More or less proving that Canada-Spain animation co-prods are a good thing, 80 companies held a two-day summit last week in Barcelona to review and promote details of the recently extended treaty between the two countries.
Presented by the Canadian Consulate, Catalan Films & TV and MEDIA Antena Catalonia, the conference attendees included seven leading Canadian animation companies and a Spanish delegation of 32 top animation studios. Producers’ association Telefilm Canada and a major kids-based Spanish broadcaster were also in attendance.
‘We’ve been working (on the extension) for over two years and the reaction on both sides has been tremendous,’ says Khawar Nasim, head of the Barcelona-based Canadian Consulate and Trade Office. ‘The event provided an outstanding opportunity for companies of both countries to discover new potential co-production projects and network their relations with future partners.’
Several Canadian-Spain co-productions are already in development stemming from the treaty, including projects from alliances between Comet Entertainment and Bee Mind and CarpeDiem Film & TV and ICON Animation.
‘The treaty signals the rise of a new animation co-production nexus. Canada and Spain are on the fast track to becoming one of the most significant co-production partners in global animation,’ says Kevin Gillis, managing partner of Canada’s Breakthrough Animation, which produces toons such as Atomic Betty, Captain Flamingo and Miss BG.
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