The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announces its ‘Call for Entries’ for the 38th Annual Annie Awards. The Annie Award is recognized by the entertainment industry as the highest honor given by the animation community. The 38th Annual Annie Awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2011, at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

Honoring excellence in the field of animation, the Annie Awards will be presented in 26 categories including best animated feature, home entertainment, television production, television commercial, short subject, video game, as well as individual achievements. Entries submitted for consideration will be from productions that were released in the United States between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010. Details on how to enter may be found at annieawards.org.

The deadline to receive submissions and materials is Friday, October 15, 2010 by 5 p.m. The deadline to join ASIFA-Hollywood or to renew membership in order to participate in the Annie Award voting is also Friday, October 15, 2010. Membership information can be found at asifa-hollywood.org.

ASIFA-Hollywood has also added two new Annie Award categories to recognize the achievements of character animation and effects animation in live action productions. “With so much great character and effects animation being created for live action productions, ASIFA-Hollywood felt that it was appropriate to create these Annie Award categories in order to recognize to the artists responsible for creating this special kind animation.” said Antran Manoogian, president of ASIFA-Hollywood. Also new this year will be the acceptance of Television Commercials and Short Subjects that were released anywhere in the world.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past three decades, and is considered the highest and most prestigious honor given in animation by the animation industry. Today ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, animation film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.

For more information on ASIFA-Hollywood, please visit asifa-hollywood.org. For more information on the Annie Awards, please visit annieawards.org.

Aardman Animations’ Timmy Time is scheduled to air in North America from September 13, 2010 on Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney, following a special sneak preview on the evening of September 7th. Timmy Time is Aardman’s first animated television project for the preschool audience, and the stop-motion series has already enjoyed great success in its first season of broadcast overseas.

Timmy Time follows the adventures of Timmy, a little lamb with a lot to learn as he enters preschool. Fans of Aardman’s hit children’s series Shaun the Sheep will recognize Timmy as the baby lamb on the farm who is frequently drawn into all kinds of chaotic adventures by the mischievous older sheep. Used to having his way by being “the only lamb in the flock,” Timmy is now heading to preschool to graze on some important life lessons about playing nicely with others, namely his fellow classmates of the furry, feathered and spiky types.

Episodes portray all the aspects of a preschooler’s day that are familiar to parents—painting, puzzling, making music, building with blocks, napping, snacking and more—through strong but simple storylines that are told without human dialogue, instead using a unique combination of expressive character animation, gesture and reactions, comedy and slapstick, bleats, quacks, oinks and the like.

While being entertained by Timmy’s fun and fleecy antics, the young audience members will benefit by seeing important social skills in action, such as how to help someone in need, how to be good sports, and how to respect others. Creator/Producer/Supervising Director Jackie Cockle (BAFTA winner, producer on Bob the Builder, director on The Wind in The Willows, among other television credits) believes that “preschoolers can easily identify with Timmy as he learns universal lessons about himself, his friends and the world around him”.

Check local television listings for exact airtimes, and find out more about Timmy, his classmates, and the show here.

Timmy fans can look forward to his first DVD release in early 2011 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, who also distribute the DVD releases of Shaun the Sheep, the second fastest-growing children’s brand on DVD in 2009. Timmy toys will also be available in Spring 2011 from JAKKS Pacific.

About Aardman
Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning
productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company
continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercial productions.

Warner Home Video, UGO.com and The Paley Center for Media proudly present the bi-coastal World Premieres of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the highly anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies, in Los Angeles on September 21 and New York on September 23. Filmmakers and members of the voice cast will attend both events for red carpet media interviews and post-screening panel discussions.

On Tuesday, September 21, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will screen at the Paley Center in Los Angeles (465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills) with media interviews starting at 5:30 p.m. and screening commencing at 7:00 p.m. A panel discussion moderated by UGO movie editors will follow the screening featuring executive producer Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, writer Tab Murphy and dialogue/casting director Andrea Romano. Additional participants, including voice cast members, will be announced as confirmed.

On Thursday, September 23, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will screen at the Paley Center in New York City (25 West 52nd Street) with media interviews starting at 5:00 p.m. and screening commencing at 6:30 p.m. Following the screening, Kevin Conroy, the fan-favorite voice of Batman, and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano will lead a panel discussion moderated by UGO movie editors. Additional participants, including voice cast members, will be announced as confirmed.

A limited number of free tickets are available for the general public. Fans wishing to receive free tickets to the Los Angeles event on Sept. 21 must RSVP via email to SupermanBatmanLA@gmail.com. Fans in New York City wishing to receive free tickets to the NY event on Sept. 23 must RSVP via email to SupermanBatmanNY@gmail.com.

Tickets to both events will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis.

Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel “Superman/Batman: Supergirl” by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist).

In Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, a spaceship splashes down in Gotham City Harbor — leading Batman and Superman to encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as those of the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian is soon revealed to be Kara, cousin of Superman, who takes her under his wing to educate her about the ways of Earth. However, the villainous Darkseid has other plans. Seeing an opportunity to finally defeat Superman, Darkseid abducts and gains control of Kara, utilizing the powerful Kryptonian to do his bidding. It’s up to Batman and Superman to save Kara, but they’ll have to take the fight to Darkseid within his hostile world – where unknown, deadly threats lurk around every corner, including a brainwashed Kryptonian able to match Superman blow-for-blow.

Fan favorites Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Kevin Conroy (China Beach) return to their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. The celebrity-laden guest cast is headed by Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the daunting Darkseid. Sci-Fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) provides the voice of Supergirl, and seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up) reprises his Superman: The Animated Series/Justice League role as Granny Goodness.

Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will be distributed by Warner Home Video on September 28, 2010.

Own the Complete Series Exclusively at the WarnerArchive.com

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 — the magical, animated musical masterpiece and the contemporary classic inspired by it — debut in highly anticipated Blu-ray High Definition and DVD 2-Movie Collection Special Editions on November 30. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is opening the Disney vault to be able to present these two films that broke the boundaries of imagination in the highest quality possible.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will be available in a 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack ($45.99 SRP) and a 2-Disc DVD ($39.99 SRP) for a very limited time only. The Blu-ray transformation of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will reveal the magic, music and majesty of both films as never before experienced, with state-of-the-art picture restoration of the original Fantasia and pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound. The Blu-ray combo pack is a tremendous value featuring, in addition to the two films in two different formats, a wealth of bonus features.

Among those Blu-ray special features is the highly requested Academy Award nominated short Destino. Available for the first time ever on Blu-ray, the seven minute film is the result of a unique collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali begun in 1946, but put on hold due to studio financial concerns. In 2003, Roy E. Disney worked with a team of modern day animators to complete the film as a tribute to Walt’s pioneering artistic vision. Accompanying the highly anticipated short is an all-new feature length documentary entitled Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino, which explores the origins of the relationship between Disney and Dali, their collaboration on Destino, and ultimately how the film came to fruition so many years after its inception.

Fantasia, an unprecedented and magnificent feast of music and animated images, was initially released by the Studio in 1940 as a “road show” release. The following year, at the 14th Annual Academy Awards, Fantasia earned two Special Awards. The first was given to Walt Disney and associates for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures, being the first commercial film released in multi-channel sound using a process called Fantasound, and the second to conductor Leopold Stokowski and his associates “for…unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music…thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form.”

Considered avant-garde during its time, Fantasia has gone on to become one of the most popular movies of all time and today is considered a classic. In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Stokowski, this groundbreaking film, which consists of animation set to eight musical pieces, is narrated by Deems Taylor and includes an appearance by Mickey Mouse (voiced by Disney himself).

Equally impressive is Fantasia 2000, the awe-inspiring extravaganza of sight and sound, executive produced by the late Roy E. Disney. Featuring an array of celebrity hosts including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman and Quincy Jones, the film, like its predecessor, expertly visualizes classical music compositions with various forms of animation and live-action introductions. Fantasia 2000 is primarily performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by James Levine.

Synopsis: The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience. Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.

Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off. There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons, a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:

• New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley

• Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features: Everything on the DVD plus:

• Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.

• The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.

• Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.

• Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection

- With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
- Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.

Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:

• Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.

Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features: Everything on the DVD plus:

• Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.

• Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.

• Disney’s Virtual Vault — BD-Live Feature.

• Original DVD Bonus Features: Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)

- With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
- Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

Street Date: November 30, 2010
Pricing: 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $45.99 SRP
2-Disc DVD: $39.99 SRP
Feature run time: Fantasia – 125 min; Fantasia 2000 – 75 min
Rated: G
FastPlay enabled

Blu-ray Disc aspect ratio: Fantasia – 1.33:1; Fantasia 2000 – 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

DVD aspect ratio: Fantasia – 1.33:1; Fantasia 2000 -1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $45.99 SRP and the 2-Disc DVD set is priced at $39.99 SRP.

Tinker Bell, Rosetta, Iridessa and Fawn were there live to greet all of their fairy friends. They were joined by film talent Mae Whitman (voice of Tinker Bell), Raven-Symonѐ, Michael Sheen, Pamela Adlon, Rob Paulsen, Dominika Paleta, director Brad Raymond & producer Helen Kalafatic as well as Jason Earles (Hannah Montana), Billy Bush, Gilles Marini (Brothers & Sisters), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), Rick Fox (Ugly Betty), Zendaya Coleman (Shake It Up!), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam) and Landon Pigg.

The very special outdoor premiere of Disney’s All-New Movie Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue was screened for more than 1,000 families in the local Los Angeles area. The event featured a dozen of L.A.’s most popular food trucks, including Top Chef alum Brian Hill’s gourmet food truck, along with a bevy of activity stations for the kids – including face painting, Tink tattoos, coloring stations and Radio Disney, who emceed the event. All fairy attendees received Tinker Bell blankets, Tinker Bell glow sticks, Fairy wings and enjoyed many Fairy activities.

Tinker Bell, the world’s favorite fairy, will be spreading her magic for audiences of all ages, as the worlds of fairies and humans converge for the very first time in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. An all-new original full-length CG animated film featuring breathtaking animation, spectacular music and an all-star cast of voice talents debuts September 21st on Blu-ray Combo Pack (includes Blu-ray and bonus DVD of the film and movie download) and DVD.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue arrives in stores on September 21st. Footage from the LA Premiere can be seen right here:

The Black Cauldron, Walt Disney Pictures’ 25th animated feature-length film, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Special Edition DVD release September 14 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain books, this mystical, action-packed adventure debuts just in time for Halloween.

The film tells the story of Taran, an apprentice pig keeper with dreams of becoming a great warrior, who embarks on a quest to find a magical and powerful Black Cauldron before the evil tyrant Horned King can possess it for his own diabolical purposes. Fantastical characters like the oracular pig Hen Wen, the willful princess Eilonwy, and the droll but annoying Gurgi face witches, elves, magic swords and other obstacles. As they journey through these thrilling escapades, Taran begins to learn the true meaning of what it is to be a hero.

Exciting new bonus features for The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition include a new game and a never-before-seen deleted scene as well as a new digital transfer.

New Bonus Features Include:

• Deleted Scene—The Fairfolk: Viewers join Taran, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy as they travel into the depths of the earth and meet the Fairfolk.
• The Witches’ Challenge Game—In order to defeat the dark powers of the Horned King, players must gain possession the magical sword from the Witches of Morva by solving their riddles.

Plus Classic DVD Bonus Features:

• Still Frame Gallery—A compilation of behind-the-scenes artwork and photos.
• Quest For the Black Cauldron—A trivia game in which players compete against the evil Horned King in a race to reach the Black Cauldron first.
• Trick Or Treat—Classic Donald Duck cartoon from 1952.

STREET DATE: September 14, 2010
Rated: PG
Run Time: Approx. 80 minutes
Video: Widescreen
Audio: Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
DVD Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
SRP: 1-Disc DVD $19.99