Showcasing your project before an international jury, big prizes – including the production of two winning projects at the CeTA studio – and a unique chance to present your ideas to producers, distributors, or broadcasters from all over the world – all these opportunities will be offered to the participants of the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum 2019 pitching section. Registration deadline is 4 August.
Projects eligible to enter the pitching are short animations and short special TV episodes using the puppet technique and meeting a number of criteria: they are in a developmental phase (at least a first draft of the script required), their running time is no more than 30 minutes, and they are a puppet animation for at least 80% of that time. Also welcome is an input (as in directing the animation, creating the storyboard or artistic design, writing the score, or creating a substantial part of the animation) of artists whose country of origin is one of the following: Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. Just like during the previous edition, 15 projects will be chosen by a special Selection Committee. The projects will be presented on 11 October 2019 during the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum, held in Łódź for the fourth time.
The artists will receive two special accolades from CeTA (Center for Audiovisual Technology in Wrocław), namely vouchers worth PLN 60,000 and PLN 40,000, which will entitle the winners to using the studio for producing their films. Other prizes include a license for the Dragonframe animation software, distributing the finished movie (sponsored by Radiator IP Sales), and expert tips on puppet animation by Marcin Zalewski.
The Animarkt Pitching will be preceded by a two-day training session devoted to refining the presentation of the project and the art of public performance. Nancy Denney-Phelps – a journalist cooperating with the prestigious AWN.com media group and a well-known figure in the animation circles – will advise the participants on what to focus on during the pitching, while composer and musician Nik Phelps will talk about such aspects as the presenter’s body language and their handling of the microphone. Additionally, each participant will have an opportunity to speak to Marcin Zalewski about the project of their puppet.
One of those to have already experienced the unique opportunity and proper support offered by the Animarkt Pitching is Martin Smatana, director of “The Kite” and winner of the top prize in 2017. The movie, produced by the CeTA studio, keeps winning plaudits and has been successful at numerous festivals – it premiered at Berlinale 2019, and a few days ago it won the Young Audience Award at the Annecy Festival. Smatana says, ‘It all started with the Animarkt. The guides and feedback I received from Nancy Denney-Phelps during one of the training sessions helped me a lot. Winning the prize gave me a huge boost and let me and my project spread the wings.”
The pitching’s terms and conditions are available at www.animarkt.pl/pitching. Projects should be submitted through an electronic form available atbit.ly/ANIMARKT_Pitching19. The deadline for submissions is 4 August 2019. The list of projects accepted for the pitching segment will be published at en.animarkt.pl and at the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum FB profile.
Animarkt Stop Motion Forum is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Polish Film Institute.
ANIMARKT STOP MOTION FORUM is Poland’s first and Central and Eastern Europe’s prime international event devoted exclusively to stop motion and puppet animation. It is a unique meeting venue of the field’s top artists, craftsmen, producers, distributors, broadcasters, and investors. Its diversified program offers a unique combination of workshop and vocation-oriented elements on the one hand with networking and business-to-business meetings on the other, while the pitching of short puppet animations is a unique opportunity for artists. The forthcoming 4th edition of the Animarkt will be held in Łódź between 8 and 12 October 2019. Entry to all ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum events is free of charge, but registration is necessary due to a limited number of places.
MOMAKIN, the organizer of the ANIMARKT STOP MOTION FORUM, is a business partner for animation. It offers professional support to animation projects at every stage of their development. It brings together artists, producers, and distributors. It boasts an immense portfolio of talents from all over the world and numerous successful ventures home and abroad.
