DreamWorks Animation Unleashes Gromit at the Cannes Film Festival

DreamWorks Animation SKG, which sent Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and Jack Black swimming with sharks at last year's Cannes Film Festival, returned to the beach for another classic publicity stunt.

This year, the sky was the limit in support of DreamWorks' new clay animated film from Aardman, "Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

The film is the first feature length comedy featuring the beloved duo from Aardman's Academy Award winning shorts - the cheese loving Wallace and his faithful canine companion Gromit.

Gromit fans of all ages were out in force to greet their hero, who reached new heights in the form of a 30 foot high inflatable balloon that towered over the crowd on the Cannes Croissete.

The high flying publicity stunt took place on Thursday, May 12, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. at the Carlton Beach Cafe.

Immediately following at 10:30 a.m. in the Palais at the Salle Bazin, the Cannes Film Festival's Artistic Delegate, Thierry Fremaux, introduced DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who hosted a special tribute to Aardman.

An official part of the festival, the tribute featured appearances by "Wallace & Gromit" creator and director Nick Park, and Aardman co-founders David Sproxton and Peter Lord.

The presentation included clips from Aardman's award-winning short films, as well as their first