Animated Documentary – A Hundred Years Old and Still Alive
Last year, it was one hundred years since The Sinking of the Lusitania by Winsor McCay, considered by historians to be the first animated documentary. Since then, this hybrid and sometimes controversial genre has changed and evolved. Popular films include the recent Another Day of Life or Waltz with Bashir released some years ago. Czech animation is represented by Diana Cam Van Nguyen, whose short film Apart will compete at the prestigious Rotterdam festival. This year’s Anifilm, the International Festival of Animated Film will also focus on this unusual film format. In the last few years, animated documentaries (or anidoc as this format is sometimes called) have been growing in popularity among creators. They offer the director a wide range of options of self-expression. Movies are often based on actual events. The combination of animation and documentary allows for a metaphorical representation of things, situations, memories or traumatic experiences, while the unlimited possibilities of animation grant the authors artistic freedom. Cinema attendance points to another phenomenon. Animated documentaries bring adult viewers to the screen and break down the prejudices of animated film being only for children. Successful feature-length animated documentaries include a film about a Polish reporter in the Angolan […] ...
What’s on the Menu for Czech Animation in 2019
The year 2018 did not yield any box office hit in the field of Czech animation, yet festival showings and achievements abroad imply that our creators are not resting on their laurels. There are a number of interesting feature films, series, and TV bedtime-story animations in development or production. They will also include this year’s anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 50th birthday of Lucky Four or one hundred years since the death of historical Czech figure Rastislav Štefánik. And How Did Czech Animated Production Do Last Year? Four feature films by Czech filmmakers came to cinemas. One of them made it among the top 50 most visited: Pat & Mat: Winter Adventure, directed by Marek Beneš, attracted nearly 88,000 viewers, while the American animated Hotel Transylvania 3: Monster Vacation brought in nearly half a million. The highly anticipated and latest film by Jan Švankmajer Insects was released after seven years of production and nominated for the Film Critics’ Awards. In December, cinema-goers had a chance to see the Christmas story of Mimi & Lisa: Christmas Lights Mystery (directed by Ivana Šebestová and Katarína Kerekesová). Famous personalities such as Dagmar Pecková, Arnošt Goldflam, Linda Rybová or David Prachař supported its creation […] ...
First Edition of CEE Animation Workshop Brings Together Renowned Names in Script and Promising CEE Filmmakers
The first module of the year-long CEE Animation Workshop will take place from November 30th to December 6th in Ljubljana and will focus on content development. Invited tutors who will guide the participants are two experienced script advisors Rita Domonyi and Phil Parker. The group sessions will be led by Ewa Puszczyńska and Ole Wendorff-Østergaard. The workshop will bring together 12 animated projects, including 4 feature films, 4 series, 4 short films, and 5 participants without project. MEET THE SESSION EXPERTS Two SCRIPT CONSULTANTS will work individually or in group sessions with the project teams, helping them to formulate the voice of their story in the best possible way in terms of dramatic structure, genre and story arc. Rita Domonyi started her carrier in animation at Varga Studio, where she became the Creative Development manager of the company. She is also the teacher of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, and gives script editing lectures on the Faculty of Animation Studies. Screenwriter and creative producer Phil Parker has developed original content in over twenty countries demonstrating there is a global capacity for new concepts. His clients have included Aardman Animation (the Oscar winning Wallace and Gromit – Curse of the […] ...
Visegrad Animation Forum Is Rebranding into CEE Animation and Opens Call for Pitch of Animated Projects
Visegrad Animation Forum (VAF) has been the largest platform for the animation industry in Central and Eastern Europe. Over the course of its six-year existence, it has managed to build a strong base of film professionals and welcome over 150 participants from all over Europe in Třeboň every year. The Central and Eastern European region operates on very similar historical, artistic and economic fundaments. That’s why it is the organisers’ ambition to broaden the platform by including other countries, increase the range of activities, and umbrella all of that under the new CEE Animation brand. CEE Animation Forum – formerly known as VAF Třeboň From 6th to 9th May 2019, a traditional pitching competition of animation projects will be held in three categories: short film, series / TV special or feature film. Selected authors will have a unique opportunity to consult projects with invited experts, get valuable feedback and advice on how to improve their presentation, script, or production strategy. Competition participants can secure a chance to find a co-production partner by presenting it in front of more than one hundred film professionals – including producers, TV programmers, festival directors, distributors, investors or representatives of national film funds. They all come […] ...
International Co-Production as the Future of Animated Film
A seminar focused on international co-production of animated films will be held in Prague from 25th to 26th October 2018. Five successful producers are going to share their experience and personal filmmaking know-how here. ...
First Time in the Central and Eastern European Region – Visegrad Animation Forum Gives Space to Projects of Animated Feature Films in Development
The sixth year of the international Visegrad Animation Forum for film professionals will take place on 1st – 3rd May. As a tradition, it will be centred on a pitching competition of animated projects now in development in two categories – short films and series / TV specials. This year’s novelty is a pitching competition of upcoming animated feature films. It is organised by the Visegrad Animation Forum in cooperation with the Anifilm Festival and the newly established CEE Animation platform. This will be the first time in history that the region of Central and Eastern Europe will see a presentation of feature films that are still in development. Feature film is a distinguished discipline in animation. Such production ventures require courage, patience, and a great deal of energy. That’s why animated feature films are often eagerly awaited. Last year’s animation sensation – again from the CEE region – was Loving Vincent (dir. Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, POL), which has circled the world, broken box office records and collected a number of prestigious awards – including the European Film Award or a Golden Globe nomination. At the beginning of 2018, Jan Švankmajer, a strong name in Czech animation, introduced his […] ...
Animarket, the Only CEE Job Market
Are you looking for a job in the animation industry? Are you looking for skilled animators and developers? Animarket is just the thing for you. It will take place on 4th May 2018 in Třeboň as a part of the Anifilm festival. It is a job fair for CEE studios and schools focusing on animation, VFX, game development and VR/AR. Animarket is a follow-up to last year’s successful business Business Bistro and its aim is to help students and graduates in finding work in creative industries with natural emphasis on animation. It is organised as an exhibition of individual subjects and presents a unique opportunity to present yourself and help to develop the job market. Studios, schools and institutions can register here. If you have any questions, please contact the coordinator of the event: miroslava.janicatova@anifilm.cz. Program: http://www.anifilm.cz/cs/animarket/ For members of the Association of Czech Animation Film the FEE is FREE, instead of CZK 2,000. ...
The Emile Awards Ceremony honours the best European animated films; Czechs not in the final
More than a thousand guests watched the ceremony of the first year of the Emile European Animation Awards in Lille, France on the 8th of December 2017. This extraordinary event was attended by the top names in contemporary European animation – especially those from Western Europe. Czech films were represented in the audience by member of the Association of Animated Films Libor Nemeškal. However, none of our favourites were shortlisted. A total of sixteen awards were presented in various categories. The award for best feature film was received by Claude Barras for his film “My Life as a Zucchini” (“Ma vie de Courgette“). Other significant works of European animation did not leave the ceremony empty-handed either, for instance: “Red Turtle” (La Tortue Rogue, dir.: Michael Dudok de Wit) won the awards for best character animation and best storyboard. The star of the TV series category was the special Revolting Rhymes (dir.: Jan Lachauer, Jakob Schuh); The Amazing World of Gumball received one award as well as the fifth series of the popular children’s show Shaun the Sheep. Richards Williams gained special recognition and a standing ovation when presented with the Lotte Reiniger Lifetime Achievement Award by Christophe Erbess, host of […] ...
Europe’s best to deliver lectures at animation distribution seminar
Among the confirmed speakers at a seminar being organised by the ASAF in three weeks’ time – on 1.2.2018 – are leading experts in the field of distribution of animated content in the EU. Participants in the seminar will therefore enjoy a unique opportunity to get insights into the strategy of a company that has won Distributor of the Year awards for a series and a feature film at Cartoon Forum and Cartoon Movie. The first speaker is television producer Tom Van Waveren, a three-time Emmy nominee. He is the CEO and creative director of CAKE Entertainment, chairman of Animation Producers Netherlands and deputy chairman of Animation in Europe, where he works to improve support for the development of the European animation industry. One example of his work is the distribution strategy of the series Angry Birds. Paris-based US producer Eleanor Coleman, of the company Indie Sales (Best European Distributor at Cartoon Movie 2015), will discuss her experience of distributing the hit animated film My Life as a Zucchini. Also sharing his experiences will be the French producer Lionel Marty, who specialises in animation for children at the distribution company APC Kids and is the recipient of numerous international awards: […] ...
Seminar on animation distribution to raise Czech films’ chances abroad
The importance and potential of distribution in the era of digitalisation will be the focus of a seminar organised by the Association of Czech Animation Film on 1 February 2018. It will present trends in animation content, models of cooperation between producers and distributors, the future of television and digital broadcasting and the prerequisites for global distribution. It will also offer insights into what type of content distributors tend to be interested in and, for instance, what European feature films need to do to succeed on international markets. The seminar is intended for specialists such as independent producers, artists and representatives of selected distribution and television companies from home and abroad. Participants will acquire know-how with regard to current trends, challenges and opportunities in the distribution of animated works. Distribution represents the deciding factor as regards the further direction of Czech animation and bears a fundamental influence on the development of story ideas and screenplays. Alongside traditional channels of distribution, such as cinema and television, a range of new distribution channels and end digital devices are developing at a rapid tempo. Being aware of them enables Czech producers to become involved in foreign co-productions and can boost their chances of […] ...
