Toronto’s Phoenix Animation Studios and Studio 8967 kids’ series Bedtime Primetime Classics will appear on Carlton Kids, the u.k.’s newest channel, launched Nov. 15.

Distributed by Catalyst Distribution, the original series of 12 classically animated one-hour shows retells old favorites such as The Prince & The Pauper, Moby Dick and The Count of Monte Cristo.

Red Violin big in Japan

rhombus Media’s The Red Violin picked up the award for best artistic contribution at the Tokyo International Film Festival earlier this month.

Odeon Films opened the Francois Girard film Nov. 13 in English Canada. Lions Gate holds the u.s. rights and will release the film in spring 1999.

Also at Rhombus, The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin, directed by Larry Weinstein, has been nominated in the arts documentary category at the 26th annual International Emmy Awards.

Astral signs distrib deal with Global Media

montreal-based Astral Home Entertainment, a division of Astral Communications, signed an agreement Nov. 17 to supply and distribute videos and cds sold over the Internet by Nanaimo, b.c.-based Global Media Corporation.

ahe president Randal Palach says Global Media’s plans ‘will help expand the sales of home entertainment product in Canada. [We] have developed an expertise in delivering home entertainment product and our role will be crucial to the new venture in assuring that consumers receive their purchases rapidly.’

Global Media is currently constructing the first Canadian retail Website for videos and cds.