4/15/03 Animax Catching Kringle for Jellyman Prods.

Animation and multimedia production studio ANIMAX has begun production on Catching Kringle, a 35mm animated short film for Jellyman Prods. The 15-minute-long holiday-themed short features the voices of Danny DeVito and The Lord of the Rings' John Rhys-Davies, with a cameo by Larry King. 2D will be achieved using Flash, USAnimation and traditional hand techniques. A release date of November 2003 has been set.

Catching Kringle is a family-friendly action/adventure film that takes place in the not-so-distant future, when suburban America has become so home-security obsessed that Santa Claus is declared to be a national security threat. With Father Christmas on the run from General "Naughty" Norman Needham, it's up to a rookie elf to save the day and help everyone rediscover the spirit of Christmas.

The film, produced by Jellyman Prods. team Adam Himoff and Andrea Stern, was written by Himoff and is being directed by Jeff Wadlow, winner of the 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival.

Catching Kringle will screen at domestic and international film and animation festivals leading up to and following the 2003 holiday season. The team has a feature length version of the animated short in active development.