Every year since 2017, Cartoon Movie has presented a spotlight on the originality and unique artistry of a specific country or region. For 2022, visitors to the Bordeaux pitch event for animated features will be properly introduced to the Nordic countries, which are backing nine of the 57 projects being presented March 8-10 — a regional record!
“The spotlight on a European country/region attracts both limelight and business cooperation opportunities,” noted Annick Maes, General Director of organizing body Cartoon Movie. “As a thriving and innovative region with many strong storytelling talents, the Nordics will present interesting and unique projects that we are excited to give special attention during this year’s edition.”
Producer Tonje Skar Reiersen commented on behalf of the network Nordic Animation, “The spotlight at Cartoon Movie is a recognition of the fact that the animation industry in the Nordic countries is enjoying a golden age with increased output, greater diversity, more talents and bigger ambitions than at any other point in history. This attention at Cartoon is a great opportunity to show off our talents, strengthen the ties to European colleagues and market both our own films as well as our eagerness to participate on projects from other European countries.”
Animation with Meaning
The animation industry in the Nordic countries is vibrant and growing – and inspired by the region’s strong storytelling traditions. From H.C. Andersen’s The Little Mermaid to Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking to Tove Jansson’s Moomins and Thorbjørn Egner’s The Forest of HuckyBucky, the Nordic countries have a distinct culture for stories that transcend generations and speak of what it means to be human – stories that show that people are equal, no matter how different.
The Nordics continue to breathe new life into their literary classics, making them relevant for contemporary audiences. But as a truly innovative region, the Nordics also continue to develop new franchises, such as Angry Birds, Ninjago and Captain Sabertooth.
Nordic toons also push boundaries with their content and themes: The massively entertaining Checkered Ninja films use bad language and highlight western exploitation of sweatshop workers. A true and tragic polar adventure is turned into a playful and irreverent film in the upcoming Titina. Kids are daringly served up crazy acid trips in the Two Buddies and a Badger movies. A brutal but empathetic story of four generations of Palestinian refugees is retold in The Tower. And modern, unconventional families are represented, as in the Niko films and The Ape Star.
Nine projects from Norway, Finland and Iceland will be presented during the 2022 edition of Cartoon Movie (discover the projects here:
In Production:
- Just Super – Ovisten Animation (Norway)
- Titina – Mikrofilm / Vivi Film (Norway, Belgium)
In Development:
- Born Happy – Pikkukala / Atom Art / Letko (Finland, Latvia, Poland)
- Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights – Anima Vitae / Ulysses / A. Film / Moetion (Finland, Germany, Denmark, Ireland)
- Ploey 2 – GunHil (Iceland)
- Valemon: The Polar Bear King – Maipo Film (Norway)
In Concept:
- Magical Friends – Ulvenfilm / Kool Produktion (Norway)
- My True Imaginary Friend – Mr. Clutterbuck – Monkey Business Pictures / Aurora Pictures (Finland)
- Odd Is an Egg – Miso Film (Norway)
In addition, a further 20 producers will be on site, discussing and pitching their upcoming releases off the record. This is by far the largest Nordic delegation at any Cartoon event.
Cartoon Movie is a pitching & co-pro forum for animated feature films. Since the first edition in 1999, 423 films have found financing, representing a total budget of 2.78 billion euros. It is the leading pitching event for animated feature films in Europe and attracts buyers from the U.S. and Asia as well as European sales agents, distributors, streamers and TV channels.
The Nordic Spotlight is sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordisk Kulturfond, Nordisk Film og TV Fond, Norwegian Film Institute, Finnanimation, Icelandic Film Centre, as well as the Finnish and Norwegian Embassies to France.
Read more about this year’s Cartoon Movie in Animation Magazine‘s story here.
cartoon-media.eu | nordicanimation.com
