Jan 12, 2016

European producers have proven that mature animated features are possible in cartoon films

Want a view of where feature animation is headed- Look no further than Cartoon Movie, which is among the most important annual business events for long-form animated filmmaking.

The annual European pitching and co-production forum, now in its 18th year, will take place this year from March 2-4 in Lyon, France. Over 700 players in the animation world are expected to attend.

Designed to assist film producers in finding financing, co-producers, and distributors, Cartoon Movie has helped over 250 films find financing since 1999. Yesterday the organizers announced the 2016 line-up of 55 project pitches from 19 European countries.“Funan, The New People” directed by Denis Do.

In announcing the selections, Cartoon Movie's organizers noted European feature animation's continuing evolution into a more diverse, adult storytelling medium. For the first time ever, one-third of the event's selected projects are aimed at a teen and/or adult audience. These films address political or sensitive subjects, ranging from child soldiers in Angola (Another Day of Life by Platige Image), Khmer Rouge in Cambodia's years (Funan, The New People by Les Films d'Ici), resistance in Iran (The Siren by Les Films d'Ici), adoption (The Khmer Smile of Animalps Productions), and the civil war in Angola (Nayola by da Praca de Filmes).

Fictional adult films are also represented including a remix of Joseph Conrad's literature that takes place in Rio de Janeiro (Heart of Darkness by Les Films d'Ici), a psychotic thriller about the confinements of reality (Mind My Gap by Studio Rosto), and a kids-in-school comedy featuring notorious dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Franco as classmates (Little Bastards by Rokyn Animation).

For Americans who are used to predigested Hollywood feature animation that looks and feels generic, it can be disorienting to see the remarkable range of story concepts and graphic styles being presented at Cartoon Movie. Below are a few more projects in various stages of development and production that caught our attention:

Projects are presented in four general stages at Cartoon Movie: in concept, in development, in production, and completed sneak previews. The pitching sessions, where filmmakers present the ideas to potential co-producers and distributors, are the core element of the event. Each team has a set amount of time to pitch, from 10 minutes for projects in concept up to 30 minutes for films in production.

France leads the number of pitches with 18 projects, followed by Denmark and Germany with five apiece, and Italy, Netherlands, and Poland with three each. Eight projects are being presented from Nordic countries. For the first time, Cartoon Movie will present a Canadian project - Ricardo Curtis's Amoeba from House of Cool.

To learn more about all 55 projects, visit the Cartoon Movie website. Below are a few more images from the 2016 Cartoon Movie selections.