CARTOON MOVIE SPOTLIGHTS ON SPANISH ANIMATION ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
- Eight animated feature films with Spanish participation have been selected at this European co-production forum taking place in Bordeaux from 7 to 9 March.
- The first co-productionion between Spain and China, films based on the lives of Buñuel and García Márquez, and the new work of the director of “Psychonauts”, among the novelties.
Spain will be the main protagonist of Cartoon Movie, the European co-production forum for animated feature films, which in its twentieth edition will focus on animation from this country. From March 7 to 9, the French city of Bordeaux will host a new edition of this initiative created to strengthen the production and distribution of European animated films and which this year presents 60 new projects from 22 countries, including eight with Spanish participation.
Organized by ICAA – Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts and Diboos, the Spanish Federation of Animation Producers Associations, with the support of ICEX Spain Export and Investments and Animation from Spain, the Spotlight on Spain will include, in addition to the pitchings of the selected projects, studio presentations and various activities aimed at promoting the work of Spanish production companies. Spain will be present at Cartoon Movie 2018 with eight projects in different stages of production whose representatives are travelling to Bordeaux in search of co-producers and financial partners, as well as pre-sales and distribution agreements, which will allow them to complete and accelerate the production of their works.
With a total budget of 310 million euros, the 60 projects presented at Cartoon Movie 2018 amount to 79 new hours of animation. France leads the event with 17 projects, followed by Germany and Spain, with seven and five projects respectively. The projects, which are in various stages of production, will be presented to around 850 professionals in the sector, including potential co-producers and investors, distributors, exhibitors, television channels and video-on-demand platforms from all over Europe.
Animation “Made in Spain”
The list of selected Spanish projects includes “Dragonkeeper”, a family animated feature film based on the first novel in the multi-award-winning book series by Australian author Carole Wilkinson and co-directed by Ignacio Ferreras (“Wrinkles”) and Jian-Ping Li. Produced by Dragoia Media, Movistar +, Atresmedia Cinema Together with China Film Animation, the main film production and distribution company in the Asian country, the film is presented in the category of works in production.
In this section also participates “Buñuel in the labyrinth of the turtles”, a film directed by Salvador Simó that takes as its starting point the comic of the same name by Fermín Montero. With a release scheduled for 2018, the film is a production by Sygnatia and The Glow Animation Studio -in co-production with the Dutch Submarine– and narrates the vicissitudes of the filming of the documentary “Las Hurdes” by director Luis Buñuel.
The third Spanish work in the production stage is “Elcano, the first circumnavigation of the world”, a Basque production Dibulitoon Studio Directed by Ángel Alonso and scheduled for release in 2019. Aimed at family audiences, this adventure film follows the steps of Juan Sebastián Elcano in his mission to complete the first trip around the world.
Sygnatia and The Glow Animation Studio, along with producer Manuel Cristóbal and director Salvador Simó, are also behind “Gabo – Memories of a magical life”, a film inspired by the graphic novel of the same name about one of the most important figures in Latin American literature: Gabriel García Márquez. Co-produced by the Colombian Orange KingThe film is intended for an adult audience and is presented in the “concept” category.
The list of projects led by Spanish companies is completed with “The impossible journey”, an adventure film for family audiences that combines 3D animation with real images and that will mark the feature debut of director Abraham López Guerrero. They produce El Viaje Imposible together with the Spanish 3 Doubles Productions and the English Virtual IT Projects.
Spain will also be present in three other projects that have the participation of Spanish studios as minority co-producers such as “Another day alive”, a film based on the life of Polish reporter Ryszard Kapuscinski. Co-directed by documentary filmmaker and writer Raúl De La Fuente, and co-produced by the Spanish Kanaki FilmsThe film is about to conclude production and will be presented in advance to the nearly 850 professionals present in Bordeaux.
For their part, the Spanish UniKo and Abano Productions participate in “Unicorn Wars”, the new work by Alberto Vázquez (“Psychonauts, the forgotten children”) produced by the French Around a Minute and aimed at young adult/adult audiences, while Madrid-based 12 Pingüinos is a minority co-producer of “Trip to Teulada”, an Italian production directed by Nicola Contini.
Along with these producers, a large Spanish delegation will be present in Bordeaux to promote their work, services and catalogues, including producers such as Simplea Animation, MediaPro and 3D Wire, distributors such as A Contracorriente Films, Under the Milky Way, Big Pictures Films, sales agents such as Latido Films, companies and broadcasters such as Telefónica Audiovisual Digital and Televisió de Catalunya, and video game developers such as Drakhar Studio, which will be participating in Cartoon Games and Transmedia, a parallel activity to Cartoon Movie organized with the aim of creating synergies between the animation and video game industries.
The Spanish presence also includes a group of 27 students who will be part of the Coaching Programme Cartoon Movie, a training initiative that will allow future directors and producers of Spanish animation to learn about the dynamics of the event as well as to come into contact with the European market and producers in search of talent. The students come from the schools Barreira Arte + Diseño – Centro Oficial de Estudios Superiores, U-tad, Lightbox Academy and the Universitat Politècnica de València.