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Since the franchise began in 2005, Dreamworks Animations Madagascar movies ranked reveals most new movies appear to improve on the last installment in terms of quality. Released in 2005, the animated family comedy Madagascar was an expensive investment that paid off big for Dreamworks Animation. Madagascars $500 million payday proved once and for all that the sillier, less dramatic cartoons on offer from Dreamworks Animation had serious box office appeal that could match that of their competitors, even though the movie failed to impress critics.

The first Madagascar sequel, Escape 2 Africa, earned more than its predecessor and fared better with critics, but it was 2012s Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted that saw the series earn a massive $750 million and the best reviews of the franchise. However, 2014s spin-off movie Penguins of Madagascar underperformed at the box office despite receiving solid reviews, calling the franchise's future into question. Outside of the box office, though,...

“Moana” and “Raya and the Last Dragon” producer Osnat Shurer has left the Magic Kingdom.

She has joined Baobab Studios, where she will serve as co-chief creative officer alongside company founder and Cco Eric Darnell, a DreamWorks veteran who worked as a director on “Antz” and every “Madagascar” film (including “Penguins of Madagascar”).

Shurer joined Disney more than a decade ago as a VP of development, having come from Pixar where she oversaw short films like the Oscar-nominated “Boundin’” and “Lifted.” She also worked on shorts that appeared on the studio’s home video releases like “Jack Jack Attack,” written and directed by Brad Bird, which appeared on the home video release of “The Incredibles.”

Baobab Studios describes itself as “the leading interactive animation studio” and has produced a number of award-winning VR experiences. At Baobab Shurer joins Maureen Fan, the chief creative officer (she is a veteran of game...

Osnat Shurer, an Oscar-nominated producer of Disney Animation’s Moana and Raya and the Last Dragon, has joined Baobab Studios as co-chief creative officer, alongside company founder and Cco Eric Darnell (Madagascar).

Previously, Shurer served as Walt Disney Feature Animation’s vp development and as executive producer of the short films group at Pixar, where she produced or executive produced shorts such as 2006’s Lifted and 2003’s Boundin’.

As she joins interactive animation studio Baobab, Shurer joins creative leaders including Darnell, chief content officer Kane Lee and advisors and investors such as Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull and Disney legend Glen Keane.

“We are thrilled to welcome Osnat to Baobab,” said Maureen Fan, CEO and co-founder of the studio. “She has a gift for launching franchises with beloved characters that resonate across ages and cultures. Osnat’s extensive background brings invaluable expertise to our growing story franchises across film, television, games and books.

Indie animation studio Baobab Studios has brought in Oscar-nominated producer Osnat Shurer (Moana) to serve as Co-Chief Creative Officer alongside Cco Eric Darnell (Madagascar).

Boasting 30+ years of experience in animation, Shurer comes to the company from Walt Disney Feature Animation, where she served as VP of Development, having simultaneously held a role as the executive producer of the short films group at Pixar. Going forward, she’ll be part of a creative brain trust which includes Darnell and Kane Lee (Chief Content Officer), and such advisors and investors as Ed Catmull and Oscar-winning filmmaker Glen Keane, among others.

Among the first projects Shurer will work on at Baobab are the Momoguro multiplatform franchise, which includes a digital collectibles game, an upcoming Roblox game, and a TV series in development, and two falling under a TV development deal with Disney+.

An animated television series based on the digital collectible RPG game Momoguro is in development from Baobab Studios.

The independent interactive animation studio is working on the series in collaboration with Momoguro directors Martin Allias and Nico Casavecchia. While Baobab has not yet decided on a distributor, the Emmy-winning studio recently announced two upcoming projects with Disney+. With the streamer, Baobab is developing an animated anthology series titled “The Witchverse,” based on the short VR film “Baba Yaga” written by Eric Darnell, and a feline workplace comedy series called “Intercats,” created by Darnell and Pamela Ribon.

Baobab is also busy at work launching a new Roblox video game based on the Momoguro IP, which will land on the gaming platform this summer. According to its official description, Momoguro: Momo Quest is an “adventure game where you save Momo Island from the Singulars trying to snatch away its power crystals.”

The description continues,...

Jennifer Lopez is one of the most talented and versatile actresses in Hollywood. With a career spanning over two decades, she has captivated audiences with her performances in a wide range of films. As a result, creating a Jennifer Lopez movies list is a challenging but worthwhile task.

This article aims to rank Jennifer Lopez’s movies from best to worst, providing movie fans with a comprehensive guide to the actress’s filmography. By using a specific methodology, we have carefully considered each of Jennifer Lopez’s movies and ranked them accordingly based on box office grossing, as well as IMDb rating and Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

From the rom-com that made her a household name to her more recent, critically acclaimed performances, this Jennifer Lopez movies list has it all. So, whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering her work, this article is the ultimate resource for all things Jennifer Lopez movies.

Screenwriter Pamela Ribon has entered into a first look-agreement with Disney Television Animation.

The first project under the deal from Ribon — who wrote Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Moana” and Sony Animation Studio’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village” — with Disney Branded Television and multiple Emmy Award-winning Baobab Studios is the animated sitcom “Intercats.”

Told through the big reflective eyes of cats, “Intercats” is a four-quadrant animated workplace comedy about the felines who produce viral videos on the Internet. It follows a ragtag team of cats aspiring for independence, who must navigate internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos.

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“We’re fortunate to be partnering with Baobab for a second time and to be working with Pam whose smart, sly, sophisticated and inspiring humor ensures...

Disney Branded Television is developing an animated workplace sitcom with Pamela Ribon and Baobab Studios.

Currently titled “Intercats,” the series is said to be “about the cats who produce the hysterical cat videos that go viral on the Internet. It features a ragtag team of cats aspiring to get what all cats want: their independence. But to do so, they must first learn to navigate their own internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos.”

Eric Darnell is the creator and executive producer of “Intercats.” Darnell is Baobab’s co-founder and chief creative officer as well as the writer and director of “Baba Yaga,” “Madagascar” and “Antz.” Gary Marsh is also an executive producer. Jony Chandra will direct.

Ribon will be heavily involved with the development on “Intercats” under a new first-look deal she has signed with Disney Branded Television’s animation studio,...

Disney Branded Television is developing Intercats, an animated cat workplace comedy for Disney+ from Baobab Studios (The Witchverse), screenwriter Pamela Ribon and Disney Television Animation, where Ribon has recently entered into a first-look deal. The project is Ribon’s first under the pact.

Here’s the logline: Told through the big reflective eyes of cats, Intercats is a four-quadrant animated workplace comedy about the cats who produce the hysterical cat videos that go viral on the Internet. It features a ragtag team of cats aspiring to get what all cats want: their independence. But, to do so, they must first learn to navigate their own internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos. Intercats reflects the heroic lengths we will all go to find and secure our own place in the world.

Baobab Studios co-founder and chief creative officer Eric Darnell is the creator and executive producer of Intercats. Gary Marsh is also an executive producer. Jony Chandra will direct. Disney Television Animation is working closely with Baobab Studios on the project.

“We’re fortunate to be partnering with Baobab for a second time and to be working with Pam whose smart, sly, sophisticated and inspiring humor ensures that Intercats will provide wild fun, rich characterizations and accessible entry points for every part of the Disney+ audience,” said Meredith Roberts, EVP TV Animation, Disney Branded Television. “We’re thrilled to have her on this project — and to expand the relationship to include an overall deal with our Disney TV Animation studio.”

Ribon, recipient of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s 2022 Cristal Award, wrote two of Disney’s Oscar-nominated and Annie Award-winning films, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Moana, and Sony Animation Studio’s Smurfs: The Lost Village. In addition to screenwriting, Ribon is a best-selling novelist, including Going in Circles and Why Girls Are Weird, inspired by her website, pamie.com, and a comic book writer. She also wrote an animated short for FX, My Year of Dicks, which this year won recognition at the Annecy International Film Festival, SXSW, the Brooklyn Film Festival, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and the Ottawa International Film Festival. Ribon is repped by CAA, Atlas Literary, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher, Llp.

Nine-time Emmy-winning Baobab Studios, founded in 2015 by Maureen Fan, Darnell and Larry Cutler, has released eight projects to date — Invasion!, Asteroids!, Jack, Crow: The Legend, Bonfire, Baba Yaga, Paper Birds, and Namoo.

Pamela Ribon is represented by CAA, Atlas Literary, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher, Llp.

Exclusive: Pixar co-founder and longtime Disney Animation President Ed Catmull has joined the Board of Directors and Creative Advisory Board at Baobab Studios.

Honored with five Academy Awards as well as the A.M. Turing Award (referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing”) for his contributions to 3D graphics and CGI filmmaking, Catmull brings over 50 years of experience to Baobab’s board. He served as President of both Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, from Pixar’s acquisition by Disney in 2006 through his retirement in 2019, and oversaw numerous groundbreaking films from both studios, including Disney’s Big Hero 6, Frozen and Zootopia, and Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, to name a few. As a member of the independent animation studio’s boards, Catmull will guide creative and operations, as the studio accelerates its award-winning storytelling across both emerging and traditional mediums.

“I’m honored...

The View Conference in association with Baobab Studios and Ogr is presenting free virtual panels with the creatives behind some of the season’s most critically acclaimed animated films.

First up is a free virtual screening and conversation with the filmmakers behind “Namoo,” the shortlisted animated short by Oscar-nominated Erick Oh. In addition to Oh, speakers will include Baobab Studios’ co-founders Maureen Fan and Eric Darnell, who produced “Namoo,” art director Eusong Lee and lead Quill artist Nick Ladd. Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey will moderate.

The panel will take place Friday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m. Pt.

“Namoo,” which means tree in Korean, follows one man’s journey from birth to death, touching on beautiful and heartbreaking moments throughout his life. The film, which was created in VR and 2D, was produced by Baobab Studios and executive produced by John Cho, and produced by Baobab’s Fan, Darnell, Larry Cutler and Kane Lee.

Last year, filmmaker Erick Oh was nominated for an Oscar for his expansive and thought-provoking animated short “Opera,” which contemplated the contemporary world by exploring a huge pyramid where hundreds of little figures were born, lived, loved, went to war and died in a continuous loop.

He’s back in Oscar’s sights this year with a film that again looks at the cycle of life, but this time with an intensely personal, yet still universal, lens. “Namoo,” which was created in both 2D and VR with Baobab Studios, follows a man from birth to death. The short is on the Academy’s shortlist for consideration in best animated short film.

“’Namoo,’ which means tree in Korean, was inspired by the loss of my grandfather a long time ago,” Oh explains. “At the time, it was a sudden goodbye and we weren’t prepared for it, so during my grieving...

WarnerMedia OneFifty has acquired the short films, “Namoo” and “When the Sun Sets,” to be released on HBO Max.

Both films are shortlisted to be nominated for the 2022 Academy Awards, with “Namoo” as a contender in the animated short film category and “When the Sun Sets” in the live-action short film category. The nominations will be formally announced on Feb. 8.

“WarnerMedia’s ‘artist studio where innovation happens,’ OneFifty has built a track record of identifying incredible artists whose vision we believe in, and acquiring their extraordinary, groundbreaking content. We are excited to continue working with these filmmakers for many years to come,” Axel Caballero, Vice President of Arts & Cultural Innovations and Head of WarnerMedia OneFifty, said in a statement announcing the acquisitions.

Leslie Cohen, senior vice president of film acquisitions for HBO/HBO Max, finalized the deals for both titles. Amanda Trokan, HBO Max director of content acquisitions, worked on...

Disney Branded Television has teamed with Baobab Studios on The Witchverse, an animated anthology series based on Baobab’s Emmy-winning VR experience and animated short film Baba Yaga.

Disney Television Animation is overseeing the development of the project for Disney+. Eric Darnell, writer-director of Baba Yaga, Madagascar, Antz and Baobab’s co-founder and chief creative officer, will executive-produce the series.

The Witchverse is described as a global celebration of the international cultural phenomena of witches, their magic and their universal connection to nature. Each witch-i-sode will comically explore and upend common misconceptions surrounding global witch mythology and lore from a mélange of cultures and perspectives around the world.

“We’re inspired by Baobab’s bold creative vision that redefines, deepens and expands storytelling about witches in a way that is transformative and entertaining and filled with humor and heart,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television.

The Baba Yaga VR...

Exclusive: Award-winning actor John Cho (Searching, Star Trek) has signed on to Erick Oh’s animated short, Namoo, as an executive producer.

Pic is Oh’s follow-up to Opera, which landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film earlier this year.

Namoo­—which translates in Korean to “tree”—is a hand-painted narrative poem inspired by the passing of Oh’s grandfather. The short follows the beautiful and heartbreaking moments of a man’s life, from beginning to end, and is billed as the writer-director’s most personal work to date. It’s being produced by nine-time Emmy winner Baobab Studios.

“Though Erick’s film is based on his grandfather, it resonated for me in a very personal way. A valentine as well as a testament to the artistic process, this film is a little miracle in that it was animated during the pandemic by artists across the world,...

Actors Lupita Nyong’o and Mark Hamill were among the winners in the Daytime Emmys’ Children’s and Animation categories, announced Saturday.

Nyong’o won out in the category of Outstanding Limited Performance In a Children’s Program, with her turn as “The Storyteller” in Netflix’s Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.

Hamill, meanwhile, dominated the category of Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program. He was recognized for his performance as Vuli in Disney Channel series Elena of Avalor.

The latest Emmys telecast was hosted by singer, songwriter, director and Daytime Emmy Award-nominated actress Raven-Symoné. Additional presenters included Millie Davis (PBS’s Odd Squad), and Tom Kenny (Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants), with awards given out in 30 categories.

The first batch of 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards were handed out in 41 categories, on June 25. An additional award show focused on Lifestyle Programming, will be presented on Sunday.

Tonight’s full list of winners can be found below.

Exclusive: WME has hired former Columbia Pictures creative executive Eric Darnell as an agent in the motion picture literary department.

At Columbia Pictures, Darnell supervised production on Scott Beck & Bryan Woods’ Adam Driver-starring sci-fi thriller, 65, in addition to shepherding development across a multitude of projects.

Previously, Darnell worked at the Russo Brother’s Agbo where he helped shepherd development and production across both film with Apple’s Cherry, A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, Netflix’s Exit West and Universal’s The Electric State, as well as television with Amazon’s Citadel.

Prior to that, Darnell was a contributing member of the Lucasfilm story group where he supported executives during the production of Star Wars Ep 9: The Rise of Skywalker which grossed over $1.07 billion at the global box office.

Darnell joins WME on the heels of several agent promotions across the department, including Connor Armstrong, McCall​ Koenig and Brett​ Rosen.

Exclusive: Constance Wu, star of ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat and Crazy Rich Asians, is moving into TV production and has struck a first-look deal with eOne.

The actress is launching a production venture and has tapped Justine Jones as Vice President of Development.

It comes as Wu is developing a feature adaptation of Rachel Khong’s novel Goodbye Vitamin, with Dylan Clark Productions, that she will star in and exec produce.

Last year, Wu wrapped up the sixth and final season of ABC comedy Fresh Off The Boat, in which she starred as Jessica Huang. She also starred as Rachel Chu in Warner Bros. hit feature film Crazy Rich Asians, which was directed by Jon M. Chu, where she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Coming up, Wu stars in Amazon anthology series Solos, alongside Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie and Dan Stevens.

The creators behind Baobab Studios will talk about building their award-winning VR animation house as it celebrates its five year anniversary during a PreVIEW virtual talk on Saturday, Jan. 30, beginning at 10 a.m. Pt, presented by the View Conference.

Baobab is behind the innovative animated VR shorts ““Asteroids,” “Invasion,” “Crow the Legend,” “Bonfire,” “Jack: Part One” and its current VR experience “Baba Yaga,” which features the voices of Kate Winslet, Jennifer Hudson, Glenn Close and Daisy Ridley.

On hand to share stories behind Baobab’s journey will be CEO Maureen Fan, chief creative officer Eric Darnell, chief technology officer Larry Cutler and head of content Kane Lee will look back on an eventful half-decade, which has included creating the shorts “Asteroids,” “Invasion,” “Crow the Legend” and “Bonfire.” The Baobab team will also discuss its current VR experience “Baba Yaga,” which explores the Eastern European legend through a tale of climate change.

View Conference has set its first three PreVIEW events for 2021. The free virtual talks feature the gamut of animated films: shorts, VR and feature.

First up, on Friday, Jan 15, will be the filmmakers behind Netflix’s three animated shorts: “Canvas,” directed by Frank Abney and produced by Paige Johnstone; “Cops and Robbers,” directed by Arnon Manor and Timothy Ware-Hill; and “If Anything Happens I Love You,” directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier. The shorts employ three different styles, but each tell powerful and socially relevant stories.

“Canvas” follows a grieving grandfather who learns to embrace his creativity again with the help of his young granddaughter. “If Anything Happens” examines the aftermath of a school shooting. And “Cops and Robbers” uses animation to illustrate Ware-Hill’s poem about racial injustice and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The virtual talk, dubbed “Go Behind the Scenes of Netflix’s First Three Animated Shorts,...

Daisy Ridley and Jennifer Hudson’s avatars stood on stage before a captive audience. “I’ve been holed up for a year, so this is like the first party I’ve been to and it’s just great,” said Ridley, as her animated self smiled and looked out at the room. “I’m in awe,” Hudson added.

In reality, they were hidden behind headsets with Ridley located outside London and Hudson in Chicago. In the VR crowd milling about before the conversation began, an attendee snarked, “You’ve got to wonder how many of these people are wearing pants right now.”

The event was a celebration of “Baba Yaga,” the latest family-friendly project from Baobab Studios, a five-year-old Silicon Valley company that has produced seven VR experiences to date. Though “Baba Yaga” reached its first audiences as part of the Venice International Film Festival’s VR section last fall, it...

For Baobab Studios, partnering with the United Nations on VR short “Baba Yaga” was a natural step. The company, which has won awards for its diverse, engaging content, worked with the U.N. and the org’s ActNow app for action on climate change and sustainability to tell the tale of “Baba Yaga,” inspired by ancient legends of witches who protect nature.

In the short, set to be released in early 2021, Baba Yaga is more a mantle to be handed down through generations. In this case, the title character, voiced by Kate Winslet, passes down the role of teaching others to live harmoniously with nature to young Magda (voiced by Daisy Ridley).

“There are two really important things in the film. One is female empowerment. It’s an all-female cast with all female characters. The second one is environmentalism,” says Baobab’s CEO Maureen Fan. “And we couldn’t think...

Industrial Light & Magic’s Dennis Muren will receive the View Conference’s 2020 Visionary Award during this year’s event, which is taking place both in-person in Turin, Italy, and virtually.

The longtime VFX maven is best known for his work on the original “Star Wars,” as well as “The Abyss,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Jurassic Park.” Currently he is creative director and senior visual effects supervisor and Ilm, working on the company’s ground-breaking techniques and technologies. He’s won nine Oscars.

“Dennis Muren is a force of nature and a real living legend,” said conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “Throughout his career, he has elevated his craft to the highest levels and inspired young artists to follow him into the stratosphere. He is, without question, a worthy recipient of this year’s Visionary Award.”

Muren will give a keynote address on Friday, Oct. 23, the last day of the conference,...

Italy’s View Conference, the week-long confab featuring top creatives from around the world in film, television, games, virtual reality, and more is going entirely digital this year with all live sessions being made available for free to a global audience.

Usually the high-caliber event, now in its 21st edition, which spotlights the latest in computer graphics, animation, and visual effects of various types, is held in Turin against an Alpine backdrop. Over the years it has evolved into a Davos-like conference where the digital creative community’s top execs fly in to hear each other’s talks and hobnob, perhaps over a nice bottle of Barolo. That aspect due to Covid-19 is being scrapped this year though “virtual rooms” following presentations are being set up.

Of course it won’t be the same thing. But conference director Maria Gutierrez says there are also some advantages to being online only.

The View Conference is offering free streaming access to its 2020 program, which runs from Oct. 18-23 in Turin, Italy.

“There has been so much bad news in 2020, so I’m thrilled to be able to share some great news for a change,” said conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “Everyone could use some extra light and joy in their lives, so we have made the unprecedented decision to make this year’s conference completely free.” Those who register will have streaming access to the conference’s 125 online and on-site talks, workshops, master classes and panels.

“Every session will be available online, allowing anyone to attend anywhere in the world,” said Gutierrez. “This is a fantastic chance to grow the View community and to welcome into our family participants who are unable to travel to Torino or buy a full access pass.”

Keynote speakers include Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, Industrial Light & Magic’s Dennis Muren,...

“Nomadland” has received the Golden Lion Award as the best film of the 2020 Venice International Film Festival, a jury headed by Cate Blanchett announced on Saturday.

The Searchlight drama, a simultaneous premiere by the Venice, Telluride and Toronto festivals, was directed by Chloe Zhao and stars Frances McDormand as a woman who travels through the American West in a van after losing her job and her home. Apart from McDormand and David Strathairn, almost all of the actors in the film are actual “nomads” that Zhao cast on her own travels through the area.

“Nuevo Orden” (“New Order”) by Mexican director Michel Franco won the Silver Lion, the festival’s second-place award, while acting prizes went to Vanessa Kirby for “Pieces of a Woman” and Pierfrancesco Favino for “Padrenostro.”

Kiyoshi Kurosawa was named the festival’s best director for “Wife of a Spy.”

Ahmad Bahrami’s “The Wasteland” won the...

Kate Winslet, Jennifer Hudson and Glenn Close have joined previously announced lead Daisy Ridley in the cast of VR animated film “Baba Yaga,” which will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Hudson is also an executive producer on the pic from Baobab Studios, which will make a push for the Oscar for animated short.

The film plays in Venice on Sept. 2 as part of Venice VR Expanded, the Virtual Reality section of the event. It was written and directed by Eric Darnell, whose credits include the “Madagascar” franchise and “Antz,” and co-directed by Mathias Chelebourg.

In “Baba Yaga,” viewers will be invited as a character into a fairytale world, and their choices could determine the ending of the story. The enigmatic witch Baba Yaga (Winslet) uses her powers to stop the villagers whose settlement encroaches on her enchanted Forest (Hudson). When the viewer’s mother, the Chief (Close), falls deathly ill,...

Kate Winslet, Jennifer Hudson and Glenn Close have joined previously announced lead Daisy Ridley in the voice cast of Venice Film Festival-bound VR project Baba Yaga.

Hudson is an executive-producer on the immersive short film set in a haunting fairytale world where viewers can decide the direction of the story. The experience follows enigmatic witch Baba Yaga (Winslet) who uses her powers to stop the villagers whose settlement encroaches upon her enchanted Forest (Hudson). When the viewer’s mother, the Chief (Close), falls ill, it is up to them and their sister Magda (Ridley) to enter the forbidden rainforest, uncover its hidden mysteries and get the cure from Baba Yaga.

Directed and written by Baobab Studios co-founder Eric Darnell (Madagascar franchise), and co-directed by Mathias Chelebourg, the experience is a contemporary portrayal of the Eastern European folk story re-imagined with illustrative 2D pop-up animation and hand-drawn and stop-motion styles.

The...

“Jojo Rabbit” breakout and “Home Alone” reboot star Archie Yates is voicing the lead role in the animated VR film “Paper Birds,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Award-winning VR shop Baobab Studios has come on board the project to produce along with Facebook’s Oculus and Latin American animation studio 3Dar.

“Paper Birds,” directed by 3Dar CEO and co-founder German Heller and art director Federico Carlini, tells the story of a young musician named Toto (Yates) whose music attracts a following of mysterious paper birds that help him unlock a portal between the physical world and a dark world invisible to the naked eye. Toto plays a bandoneon, with music performed by renowned Argentine tango bandoneon player Juan Jose Mosalini. Filmmakers crafted the entire universe to feel like each detail has been handmade by artisans. It will be presented in two installments, with the first part available through Oculus later this year.

Venice VR Expanded will run online this year.

The virtual reality line-up for the Venice Film Festival (September 2-12) features 31 competition titles, including a project created by Jon Favreau.

Badged Venice VR Expanded, the strand will run entirely online. The out of competition line-up includes nine of the best international VR titles and four projects developed during the Biennale College Cinema - VR.

The Favreau project is Gnomes & Goblins, an original production from Wevr, MWMi and Golem Creations that features a virtual world created by the Lion King director in collaboration with VR director Jake Rowell.

The Venice VR digital platform,...

Northern California-based indie toon houses Baobab Studios, Kuku Studios and Tonko House have joined forces to form the Bay Area Animation Alliance to build a community of industry professionals in the area and foster creativity.

One of the group’s first events was to hold an auction of original work by artists from each of the studios to benefit the Equal Justice Initiative — founded by lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson — whose goal it is to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S.

The first Art Auction for Racial Justice raised nearly $13,000 and drew the attention other Bay Area-based artists who asked if they could participate. A second auction is taking place this weekend, June 19-22 at baanimationalliance.org/events.

“We’ve been so inspired by the Bay Area animation community’s reaction to our first Baaa art auction,” says Baobab Studios’ Eric Darnell, who directed all of...

Star Wars franchise star Daisy Ridley hasn’t been in much since wrapping up the Skywalker Saga late last year. But she’s seemingly taken a liking to virtual reality, narrating a Vr game called The Dawn of Art which dropped in February and now coming on board another Vr project. This one is called Baba Yaga, […]

The post Daisy Ridley to Star in ‘Baba Yaga’, a Virtual Reality Short From ‘Madagascar’ Director Eric Darnell appeared first on /Film.

Virtual Reality producers Baobab Studios have announced that “Star Wars” actor Daisy Ridley will headline the company’s next Vr project, “Baba Yaga,” presenting a Work in Progress panel at this year’s online Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the spectacle of a ‘Star Wars’ film and not to think about the talent of the actors,” director Eric Darnell told Variety, discussing the pleasure of working with Ridley. “It’s even more remarkable when you know that she is standing in front of a greenscreen in a sound studio. For us, to have the opportunity to work with her was huge. Certainly, she is a big name, but for me, it’s always great when you work with wonderful actors.”

“Often actors earlier in their careers can be quite insecure,” he went on. “Daisy, on the other hand, is centered and confident,...

Annecy 2020 Online’s second wave of special programming for its world-class French animation festival (June 15-30) will include a preview from the highly anticipated “Connected”, the latest feature from “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and a Masterclass from stop-motion director Henry Selick and composer Bruno Coulais, who collaborated on Netflix’s upcoming demon comedy, “Wendell & Wild”, and Laika’s “Coraline.”

Also in the mix will be discussions with director Dean DeBlois (DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy), Disney’s legendary directing duo Ron Clements and John Musker, Disney’s chief creative officer/director Jennifer Lee and director Chris Buck on their upcoming Disney+ doc, “Into the Unknown: Making ‘Frozen 2′” (streaming June 26), the art of storyboarding at Cartoon Network Studios (“Summer Camp Island”), a 20th anniversary remembrance of “Chicken Run” with Aardman’s Nick Park and Peter Lord, and a conversation with the...

Netflix, Disney Sony, Cartoon Network Studios, Dean DeBlois and Aardman are reading presentations at France’s Annecy Film Festival — as 2020’s Annecy, even online, once more proves to be the biggest animation fest in the world and the international event with the largest Hollywood and now global platform presence.

Put together, Annecy’s latest big wave of programming announcement suggests that its move online will mean no world premiere of a potential Hollywood blockbuster – such as, in the past, the “Despicable Me” movie series. With more studio involvement most probably still to be announced, many of the good and great of the English-speaking animation world do look more than willing, however, to roll up their sleeves to update accredited festival viewers on upcoming releases such as, of titles now announced, Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild” and Sony Pictures Animation’s “Connected.”

Netflix

A masterclass between stop-motion luminary Henry Selick and composer...

We Are One: A Global Film Festival, a 10-day collaboration between 21 different international festivals that will bring features and short films to YouTube for 10 days of free programming, has announced a lineup of 31 features and 72 short films from 35 different countries. The free online festival will also include television and Vr programs and a series of conversations with figures including Jackie Chan, Guillermo del Toro, Bong Joon Ho and Francis Ford Coppola.

We Are One was spearheaded by the Tribeca Enterprises in the wake of that festival’s postponement this year. The online festival will begin airing on YouTube on Friday, May 29.

The films were programmed by nearly two dozen different festivals, including the Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Sundance and New York Film Festivals. About half the festivals selected both features and shorts, though Cannes and the New York Film Festival submitted only short films, while Toronto, Macao, Tokyo and Berlin...

Exclusive: Baobab Studios will venture into the world of graphic novels with Intercats, a new brand the Emmy-winning animation house is now developing as a namesake interactive series with broader tentpole aspirations.

First Second Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, and Baobab are fast-tracking the publishing venture with plans for a 2020 release for the first graphic novel in a planned series. The illustrated books will showcase the wryly comedic feline fantasy created by Baobab Studios Chief Creative Officer Eric Darnell, the writer-director of all four Madagascar films and Antz.

Like those hit films, the visual humor of Intercats is rooted in the animal world but it also connects with audiences by scratching at deeper issues concerning the human heart.

“Taking what we think we know about animals and turning it on its ear can provide an elegant shorthand to getting at some of the things that make us human, Darnell explained.

“Facing It,” a claymation/live-action film about how relationships mold people, has won the 2019 View Conference Award for best short film. The film was written and directed by Sam Gainsborough and co-written by Louisa Wood and produced at the National Film and Television School’s Beaconsfield Studio in Beaconsfield, U.K.

The View Awards are an offshoot of Italy’s View Conference, held each October. View, which stands for Virtual Interactive Emerging World, draws top talent in visual effects, animation, gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality to its weeklong conferences to give talks, participate in panels and hold master classes.

Other award winners are “Trois Francs, Six Sous,” a 3D-animated short about a farmer in World War II France by co-directors Clémence Ottevaere, Florence Blain, Louise Leblond, Varoon Indalkar, Morgane Ladjel and Hugo Valdelièvre-Rattier, which won the jury prize for story; “Blieschow,” a short written and directed by Christoph Sarow and animated,...

Against the picturesque backdrop of the Alps, the View Conference will celebrate its 20th year in Turin, Italy, with its fullest program ever, featuring top creatives from around the world in film, television and games and more who will give keynote talks and present masterclasses at the weeklong event, Oct. 21-25.

This edition boasts director of DreamWorks Animation’s hit “Abominable” Jill Culton; Brad Bird, director of last year’s “Incredibles 2”; Peter Ramsey, co-director of Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”; “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” director Dean DeBlois; composer Michael Giacchino; “The Lion King” VFX supervisor Rob Legato; “The Addams Family” co-director Conrad Vernon; Industrial Light & Magic’s Rob Bredow; Emmy-winning Baobab Studios’ Eric Darnell and Maureen Fan; and Sergio Pablos, director of Netflix’s first original animated film “Klaus.” A recent addition is “Frozen II” VFX supervisor Steve Goldberg, who will present a preview of...

The 2019 View Conference has added several new speakers, including “Frozen 2” VFX supervisor Steve Goldberg, who will present a preview of the much anticipated “Frozen 2” at the conference ahead of the film’s Nov. 22 opening. Goldberg has worked on several other Disney Animation projects including “Frozen,” “Tangled” and 1992’s “Aladdin,” for which he received a BAFTA nomination.

It was also announced that View Conference will present its Visionary Award to Pixar’s Ralph Eggleston during the weeklong event next month in Turin, Italy. View Conference director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez said the conference was honoring Eggleston “for his many years of bringing unparalleled beauty to this world.”

Production designer and filmmaker Eggleston won an Oscar in 2002 for his short film “For the Birds,” and has won three Annie Awards as production designer on Pixar’s “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo” and “Inside Out.” Earlier this year, he was honored at the Annie...

Jill Culton, writer and director of “Abominable,” the upcoming animated feature from DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studios has been added to the roster of keynote speakers set for the 20th View Conference in Turin, Italy.

The film, about a yeti making his way home to Mount Everest, is set to open Sept. 27 after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival. “Abominable” will also screen at Viewfest, a film festival that precedes the conference.

Culton joins long list of showbiz and gaming heavyweights speaking at the event this year, including Brad Bird, director of last year’s “Incredibles 2”; Peter Ramsey, co-director of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”; “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” director Dean DeBlois; composer Michael Giacchino; Pixar filmmaker Ralph Eggleston; “The Lion King” VFX supervisor Rob Legato; “The Addams Family” co-director Conrad Vernon; Industrial Light & Magic’s Rob Bredow; Pubg CEO Ch Kim; Baobab Studios’s Eric Darnell...

Rob Legato, visual effects supervisor of “The Lion King,” “The Addams Family” co-director Conrad Vernon and Baobab Studios’ co-founder and chief creative officer Eric Darnell, director of the Vr studio’s Emmy- and Annie-winning Vr short “Crow: The Legend,” are rounding out the keynote speakers at this fall’s 20th edition of the View Conference in Turin, Italy.

They join previously announced keynote speakers Brad Bird, director of last year’s “Incredibles 2”; Peter Ramsey, co-director of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”; “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” director Dean DeBlois; composer Michael Giacchino; Pixar filmmaker Ralph Eggleston; Industrial Light & Magic’s Rob Bredow; Pubg CEO Ch Kim; Baobab Studios CEO Maureen Fan; tech pioneer and consultant Tom Wujec; and renowned scientist Daniel Zajfman.

In addition to their keynote addresses, Bird and Ramsey will offer master classes and Giacchino will perform a concert of his work during the weeklong event.

The CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless” led all shows in wins at the 46th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which were handed out on Friday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

The series won five awards, to four for Amazon Prime Video’s “After Forever” and Baobab Studios’ “Crown: The Legend.” Three awards each went to “Days of Our Lives,” “Sesame Street,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “The Talk.”

CBS was the leading network, with 12 wins, to 10 for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and PBS.

Also Read: Daytime Emmy Nominations: 'Days of Our Lives,' 'General Hospital' Lead Nominees

The show is a precursor to the Daytime Emmy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, May 5.

Here is the list of winning shows. The full list of individual winners in each category can be found at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website.

Ali Wong, Jeffrey Wright, Noah Schnapp, and Yo-Yo Ma are featured in the Tribeca Film Festival’s 2019 lineup of immersive, interactive, and virtual reality titles.

Projects include a South Carolina school tragedy in “12 Seconds of Gunfire: The True Story of a School Shooting,” Arthur Ashe’s landmark tennis victory in “Ashe ’68,” an exploration of pollution and conservation in “A Drop in the Ocean,” and persecution of the Lgbtqia community in “Another Dream.”

Tribeca Immersive encompasses Virtual Arcade with 22 experiences and exhibits, and Tribeca Cinema360 with a dozen screenings in a virtual reality theater. The Tribeca Film Festival takes place from April 24 to May 5.

The festival will premiere the first “Doctor Who” experience in Vr with “Doctor Who: The Runaway,” voiced by the current and first female doctor, Jodie Whittaker, and present a collaboration with historian/podcaster Dan Carlin and Mwm Immersive that transports attendees to a World War I battlefield in “War Remains.

Baobab Studios’ Bonfire, Yo-Yo Ma project Into The Light among selections.

Tribeca Film Festival brass on Wednesday (6) unveiled the 2019 immersive programme of more than 30 Vr, Ar, and mixed reality films and experiences.

New work includes Baobab Studios’ Bonfire created by the Madagascar series and Antz director Eric Darnell and featuring Ali Wong; Wolves In The Walls: It’s All Over includes Jeffrey Wright and Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things; and Immersive experiences including Into The Light featuring musician Yo-Yo Ma, and Ayahuasca (pictured) created by Jan Kounen.

Tribeca Immersive includes two events, the Virtual Arcade featuring Storyscapes, and Tribeca Cinema...

Exclusive: Ali Wong, the stand-up comic, writer and actor, has been set to provide the lead voice in Bonfire, the next Vr project from Emmy-winning Vr/Ar producer Baobab Studios.

Baobab co-founder Eric Darnell, who co-directed and co-wrote all of the Madagascar films as well as Antz!, wrote and is directing Bonfire, which is being billed an an absurd alien adventure. Wong plays Debbie, the robot sidekick to Space Scout 817, like Boabab’s previous interactive experiences the main character controlled by the user/viewer.

The plot: You are on a mission to discover a new home for the human race after it has made a mess of Earth, and eventually crash-land on an unknown planet 300 light-years away. Your only source of light is your makeshift bonfire, and you only have Debbie to guide you. In this intimate setting, you have the opportunity to embrace, explore and influence the world around you,...

The Annie Awards, recognizing a need to celebrate all of the animated content being made these days in virtual reality, has created a category this year to honor that work. The Annies will be handed out Feb. 2 at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Until now, Vr content had to create a 2D version and, in some cases, play in theaters, in order to become eligible for awards recognition, and that can be a time-consuming and costly process. So Asifa-Hollywood, the organization behind the Annies, set up a Vr lab at the Burbank HQ so judges could view the content as it was meant to be seen.

“A flat version of Vr is one thing,” says Asifa-Hollywood exec director Frank Gladstone. “Vr itself is something different.” Making sure the judges saw the content as it was meant to be seen was paramount. “It should be seen the way it was produced.

The Annie Awards, recognizing a need to celebrate all the animated content being made these days in virtual reality, has created a category this year to honor that work.

Until now, Vr content had to create a 2D version and, in some cases, play in theaters, in order to become eligible for awards recognition, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. So Asifa-Hollywood, the organization behind the Annies, set up a Vr lab at the Burbank HQ so that judges could view the content as it was meant to be seen.

“A flat version of Vr is one thing,” Asifa-Hollywood exec director Frank Gladstone notes. “Vr itself is something different.” Making sure the judges saw the content as it was meant to be seen was paramount. “It should be seen the way it was produced,” he says.

The setup at the Asifa-Hollywood offices was costly. “It’s a big expense,...

Virtual reality has been making inroads in the entertainment business for several years, but 2018 has been an especially big one for animated projects.

This year, there are at least two Vr-animated shorts vying for Oscar nominations: Google Spotlight Stories’ “Age of Sail” and Baobab Studios’ “Crow: The Legend.” Disney has created its first Vr animated project (“Cycles”) and is also using Vr to help market its animated feature “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” Earlier this year, Nickelodeon’s Entertainment Lab created a real-time Vr experience for the studio’s “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to promote the series’ reboot at Comic-Con. And the players in all of these ventures say that the landscape for Vr animation can only get better.

“I don’t think anyone doubts that Vr is going to become a thing,” says Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO of Vr studio Baobab, which has already won Emmys...

Oculus Studios has teamed with Baobab Studios for a bold Vr experience for their animated feature Crow: The Legend which features the voices of John Legend, Oprah Winfrey, Constance Wu, and Diego Luna. The experience is set to launch next week on Oculus Rift and Oculus Go next week.

Crow: The Legend is a Native American origin story that follows the titular Crow (voiced by Legend), who, because of his vibrant colors and beautiful voice, is the most popular and admired animal in the forest. When the first winter arrives, the forest becomes a different place and Crow must decide if he wants to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends.

The experience, which is Oculus’ most ambitious project to date, gives you an active role to play as the story unfolds around you. You are born “The Spirit of the Seasons,” with the power to impact the weather and environment using Touch controllers.