Top Animation News is a weekly column that rounds up the biggest, best and breaking stories from the world of animation. This edition covers July 27 to August 3, 2018.

1. Emile Awards 2018: Submit your entry!

The European Animation Awards Association (EAA) has put out a call for submissions for the second-annual Emile Awards. Set to take place in Lille, France, December 7 and 8, Toon Boom will return as a Platinum Sponsor of the expanded two-day event. The 2018 Emile Awards will be accepting submissions in the following categories: short films, feature films, student films, commissioned films and TV/broadcast films. Many of last year’s winners and nominees were produced in Toon Boom software, though current hopefuls should know there are new rules.

See the new 2018 Emile Award submission rules on “Animation World News” or send in your work on the EAA website. 

2. Book a Nimble Collective x Toon Boom demo at SIGGRAPH 2018.
Following a partnership announcement in Annecy this past June, Nimble Collective will be live demoing Toon Boom software on its cloud-based platform at SIGGRAPH 2018. This will be hosted at the Microsoft booth August 14 to 16. Animators Jason Schleifer, Corban Gossett, Halley Kanell and Joaquin Stewart-Soriano will show audiences how easy it is to create a Toon Boom production on the Nimble Collective platform, integrating Toon Boom Storyboard Pro into a CG pipeline and developing assets in Toon Boom Harmony.

Those interested can also book a private Nimble Collective Toon Boom demo here.

3. Toon Boom certifications can lead to career benefits.
“Cartoon Brew” has published a piece on the ability of Toon Boom training and certification to improve animators’ career opportunities. Based on the experiences of those who attended the free Toon Boom Animation Career Camp events globally, it reports on how artists in Toronto, Dublin and Paris specialized and future-proofed their skills in Harmony and benefited hugely from expert training, hands-on labs and networking. Each has gone on to see benefits in their careers, either by receiving Toon Boom certification or pursuing it.

Read the full Toon Boom Animation Career Camp story on “Cartoon Brew”.

4. Starship Goldfish launches this weekend.
Ottawa-based animation studio Big Jump Entertainment has partnered with the producers of upcoming cosmic comedy cartoon Starship Goldfish to develop a 22-minute pilot. Set to premiere at RTX Austin 2018 on August 4, it was created with the support of Toon Boom Animation and produced in Storyboard Pro and Harmony. Director Jason Weight will be at the event talking about Starship Goldfish on panels as well as meeting with fans.

If you can’t make it to RTX Austin 2018 this weekend, catch the Starship Goldfish pilot on Facebook tomorrow.

5. Federico Vallarino is Toon Boom’s new Adriatic sales agent.
Toon Boom Animation is growing its reach in Southern Europe. The creator of the world’s leading animation software announced Italian animator and entrepreneur Federico Vallarino (fvallarino@toonboom.com) as its sales agent for the Adriatic region. He is already well-known in Europe, having won the MIPJunior International Pitch 2013 for his IP Koouka as well as for his studio Vallaround and sitting on the board of Animation Italia. “I’m really excited to represent Toon Boom Animation in the Adriatic region as it’s a market with huge potential that our industry-leading software and global connections can help producers tap into,” says Vallarino.

See the full interview with Toon Boom Adriatic sales agent Federico Vallarino on the blog.

6. Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us gets a limited worldwide release.
The latest film in the perennially popular Pokémon series, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, has received a limited global theatrical release. Pikachu, Ash and friends will hit American cinemas for a short run: November 24, 26 and 28 and December 1. Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us is the latest Japanese anime to be produced in Toon Boom animation software in what is becoming a trend; earlier this summer, Tokyo studio D’ART Shtajio launched its pilot for XOGenaSYS at Anime Expo 2018.

Watch the Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us trailer above or read the full story on “Screen Rant”.

7. Recap: Anima Mundi 2018, Brazil’s largest animation festival.
Anima Mundi is the largest animation festival not only in Brazil, but the Americas. Held in Rio de Janeiro (July 21 to 29) and São Paulo (August 1 to 5), Toon Boom was there connecting with the region’s top talent and LATAM leaders. Toon Boom CTO Francisco Del Cueto spoke at two events, “Improving your animation projects with Harmony” and “Animation services: Best practices”, helping to bridge the gap between local studios and the international industry.

Check out what else happened at Anima Mundi 2018 on the Toon Boom blog.

8. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gets renewed for second season.
Ahead of its premiere on September 17, Nickelodeon has already renewed Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a second season. The action-comedy series, based on a group martial arts-gifted, pizza-loving leatherbacks in New York City, will launch globally in over 170 countries and territories. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is animated in Toon Boom Harmony.

Dig into the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle season two details on “ComingSoon.net“.

9. Disney-Fox $71.3 billion merger approved by shareholders.
Shareholders from both Disney and 21st Century Fox have approved the House of Mouse’s  $71.3 billion bid to purchase most of Fox’s assets. The merger is expected to be completed by the first half of 2019, with speculation rife on how the new mega-entity will alter the entertainment industry’s landscape through its sheer size and power. Having received approval from the US Department of Justice, the shareholder approval is another big step; now, Disney just needs to get the green light for a handful of foreign governments.

Explore the Disney-Fox merger details on “Variety”.

10. Nickelodeon’s Meet the Voxels will include AR/VR experiences.
With growing competition from streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix, traditional children’s broadcasters must innovate in order to survive. Nickelodeon Entertainment Lab is developing an animated comedy, Meet the Voxels, and incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences into its DNA. The series will follow a family who are all video game characters living in a digital world.

Visit “The Hollywood Reporter” for more on this story and stay ‘tooned’ to see how the Meet the Voxels AR/VR experiences comes to life.

What Top Animation News were you most excited about this week? Was there something we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments below!

Banner image source: Starship Goldfish YouTube page.