The seventh edition of the CEE Animation Forum (formerly known as Visegrad Animation Forum) will showcase thirty-three animated projects in development in three categories: short films, series / TV specials and feature films. The majority of selected teams are coming from Central and Eastern Europe – the Czech Republic 6x, Hungary 3x, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Romania 2x, Slovenia, Latvia or Ukraine 1x.
After the successful first edition of the feature films pitching competition, the organizers decided to open a regular call for this category. “Receiving many feature animated film entries to this year’s call is a confirmation to us that the animation industry in the region and in the EU has a bright future as the level of the quality of projects in development is quite high. We intend to support all of the projects in pitchings, including feature projects, with a boost towards building international coproductions, pre-sales and promotion to access international markets,” explains Matija Šturm, Executive Director of CEE Animation. The winning project of the CEE Animation Forum 2018 was Of Unwanted Things and People, which was recently presented at Cartoon Movie and received the Eurimages Development Coproduction Award.
This year, the CEE Animation Forum have selected several promising projects directed by experienced filmmakers such as Czech author Michaela Pavlátová (Tram, 2012) or Martin Kotík (Harvie and the Magic Museum, 2017). Several authors will return to the pitching competition: Hungarian director Iván Tamás after having received a special mention at VAF Třeboň 2015 for his animated series How the World Began or Slovenian director Timon Leder for the successful short film The Weasel (VAF Třeboň 2014 special mention).
CATEGORY FEATURE FILMS IN DEVELOPMENT:
Allah Is Not Obliged (d. Zaven Najjar, p. Sébastien Onomo; France)
Babu in the Night City (d. Petr Vodička, p. Radim Procházka; Czech Republic)
The Guardian of Legends (d. Tomek Niedzwiedz, Waldek Mordarski, p. Magdalena Rawa, Tomasz Paziewski; Poland)
My Sunny Maad (d. Michaela Pavlátová, p. Kateřina Černá, Petr Oukropec; Ron Dyens, Peter Badač; Czech Republic, France, Slovakia)
Pearl (d. & p. Martin Kotík; Czech Republic)
Piece (d. Alan Holly, p. Ciarán Deeney, Carla Vulipiani; Ireland)
Sidi Kaba and the Gateway Home (d. Rony Hotin, p. Sébastien Onomo; France)
Solo Lobo (d. Zoltán Miklósy, Attila Herkó, p. Éva Konrád; Hungary)
CATEGORY SERIES / TV SPECIALS FILMS IN DEVELOPMENT:
The Brownies (d. Jordan Brankovski Zoltán Miklósy, p. Lachezar Velinov, Alexandra Lopez-Koleva; Bulgaria)
The Cat Princess (d. Iván Tamás, p. Bálint Gelley; Hungary) *
Grandma's Pond (d. Friedrich Schäper, p. Ivan Zuber, Antoine Liétout, Friedrich Schäper; Germany) *
Kosmix (d. Klára Jůzová, Vojtěch Dudek, p. Martin Jůza; Czech Republic)
Move It or Lose It (d. Raffaele Compagnoni, p. Federico Riboldazzi; Italy)
Some of Us (d. Matan Rochlitz, Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo, p. Laurent Duret; France, Italy)
Street Pack (d. & p. Matěj Holub; Slovakia)
The Very Hairy Alphabet (d. Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez, p. Laura Messner; Germany)
The Wind Over Aleppo (d. Agnieszka Sadurska, p. Maria Deskur; Poland) *
* TV Special
CATEGORY SHORT FILMS IN DEVELOPMENT:
Amok (d. Balázs Turai, p. Gábor Osváth, Péter Benjámin Lukács; Hungary)
Butterfly on the Hook (d. Valeria Cozzarini, p. Remigio Guadagnini; Italy)
Family Portrait (d. Lea Vidaković, p. Draško Ivezić; Croatia)
The Goose (d. & p. Jan Míka; Czech Republic)
Money and Happiness (d. Ana Nedeljkovic, Nikola Majdak Jr., p. Jelena Mitrovic; Serbia)
Mouse House (d. Timon Leder, p. Jure Vizjak, Polona Kumelj; Slovenia)
Paolo´s Happiness (d. Thorsten Droessler, p. Grit Wisskirchen; Germany)
Playing God (d. Matteo Burani, p. Giancarlo Grande; France)
Raft (d. Marko Meštrović, p. Mia Bučević; Croatia)
Where To (d. Asparuh Petrov, p. Vessela Dantcheva; Bulgaria)
Selected authors will have a unique opportunity to consult projects with invited experts and receive valuable feedback and advice on how to improve their presentation, script, or production strategy. Competition participants can secure a chance to find a co-production partner by presenting it in front of almost two hundred film professionals, including producers, TV programmers, festival directors, distributors, investors or representatives of national film funds.
The last session of the CEE Animation Workshop will take place from May 4th to 9th and will be organized alongside the CEE Animation Forum. For this reason, several wild cards have been issued for projects to be presented in front of an audience.
FEATURE FILMS:
Gentle Jaco (d. Anthony Ho Wong, David Toušek, s. Hana Lehečková p. Marek Toušek; Czech Republic)
Twice Upon a Time (d. Vojin Vasovic, p. Vojin Vasovic, Milorad Kocić; Serbia)
SERIES:
Summer Kingdom (d. Roman Kepkalo, p. Yana Palamarenko; Ukraine)
SHORT FILMS:
Grandpa Is Sleeping (d. Matei Branea, p. Helga Fodorean; Romania)
Letter to Milena (d. Zane Oborenko, p. Sabine Andersone; Latvia)
Viskovitz (d. Serghei Chiviriga, p. Ioana Lascar; Romania)
CEE Animation Forum (May 6th – 8th, 2019) takes place within the Anifilm International Festival of Animated Films (May 7th - 12th, 2019). CEE Animation is supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and co-funded by state funds and foundations and professional organisations from the Czech Republic (ASAF, Association of Czech Animation), Hungary (MOME ANIM, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest), Poland (SPPA, Polish Animation Producers Association), Slovakia (APAF, Slovak Association of Animated Film Producers) and Slovenia (DSAF, Slovenian Animated Film Association).
ABOUT CEE ANIMATION
- previously known as VISEGRAD ANIMATION FORUM, or VAF
CEE Animation is an umbrella of regional activities for promotion and development of the animation and its talents in more than 20 countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The objective of CEE Animation is to raise the competencies of professionals and give them equal access to financing and the markets as their Western peers, by fostering co-production and sustainable business models.
CEE ANIMATION FORUM – access to markets, tutoring, pitching, networking
CEE ANIMATION WORKSHOP – dynamic tailor-made workshop for experienced animated film producers
CEE ANIMATION TALENTS – dissemination and promotion of short films by promising young talents
