In cooperation with the Annecy International Animation Film Market (Mifa), European Film Promotion (EFP) will organise meetings for leading European animation producers with producers from this year's guest country Mexico for the first time at the festival in Annecy. The aim is to make European producers visible outside of Europe and highlight the acclaimed European animation scene.
Around 25 producers from 13 European countries, most of whom are specialising in animation films for adults, will take part in the on-site event and meet 30 colleagues from Mexico to get to know one another in short meetings and expand their international networks. The participants are set to include award-winners from renowned festivals as well as Oscar nominees.
"Animation film plays an important role in Europe in many of our member countries and has always contributed to our cultural education and identity. As such, it is a good time to use the expertise of the EFP network in this segment as well to highlight this vibrant part of our industries. We are happy about the cooperation with Mifa's Véronique Encrenaz and the opportunity to launch an event at the world's most important festival for animated content here in Europe. The European animation scene is creative and versatile, the films are mostly realised as co-productions. It's now time to follow on from the success of European family animation to draw international attention to animated films for adult audiences. With our commitment, we want to strengthen and network the creative producers who are focusing on this genre", says Markéta Šantrochová, EFP President and Head of the Czech Film Center.
"More than 100 countries and their animation professionals and students are heading to Annecy every year to make the most of the 13 500+ delegates attending Annecy festival. Mifa is thrilled and proud to be partnering with European Film Promotion for first time, launching together a new coproduction event that will gather 25+ European film producers and 30+ Mexican producers. Mexican animation being celebrated this year in Annecy, it quickly came obvious to us that for Mifa 2023, Mexico would be the first country to benefit those first EFP coproduction meetings. This is very good news for creativity, openness, collaborations and of course coproductions. Marketa Santrochova's EFP wide network and Mifa's worldwide reach will provide the best conditions to enhance and to finance new projects, allowing European professionals to network beyond Europe", says Véronique Encrenaz, Head of Mifa.
***Click here to see the full list of participants***
According to the study Animation films and TV series in Europe from 2021, commissioned by the European Audiovisual Observatory, Europe produces around 55 theatrical animation films per year. France, Russia and Germany are the main producing countries. The study also points out that theatrical animation films are significantly more often international co-production than films of all categories - particularly France, Germany and Belgium stand out as co-production partners - and that exports are much more important for the theatrical exploitation of animation films than for films of all categories. Other insights are that animation produced from the United Kingdom and France generate the highest share of worldwide admissions for European animation films and that China is the first non-European market for European animation films followed by USA and Mexico.
Some of the most successful European animation films for adults in the arthouse segment include The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet, Chico & Rita by Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba, Alois Nebel by Tomáš Luňák, The Congress by Ari Folman, Song of the Sea by Tomm Moore, My Life as a Courgette by Claude Barras, Loving Vincent by Dorota Kobiela und Hugh Welchman, Another Day of Life by Raul de la Fuente and Damian Nenow, Josep by Aurel, Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen and No Dogs or Italians Allowed by Alain Ughetto.
Over the course of its 60 years, the Annecy Festival has established itself as a global event dedicated to animation, bringing together the most esteemed professionals from the sector to celebrate animation's creative and diverse styles and techniques from all over the world. The International Animation Film Market (Mifa) is the ultimate event in this sector. It facilitates meetings between authors, creators, and directors as well as with producers, distributors, and buyers, to contribute to this industry's development.
