Animation film producers from Central and Eastern Europe signed the Ljubljana Accord
A new initiative under the name CEE Animation Workshop brought together twenty-four independent producers of animated films from sixteen Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries. They came to Ljubljana to network, consult, learn and share their producing experience. Throughout the workshop, all participants discussed the current situation in animation and identified potential common steps to encourage and support the growth of the animation industry. These steps and strategies have been summarised in a document signed by all participants, namely The Ljubljana Accord. This year, the European Commission developed the Animation Plan For Europe, published in September 2017, which aims to invigorate the animation industry in the entire EU. Independent producers from the CEE countries, for the past few years gathering at the Visegrad Animation Forum, share the view that steps for the future need to be defined by a common voice that would represent the specificities of the CEE region more accurately. The CEE Animation Workshop has brought producers from the CEE countries together for the first time. The degree of importance of this event was immediately recognized even by Creative Europe Desks – MEDIA offices. “CEDs from a total of nineteen countries agreed to pull their forces together, which is a clear […] ...
Visegrad Animation Forum announces call for submissions for its 6th edition
The VAF Třeboň (May 1 – 3, 2018, Czech Republic) is the leading pitching event for animated film in the Central and Eastern Europe. As each year, animated projects in development compete in two categories: Short Films (single film less than 20 minutes long) and Series / TV Specials (web and TV series of any format and single films over 20 min.). Within the pitching preparation, the participants will get a unique opportunity for in-depth consultation with experienced film professionals on their story concept, project development, financial plan, market or festival strategy, possible coproduction workflow separation etc. The winners in both categories receive a traditional financial support of EUR 2,000 for further development. Besides this, the winning TV Series project gains direct access to Cartoon Forum 2018. The collaboration between the VAF and the world respected association CARTOON is extending. For the first time, a pitch for animated feature films will be organized. In this pilot edition, five VAF board members will choose the best project from their country (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia). After being pitched to different European distributors, 1:1 meetings with key representatives of the animation industry will be followed. The most promising project shall […] ...
Case Study: The benefits and pitfalls of international co-productions
One of the most inspiring international speakers at this year’s Visegrad Animation Forum conference in Třeboň was Frédéric Puech, director of the French film production company Planet Nemo. The company, which has been operating on the market for 11 years and is part of the larger corporation ANKAMA, has produced over 15 successful television series with 2D, 3D, and interactive content and exports its works to more than 130 countries worldwide. In light of his position, Frédéric Puech will discuss his experience with large international projects and their distribution abroad. “A successful strategy is to move simultaneously in the field of animation and digital content,” Frédéric stated in the introduction to his presentation. In addition to various television series, his company also develops animated computer games, interactive books, and mobile phone applications. The greatest demand for this media is in Asia, where Planet Nemo does most of its sales. The demand for European partners with their own themes is enormous, primarily in China, Japan, and South Korea. In cooperation with our Japanese partners we have developed several series for preschool children, who as a target group form an immense market while constantly demanding new and original approaches. An example might […] ...
Happy End in Cannes
Just a few days after its victory at the International Festival of Animated Films in Třeboň, this film from the Prague Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts was competing in Cannes. It didn’t bring home a Palme, howeverthis black comedy about death with a happy ending attracted attention in Cannes. The fact that the Czech student Jan Saska was present at the renowned film festival was a great success. His six-minute-long “Happy End” was among the favourites of the Quinzaine des réalisateurs / Directors’ Fortnight section, being the only Czech representative there. Happy End is a typically Czech farce full of hunters, drunkards and morbid humour. “There is something very Czech about the film – the tractor riding around to the sounds of the band Alkehol and the clinking of a case of beer. In another chapter hunters are shooting, a person gets run over by an old Škoda car, capped byautumn, woods and fields. There’s a certain local peculiarity. Yet at the same time there is no dialogue and the narrative methods are rather traditional;thus one can talk about some international comprehensibility,” the author of the film Jan Saska explains. In Cannes the film was warmly […] ...
