Thoughtnami Classics | Interesting Press Release Making Me Wonder If I Backed The Right Pony

Originally Posted 07/20/04 by Jeff Harris

Nicktoons TV is going to present an international animation festival on television. This is exactly something Cartoon Network should have done since its inception. If (when?) it succeeds, perhaps this will be the catalyst Nicktoons need to become a serious animation network. They're already doing a better job showcasing the creative process of animation, something I don't recall Cartoon Network doing on a regular basis. I hope it's successful.

Here's the press release:

Nicktoons, Nickelodeon's digital channel for animation, has teamed with Frederator Studios and ANIMATION MAGAZINE to present The Nicktoons Film Festival. The first on-air festival of its kind, The Nicktoons Film Festival, will showcase independent cartoon filmmaking by animators from around the globe. Fred Seibert, president of Frederator Studios will serve as exec producer of the festival; Rita Street, publisher of ANIMATION MAGAZINE and Eric Homan, vp of creative affairs for Frederator Studios will be the festival producers and Christina Vann of Nicktoons will serve as executive in charge of production.

"There's so much great talent in the world of animation and we're excited to give people the opportunity to have their work seen by experts and on Nicktoons' air," said Keith Dawkins, vp/gm, Nicktoons. "Nicktoons is the place to be for animation lovers, which is why we're forming a sort of 'creative lab' for a new generation of cartoon hits."

Animators from around the world can download entry forms on www.nicktoons.com with the deadine being Sept. 10. Submissions should be animated shorts no longer than seven minutes that combine a unique look, great character designs and a funny plot. A selection of shorts chosen by a pre-selection jury will broadcast on Nicktoons as part of a 13-episode compilation series launching this fall. One winner will be chosen by a grand jury and awarded $10,000.

"Our partners will make The Nicktoons Film Festival the premier event for cartoonists," said Seibert. "Nicktoons' reputation for spotlighting creative talent and experimentation made them the perfect partner for a pioneering film festival. In addition, ANIMATION MAGAZINE's unparalleled relationships with the worldwide filmmaking community make them the ideal producers."

"Traveling the world for ANIMATION MAGAZINE, I get to see so much great animation that's not accessible to most audiences," said Street. "Now we'll get to share this animation with Nicktoons' viewers and maybe even find the next big cartoon hit."

The pre-selection jury will be an assembly of Frederator Studios and ANIMATION MAGAZINE staff. The grand jury members will be announced on the Website throughout the festival competition. Other festival prizes will also be announced on the Website throughout the competition.

Frederator makes cartoons for television and the movies. Since its 1998 founding by former Hanna-Barbera Cartoons president Fred Seibert, Frederator Studios has become one of the industry's largest and most prolific independent cartoon studios. For more information, visit www.frederator.com.

ANIMATION MAGAZINE is a trade publication devoted to the coverage of the business, technology and art of animation. For more information, visit www.animationmagazine.net.