This year the European Commission developed an Animation Plan, which aims to invigorate the animation industry in the entire EU. The Central and Eastern European region contains great potential that has yet to be tapped. A new initiative titled the CEE Animation Workshop is striving to capture this potential by bringing together independent animated film producers from a total of eighteen countries and showing producers from the CEE region the latest international animation industry trends. The event will be held from 2 to 6 December, 2017 in Ljubljana.
The initial idea to connect independent animated film producers from the CEE region (Central and Eastern Europe) emerged in autumn 2016. The need for joint events and more intensive collaboration is the motto of the Visegrad Animation Forum, an international platform that has been connecting producers for the past several years. The primary aim of this initiative is to help grow the industry and lay the groundwork to enable development of successful co-productions which will be competitive internationally.
The idea to organize this one-off event, which would welcome producers from over half of the countries in Europe and set a firm foundation for future collaboration, was immediately accepted by Creative Europe Desk (CED) representatives. The head of the Czech CED Pavlína Kalandrová points out that collaboration between European countries is essential and adds: “The CEE Animation Workshop is intended to facilitate development of the necessary linkages within our market and encourage collaboration within our region, while also helping our market become an adequate partner for Western Europe – whether in the animated work production phase, through co-productions or subsequent distribution.”
The engagement of a total of nineteen national Creative Europe Desks– MEDIA offices is a huge benefit. “We are convinced that through better use of the potential for collaboration between producers in our region, our applicants will be more successful in Creative Europe MEDIA EU programme.” saysSabina Briški Karlić, the head of the Slovenian CED.
The head of studies of the workshop is Linda Beath, who has provided film advisory services and trained film producers across Europe for many years. The lecturers, who will spend five days of intensive work with the participants, include five renowned film experts. Experienced Irish producer Siun Ni Raghallaigh, who has over thirty years of experience in the media industry, is the CEO of Ardmore Studios and one of the founders of Troy Studios. A second lecturer is Moe Honan, CEO of Moetion Films Ltd. A third tutor is renowned film marketing expert Mathias Noschis. With his company Alphapanda, he has developed online PR and social media campaigns for numerous Hollywood titles, such as: Lego Ninjago, Kung Fu Panda 3, Ice Age: Collision Course, Toy Story 3 and Rango. Mathias is currently working on a Polish film titled Another Day of Life. The fourth is Richard Rowe, Director of International Acquisitions and Co-productions at DHX Media. This group will also join Maciej Chmiel, Vice Head of Sales & Acquisitions Department of TVP (Polish National Broadcaster).
Twenty-six producers from a total of eighteen countries were selected to participate in the first edition of the workshop: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Georgia, Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Ukraine. The main workshop topics will include international co-productions, financing, legal issues, marketing, sales, work with TV broadcasters and digital distribution.
An important part of the Ljubljana workshop will be a panel discussion on co-production conditions in Central and Eastern Europe. The meeting will be attended by over thirty film professionals who will try to formulate a joint statement to cinematographic funds and representatives of TV broadcasters calling for greater support of the animation industry. This document, titled the Ljubljana Accord will include a description of the specific conditions for production of animated works in the CEE region and draft improvement strategies aimed at developing a competitive animated film industry – both nationally and internationally.
The CEE Animation Workshop will be held from 2 to 6 December, 2017 at the Animateka International Animated Film Festival taking place in Ljubljana from 4 to 10 December, 2017. More information about the CEE Animation Workshop find at ceeanimation.eu.
Accompanying programme:
The CEE Animation Workshop is being organized in co-operation with the Animateka International Animated Film Festival which will be held in Ljubljana from 4 to 10 December, 2017. The accompanying programme will feature workshop lecturers Moe Honan and Siun Ni Raghallaigh. There will be a general public screening of the animated feature comedy Ooops! Noah Is Gone… The Irish-German-Luxembourg-Belgian co-production, known in the USA as All Creatures Big and Small and in the UK and Ireland as Two by Two – Ooops! The Ark Has Gone…, won the 2016 Producer of the Year award at Cartoon Movie. The event will be held on 5 December.
Media contact:
Marta Jallageas, PR / marta.obrsalova@visegradanimation.com / +775 669 222
Contact for inquiries regarding the CEE Animation Workshop:
Juraj Krasnohorsky (SK), organizer / juraj@artichoke.sk / +421 904 185 692
Matija Šturm (SI), organizer / matija@dsaf.si / +386 31 632 162
The organizers of the CEE Animation Workshop are:
Creative Europe – MEDIA Desks from 19 countries
Slovenian Animated Film Association
Animateka International Animated Film Festival
Source:
Press release Slovak Association of Animated Film Producers (APAF)
published: 28.11.2017
updated: 28.11.2017