The 11th edition of the CEE Animation Forum, taking place November 8 & 9 in Pilsen, Czech Republic, will present a selection of 28 European animated projects– feature films, series/TV specials, short films and student works. Showcasing works for adults, children and all audiences, the event not only provides a platform for pitching but this year will also introduce a new Market platform.
The total budget of all 28 pitching projects is €29 million, a hint at the ambitious scale and potential impact of the productions. The selection includes eight projects for children up to 10 years old, six projects for teenagers, eight projects for young adults and seven projects aimed at adult audiences. Hungarian animation is the most represented, with a total number of five projects, followed by Czech Republic (four), Estonia (three), Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain (two each), Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Slovakia and Ukraine (one each).
The projects are also varied in the artistic approaches they employ. Hand-drawing emerged as the most popular technique, utilized in 16 projects, followed closely by 2D animation in 14 projects. Additionally, the selection highlights the creative use of 3D animation in seven projects and stop-motion animation in seven.
In preparation for their final pitches, participating teams received guidance from Bonnie Williams, a renowned pitch & public speaking coach, and Karolina Davidova, an accomplished producer with expertise in art management and film production and founder of 13ka.
Learn more about all the 2023 CEE Animation Pitching Projects here.
Meet the Jury
In the Feature Films category, the jury comprises Claudia Rudolph-Hartmann, a senior manager, international festivals and acquisitions at Global Screen; Delphine Maury, founder of the production company Tant Mieux Prod; and David Mouraire, a producer and a co-founder of Doghouse Films.
The five series and one TV special will be judged by Denisa Dufková, head of planning for the children’s program of Czech Television Déčko; Emmanuelle Chevalier, a distinguished children’s film distributor at Les Films du Préau; and Leticia Montalvá Sánchez, a stop-motion producer at Pangur Animation.
The Short Films jury features Tam Dan Vu, an artistic director and Head of Communications at Travelling Distribution from Canada; Stéphanie Launay, a French producer (Komadoli Studio and Scalae Productions); and Carla Vulpiani, a film distributor at Varicoloured Holistic Film Agency.
The student works will be assessed by Flóra Anna Buda, creator of the Cannes prize-winning film 27; Stefan Michel, the co-founder of Studio Seufz,; and Léo Soesanto, a Paris-based film journalist, festival curator and writer.
Introducing an Innovative ‘Market’
CEE Animation Forum 2023 launches Market, a place designed to connect film professionals, where they can showcase their services, explore job opportunities and find ideal partners for their projects. What sets this initiative apart is its accessibility; organizers have ensured Market remains visible and open to those without accreditation or unable to attend in person.
All attendees will also have the opportunity to access two presentations — Crystel Poncet, former senior acquisitions manager at Canal+, offering invaluable insights in the field of animated series; and the renowned Hungarian institution, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, introducing their new Animation MA program in English.
More information about the CEE Animation Forum 2023 including program, project catalog and registration, is available at ceeanimation.eu/forum.
