pets 2”

Shout Studios and Drink TV Announce Animated “Hell Den”

DrinkTV, in conjunction with Shout! Studios and Dr. God, is announcing a new show airing exclusively on the streaming platform. Hell Den is an animated series that mixes original animation and re-dubbed cartoons in a deliciously warped and hilarious brew of social satire, musical parody, and good ol’ fashioned absurdist humor. Hell Den is a […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|May 8, 2019
Shout Studios and Drink TV Announce Animated “Hell Den”

INTERVIEW: Inside The “UglyDolls” with Director Kelly Asbury

He may just be the top “Director for Hire” in animation today. Over the past 17 years, Kelly Asbury had made “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and “Shrek 2” for DreamWorks, “Gnomeo & Juliet” for Disney, “Smurfs: The Lost Village” for Sony, and now UglyDolls for newcomer STX. And his latest film is another music-driven […]
Avatar photoJackson Murphy|May 3, 2019
INTERVIEW: Inside The “UglyDolls” with Director Kelly Asbury

INTERVIEW: Viva Pictures Victor Elizalde and “Ploey”

The world of animated film creation/distribution is made-up of major players and the smaller studios, who are also producing and releasing content on a regular basis. One of those is Viva Pictures, an independent studio and all-rights distributor, whose animation division, Viva Kids, has brought hundreds of feature films to screens big and small. The […]
Avatar photoJackson Murphy|April 15, 2019
INTERVIEW: Viva Pictures Victor Elizalde and “Ploey”

REVIEW: “Arctic Dogs”

Twenty minutes after leaving a showing of Arctic Dogs, I remained in a state of disbelief. How could any animated film in wide release this year be so unrelentingly putrid? 2019 has not been a banner year for mainstream theatrical releases, but Arctic Dogs makes any one of them look like candidates for inclusion in […]