Wicked: World premiere red carpet b-roll | ScreenSlam
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads, and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
The film also stars Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.
Wicked is produced by Marc Platt (La La Land, The Little Mermaid), whose films, television shows and stage productions have earned a combined 46 Oscar® nominations, 58 Emmy nominations and 36 Tony nominations, and by multiple Tony winner David Stone (Kimberly Akimbo, Next to Normal), with whom Platt produced the blockbuster Wicked stage musical. The executive producers are David Nicksay, Stephen Schwartz and Jared LeBoff. Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winnie Holzman and by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The Broadway stage musical is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Marc Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Deutscher Kurzfilmpreis 2024: Nominierungen für „Taku Tsubo“ von Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo & „Dull Spots of Greenish Color“ von Sasha Svirsky
Die Staatsministerin für Kultur und Medien, Claudia Roth, hat heute die zwölf Nominierten für den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis 2024 bekannt gegeben. Vorgeschlagen wurde die Auswahl von unabhängigen Fachjurys aus 273 Einreichungen. Die feierliche Preisverleihung findet am 21. November 2024 in Hamburg statt.
Mit dem Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis zeichnet die Bundesregierung jedes Jahr herausragende Leistungen bei der Produktion von Kurzfilmen aus. Der Preis ist die höchstdotierte Auszeichnung in Deutschland im Bereich des Kurzfilms. Mit dem Gewinn des Kurzfilmpreises ist eine zweckgebundene Prämie von 30.000 Euro und mit der Nominierung von 15.000 Euro verbunden. Die Prämie für den besten mittellangen Film beträgt 20.000 Euro.
Die Nominierungsprämie wird im Falle der Auszeichnung auf die Prämie für den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis angerechnet. Die Prämien sind jeweils für die Herstellung oder Entwicklung eines neuen Films mit künstlerischem Rang zu verwenden.
Der Deutsche Kurzfilmpreis wird in folgenden Kategorien vergeben:
- Spielfilm bis 10 Minuten Laufzeit
- Spielfilm von mehr als 10 Minuten bis 30 Minuten Laufzeit
- Animationsfilm bis 30 Minuten Laufzeit
- Experimentalfilm bis 30 Minuten Laufzeit
- Dokumentarfilm bis 30 Minuten Laufzeit
- Film mit einer Laufzeit von mehr als 30 Minuten bis 78 Minuten (bester mittellanger Film)
Die Jurys für den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis 2024 setzen sich wie folgt zusammen:
Spielfilm
Gaby Babić, Felix Hassenfratz, Jannis Alexander Kiefer, Katrin Küchler, Jens Schneiderheinze
Animations-, Experimental-, Dokumentarfilm, Sonderpreis
Vera Brückner, David Buob, Florian Fischer, Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck, Katrin Mundt
Nominiert für den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis 2024 sind:
Animationsfilm bis 30 Minuten Laufzeit
„Tako Tsubo“
Herstellung: Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo
Federführung Produktion: Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo, Maria Trigo Teixeira
Regie:Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo
Drehbuch: Fanny Sorgo
Laufzeit: 6 Minuten
Herr Ham entscheidet sich für eine Herzentfernung, um von seinen komplizierten Gefühlen entlastet zu werden. Der Arzt versichert ihm, dass dies in der heutigen Zeit überhaupt kein Problem mehr darstellt.
https://www.sixpackfilm.com/de/catalogue/2918/
„Dull Spots of Greenish Color“
Herstellung: Wait a second! Matern-Trigo-Magout-Magnuska-Plucinska-Solomon-Ziolkowska GbR
Federführung Produktion: Karsten Matern
Regie: Sasha Svirsky
Drehbuch: Sasha Svirsky
Laufzeit: 11 Minuten
In Zeiten des Krieges wird unsere Aufmerksamkeit zur Kampfzone.
https://www.waitasecondfilms.com/dull_spots_of_greenish_colours
Spielfilm bis 10 Minuten Laufzeit Read more
DIAF, Dresden: Peter Völker, PANs Studio – Die unglaubliche Geschichte der irakisch-deutschen Koproduktion „Die Wiederkehr der Wunderlampe“
Der Berliner Animationsfilmer Peter Völker, früher Mitarbeiter und Inhaber von PANs Studio, stellt mit der irakisch-deutschen Koproduktion Die Wiederkehr der Wunderlampe eine unglaubliche Geschichte vor: Die 13-teilige Zeichentrick-Real-Serie entstand 1981/82 in Bagdad und West-Berlin, wurde in Ost-Berlin synchronisiert und gelangte sogar ins DDR-Fernsehen.
R: Eugen Alexandrow mit Peter Völker und Thilo Rothkirch, Irak/West-Berlin 1981/82, 13 x 7 Min.
Referent: Peter Völker
Veranstaltungsdauer: ca. 90 Min.
Datum/Zeit: Fr, 15. November 2024, 19.30 Uhr
Ort: Museumskino der Technischen Sammlungen Dresden, Junghansstraße 1–3, 01277 Dresden
Einlass: eine halbe Stunde vor Spielbeginn
Eintritt: 6 € / 5 € (ermäßigt)
https://www.diaf.de/kino/animania-wie-aladdin-von-bagdad-ueber-west-berlin-ins-ddr-fernsehen-kam/
10 Years of Cardiff Animation Nights!
Celebrate 10 years of Cardiff Animation Nights! Press CC in the corner of the video to enable English subtitles.
Thanks so much to everyone that submitted a birthday themed animation! 38 teams entered and 24 animations were submitted from 5 different countries.
Animations by:
Gerald Conn, Gillean Jofre, Becca Burrows, Callum Coles, Chloe Marie Agulto, Emrys Laiman, Hamza Qasim, Jamie Wilson, Jo Jo Lau, Katherine Williams – Kirby, Luc Chanter, Mackenzie Surrey, Matthew Lee, Michael Dawe, Nadia-Simona Barbu, Picl Animation, Rose S. Tan, Rowan Halton, Steve Griffiths, Tami Richards, Tomas Roberts, Zara (Zee) Weston, Ioan Morris
Follow Cardiff Animation Nights for all our upcoming events @AnimationNights (https://www.cardiffanimation.com/can)
Studio SOI, Ludwigsburg sucht: 3D Animation Supervisors
Hi everyone. I just wanted to reach out to you all because Studio Soi is currently looking for some 3D Animation Supervisors to help guide our animation teams on a couple of projects. We are currently in production on two TV shows and we are in pre-production on a Feature Film. So if anyone out there knows of someone who might be a good fit, please let them know and ask them to reach out to me via Linkedin or email (michaelhockey@studiosoi.de) or they can send an email directly to work@studiosoi.de
Some extra info that will probably be helpful:
– The positions are on-site in Ludwigsburg, Germany, so permission to work in the EU is essential
– Animation is done in Maya
– The style for all projects is cartoony and on 2s
Thanks!
DCM Screening: „HERE“ – Regie Robert Zemeckis
In Zusammenarbeit mit DCM darf INDAC Animations-/VFXschaffende zu den Presse-Screenings des Films
„HERE“
ORIGINALVERSION mit deutschen Untertiteln, 105 Minuten
einladen.
Die Vorführungen finden statt in Köln, München, Berlin und Hamburg.
Die Teilnehmer verpflichten sich obligatorisch, eine Filmkritik für den INDAC Blog zu verfassen, die zeitnah um den Filmstart auf dem INDAC-Blog veröffentlicht wird. Details weiter unten!
Nur auf INDAC.org gemäß der neuen DSGVO registrierte Mitglieder der deutschen Animations- und VFX Community können sich für die Teilnahme an den Screenings bewerben.
Regie: Robert Zemeckis
ab 12. Dezember 2024 im Kino
Netflix/Locksmith Animation: Simon Otto´s „That Christmas“ – „Ein Klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder“ premieres on Netflix, December 4.
Drehbuch: Richard Curtis & Peter Souter
Buchvorlage: Richard Curtis mit Illustrationen von Rebecca Cobb
Producer: Nicole P. Hearon, Adam Tandy
Executive Producer: Mary Coleman, Natalie Fischer, Julie Lockhart, Elisabeth Murdoch,
Bonnie Arnold, Lara Breay, Sarah Smith, Rebecca Cobb, Richard Curtis, Colin Hopkins
Musik: John Powell
Animationsstudio: Locksmith Animation
Original-Synchronstimmen: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry, Ava Talbot, mit Bill Nighy und Rhys Darby.
Deutscher Trailer
Über Ein klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder
Ein klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder basiert auf der charmanten Kinderbuch-Trilogie des beliebten, mehrfach ausgezeichneten Autors und Regisseurs Richard Curtis (Vier Hochzeiten und ein Todesfall, Notting Hill, Tatsächlich Liebe, Yesterday). Der Film erzählt eine Reihe zusammenhängender Geschichten über Familie und Freundschaft, Liebe und Einsamkeit und darüber, wie der Weihnachtsmann einen riesigen Fehler macht. Ganz zu schweigen von einer enormen Anzahl an Truthähnen! Diese rührende Komödie von Locksmith Animation ist das Animationsdebüt von Curtis, der als Drehbuchautor und ausführender Produzent fungiert. Zudem ist es das Spielfilm-Regiedebüt des renommierten Animationsveteranen Simon Otto (Love, Death & Robots, Drachenzähmen leicht gemacht-Filmreihe). Produzent*innen sind Nicole P. Hearon (Vaiana, Die Eiskönigin – Völlig unverfroren) und Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists).
Berlin, 28. Oktober 2024 – Die Feiertage können ganz schön trubelig werden: Geschenke-Stress, der richtige Baumschmuck und dann noch das unberechenbare Wetter! Im beschaulichen Wellington-on-Sea ist dieses Jahr alles anders, denn ein gewaltiger Schneesturm kurz vor den Festtagen wirbelt die Leben der Bewohner*innen so richtig durcheinander und für den Weihnachtsmann heißt es, einen großen Fehler wiedergutzumachen. Da hilft nur noch ein Weihnachtswunder! In der charmanten Animationskomödie Ein klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder entfalten sich Geschichten über Familie, Freundschaft, Liebe und Einsamkeit – und einen großen Schnitzer, den sich Santa leistet.
Mit Ein klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder wird die gleichnamige Kinderbuch-Trilogie des vielfach für seine Drehbücher ausgezeichneten Richard Curtis (BAFTA-Preisträger, Oscar®-Nominierung) herzerwärmend verfilmt. Der renommierte Schweizer Animationsspezialist Simon Otto (Drachen zähmen leicht gemacht und Love, Death & Robots) feiert damit sein Spielfilm-Regiedebüt, während Locksmith Animation für die Produktion verantwortlich zeichnet, mit Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) und Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) als Produzent*innen.
Im ausführlichen Presseheft finden sich viele Interviews und Hintergrundinformationen zum Film. Eine Auswahl der charmanten Fun Facts:
- In Ein klitzekleines Weihnachtswunder gibt zahlreiche Anspielungen auf die Schweizer Heimat des Regisseurs Simon Otto, u. a. Charlies Toblerone-förmige Schokolade, eine Schneekugel vom Matterhorn, Fotos von einer Reise in die Schweizer Alpen sowie ein Schweiz-Aufkleber auf dem Van der McNutts.
- Das Armaturenbrett im Schlitten des Weihnachtsmanns zeigt an, dass er mit nur geringem Antrieb fahren kann – alle Rentiere bis auf eines können wegen der „Rote-Nasen-Grippe“ nicht laufen.
- Der fiktive Ort Wellington-on-Sea ist nach Richard Curtis‘ Heimatstadt, der neuseeländischen Hauptstadt Wellington, benannt. Die Inspirationen für den Look der Stadt lieferten jedoch die kleinen Ortschaften Southwold, Walberswick und Halesworth in der Grafschaft Suffolk an der Küste Ostenglands.
- Die Geschäfte in Wellington-on-Sea sind oftmals Hinweise auf frühere Projekte der Kreativen, zum Beispiel der Name des Lokals, „How to Drain Your Flagon“ (Simon Otto war Head of Character Animation der Drachenzähmen leicht gemacht-Trilogie, zu Englisch How to Train Your Dragon), der Metzgerladen „Bridget’s Bones“ (Richard Curtis hat die Drehbücher der ersten zwei Bridget Jones-Filme geschrieben) sowie des Vintage-Ladens About Time (der englische Titel des Richard-Curtis-Films Alles eine Frage der Zeit).
- Für zauberhafte Szenen im Schnee wurden jeweils 200.000 Schneeflocken pro Shot animiert und für den ganzen Film insgesamt fast zwei Milliarden Flocken.
Aardman animation’s Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham | BFI in Conversation
Four-time Oscar-winner Nick Park created the characters Wallace and Gromit at film school. He would go on to direct Creature Comforts, Early Man and, with Peter Lord, Chicken Run. He is a director of Aardman Animations and one the world’s leading stop-motion animators and filmmakers. The multi-talented Merlin Crossingham has worked on many of Aardman’s greatest films and is Creative Director of Wallace and Gromit at Aardman. He is also the director, with Nick Park, of the forthcoming Wallace and Gromit adventure Vengeance Most Fowl. They will discuss their careers at Aardman and share their insights into this glorious form of animation.
https://www.wallaceandgromit.com/films/vengeance-most-fowl/
The world’s best boss – Feathers McGraw is back with a vengeance. A brand new epic Wallace & Gromit family adventure, the first full length feature film in 19 years since BAFTA and Academy Award-winning The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Coming to Netflix January 3, 2025. From the brilliant Aardman and four-time Academy Award®-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham comes Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again! Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81351936
GODZILLA MINUS ONE – Godzilla 70th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer
Godzilla Minus One returns to theatres starting November 1, featuring in-theater exclusive VFX behind the scenes and Q&A with Academy Award winners Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya. Get tickets: tickets.godzilla.com ©2023 TOHO CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
YOUNG EUROPEAN TALENTS FEATURE THEIR ANIMATION PROJECTS AT CARTOON SPRINGBOARD MADRID
From October 29th to 31st, Madrid will host the tenth anniversary edition of Cartoon Springboard, where young European animation talents will be pitching 22 film, series and web series projects. Designed as a training initiative for students and recent graduates of animation schools, the event combines pitching sessions with a program of lectures by renowned industry professionals. The shortlisted projects – mostly in-concept stage – will receive feedback and suggestions from a panel of experts to further advance their development. More than 170 participants – including talents, directors, animators, authors, writers, producers, directors, TV network executives, broadcasters, distributors and journalists – will engage in this activity that seeks to spur new European animation talents into the professional arena.
Spain leads this year’s selection with six projects, followed by France with five, Germany with three, and Belgium and Italy with two each, while Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary and Ireland are present with one project per country. Format-wise, TV series are clearly in the majority with 14 works, followed by five web series, two feature films and one TV special. Projects aimed at children aged 5-11 and young adult / adult audiences represent 27% and 23% respectively. The remaining works are targeted at preschoolers (18%), family audiences (18%) and teenagers (14%).
Of the six projects from the host country, four come from institutions in Madrid – Universidad Carlos III, ECAM, U-tad Centro Universitario de Tecnología y Arte Digital, and UDIT – Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología -, and one from L’Idem Barcelona. The French projects are by students or alumni of La Poudrière, Lycée Marie Curie and Emile Cohl, while the German projects are by talents from the Filmakademie Baden- Württemberg and Hochschule Darmstadt – University of Applied Sciences.
The selection also includes works by students from Italy’s Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografía and Bottega Finzioni, Denmark’s The Animation Workshop – VIA University College, Hungary’s MOME, and Ireland’s TUS Midlands. Two projects in the line-up are signed by alumni from non-European schools, specifically UK and Canada.
Organised by CARTOON, Cartoon Springboard is supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA and the Community of Madrid, the City Council of Madrid, and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX). For the third year in a row, Cartoon Springboard will be held in Madrid, that will host the event for three more years following the collaboration agreement between CARTOON and the Community of Madrid and the City Council of Madrid. Among the 236 animation works submitted to Cartoon Springboard since its first edition in 2015, 14 have been completed and more than 80 are currently in development.
From Madrid to the screen
The Community of Madrid is home to 35% of the animation and VFX companies in Spain. Through its Culture, Tourism and Sport Regional Office, Madrid’s Community Government supports the development and production of animated series, short and feature films through different initiatives. The Madrid City Council is also actively involved in the city’s audiovisual industry.
Both the Community and the City Council support the four projects by graduates from Madrid educational institutions: “Chavales: la webserie”, “Out of Tune”, “Painting Illusions”, and “Battle of the Bands”. Five of the selected projects already have on board a production company partner for their development or production, including France’s Avec ou sans Vous (“Tulip”), Germany’s Wait a Second! (“Bernard & the Little Tiger” – working title), Ireland’s Jam Media (“Ultra Cat and Mega Dog”), and Spain’s Henfunk Studio (“Galiworld”) and PI Art Produccions (“Painting Illusions”).
Three of the projects were selected directly by Cartoon Springboard partner events: while “The Extra and Ordinary Adventures of Pod the Plankton” made it in the line-up through AFCA, “Zilìa” and “Ultra Cat and Mega Dog” were selected by Cartoons on the Bay and Animation Dingle, respectively. “a é i o u” and “The Extra and Ordinary Adventures of Pod the Plankton” will be presented in Madrid thanks to the support of France’s SACD – Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques, while “Welcome to Demonland” is supported by FWB – Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
https://www.cartoon-media.eu/springboard/projects
The support of several institutions and companies made it possible for the following talents from Spain and France to participate in the event: Maria Luquero (ICEX), Rozenn Busson (Pictanovo), Laura Gougelet (Région Occitanie), and Marin Cadin and Angel Knowles (SudAnim).
With the aim of connecting the young talent attending the event with the local animation industry, Cartoon Springboard will host, the first morning of the event, a Job Fair in which 5 to 6 local studios will present themselves, including the job opportunities they offer, followed by a networking session between the young talents and company representatives.
Thinking about the future
Besides the pitching sessions, Cartoon Springboard features a programme with international experts who will discuss the latest trends and challenges facing European animation industry. Spain’s Rodrigo Blaas will open this 10th edition of the event with his masterclass “Back to the Garage Days”, about current creative challenges. Blaas began his career as an animator at Pixar and has been recognized for his work as director, showrunner and executive producer of “Tales of Arcadia Trilogy”, and for works such as the short film “Alma” or “Star Wars: Visions” episode “Sith”, produced by his company El Guiri Studios.
Within the conferences program, Perrine Gauthier – co-founder and producer of France’s La Cabane and Belgium’s Thuristar – will discuss the development of original IPs in the age of franchises, while Nick Dorra – producer of Finland’s Haruworks – will reflect on the challenges involved in the use of artificial intelligence in the animation sector. Finally, Belgian screenwriter Valérie Magis will deliver the conference “The Writing Odyssey: from a brilliant idea to distribution!”
The program will come to an end with a round table, “10 years of Cartoon Springboard: voices of the young generation”, in which Denmark’s Sif Savery, Spain’s Irene Chica and Germany’s Jan Gadermann – three young animation talents that have participated in previous editions of the event – will share their experiences and their upcoming challenges.
Led by Agnès Bizzaro as Head of Content, Cartoon Springboard’s panel of experts is composed of Iván Agenjo (Peekaboo Animation), Marta Alonso Lisbona (Teidees Audiovisuals), Dunja Bernatzky (arx anima animation studio), Nuria Blanco, Sara Cabras (RAI Kids), Carmen Córdoba González (La Chula Films), Manuel Cristóbal, Mark Cumberton (JAM Media), Ron Dyens (Sacrebleu Productions), Yago Fandiño (Radio Televisión Española – RTVE), Joaquín Garralda (Amazon MGM Studios), Enrique Gato (Lightbox Animation Studios), Valentin Greulich (Akkord Film), Anastasia Heinzl, Hyeo Jin Moon (Dandelooo), Jakub Kostal (Bionaut), Sarah Muller (BBC), Naléka N’Guessan (France Télévisions – FTV), Tania Pinto da Cunha (Pink Parrot Media), Lama Serhan (ARTE France), Mark Taynton (Adult Swim), Laurent Witz (ZEILT productions), and Stef Wouters (Haptic).
About CARTOON
CARTOON is an international non-profit association based in Brussels which organises a number of events focused on animation, including co-production and pitching events Cartoon Forum (Toulouse) and Cartoon Movie (Bordeaux), and three training events: Cartoon Springboard (Madrid), Cartoon Business (Brussels), and CartoonNext (Marseille).
James Cameron: Special Video Message at the SCSP AI+Robotics Summit
Three-time Academy Award-winning director James Cameron gives special remarks at the AI+ Robotics Summit.
The Special Competitive Studies Project’s AI+Summit Series is a set of high-level events dedicated to enabling rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as it transforms our country and becomes a keystone of our national security. The AI+Robotics Summit, the second in this series, took place on October 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the event is to chart a national strategy for leadership in AI-enabled robotics by convening innovation leaders to demonstrate technology directions, discuss policy implications, and identify the essential variables for U.S. competitiveness.
2025 David O. Selznick Achievement Award – Chris Meledandri
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today that Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, will be honored with the 2025 David O. Selznick Achievement Award for his extraordinary producing accomplishments. He will accept the honor at the 36th Annual Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
The Producers Guild of America’s Selznick Achievement Award recognizes a producer for their outstanding body of work in motion pictures. Meledandri will become only the second animation producer in the history of the PGA to receive this prestigious honor. The Selznick Award has a rich and distinguished history, with past recipients including such legendary producers as Steven Spielberg, Barbara Broccoli, Mary Parent, Charles Roven, Brian Grazer, David Heyman, Kevin Feige, and most recently Martin Scorsese.
„The extraordinary vision and innovation Chris brings to animated feature films has not only captivated audiences of all ages but also been instrumental in reshaping the entertainment landscape,“ said Producers Guild of America Presidents Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain in a joint statement. „His hands-on, meticulous approach to producing has resulted in the rare accomplishment of record-breaking films and beloved franchises. We are proud to honor Chris with this prestigious award as a leader in both the animation industry and our industry as a whole.“
Meledandri stated, “Being recognized by my peers with the David O. Selznick award is one of the most meaningful moments in my career. However, it makes me realize how much more I have to accomplish in my third act to earn an association with this legend. His influence on the artistry of motion pictures remains one of the most profound in cinematic history. I learned about life sitting in dark theaters, witnessing the magic of cinema—images that would shape my entire journey. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work with legendary filmmakers who taught me the intricacies of storytelling, production, and connecting with an audience. Their mentorship laid the foundation for everything I do today, instilling in me a deep appreciation for the craft and the collaborative effort it requires. My accomplishments in this industry have been enabled by countless filmmakers, artists, crew members, actors, studio colleagues and my fellow producers. I am deeply grateful to the PGA for this honor.“
A pioneer in the entertainment industry, Meledandri is known for some of the most successful and highest-grossing animated films and franchises of all time. Since founding Illumination in 2007, Meledandri has produced 15 feature films. Among these films are the four Despicable Me movies and two Minions movies, which comprise the most successful animated franchise in history, and the record-breaking The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Driven by the goal of uniting audiences of all ages globally and making an enormous impact on culture, Meledandri has reshaped the animation landscape by introducing beloved, unforgettable characters that have become ingrained in the pop culture zeitgeist. One of the most remarkable aspects of Meledandri’s work is his ability to transcend the screen, creating stories that form deep emotional connections and inspire passionate fandom. Illumination’s films strike the perfect balance between being subversive and emotionally engaging, allowing them to resonate far beyond the theater. This unique approach has not only resulted in box office success—grossing nearly $11 billion worldwide—but also earned critical acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination and several PGA Award nominations.
Meledandri’s producing credits include Despicable Me, The Lorax, Hop, Minions, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing, The Grinch, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Migration. Before founding Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, Meledandri was President of 20th Century Fox Animation, where he executive produced some of the studio’s most popular films, including the Ice Age films, Robots, and Horton Hears a Who. Meledandri also executive produced Cool Runnings. Upcoming Illumination films include Minions 3 and a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.
Sponsors of the 2025 Producers Guild Awards include Cadillac, the Official Vehicle, Delta Air Lines, the Official Airline, Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky, and GreenSlate.
BYU Animation „Student Accomplice“ Wins Student Academy Award
„Student Accomplice,“ a fast and funny BYU animation about a driving test that is interrupted by a bank robber, won a Student Academy Award during an Oct. 14, 2024, ceremony in London. The film, created by a team of more than 30 BYU students led by BYU student Spencer Baird (director) and recent BYU grad Brielle Hansen (producer), won a Bronze Award in animation, a category where BYU was the only U.S. university to receive the prestigious nomination. Because it is still under consideration for other awards, „Student Accomplice“ is not yet released to the public.
Pedal to the medal: BYU animated short film races to Student Academy Award In a thrilling ride of creativity, BYU animation students blend humor and storytelling in an animated film that wins a Student Academy Award.
A short film created by BYU animation students was recognized as a Student Academy Award bronze winner recently at an event in London. BYU is the first school from the U.S. to win a Student Academy Award since the competition went international. The film, “Student Accomplice,” depicts a nervous teenage girl taking her driving test with an old, placid driving instructor. The test goes awry when a bank robber hijacks the car to elude the police. Viewers enjoy the ride-along view inside the car as the flustered robber urges the girl to leave the police behind while the perplexed instructor looks on. Directed by BYU animation student Spencer Baird and produced by Brielle Hansen, the film is full of sharp twists of laughter and suspense. “We had lots of opportunities to be creative with ‘Student Accomplice,’ which was fun for us,” Baird said. “There’s a lot of hilarity and complexity layered in. It’s fast-paced in a very delightful way.” The award is another recognition for BYU’s highly decorated animation program. Earlier this year, the student film “The Witch’s Cat” won a Student Emmy. But bringing “Student Accomplice” to life presented a bigger challenge than any previous film. Animating an entire city was a heavy lift, and students were forced to design a large set and pay particular attention to details in the backgrounds of the various scenes. “To make a city look full and lived in, we couldn’t get away without background characters and filling the city with lots of interesting things and background cars,” Hansen said. “All of those details, like trash on the sidewalk and leaves flying through the air, made it feel realistic.” More than 30 students contributed to the film — skills from animation, design, commercial music and computer science played crucial roles to bring more than 7,000 individual images together in a cohesive animation. “Everything from the design of things, the lighting and texture and the effects that are in the film comes together in a beautiful way that’s pushed boundaries for what our student films have done,” said BYU animation professor Nathan Lindsay. “I think it catches the eye of the industry because we’re doing things that take a big team to accomplish, and it’s not normal for students to pull off something of this caliber.” Hansen says the recognition BYU animation students and graduates receive in the filmmaking industry is a reflection on the values of the university and the environment in which they study, where faith and inquiry are complementary. “There were a lot of faith-filled actions that we took, like not working on Sunday and having prayer before our meetings,” she said. “It was small and simple things that we did together over a year and a half. We had so much fun, and it was so special.” Baird says he’s grateful for the expert animation faculty at BYU such as Lindsay and Kelly Loosli, who are widely recognized industry professionals, for giving them hands-on opportunities to take the lead on projects. “I think that says a lot about the faculty. They trust us and they trust in the process. They trust us as students and our work ethic to bring our talents to the table.”