News

Anna Pokorska is named senior vice president of international sales.

UK-based Gfm Animation has appointed Anna Pokorska as senior vice president of international sales.

She took up the position on August 1, having previously handled international sales, co-production and licensing at Wizart Animation, the Russian outfit behind the Snow Queen and Sheep And Wolves franchises.

Pokorska has also acted as line producer on projects for European network Arte and worked with Russian production firm Amedia and Odessa International Film Festival.

In her new role, she will focus on sales and licensing activities across Gfm’s growing slate of animated features including Blazing Samurai,...

The anthropomorphic animals from 2016 are back despite public demand in a well-meaning but tame family film

A hair of the dog that no one ordered, here’s a sequel to the ropey Russian family animation Sheep and Wolves, in which predator and prey learned to live together in happy-clappy vegetarian harmony. Not improving much on the original, the new film is unimaginatively scripted with dull characters and second-rate animation – the wolves’ plasticky manes are as realistic as a Primark fur coat.

Related: How coronavirus has animated one section of the film industry...

The Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, a virtual platform for Russian content hosted by film promotion body Roskino, wrapped this week with a slew of sales and an affirmation that global players are increasingly looking to tap into the Russian market.

The online market welcomed some 600 international participants from 70 countries, with the largest number of buyers coming from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Japan and China. The event attracted leading companies such as Apple TV, France Televisions, Wild Bunch, Lionsgate, Dogwoof, Rtl Group, AMC Networks, Mediaset, Beta Film, Koch Media, iQIYI and others.

Roughly 120 Russian companies participated, presenting 300 film, TV and animated projects while generating more than 600 meetings with foreign execs. Plans are now in place to create a permanent online platform to serve as the main source of information on the Russian film market, including an overview of projects either completed or in production, as well...

Leading Russian toon house Wizart Animation has closed deals for the U.K., India, and across the African continent for two of its leading feature film franchises. The deals were announced Tuesday during the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, a showcase of the latest Russian productions organized by film promotion body Roskino.

Signature Entertainment has acquired U.K. rights to “Sheep & Wolves: Pig Deal” and “The Snow Queen: Mirrorlands,” the latest instalments in the blockbuster animated feature franchises. “Mirrorlands” will be released theatrically on July 10 and will be available on VOD platforms in November, while “Pig Deal” will be available on home entertainment Aug. 10.

“Signature are thrilled to be releasing ‘Sheep & Wolves: Pig Deal’ and ‘The Snow Queen: Mirrorlands’ in the U.K. & Ireland,” says Signature’s Katie Wilkinson. “Both are very appealing, great quality animations and are strong additions to our 2020 slate, emphasizing the company’s ongoing dedication to...

When Russian toon house Wizart Animation began enlisting collaborators for its upcoming series “Snow Queen: Keepers of Wonders,” a small-screen spinoff of the blockbuster animated film franchise, it wasted no time in recruiting talent from abroad. Brad Breeck, the composer from Disney Xd’s “Gravity Falls,” came on board to assist with the soundtrack, while TV and comic-book writer Matthew Wayne was tapped as a script doctor. “We’re aiming it at the international market as much as possible,” says Wizart’s Vladimir Nikolaev.

Wizart is responsible for some of the most successful Russian releases of all time, including the “Snow Queen” and “Sheep and Wolves” franchises, which have combined sold to more than 150 territories. Production on the “Snow Queen” series began last year, and Nikolaev says interest from foreign buyers is already high. “We know there is a big demand, a big appetite, from TV channels, from VOD platforms,...

Marvel's Black Panther is a proven force to be reckoned with at the box office, hauling in an impressive $111.6M in its second weekend, just a 44.7% drop from it's incredible three-day debut of $202M. Last Friday it went up against three newcomers, Warner Bros.' Game Night, Paramount's Annihilation and Orion Pictures' Every Day. While they all cracked the top 10, none could come close to Black Panther's dominance. This weekend, two more high-profile releases arrive in wide release, with MGM's Death Wish remake starring Bruce Willis and 20th Century Fox's Red Sparrow adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence. While both should fare well, neither will be able to stop Black Panther for repeating atop the box office for a third weekend in a row.

Black Panther suffered a second weekend drop of 44.7%, which is rather impressive for a movie of its size. The McU adventure remained in 4,020 theaters,...