“SIMPLY SHORT”: Central Europe’s best short animated films, or Animation – Certainly not for kids…
The title “Simply short” will cover the selection of the most interesting short animated films by promising young filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe to hit the cinemas on September 21, 2017. It represents the contemporary works from the last two years, including abstract experiment as well as the Happy End black comedy from last year’s Oscar nomination shortlist. A collage of a total runtime of 69 minutes consists of 11 short films from 6 countries: beside two “domestic” representatives, from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. The Czech films are the aforementioned Happy End by FAMU graduate, director, scriptwriter and cameramen, Jan Saska, as well as a visually creative film called “More I Know”. With respect to the serious themes and focus on abstract art, the compilation is intended primarily for adults who wish to discover the works by Central Europe’s most talented students, graduates and junior artists. “Short independent animation presented by our selection is thriving in Central and Eastern Europe, making it an equal partner for the rest of the world. Our countries boast a multitude of legendary artists and emerging talents with a promise of successful career. In this case, the situation differs greatly from […] ...
Aurel Klimt crowdfunds his animated feature Laika
Those who are familiar with the work of Aurel Klimt, one of Czech Republic’s most respected animators and directors, know that there aren’t that many people who can – like himself – be considered true followers of the tradition of Czech puppetry and animation, established by Jiří Trnka and continued by the likes of Břetislav Pojar. Over the course of the last decade, he’s been working tirelessly on something truly remarkable – a 90-minute (!) hand-animated film about the adventures of Laika, the first space explorer. Out of all people, it’s creators like you who know best how difficult it is to secure proper funding for something as ambitious as an animated feature and Laika is no exception. Right now, it’s finally nearing completion, but with one last major obstacle in the way – after the arduous and lengthy production, there is not enough funds for post-production. Now you can support Aurel Klimt and help him finish his decade’s worth of hard work through his Kickstarter campaign that has just launched. And even if you don’t plan on supporting Laika, we urge you to take a look at the campaign. If nothing else, the sheer artistry and wit of Klimt’s […] ...
Line-up of the Visegrad Animation Forum 2017 Unveiled
The fifth edition of the VAF Trebon, a key industry meeting for animation professionals mainly from CEE region, takes place in Trebon, Czech Republic, May 2-4, 2017. Even if the pitching competition is open to all European animated projects in development, this edition is specific for high number of submitted works from the Central and Eastern Europe (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia). The guarantee of the quality is indicated by well-known animation professionals in both categories: Jan Saska (CZ), one of 10 finalists for an Academy Award nomination in the Best Animated Short Film category will pitch his new short Hurikán and Katarina Kerekesova (SK) will present her upcoming Christmas TV special which follows a very successful series Mimi & Lisa. The list of all selected projects can be found here. The VAF Trebon supports filmmakers while helping them to develop their projects with experienced international professionals. In order to prepare a public pitching session, several preparation workshops for the authors and producers are planned. Last year saw a truly historic feat. Within the framework of the VAF Trebon 2016, a meeting of the heads of the national film funds from the Visegrad + countries […] ...
Mapping out the Animation Industry in the Czech Republic Has Shown the Great Potential of Czech Animation, but also Points to its Weaknesses
As a result of a survey lasting over one year, the “Mapping out the Animation Industry in the Czech Republic” report is now being published, and sums up the outcome of a detailed questionnaire survey carried out among dozens of animation studios, school representatives, and individual independent authors. The study performed in cooperation with the Creative Europe – MEDIA office is the first complex description of the state of the animation industry in the Czech Republic since 1990. On Monday, March 20th, a public presentation of the main outputs took place, including an expert debate and press conference. About seventy people active in the field took part (studio representatives, freelancers and animation students), involving representatives of the Czech Ministry of Culture; Czech Television; the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague; the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague; the Film Academy of Miroslav Ondříček in Písek; the Czech Film Center, and other institutions and journalists. The survey has revealed that animation is a growing industry both in the Czech Republic and abroad. This is reflected in the demand for animated films and series, which has been increasing globally in recent years. In the […] ...
Visegrad Animation Forum announces 23 animated projects in competition
We are pleased to announce the list of animated projects selected to participate in the VAF Trebon 2017. As each year, we were watching for all the applications with impatience. We were pleasantly surprised of high number of submitted projects from the Central and Eastern Europe. We are very glad about this fact. All selected projects will take part in the pitching preparation with an experienced professional on their story concept, project development, financial plan, market or festival strategy, possible coproduction workflow separation etc. This will be followed by the pitching competition and individual meetings where they will face industry professionals. Every participant’s objective is to find partners, distributors, and broadcasters and win their interest – and maybe even “sell” their projects. The winning project in both categories will receive 2,000 EUR for further development and the winner of the category TV Series/Specials will have direct access to Cartoon Forum 2017 without the need to undergo competitive pre-selection. This year for the first time, the representative of the MAIA WORKSHOP, the advanced training and coaching programme for emerging producers, will award the best producer who wins the invitation for their training. The projects selected for the category SHORT FILM are […] ...
Anifilm 2017 Business Bistro: A two-day programme for professionals and students
Business Bistro (BB) is new two-day programme for professionals and students which will be taking place on 4th and 5th May at the Anifilm in Třeboň. BB is a meeting platform for representatives of Czech and foreign animation and VFX studios, game developers, VR designers and students and graduates of film, fine art and technical schools. You will get a chance to present your studio, company or project in a booth and selected case studies for FREE. You will be assigned a presentation slot in our industry programme, have a chance to attend one-to-one meetings with other participants and lectures on gaming industry, animation and virtual reality. You will receive a Festival Professional accreditation which will grant you access to the BB as well as the whole festival programme. BB aims to connect film professionals with students and graduates looking to find a professional fulfilment in Czech creative and cultural industries. In general, BB serves as a platform for sharing ideas and discussing new projects, technologies and opportunities for cooperation and co-production. Website: http://www.anifilm.cz/en/businessbistro/ or contact Coordinator of Business Bistro for more informations and presentation of your studios: miroslava.janicatova@anifilm.cz ...
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 […] ...
Visegrad Animation Forum 2017: Submit your project to be discovered
The Visegrad Animation Forum (VAF) is the leading pitching event for animated film in the Central and Eastern Europe. It is the place where you can meet all the animated film industry and creativity not only from CEE. Professionals – including producers, broadcasters, festival experts, sales agents, distributors, fund representatives and others – come to discuss visions, financing oportunities or strategies for further development. For the 5th consecutive year the 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.). The winners, newly in both categories, receive financial support of 2,000 EUR for further development. Besides this, the winning TV Series project gains direct access to Cartoon Forum. Submissions will remain open until 29th January 2017. Detailed rules here In a few simple steps submit your project for free here For any questions concerning the submission process, email submission@visegradanimation.com. Visegrad Animation Forum: 2-4 May 2017, Trebon, Czech Republic http://visegradanimation.com/ is held jointly with International Festival of Animated Films Anifilm: 2-7 May 2017, Trebon, Czech Republic http://www.anifilm.cz/en/. ...
ANIFILM – SUBMIT YOUR FILM NOW
Anifilm, International Festival of Animated Films, Trebon 2017 is announcing CALL FOR ENTRIES! Next edition of Anifilm taking place in Třeboň, Czech Republic 2nd – 7th May 2017 opens submissions for your films! If you haven´t competed in previous edition, feel free to submit your creations made after 1st January 2016 to following categories: International Competition of Feature Films: a/ Films for Grown-Ups b/ Films for Children International Competition of Short Films International Competition of Student Films International Competition of Music Videos International Competition for Abstract and Non-narrative Animations Application deadline is set to 15th January 2017. Please register your film by filling in the online form at vp.eventival.eu/anifilm/2017. There is no fee for applicants. For more information about the festival, festival statutes and competition rules, please check out the festival’s official website at www.anifilm.cz. We would be honoured by accepting your application. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time on program@anifilm.cz. We look forward to receiving your films! Anifilm team ...
Clever crowdfunding in animation industry
Despite the growth in popularity of community funding, only a few animated projects have appeared on Czech portals which obtained funds through crowd-funding to complete a film, digitise older ones or use the campaign to popularise an already finished project. Successful examples are The Tree by Lucie Sunková on Startovač and the DVD release of Old Czech Legends by Jiří Trnka on Everfund. Other projects have tried their luck with proven international portals, where they hope to attract the interest of a larger number of supporters, such as the computer game “I Hope” on Kickstarter, created during last year’s Anomalia courses in the Czech Republic, and the collection for the realisation of the latest film Insects by Jan Švankmajer on Indiegogo. The potential of crowd-funding to support the production of new films, animated games and post-production is far from negligible. There is interesting feedback from the audience the product is intended for, and a viral campaign can attract new viewers as well provide important publicity for projects. Also, investors and producers see a practical purpose of crowd-funding as being a sort of filter which predicts the future popularity of projects. Another positive effect is creating a community that feels a […] ...
