European animation producers are getting ready to conquer screens across the continent with a new generation of series to be presented at the 22nd Cartoon Forum, the European co-production forum for TV and new platforms.
Press Release from Cartoon Forum
European animation producers are getting ready to conquer screens across the continent with a new generation of series to be presented at the 22nd Cartoon Forum, the European co-production forum for TV and new platforms. The event, which will take place from 13-16 September in the seaside city of Sopot in northern Poland, will showcase 66 new projects for animated series, many of which will reach European screens over the next few months. About 700 animation producers, broadcasters and investors meet each year at the event to set up co-productions and accelerate financial arrangements for new TV projects.
This year's edition of Cartoon Forum is particularly interesting thanks to a spectacular rise in the global budget for projects. The selected series total a global investment of 214.5 million euros, up 30% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the volume of productions rose 25% to reach 467 hours of animation. The figures reflect the positive outlook for the sector, as well as the consolidation of European animated series on broadcasters' programming schedules, both on the continent and abroad.
Projects targeted at children aged 6-9 stand out in the event's line-up, along with short format series with episodes under 11 minutes long. The sector's gravitation towards cross-media continues to grow, with more than a third of the projects conceived simultaneously for television and other platforms like internet, mobiles, video consoles or tablets.
France is once again this year's protagonist with 21 projects, followed by Britain and Spain which each double their participation from last year with 14 and 11 projects respectively. Sixteen other European countries will also participate with projects at the forum, underscoring the animation industry's growing strength across the continent.
Located just a few kilometres from the city of Gdan´sk, Sopot is known as the summer capital of Poland. With a blend of beaches, nature and impressive landscapes, this charming town on the Baltic Sea will give a personal touch to the relaxing atmosphere that has already characterised Cartoon Forum for more than two decades.
Cartoon Forum, with a reputation for bringing animation projects to life, has been organised by CARTOON every year since 1990 with the aim to boost production and circulate European animated series. This is the second time the event will be held in a new member of the European Union after the 2010 edition was celebrated in Hungary.
List of the selected projects: http://www.cartoon-media.eu/FORUM/selected.php
About CARTOON FORUMCreated in 1990 to boost the co-production and distribution of European animation for television and new media platforms, Cartoon Forum has helped 450 animation series obtain financing to the tune of over 1.5 billion EUR. For three days each year, European producers have the opportunity to pitch their animation project in front of all decision-makers, buyers and investors in order to speed up financing and find cross-border partners.
Cartoon Forum Polska is organised by CARTOON with the support of MEDIA - a Programme of the European Union, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the Polish Film Institute (PISF) and the City of Sopot, and in collaboration with Studio Miniatur Filmowych (SMF).
About CARTOONCARTOON is an international non-profit association based in Brussels that organises Cartoon Forum, together with Cartoon Movie, a co-production forum for feature-length animation, Cartoon Master training seminars and Cartoon Connection, a new programme intended to explore ways of reinforcing cooperation between EU and non EU animation professionals.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
