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Media Acquisition
U.S.-based telecommunications company WinStar Communications Inc. has acquired an 80 percent interest in international distributor Fox Lorber Associates Inc. The acquisition was completed through WinStar's subsidiary WinStar New Media's Non Fiction Films Inc. Fox Lorber founder Richard Lorber will remain the company's president and CEO. (Fox Lorber Associates, Kerry McIntyre-Novick, +1 212 686 6777.) Nelvana Deals
Gearing up for next week's Cardiff Animation Festival, distribution company Nelvana Enterprises Inc. announced a spate of deals, including the sale of three series to Nickelodeon-U.K. The cable network bought 65 episodes of "Babar," 13 half-hour episodes of "Stickin' Around" and "Tales of the Cryptkeeper." Nelvana also sold "Legend of the North Wind" to Germany's Beta Taurus. (Nelvana Ltd., Barbara Frances (Toronto), +1 416 588 5571.) More Animation News
The International Animation Consortium created last month to promote children's rights, nealy doubled in size since the recent MIP-TV international programme market. The group, founded by The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), now has more than 70 companies. New companies include, Artoon (Greece), Cartoon Studio (France), Cromosoma (Spain), EPIDEM (Finland), EVA Entertainment (U.K.), Filmexport (Spain), France Animation, Gaumont Animation (France), Hahn Films (Germany), Honeycomb (U.K.), Marathon Productions (France), Les Films de la Perrine (France), Millimages (France), Neptuno Films (Spain), NFP Animation (Germany), Pandora (France), Palm Plus Animation (Netherlands), PMMP (France), Polish Television, Praxinos (France), Procidis (France), Rever (Italy), Telemagination (U.K.), Varga Animation Studio (Hungary), Woodland Animation (U.K.) and YLE (Finland). (Contact: Pryor & Associates, Jeff Pryor, +1 818 382 2233.) Italian Movies in Hollywood
Italian broadcaster RAI and the Italian Cultural Institute are opening the Roberto Rossellini Theater in Westwood, Calif. The two companies will jointly own and manage the 135-seat theater. The American premiere screening of Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's "The Elective Affinities" will open the theater May 29. Japan in Hollywood
Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. and Japanese film distributor Toho-Towa Co. are making moves to be bigger players in...