Teaser for THE EMOJI MOVIE

They say that emojis could become the one language that all humans understand. If so, then watching The Emoji Movie is one step towards bringing all of humanity closer together. Here's the teaser trailer:

"In the movie, Gene, an emoji born with multiple expressions, teams up with his handy best friend Hi-5 and the notorious codebreaker Jailbreak on an epic adventure through the apps on a teenager's phone. Apps featured in the film include Candy Crush Saga, Dropbox, Instagram, Just Dance®, Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube. Popular apps Crackle, Facebook, Shazam, Snapchat, and Twitch also appear in the movie."

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News from Pixeldust Studios

MULTI-AWARD WINNING PRODUCER LAWRENCE CUMBO

JOINS PIXELDUST STUDIOS TO EXPAND ITS ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION:

PIXELDUST TO CREATE ORIGINAL SPECIALS AND SERIES FOR

NETWORKS, SVOD’S AND SPONSORED CONTENT,

AND WILL BOLSTER ITS VR-360, AR,

AND LIVE STREAM PROGRAMMING CONTENT 

Bethesda, Maryland, November 21, 2016 - Award-winning producer Lawrence Cumbo has joined Pixeldust Studios, a multi Emmy Award-winning, digital animation and broadcast production studio helmed by Ricardo Andrade, to expand its Entertainment Division. Cumbo brings to Pixeldust an active development slate comprised of over 30 projects. The announcement was made by Ricardo Andrade, President & Creative Director, Pixeldust Studios, and by Lawrence Cumbo, whose new title is Senior Vice President of Development & Content, Pixeldust Studios.

Over the past twenty-five years, Andrade and Cumbo have forged a close friendship, which began when they first worked together producing indie films, live events and studio based programming. Having steadily collaborated  throughout the years, Cumbo's new addition to the Pixeldust team positions the company to now grow its original production capabilities. Pixeldust’s goal is to produce original TV series and specials for broadcast, SVOD’s, and sponsored content, as well as continue creating original VR-360 and AR content, and live stream programming.  

Cumbo brings a decade of experience as an Executive Producer and Show Runner to Pixeldust, which enjoys a rich history of producing short form content and award winning animation and motion graphics for high profile broadcast, cable and streaming television properties airing around the world.

Andrade said, “Lawrence and I have enjoyed a remarkably successful relationship for more than 25 years now. He is the ideal executive to be joining our company as we seek to expand our original productions and our Entertainment Division. During the past two years, we have become extremely excited about the success of this division, which has produced original, high-end content for high profile and rather intricate television series. Now with Lawrence joining us, we are positioned for huge growth in the development and production of original television specials and series especially designed for SVOD streaming outlets. Right now, we are actively on the lookout for new material, and we believe our unique, full-service production capabilities will continue to shine as we work to evolve our Entertainment Division.” 

Adds Cumbo, “Pixeldust has long been an industry leader in animation, innovation and entertainment. By joining the Pixeldust team, I envision leveraging over a decade of success into a multi-vertical media content provider in the global marketplace. Fortunately for me, the company already garners tremendous success with its client base and hive of talent in its studios in DC and New York. Ricardo and I embrace the changing landscape of original content and distribution. We’ve been doing it our whole careers, and now is the perfect time for us to join forces during this exciting evolution in our industry.”

In addition to its established position as a top animation and production studio for hire by top broadcast and cable TV networks, educational institutions, and charitable foundations, Pixeldust’s Entertainment Division has successfully developed and produced three streaming TV series for client CuriosityStream. Launched in 2015 by Discovery founder John Hendricks as a non-fiction SVOD service, CuriosityStream is the world's first, ad-free, on-demand subscription streaming service for nonfiction programming. See: www.curiositystream.com

Pixeldust’s work for CuriousityStream to date has included providing live action footage, high-end animation, and all production content for that SVOD’s new series “Ancient Earth,” for the series “A Curious World,” now in its third season, and for the first season of the series “The Bronze Age.”

ABOUT LAWRENCE CUMBO:

Lawrence Cumbo is a multi-award winning Executive Producer. He has delivered over 200 hours of programming for Smithsonian Channel, National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery, TLC, A&E. and BIO Channel, and recently joined forces with Smithsonian Channel to create “Rocking the Opera House: Dr. John,” a new music series. Cumbo has also served as an Executive Producer for overseas giants like Tiger Aspect Productions and Natural History New Zealand.

Some of the titles Cumbo has overseen during his career include, “I Survived,” “Orangutan Island,” “Jurassic CSI,” “Celebrating the American Woman,” “Dark Days in Monkey City,” “Ms. Adventure,” “Rookies,” “Expedition Antarctica” and “Tornado Chasers.” 

In 2000, Cumbo started his network television career at National Geographic Television and Film, and by 2005, had been appointed Senior Producer with National Geographic Specials and Events Production. His films for National Geographic have taken him many places around the world, including war-torn Afghanistan, the rim of an active volcano in Guatemala, inside a tornado in Texas, and the world’s largest prison in India. He hiked with two eye surgeons from Maoist Rebel controlled territory in Nepal to the Himalayan Kingdom of Mustang in the Tibetan Plateau for his award-winning film, “Miracle Doctors.”

In 2004, Cumbo joined National Geographic Channel. There, he served as Executive Producer and oversaw over 60 hours of original programming, including such hits as “Inside the Mafia,” “In the Womb,” “Dark Side of Chimps” and “Megastructures.” 

In 2002, Cumbo filmed, wrote, and produced “Search for the Afghan Girl,” the headline-making story of Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, whose photograph first appeared on the cover of the National Geographic magazine in 1985. The film received a worldwide simulcast in over 120 countries, garnering over 150 million viewers during the premiere. The film was nominated for a 2003 Emmy Award and has won several additional industry honors. Earlier in his career, Cumbo produced independent documentaries for Cumbo Media. 

ABOUT PIXELDUST STUDIOS:

Founded in 2006, Pixeldust Studios is an award-winning, digital animation and broadcast production studio with expertise in creative intelligence and a focus on delivering exceptional client service. Located in Metro Washington, D.C., with a satellite office in New York City, Pixeldust Studios employs a world-class roster of editorial and design talent, and commands the latest technological tools to visualize and execute any project.

The winner of 13 National Emmy Awards, Pixeldust is also the recent winner of a 2016 Regional Emmy Award for its animation work on the PBS special: “The National Mall: America’s Front Yard.” 

Pixeldust Founders Ricardo and Elizabeth Andrade oversee the studio’s global client portfolio, which ranges from broadcast television and entertainment networks and production companies, to corporate and retail clients, as well as museums, non-profits, academic organizations, and scientific research institutions and organizations.

To view the Pixeldust Studios website, please see: www.pixeldust.tv

And follow the company on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pixelduststudios

And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pixelduststudio

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Pinocchio Walt Disney Signature Collection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Disney’s Timeless Tale Joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection

 Debuting on Digital HD Jan. 10 and Arriving on Blu-ray™ Jan. 31

D23 members received the exclusive news and first look at the new “Pinocchio” trailer!

BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 21, 2016 — This weekend at D23’s Destination D: Amazing Adventures event at Walt Disney World Resort, Tyler Slater and Nicole Nalty announced the addition of Disney’s triumphant animated classic “Pinocchio” to the celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection and gave members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club the first look at the film’s all-new trailer. “Pinocchio,” which inspired the world to wish upon a star, arrives for the first time on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Jan. 10, and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on Jan. 31 with hours of new and classic bonus features.

“Pinocchio” is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, with two Academy Awards® -- for best original score and best original song "When You Wish Upon a Star" – and a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, it will delight a whole new generation of dreamers with its masterful animation, unforgettable characters and award-winning music.

The Walt Disney Signature Collection release includes hours of classic bonus material and exclusive features including a reinvented rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star” created and performed by music influencers from Disney’s Maker Studios; never-before-seen artwork from the film’s Pleasure Island sequence; archival recordings of Walt himself during “Pinocchio” production; and a recently restored and scored 1927 short featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

“Pinocchio” tells the tale of wood-carver Geppetto's beloved puppet who embarks on a thrilling quest – with faithful friend Jiminy Cricket – that tests his bravery, loyalty and honesty, all virtues he must learn to fulfill his heart’s desire: to become a real boy.

D23 is the official Disney fan club named in honor of the year 1923, when Walt left Kansas City, headed for Hollywood and founded what would become the Disney Studios. D23 celebrates Disney’s stories, characters, songs, and experiences that have captured imaginations the world over, offering members behind-the-scenes exclusives, member events, discounts and special offers.

Bonus Features:

BLU-RAY, DIGITAL HD* & DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE:

·                  Walt’s Story Meetings: Pleasure Island – The Pleasure Island scene in “Pinocchio” had much more development than what is seen in the film. Join Pixar’s Pete Docter and Disney historian and author J.B. Kaufman as they explore artwork recently discovered in Disney’s animation research library revealing some of the attractions, gags and games, which Disney animators created for this iconic location of the film, that never made it on screen.

·                  In Walt’s Words – “Pinocchio” – Hear Walt himself discuss the making of “Pinocchio” through archival recordings and interviews.

·         The Pinocchio Project: “When You Wish Upon a Star” – Music influencers Alex G, Tanner Patrick and JR Aquino from Disney’s Maker Studios, a global leader in short-form videos, gather in a creative workspace to create their rendition of the film’s signature song, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and produce a fresh new music video.

·                  Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in “Poor Papa” – This recently restored and scored 1927 short features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit who gets multiple visits from the stork and is forced to attempt various methods to help stop the onslaught of baby deliveries.

·                  Classic Bonus Features – These offerings from prior home entertainment releases include hours of bonus material, such as the making of “Pinocchio,” deleted scenes, sing-alongs, storyboards and theatrical trailers.

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Product SKUs:                              Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital HD/SD, Disney Movies Anywhere

Feature Run Time:                                      Approximately 88 minutes

Rating:                                                                                           G in U.S. and Canada

Aspect Ratio:                                                                Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / 1.33:1

                                                                                                        DVD Feature Film = 1.33:1

Audio:                                            Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

DVD = English, Spanish, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

Subtitles:                                                                       English ESL, English SDH, French & Spanish

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook:                                                                     Facebook.com/DisneyPinocchio

Website:                                                                       Movies.Disney.com/Pinocchio

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY SIGNATURE COLLECTION:

The Walt Disney Signature Collection includes groundbreaking films created or inspired by the imagination and legacy of Walt Disney, featuring timeless stories and characters that have touched generations. Each release will offer special features for every member of your family.

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it easy to buy Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. Viewers can enjoy their digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple mobile platforms by simply adding the free DMA app or channel to their devices, such as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android mobile phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Xbox 360, and connecting to their DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV and Fios by Verizon. DMA users can explore Disney’s library of over 450 digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, redeem Digital Movie codes found in eligible Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars product, and earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

# # #

Full Trailer for Smurfs: The Lost Village

SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE (April 7, 2017)

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history! 

Official Site

New Movie Stills

Directed by:  Kelly Asbury

Written by: Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon

Based on the Characters and Works of: Peyo

Produced by: Jordan Kerner, Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews

Cast: Demi Lovato (Smurfette)

Rainn Wilson (Gargamel)

Joe Manganiello (Hefty Smurf)

Jack McBrayer (Clumsy Smurf)

Danny Pudi (Brainy Smurf)

with Mandy Patinkin (Papa Smurf)

This film is not yet rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.  For future rating information, please visit www.filmratings.com.  Credits not final

SMURF, and all Smurfs characters: ©Peyo. All Rights Reserved. "Smurf" and "The Smurfs" are registered trademarks of STUDIO PEYO.

Press Release: VIEW Awards 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RENOWNED VFX-ANIMATION-GAMES-COMPUTER GRAPHICS

FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2016 AWARD WINNERS

‘VIEW AWARDS 2016’

Festivals Wraps After Hosting Speakers From Five of The Top Six

Highest Grossing Films of 2016*

TURIN, Italy (November 1, 2016) – VIEW Conference 2016, Italy’s renowned animation, games, VFX and computer graphics conference has announced the 2016 ‘View Award’ winners.  An exciting competition for animated short films or videogames created during 2015 and 2016 the competition’s jury featured many of the top industry names attending the conference, including Conrad Vernon (Director of Sausage Party), Director David Feiss (Open Season: Scared Silly) and Byron Howard (Co-Director, Disney’s Zootopia).

The Winners: 

·      2016 VIEW Award.  The jury awarded “Vieil Ours” (Old Bear) the top prize, citing director Chen Chen’s ability to create an expressive story without dialog, a story with layers of meaning, and an animation style that is perfect for the design.  Chen Chen will receive the first prize of 2000 Euros. The 11:32 minute film was produced in 2016 by Citron Bien and distributed by Yummy Films. Pierre Dron produced. 

·      Honorable Mention was awarded to the emotional short animated film “Drifting Away – A La Derive” directed by Fabian Driehorst and distributed by APEmanStudio in Barcelona. Jurors noted the unique style, the painterly environments, and the interesting use of transparency to show the impact of a father’s depression on his small family. 

·      “Beer by Charles Bukowski,” created at NERDO Creative Studios received the award for Best Design.  

·      “Fox and Whale” directed by Robin Joseph received the conferences’ award for Best Environments.

·      Animated short “Green Light” received the award for Best Digital Character, for the production’s robot character. Seongmin Kim directed the film, produced at DF Lab. Haejung Suk produced.

Other esteemed jury members attending VIEW CONFERENCE 2016 included Supervising Technical Director John Halstead (Pixar Animation Studios), Creative Director Adam Volker (MoonbotStudios), Professor Deborah Fowler (SCAD), Visual Effects Supervisor Lucia Modesto (TV Globo Productions), Visual Effects Supervisor Steve Emerson, Bit Films Founder Chris Perry, Daniele Volpe, Gnomon Workshop, Elisa Cantamessa, Student University of Turin, Agata Soccini, University of Turin, Prof. Maria Elena Gutierrez, President of the Jury, Director VIEW Conference & VIEWFest. Journalist Barbara Robertson served as Chair of the Jury.

VIEW Conference is Italy’s largest computer graphics and digital media conference.  Each year, the renowned conference showcases a diverse cross-section of industry professionals in animation, visual effects, games, virtual reality and digital design, over five days of talks, workshops, panel discussions, interactive sessions and awards.  In 2016, the conference hosted key creative talent, including Twitch Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lin, DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Trolls’ directors Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn, Marvel EVP of Physical Production Victoria Alonso, Lucasfilm Chief Technology Officer Rob Bredow, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Russell Earl, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Roger Guyett and many others.

The VIEW 2016 Conference is made possible with the support of Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Piedmont Region, Turin's Chamber of Commerce and the City of Turin.

Please visit our website: http://www.viewconference.it for more information.