A total of 102 newly developed animation projects were submitted for the 17th edition of Animation Production Days (APD) in Stuttgart. Out of this record number of submissions, the selection committee has now chosen 50 projects from 18 countries. From April 26-28, the producers and directors of these projects will negotiate co-production and funding opportunities in pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings.
APD, a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the FMX – Film & Media Exchange, is billed as the most important business platform for animation projects in Germany.
Organizers note that, while they can’t say for sure that COVID lockdowns led to a boost in development or if other factors are at play, the uptick in dystopian themes in projects, particularly by younger producers and creatives, reflects the world’s current crisis-ridden situation. This year’s broad range of themes covered environmental issues tackled for all age groups; questions of individuality, belonging and solidarity; comedy series — some with philosophical undertones or societal critiques — and lots of fantasy and adventure stories. Social dramas and historical material for the whole family are also on offer.
Of the 50 selected projects, 15 come from Germany, followed by five from Spain and four each from Denmark and France. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the U.K. are also represented. Two of the projects were selected as part of a cooperation with the CEE Animation Workshop.
Two projects are being presented at APD this year from South Africa: their producers are part of a South African delegation travelling to Stuttgart as part of a partnership between ITFS, FMX & APD, Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) and the Triggerfish Foundation. This initiative is being supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Overall, this year’s APD selection comprises 14 feature films, two TV specials, 31 series and five cross-media projects. At least one woman is involved in a managerial position (i.e. as a producer or director) in 63% of the projects.
Around 20% of the selected projects are designed for preschool children, another 20% for a family audience, just over 40% for school children and teenagers up to the age of around 14 and almost another 20% for young adults and/or adult audiences.
The combined production volume of the projects amounts to more than 200 million euros.
A total of 37 submissions received were for a place in the coveted APD Talent Program, which sees eight European projects selected each year to participate in APD free of charge. At APD, up-and-coming producers and creatives have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with experienced industry experts, establish connections and find partners for their projects. The series project Rille and Julia by Jonas Hjohlman (Sweden) has qualified for participation in the Talent Program this year via our cooperation with the European training program Animation Sans Frontières. And, in cooperation with the Polish Kids Kino Industry event, Ester Kasalová and Hynek Spurný from Czech Republic have won a place in the APD Talent Program with their project Butterfly Quest.
Details on all selected projects and more information about APD 2023 available at animationproductiondays.de.
