11-06-2009

Estonian animation marketing push

By Martin Aadamsoo
    Estonian animation studios, educators and festivals are uniting under one promotional umbrella to flex their marketing muscle at this year's International Animation Film Market, MIFA, at the Annecy film festival.

    The new Estonian Animation brand unites major Estonian animation studios like Eesti Joonisfilm (www.joonisfilm.ee), Eesti Nukufilm (www.nukufilm.ee), A-Fil, (www.afilm.ee) and smaller players like Tolm Studio (www.vimeo.com/tolmstuudio), Birds of Paradise (www.bop.ee), Filmpost (www.filmpost.ee), as well as the Animated Dreams animation festival (2009.poff.ee/anima) and the animation department of the Estonian Academy of Arts (www.artun.ee). The new brand draws much of its inspiration from its successful Finnish counterpart Finnanimation (www.finnanimation.fi).

    The new association plans to jointly participate at major international animation markets, including MIFA and Cartoon Forum, publish an annual catalogue (available online at www.efsa.ee/public/files/estoniananimation%202009_1.pdf) and launch a website. According to Ülo Pikkov from the Estonian Academy of Arts, the financial crises has reduced film financing throughout Europe, calling for more aggressive and concerted marketing action to secure foreign co-financing for all projects, including animation.