Animation World Network Invites 10-year-old Award-Winning Film Critic Perry Chen as Youngest Blogger

March 26, 2010 - PRLog -- Perry S. Chen, the 4th grade award-winning film critic, TV personality and radio talk show host on wsRadio from San Diego, California, has been invited by Animation World Network (AWN.com) as its youngest and newest blogger to provide a child movie-watcher’s unique perspective on animation and visual effects-driven films on www.AWN.com. Perry’s first blog, features his review of DreamWorks “How to Train Your Dragon” which opens today nationwide:    

http://www.awn.com/blogs/perrys-previews (Perry's AWN blog)

http://www.perryspreviews.com (Perry's website)

According to Dan Sarto, co-founder and publisher of Animation World Network, “Perry will provide Animation World with the unique perspective of a 10-year-old boy who at an early age developed a love and appreciation of cinema well beyond his years.  He represents an audience every studio strives to reach.  What better way to gain insights into that audience than have Perry blog about the latest animated and visual effects-driven feature films. We are thrilled to have Perry review films for us.”

“I am thrilled to join AWN so that all the filmmakers and stars of my favorite animation films can read my reviews about their films,” said Perry Chen.  “DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon is an ideal movie for my first blog:  I am a true Dragonologist!  Born in the year of the dragon, I always love to read about and draw dragons.  I even make sculptures of different kind of dragons from tin foil. I had such a Perrific time at the film’s press junket, interviewing directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, as well as voice talents Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera and Craig Ferguson.  It was a 5-starfish experience!"  

Perry’s interview with National Public Radio (NPR) host Liane Hansen about his review of “How to Train Your Dragon” and his budding film critic career will be aired on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday March 28 in the morning and available on NPR’s website http://www.NPR.org after the show.

Perry Chen started writing movie reviews of G and PG-rated films from a child's perspective in November 2008 when he was an 8-year-old third grader at the San Diego Del Mar Union School district’s Torrey Hills School.  He has published over 20 movie reviews and film festival news as a film critic and columnist on nine San Diego newspapers.  He is the host of “Perry Previews the Movies” on wsRadio, the worldwide leader in internet talk radio.  Perry reviews movies on several local television stations regularly, including KUSI, Fox 5, CW Channel 6, and was a guest on other radio talk shows.  

Perry won an “Excellent Writer Award” given by “We Chinese in America” newspaper and magazine on January 17, 2010 for his movie review column.  Perry’s unique starfish rating system is child-friendly and popular with families. The highest rating is five starfish.  Perry's movie reviews are well-known for the insight from a child's perspective, lively description, sense of humor, and summary of moral at the end.  

“When I watch one of my favorite movies in a cinema, I feel like I am in it myself, experiencing the thrill and the action,” said Perry, “When I watch a movie, I look for interesting storyline, rich and colorful characters, amazing visuals, and powerful moral.  These are trademarks of a ‘Perrific’ film (my coined word for Perry and terrific together).  I think that movies, especially animation films, are superb because they create more wonder, show us a different and often dazzling, imaginary world, and teach us important lessons about life.  That is why I love the world of films.”  

Perry became a national sensation after appearing on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in 2009.  He has been extensively featured on regional, national, and international media, including Fox, NBC 7/39, ABC 10 News, KUSI, KFMB CBS 8, CW Channel 6 San Diego Living, Roots Up Radio, The Big Biz Show, Art Rocks! Radio, San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego News Network, San Diego Magazine, San Diego Family, World Journal, The China Press, and more.

Perry has been invited to speak at school fundraisers and attend many film festivals, awards, and events as the youngest credentialed media, including the 37th Annie Awards for animation, ComiCon, Disney D23 expo, San Diego Asian Film Festival, San Diego Film Festival, and San Diego International Children’s Film Festival.  He interviewed Oscar-winning filmmakers such as Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera of “Up,” John Musker and Ron Clements of “The Princess and the Frog,”  Bill Plympton of “Hot Dog” and “The Fan and the Flower,” French animation master Michel Ocelot of “Azur and Asmar,” Tze Chun of “Children of Invention,” Laura Bari of “Antoine,” Howie Snyder of “My Beijing Birthday,” and Vanessa Gould of award-winning documentary “Between the Folds.”  

Perry correctly predicted that “Up” would win the best animation film at the Golden Globe, Annie, and Oscars.  

Perry is also an award-winning artist.  He won an award for his painting at the 14th annual San Diego International Music & Art Festival on January 24, 2010, and another award for "Outstanding Creativity" for his art show at the San Diego City Hall in October 2009.  He loves to draw characters and scenes from his favorite animations.

Perry is invited to speak and co-host filmmaker interviews at the San Diego IndieFest on March 26 and 27.

Perry invites AWN readers to post their feedback about movies and Perry’s reviews.

For Perry’s reviews, radio talk show, and special events YouTube videos, visit:

http://www.perryspreviews.com  
http://www.wsRadio.com/perry  
http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews  

Perry's social media sites:

http://twitter.com/perryspreviews
http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviews
http://www.linkedin.com/in/perryspreviews

For media inquiries about Perry Chen, please contact Zhu Shen, wsRadio executive producer of "Perry Previews the Movies," email: bioforesight@gmail.com

About Animation World Network:
AWN is the leading and most respected publishing group within the international animation community. Our vision is to bridge the physical boundaries that separate people with a wide ranging array of interesting and entertaining animation-related information. AWN’s goal is to provide the professional and enthusiast communities a comprehensive assembly of the best animation, visual effects and gaming resources that exist today, in an interactive and enjoyable environment. Starting from our inception in 1995 and continuing today, AWN remains the visionary leader in Internet animation and visual effects news and information publishing.

AWN is unique, not only on the Internet, but within the animation community. Currently, AWN receives well over 150,000 unique visitors from more than 100 different countries each month, generating in excess of 3 million page views. Flagship publications include AnimationWorld and VFXWorld Magazines, both leading online destinations for editorial content, including top features, interviews, tutorials and profiles on key people, companies, properties and events.  Coupled with over 30,000 news items, the magazines’ 5,000 plus article archive is unprecedented online and makes AWN the true “hub of animation on the Internet.”

Readers come to AWN to find all the latest international industry news. Find out what’s happening at the major studios, on television, home video, festivals, trade shows, markets, special screenings and other regional events, what commercials are being produced, new products and technologies, people on the move, company earnings, mergers, acquisitions and other business dealings and more. AWN’s new Expert Bloggers provide our readers with analysis, assessment, context and perspective unavailable anywhere else.

For information about AWN, contact publisher Dan Sarto, email: dan@awn.com

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Perry's Previews features reviews by Perry Chen, an award-winning 9-year-old critic of G/PG-rated family movies and the youngest radio talk show host. Details: www.perryspreviews.com
www.wsRadio.com/perry
www.youtube.com/perryspreviews