And Jim Hill Media has an exclusive report from the event!

Reviews of DreamWorks’ June 6th offering are pouring in following Kung Fu Panda‘s world premiere Thursday in Cannes. Kirk Honeycutt at the Hollywood Reporter calls the film “a martial arts masterpiece” (the stunning fight sequences in the film were choreographed by animation veteran Rodolphe Guenoden), adding that “although it’s aimed primarily at youngsters, Kung Fu […]

DreamWorks is now auctioning movie premiere tickets and a private screening of their upcoming film Kung Fu Panda on eBay to benefit Conservation International and “help pandas in the wild.”

Those living in the L.A. area should make sure to check out the second Animation Book Look festival tomorrow afternoon between 1pm and 6pm in Sherman Oaks, CA (13613 Ventura Blvd). Surf’s Up directors Chris Buck and Chris Jenkins will be in attendance along with the authors of the art of Kung Fu Panda, Monster […]

The 18th International Animated Film Festival “Les Nuits Magiques” will take place in Bègles, France (near Bordeaux) from December 3 to December 14, 2008. All animated short and feature films, directed after December 31, 2006, are eligible.

According to Animation World Network, Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical animated film Persepolis has won the Grand Prix Award at the seventh AniFest, International Festival of Animated Films. “Stark graphic design and the real-life personal story evokes a powerful visceral reaction. The political situation is innocently judged from a child’s perspective as she matures into adulthood. Persepolis […]

TV Shows on DVD has posted the new cover art for the September 2nd release of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Remastered Deluxe Edition. This DVD will include a bonus Peanuts TV special which is expected to be You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Updated information on the extras can be found here.

An interview with Damon Bard can be read at the Character Design Blogspot. Bard is a sculptor who has created character maquettes for animated films such as Kung Fu Panda, Surf’s Up, Madagascar, and Over The Hedge. The interview also features many photographs of various pieces Bard has sculpted in his career. Thanks to ‘rsly75’ […]

Variety quietly confirmed last week that ER actor Bruno Campos had been cast as the titular amphibian character in Disney’s traditionally animated feature The Princess and the Frog. Anika Noni Rose will be his princess and Keith David will voice the film’s villain, Dr. Facilier.

Asked by Movieweb about her role in the upcoming Pixar movie while promoting King of the Hill, the talented actress revealed that “I play a character named Mary and I actually haven’t seen the movie. I’m seeing it on the 20th. I was so honored to do it. When my agent called and said Pixar, […]

IBN Live attended a press screening of DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda earlier today in Cannes, France and reports that journalists “laughed and cheered in unison as the overweight panda outshone himself and emerged the gifted Dragon Warrior in this gem of an animated film (…) that’ll have its world premiere in Cannes on Thursday.” Expect […]

A sneak peak of Cartoon Network’s upcoming animated series Flapjack can be viewed here. The video, which is approximately six minutes long, is part of an episode titled That’s A Wrap. Flapjack will premier on Cartoon Network on June 5th at 8:30 PM.

Pathe will unveil footage from Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville)’s new animated feature film The Illusionist at the Marche du Film in Cannes this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chomet, who wrote the movie based on previously unproduced material by Jacques Tati, has been working on it since June 2006. The 2D/CGI blend […]

UpcomingPixar points at a new WALL•E Clip at Yahoo! Movies wherein the director Andrew Stanton discusses the character of WALL-E and the adventure that awaits him.

Five new stills from the Pixar film are now up at MovieWeb.

While writing about “Faith, Home and Pixie Dust,” the new album of Disney covers by Broadway star (and, since this morning, Tony Award nominee) Kerry Butler, Jim Hill points to three little heard songs featured on the CD: “Call Me a Princess, Princess Jasmine’s caustic comic number that wound up getting cut from Aladdin; Disneyland, […]

Cartoon Brew points out that “illustrator Ben Butcher has done an interview with Grain Edit about his illustration process on Lots of Bots, a graphically-striking illustrated book being released this week as a tie-in for Pixar’s Wall•E.”

Rush over to the Character Design blog while you can for a rumored first look at early character designs from upcoming Pixar and Disney character: Miley Cyrus’ character Penny from this November’s Bolt; the soulful singing crocodile from the anticipated 2D feature The Princess and the Frog; the prince of Glen Keane’s Rapunzel; and several […]

Hot off the press! The Weinstein Co. will turn the Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock into a live-action musical feature, reports Variety. Cory Edwards, who directed the animated Hoodwinked! for the studio, will helm the picture and write the screenplay. The Jim Henson Co. will produce and TWC will distribute. Just like the series, the […]

USA Today offers a run-down of the exclusive features to be found on this Fall’s Blu-Ray release of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. However be warned that only the latest players to be launched this summer by Sony and Panasonic will be able to access the disc’s online BD Live features…

An article featured on Fortune reveals that the design for the character Eve in Disney/Pixar’s upcoming Wall•E was inspired by the look of such Apple products as the iPod. “I wanted Eve to be high-end technology – no expense spared – and I wanted it to be seamless and for the technology to be sort […]

Iron Man director Jon Favreau will next write, helm and produce the feature-length motion capture caveman comedy Neanderthals for Sony Pictures Animation, a project which was intially announced back in 2005. Favreau told MTV News back in January that he was hoping to shoot the motion capture part before the potential actors strike next month […]

The cover art for the first volume of season one of Tiny Toons Adventures can be seen at TV Shows On DVD.The four-disk set, which features 35 episodes, will hit shelves on July 29th with a suggested retail price of $44.98. The trailer for the DVD can be viewed here.

Head over to Animation Insider for details on the upcoming Indian 2D feature film Ghatothkach: Master of Magic which will debut in its home country on May 23rd.

Sony Pictures Imageworks just accepted seven new schools into their Professional Academic Excellence (IPAX) program. “We are excited that the IPAX program continues to follow its original goal of helping educate the educators which in turn helps students excel,” commented Imageworks’ president, Tim Sarnoff.