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Tigran Arakelyan’s Zako, a France-Armenia project about the painter Sargis Mangasaryan who survived the concentration camps of the Second World War by drawing portraits of his tormentors, won the Eurimages co-production award at this year’s Cartoon Movie event that closed on March 6.

Zako, a collaboration between Armenia’s OnOff Studio and France’s Sacrebleu, is now in development. The award aims to boost international co-productions intended for cinema release.

Sacrebleu producer Ron Dyens, who was also at the event with My Dad, The Truck, said he had been inspired by the innovative spirit demonstrated by the filmmakers at Cartoon Movie.

Alia Shawkat is joining Kristen Stewart in a lead role for The Wrong Girls, Dylan Meyer’s directorial debut for Neon now shooting in Los Angeles in the wake of the recent wildfires.

Written and directed by Meyer, the film follows Frankie (Stewart) and Molly (Shawkat) as best friends living paycheck to paycheck, only to see a case of mistaken identity throw their lives into chaos. The Wrong Girls also has supporting roles played by Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Lakeith Stanfield, Zack Fox and Tony Hale.

Neon plans to release the film theatrically in the U.S. and shop the international rights. In 2019, Meyer wrote, directed and co-produced her own short film Rock Bottom.

The film’s 29-day production schedule is expected to employ around 100 people per day, 95 percent of which will be local Los Angeles residents, including cinematographer Todd Banhazl, singer-songwriter and composer Ty Segall and costumer Heidi Bivens.

Digitoonz Media & Entertainment and Citrus Ink Studios have launched Dgx, a cutting-edge VFX hub based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Digitoonz founder and CEO Vikas Kumar Citrus Ink Studios CEO Vrinda Sood will lead the joint venture. Digitoonz will oversee the outfit’s day-to-day operations and manage the full production pipeline, while Citrus Ink will work on the brand’s strategic management.

The co-heads say that the endeavor will combine Digitoonz’s global production expertise with Citrus’ creative vision and technological leadership to provide premium VFX services tailored to global clients’ needs. Importantly, the outfit will also leverage India’s tax incentives to benefit future collaborators.

Although specifics are still under wraps, at the time of its official launch, Dgx is already engaged in several ongoing projects and has plans to extend its international reach.

In addition to its VFX work, Dgx was launched with the intention of expanding into complementary verticals,...

General Hospital spoilers for the week of June 24, 2024, are here! Fans can expect Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) to confront Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) about the FBI’s leverage.

Speaking of Jason, he will be forced to make a tough choice. Meanwhile, Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton) is slated to hit rock bottom.

Once there, Finn’s only choices will be recovery or death, so let’s hope the good doctor gets back on the right path. Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the ABC soap opera.

Jason Morgan’s Tough Choice

Gh spoilers for the week of June 24 reveal that Jason will have to make a difficult decision. Jason might worry that Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is biting off more than she can chew with Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).

If Anna can’t get the evidence she needs or if her feelings get murky, then he...

Spanish Animation is ready for more international collaborations in the near future, but there is one stipulation: “Passion is mandatory,” said Hampa Studio’s Álvaro García González. Behind “The Treasure of Barracuda,” the company is currently eyeing Latin America.

“Anybody who makes animation needs passion. Otherwise, you would work in a different industry. We are a great country to co-produce with. Also because of very competitive prices, compared with the rest of Europe.”

Speaking at Annecy’s Animation from Spain: The Spanish Animation Industry in the Spotlight panel, González was accompanied by Daysi Cruz Cid of Morgana Studios, which joined forces with ReachStar and ReDefine Originals on upcoming Dominican Republic-set baseball pic “Diamante.”

“We care a lot about people and about culture. That’s why ‘Diamante’ was born. We wanted to give back to the Dominican Republic. It’s about passion, again, and the pursuit of happiness. We are proud...

When taking on established animated franchises, you can’t just “listen to nostalgia,” according to Jeff Rowe, director of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”

“That’s when things get stale,” he said during Variety’s “Innovation and Inspiration in Global Animation” panel at Annecy Animation Festival, moderated by international editor Elsa Keslassy. Rowe was joined by “Transformers One” director Josh Cooley, “The Smurfs Movie” helmer Chris Miller and María Trénor, the director of “Rock Bottom.”

“It’s important to look at things with fresh eyes and ask, ‘Does this make sense? Does a man who was a sensei turning into a rat make sense?'” Rowe continued. “Our goal was to make a film that those who have never heard of ‘Ninja Turtles’ – or hated it and hated that the movie was even happening – were still able to enjoy.”

Therefore, the team hired many people who had “no familiarity with the franchise.

Catalonia’s animation scene is flourishing thanks to a motivated and well-trained base of artists, generous government backing and early involvement from public broadcasters.

One need look no further than this year’s Annecy Animation Festival for proof of the Catalanimation boom. Titles from the Spanish territory appear in the main competition (“Rock Bottom”), Contrechamp competition (“Black Butterflies”), Annecy Presents non-competitive section (“Buffalo Kids”), Work in Progress (“Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake”), Annecy market MIFA Pitches sidebar and several other high-profile sections of the French festival.

“Rock Bottom”

Given the quality and diversity of productions emerging from the region, there is no doubt that the foundation of the Catalan boom is artist-driven. Auteur indie titles like “Robot Dreams” (Arcadia Motion Pictures) have achieved critical and award success, including European Film Awards and an Oscar nomination.

Producing those types of films isn’t free, however, and often wouldn’t be possible...

Catalan animation is in a fantastic place and at this year’s Annecy Festival, the region will demonstrate its vitality to the whole world with an impressive lineup of films and projects selected in major sections.

Featuring in this year’s main competition lineup, Maria Trenor’s rock and roll musical “Rock Bottom” is a psychedelic trip inspired by the life and music of U.K. artist Robert Wyatt.

One of the most ­topical films to come out of Catalonia in recent years, “Black Butterflies,” is an animated documentary about three women from very different parts of the world whose lives are dramatically impacted by climate change. The film is directed by David Baute and produced by Ikiru Films, Televisió de Catalunya, Tinglado Film, Anangu Grup and Tunche Films.

Screening in this year’s non-competitive Annecy Presents section, “Buffalo Kids” is a CG family feature produced by Jordi Gasull’s...

Global animation has seen a significant uptick in the production and dissemination of titles produced for mature audiences. Catalonia is no exception, and the Spanish community’s adult animation industry is thriving as artists look to tell more mature stories with their work.

Several high-profile examples stand out at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival. Maria Trenor’s psychedelic musical “Rock Bottom” is world premiering in the festival’s main competition, and David Baute’s global warming documentary “Black Butterflies” is playing in the Contrechamp section. “The Doctor’s Wife,” a Catalonia-Portugal co-production, will feature in the festival’s Tribute to Portuguese Animation – A New Generation showcase.

Trenor’s “Rock Bottom” is produced by Catalan producer Alba Sotorra, who is recognized for her fearlessness in backing adventurous local productions made by women filmmakers, and often with international partners. In this case, she produces a psychedelic rotoscoped story inspired by the life and music of U.

Paris-based Loco Films has secured global sales rights to “Rock Bottom,” an animated feature exploring the life and music of British artist Robert Wyatt that will world premiere in the main competition at next week’s Annecy Festival.

“Rock Bottom” is a trippy portrayal of the romance between Bob, a famous rock musician, and Alif, a talented visual artist, delivered through lush and vibrant rotoscoped 2D animation.

Together, the duo dives into the creative vortex of 1970s hippie culture in Mallorca and New York. The film explores the elation and agony of the creative process, the allure of easily accessible drugs, breaking away from routine, and the complex nature of relationships.

Arnaud Godart, head of sales and acquisitions at Loco Films, told Variety: “We were fascinated by the originality and subtlety of the animation, which recreates the hippy ’70s era in an almost sensory way. The film is a unique and mesmerizing experience,...

Celebrated Spanish filmmaker María Trénor’s debut feature “Rock Bottom” will premiere in the main competition at this year’s Annecy Festival, and she has given Variety exclusive access to the film’s first trailer.

Produced by leading Catalan producer Alba Sotorra, the film is inspired by the life and music of U.K. artist Robert Wyatt. Trippy rotoscope animation interspersed with experimental segments tells a story set in the decadent 1970s in both New York and Mallorca. Wyatt’s album “Rock Bottom” scores a paradise-like beach story overflowing with art, flirtation, and recreational drugs. The film deftly weaves the fantasy experiences of Bob and his partner Alif in the two cities, creating a single time and place that could only exist in fiction. Or on a really good trip.

Variety recently caught up with Tenor to discuss her feature debut ahead of its Annecy world premiere.

María Trénor

Variety:...

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Kristen Stewart is a petite powerhouse, standing just 5ft 3 ¾ (161.9 cm) tall and sporting a shoe size 6.5 (US). Her shoe size in other shoe systems is approximately 37 or 37.5 EU, 4.5 or 5 UK, and 23.5 or 24 Japanese size.

But don’t let her size fool you – she’s a force to be reckoned with on-screen and off.

Actress Kristen Stewart displays her legs and feet in Kurt Geiger pumps at the...