Athena Studios, an Emeryville, CA-based company specializing in production services for film, animation, and multimedia clients, is in the home stretch with its Kickstarter campaign to raise funds toward the production of an animated film, “Auntie Claus.” The Kickstarter campaign will conclude on Thursday, Oct 17, at 5:30pm PT. The studio obtained the feature film rights to the award-winning children’s Christmas book by author Elise Primavera over the summer. The announcement was made today by Jon V. Peters, CEO/Founder, Athena Studios. Please see Kickstarter here.rnrnPeters and Athena Studios worked on the “Auntie Claus” pitch trailer, featured on the Kickstarter site, with four time Academy Award®-winning sound designer and motion picture editor Ben Burtt, at Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm company. Peters and “Auntie Claus” co-producer Brice Parker recently met Burtt during a chance encounter at Burbank Airport, and shared with him their vision for the film, and the fact that its production could create 200 jobs for the Bay Area film community.rnrn
rnrnUltimately, Athena Studios plans the project as a 90-minute, stop-motion animated motion picture. In addition to Burtt, other heavyweight animation industry figures already committed to the production of “Auntie Claus” include:rnrnPete Kozachik, Director of Photography: Kozachik has served as DP on “Coraline,” “The Corpse Bride,” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” He was involved with the Visual Effects on “Star Wars Episode II,” “Ghostbusters 2,” “Starship Troopers,” “Star Trek IV,” and “Robocop 2 and 3.”rnrnTom Proost, Art Director: Proost has served as Art Director on “Coraline,” and worked in Visual Effects for “Galaxy Quest,” “Star Wars: Episode II,” “The Mummy,” “AI: Artificial Intelligence,” and “The Matrix 2 and 3.” rnrnBrice Parker, Producer: Parker is a Pixar Animation Studios and ILM alum and was involved with Visual Effects management on the “Jurassic Park” and “The Matrix” film franchises. rnrnTim Taylor, Camera and Lighting: Taylor ran camera for “Coraline” and “Frankenweenie,” and worked in Visual Effects for “Con Air” and “Back to the Future 2.” rnrnAbout “AUNTIE CLAUS: THE MOVIE”rnOriginally released in 1999 by Harcourt, Inc., the book “Auntie Claus,” by author Elise Primavera, is the holiday story of 11-year old Sophie, a girl who is a materialistic byproduct of an entitled generation. For Sophie, the true meaning of the Christmas holiday comes from a store and arrives wrapped with a bow. One Christmas, all of that changes, however, when she follow her mysterious Aunt on a business trip and learns of her true heritage – Santa is very real, and Sophie’s one of the family. Sophie is whisked off on a grand adventure to the North Pole and a mission to rescue the holiday for children everywhere. rnrn”Auntie Claus” is the first in a series of three books by Elise Primavera depicting the adventures of Sophie and her Great Aunt “Auntie Claus.” For more information: Please see Kickstarter herernrnAbout ATHENA STUDIOSrnAthena Studios was launched as a full service production facility for companies seeking to produce their own videos or shoot a feature film. In addition to producing outside projects, Athena Studios, in 2013, also began to develop its own original content for motion pictures, television, web and multi-media presentations. rnrnAthena Studios is conveniently located o
Jon Peters CEO/Founder Athena Studios 510/302-0540 Contact Jon via email
Contact:Media: Dan Harary The Asbury PR Agency 310/859-1831 Contact Dan via email
Asian World Film Festival Reveals Asian Vision Program Lineup, Snow Leopard and Bruce Lee Honorees, and Jury Members
The 10th Annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) is proud to announce the lineup for its inaugural Asian Vision program, which was conceived to showcase new and exceptional Asian features that have participated in major A-list film festivals and/or garnered international acclaim. The program of eight motion pictures (see list below) will be held November 17-19, 2024, with the top film receiving the Asian Vision Best Film Award. The 10th Annual Asian World Film Festival takes place November 13 - 21, 2024, at the Culver Theatre in Culver City, CA. This year’s Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award, the Festival’s highest honor, will be presented to acclaimed director, screenwriter, and producer Sergei Bodrov in celebration of his remarkable 50-year career. Bodrov established his reputation as a visionary filmmaker with “Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan” (2007), nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film, and “Prisoner of the Mountains” (1996), also an Oscar® nominee as well as a Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize-winner. The Snow Leopard Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Award will be presented to director, producer, and screenwriter Peter Ho-Sun Chan, one of Hong Kong’s most critically acclaimed and accomplished filmmakers. Known for his versatility and the scope of his work, Chan’s landmark films, including “Comrades: Almost a Love Story” (1996) and “The Warlords” (2007), have earned him a remarkable 233 awards from more than 400 nominations. As previously announced, AWFF will screen “Comrades: Almost a Love Story,” followed by a Q&A with Chan. Multi-award-winning actress Kathryn Bernardo will receive the Snow Leopard... Read More