Toonz Animation ready to host global extravaganza

Thursday, 23 October 2003, 19:30 IST
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala-based Toonz Animation is ready to unleash the best films, talents and experts in the global animation business at an event next month. The Technopark-based animation company will host the fourth edition of the "Week With the Masters Animation Celebration" from November 4-7. The animation extravaganza will be attended by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and media worldwide. It will bring together an illustrious group of animators from around the globe and provide a forum for Asian animators to learn techniques to produce original content for international audiences. Among those who will be present are Joel Slayton from the U.S., Jimmy Murakami from Ireland, Wendy Tilby from Canada, John Cary from Britain and Sanjit Ghosh from India. Workshops at the event will focus on: "Best In Children's Films From Across The Globe"; "2-D To 3-D Animation: Making The Transition"; "Creating Indigenous Programming'; and "Education And Training". Coinciding with the event, the company will host the "IN.SEA Animation Competition 2003". Dedicated solely to animation, it provides a stage to showcase talents within Asia and give them international exposure. Toonz Animation official P. Jayakumar said, "About 26 films have been short-listed for the competition and we are sure the jury will have a tough time choosing the best few." Another attraction is the premiere of "Finding Nemo", an animation adventure produced by the Academy Award winning creators of "Toy Story", "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters Inc". Toonz Animation today is rated among the top 10 animation studios in the world. Opened in 1999, it occupies more than 10,000 square feet of space inside Technopark. It is by far the most advanced studio to open in India since the country emerged as a potential player in the international animation industry and has a staff of over 400 Indian and international artists. Toonz is also a publisher of comic books and comic strips. Toonz's own television series entitled "The Adventures Of Tenali Raman" has already hit the TV screens in different languages all over the Indian subcontinent and its series "Adventures Of Hanuman" has moved to pre-production stage. Toonz has improved its presence in Japan and Australia by setting up offices in Tokyo and Brisbane.
Source: IANS