The 16th edition of Cartoon Movie will showcase 59 animated film projects from across Europe March 5-7 in Lyon, France.
Gathering more than 700 animation professionals, the European co-production and pitching event will give producers a chance to present their projects to 200 potential financial partners and distributors from 40 countries.
The line-up reveals growing animation production in particular from the Nordic and new European countries. The number of films for young adults and adults has doubled since last year and they represent 30 percent of the selection.
France, involved in one of three projects selected, remains the undisputed leader of European animation. The Nordic countries show an impressive dynamism, representing a quarter of the line-up, in particular Norway with six projects, Finland with four and Sweden with three. Germany, Italy and Poland tie for third place with four projects each, followed by Hungary, Ireland and the United Kingdom with two each.
Among the French selection, there are seven productions from the Rhone-Alpes Region, which has consistently increased its presence since Lyon was established as the host city for Cartoon Movie in 2009.
The selection is composed of 26 projects in concept, 16 in development and 10 already in the production stage and scheduled to premiere along the year.
The program also includes 7 completed films:
- Aunt Hilda!, the latest work by Folimage co-directed by Jacques-Remy Girerd (Mia and the Midge);
- Beyond Beyond, a film by Esben Toft Jacobsen (The Great Bear);
- Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins, an adaption of the book co-produced by Norway, Denmark and Sweden;
- Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, the film debut of French rock star Mathias Malzieu;
- Minuscule, a big screen production of the popular French series;
- The Italian metaphysical drama The Art of Happiness;
- And the stop-motion and puppets Norwegian film The Christmas of Solan & Ludvig.
All of the completed films took part in previous editions of Cartoon Movie.
Since 1990, over 215 films pitched at Cartoon Movie, with a total budget of 1.5 billion Euros, have secured their financing and have been released thanks to this annual forum aimed at strengthening the production and distribution of animated feature films in Europe.
