Having received a record number of submissions, CEE Animation Forum has announced a lineup of 42 animated projects. The selections hail from Student Academy Award-winning and shortlisted directors as well as debut filmmakers. Due to the present COVID-19 conditions, the 9th edition will be held online in two stages: The pitch competition, newly expanded to five categories (April 26-29), and additional industry programming in collaboration with Anifilm Int’l Festival of Animated Films (May 4-9).
The organizers received 116 submissions from 27 countries, from which a committee of international experts selected the participating pitches. The majority of the selected teams come from Central and Eastern Europe: six from Hungary, four from Slovakia, three from Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Slovenia, two from Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and one project each from Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine.
“We received a record number of submissions this year, with balanced representation of Central and Eastern European countries and the most developed markets of Western Europe. Each year demonstrates that the quality of works originating from the region of Central and Eastern Europe is improving very rapidly, which is very motivating for us and for the industry,” noted Matija Sturm, CEE Animation Forum & Workshop Managing Director. “Compared to 2017, we have almost doubled the number of projects in competition, and from two categories we have increased to a total of five, including Rising Stars, a student short films category we are introducing for the first time this year.”
This year’s selection shows fairly equal representation for women. Among the 42 projects, the percentage of female directors is 47% and 46% for female producers. Representation in Heads of sections is 100% female: Zofia Jaroszuk (feature films), Reka Temple (series & TV specials), Aneta Ozorek (short films), Manu Weiss (XR projects) and Gyorgyi Falvai (Rising Stars).
The dual purpose of launching the student-focused Rising Stars section is to increase the quality of school projects through the challenge of experiencing a real market situation, and initiate a dialog between CEE Animation and schools in the region. Students will get the same opportunity as other pitch participants: to meet mentors, get professional feedback, network and possibly win awards.
“We are all eagerly looking forward to meeting new talents and seeing the future engines of regional animation. Schools are the most important workshops of unrestricted creations where the animation profession can refresh from and where new trends are born, which is why we have to pay attention to them,” explained Gyorgyi Falvai, Head of the section.
All of the pitching project teams will begin coaching sessions in March. The first session is with Bonnie Williams, which will be followed by 1:1 direct consultations provided by Williams, Matthieu Darras and Katrin Nandelstadt.
“Each project receives access to the introductory and two individual coaching sessions, so we will provide 84 individual sessions in the upcoming weeks to assist project teams when preparing for both the pre-recorded video pitch and 1:1 meetings with juries and industry representatives,” added Sturm.
Although the online version can limit personal connections, the organizers have kept their goal of creating a space for networking and exchanging information between film professionals. Everyone registered will have the chance to meet with international co-producers, global sales agents, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, representatives of public funds and financiers in more than 400 individual meetings organized in advance.
FEATURE FILMS
Birds Don’t Look Back | Director: Nadia Nackle, Producer: Sebastien Onomo, Special Touch Studios | France
Blaise | Director: Dimitri Planchon, Producer: Alexandre Gavras, KG Productions | France
Dreamworld | Director: Veljko Popovic, Producer: Milivoj Popovic, Prime Render d.o.o. | Croatia
Grizzlebetter | Producer: Tania Assova, Zographic Films Ltd. | Bulgaria
Senior Crush | Director: Orsolya Richolm, Producer: Andrea Ausztrics, Umbrella Kreatív Műhely Kft. | Hungary
The Night Falls over Madrid | Director: Daniel V. Villamediana, David Epiney, Producer: Eugenia Mumenthaler, Alina film | Switzerland
Vast Blue Antarctica | Director: Christos Panagos, Producer: Charalambos Margaritis, Kimonos Animation Studio | Cyprus
TV SERIES
Anselmo Wannabe | Director: Massimo Ottoni, Producer: Federico Turani, Ibrido | Italy
Bogboy | Director: Jack O’Shea, Producer: Paul Ruttledge, Bogboy Productions Limited | Ireland
Deivit and Lisa | Director: Alessandro Di Renzo, Producer: Mario Tarrago | Spain
Mitch-Match | Director/Producer: Geza M. Toth, KEDD Animation Studio | Hungary
Robot and the Martians | Director: Tomasz Niedzwiedz, Producer: Tomasz Paziewski, Badi Badi | Poland
Rosie and Sapphire | Director: Anna Katalin Lovrity, Producer: Balint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd. | Hungary
Starting with Hope | Director: Sonia Velvien, Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production | Romania
The Adventures of Gloria Scott | Director: Matija Pisacic, Producer: Dijana Mladenovic, Kinematograf | Croatia
The Olive Bunch | Director: Magnus Kravik, Producer: Maria Pavlou, Pixel Giants | Cyprus
What the Old Moon Tells | Director: Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez, Producer: Carol Ratajczak, Blaue Pampelmuse | Germany
Zhuzha Fixes the World | Director: Oleksandra Ruban, Producer: Kateryna Kopylova, Sashko Chubko, Trident Film | Ukraine
SHORT FILMS
Albert | Director: Szandra Pataki, Producer: Krisztina Endrenyi, Mythberg Films Kft. | Hungary
Autumn | Director: Wojciech Sobczyk, Producer: Aneta Zagorska, Robert Sowa, Krakow Film Klaster – Centrum, Animacji w Krakowie | Poland
Electra. A Poem | Director: Daria Kashcheeva, Producer: Zuzana Krivkova, MAUR film s.r.o. | Czech Republic
Hello Summer | Director/Producer: Martin Smatana, Studio Bororo | Slovakia
Ibis | Director: Maria Burgues, Enric Sant, Producer: Maria Burgues, BLISS PICTURES | Spain
Milu’s Dog | Director: Daniel Gray, Producer: Bella Szederkenyi, CUB Animation | Hungary
Nut Cake | Director: Meinardas Valkevicius, Producer: Akvile Bliujute – Januse, JSC Meinart | Lithuania
Patrick in Town | Director: Eszter Sandor, Valentina Huckova, Producer: Valentina Huckova, Young Glass Noodle | Slovakia
Sivužas (working title) | Director: Ignas Meilunas, Producer: Juste Beniusyte, Vilniaus Primavera | Lithuania
Sugar, Blood & Insulin. Diary of a Type 1 Diabetic | Director: Thijs Koole, Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production | France
Unspoken | Director: Misia Mormina, Producer: Engin Karabagli, Emegro B.V. | Netherlands
XR IMMERSIVE MEDIA
Finding Frida | Director: Hilde Kristin Kjøs, Producer: Bjørn-Morten Nerland, Stargate Media AS | Norway
Fruits on the Tube | Director: Klaas-Harm de Boer, Producer: Vincent Lindenboom, Next Empire BV | Netherlands
Swarm | Director/Producer: Maarten Isaak de Heer, Menetekel Film | Netherlands
RISING STARS
Beyond the Face | Director: Anja Resman, Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts – University of Nova Gorica | Slovenia
Desire to Win | Director: Michaela Rezova, Producer: Zuzana Bukovinska, Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague | Czech Republic
Forgive | Director: Alzbeta Macakova Misejkova, Producer: Jiri Pecinovsky, Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – FAMU | Czech Republic
Holes | Director: Sofiya Kruglikova, Producer: Academy of Fine Arts and Design – University of Ljubljana | Slovenia
Kurent | Director: Miha Reja, Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts – University of Nova Gorica | Slovenia
Light Year Apart | Director: Viktoria Taranova, Producer: Michaela Cermakova, Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU | Slovakia
Orange You Glad | Director/Producer: Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | Germany
Silo | Director: Ema Nemcovicova, Producer: Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU | Slovakia
The Last Drop | Director: Anna Tokes, Producer: Jozsef Fulop, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest – MOME | Hungary
The Perfect Gift | Director: Kristina Penava, Producer: The Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek | Croatia
