Russian animation at the Cannes Film Market

Russian animation at the Cannes Film Market

The Cannes Film Festival Marche du Film took place from 6 to 15 July - this year as a hybrid format, with online and offline events. The Russian delegation, organized by ROSKINO with the support of the Cinema Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, it now records a series of sales for animated projects on the international market. Within the market, a virtual stand dedicated to Russian directors has operated on the Marché platform, with more than 30 companies presenting over 60 projects.

“The Russian participation in the Marché du Film was as profound as the one at the Cannes Film Festival. Offline and online presentations of Russian producers were organized. We are delighted to have introduced Russian animation, one of the fastest growing segments that generates 30% of export revenues for all content, ”noted Evgenia Markova, CEO of ROSKINO. “As part of the Producers Network platform, we introduced promising Russian producers working with minority co-productions to our foreign colleagues. Several big deals secured by Russian participants at the Marché du Film indicate the continuing trend of a growing interest in Russian content not only from the festival audience, but also from buyers and viewers, while the geography of our content sales is constantly expanding. Our commercial films, TV series and animation are in demand no less than arthouse films, which collect awards at festivals ”.

My sweet monster

Animated projects that find new partnerships during the market include:

  • Luminescence, the official distributor of the CTB film company, has concluded an agreement with the distributor New Select by sell fairytale fantasy Upon the Magic Roads (On the magical roads) to Japan. The live-action / CG hybrid fairy tale film grossed a billion dollars at the box office in Russia; the rights to the film were recently also sold to the United States. The company will also be sending the animated comedy My Sweet Monster (already sold in 97 countries) to France through an agreement with the distributor Luminescence is also in the process of signing an agreement for animation projects The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute (The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute) e The Barkers: Mind the Cats!  (The Barkers: watch out for cats!) for North America.
  • Rick Group announced a partnership with the German company Medium only, which acquires the distribution rights of the original animated film finnick in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Poland, countries of the former Yugoslavia, Benelux, Scandinavia, South Africa and others. According to Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media, "this is a project with beautiful animation and wonderful humor that is especially necessary for today's viewers." finnick will be released simultaneously in Russia and several countries in early 2022. (Full announcement here.)
  • Russian World Vision has secured deals that will bring animated productions Ginger's Tale to viewers from the Middle East and North Africa.
finnick

The Russian presence in Cannes was also expanded through participation in traditional film market programs. As part of Animation day, ROSKINO gave a presentation of six Russian animation projects in development:

  • Christmas fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute talks about the adventures of little girl Marie and her toys - and the Enchanted Prince. Produced by CTB, is a colorful animated film full of detailed graphics.
  • The Snow Queen 5, the fifth film in the popular franchise of magician, tells the story of Kai and Gerda. They live in a cozy, quiet town, but suddenly the Ice Spirits arrive, intending to freeze everyone. Ila, a little sorceress and daughter of the Snow Queen herself, comes to the aid of the main characters. (Read more.)
  • The warrior princess, based on Alexander Pushkin's poem, is another Wizart project. This is a folklore-based romantic comedy fairy tale, the story of two hearts in love who are not meant to be together. Strong in spirit, Mila is a role model for girls, teaching them to follow their own path, stay true to their wishes and choose their own path for themselves. (Read more.)
CTB Film Co presentation: The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute (courtesy of ROSKINO)
  • finnick is the flagship original animated feature of the Riki group and was created with global trends in animation and story development in mind. finnick it has already received offers from distributors in various territories and has entered into a partnership with an important European agent (Sola Media).
  • teddy boom, another Riki Group project, is a flamboyant and mischievous family comedy that follows the adventures of an unconventional protagonist who is changing for the better. Riki notes a high licensing potential, already confirmed by agreements on the Russian market.
  • The formula of water starting from SMF Studio (Soyuzmultfilm) is a post-apocalyptic family romance about a girl named Dana, who embarks on a journey to save her kidnapped father, a scientist who created a machine that can restore drinking water to the planet. The visual style was developed by an international team of experienced professionals who have worked on films such as Maleficent, The Lion King, Gravity, Prometheus, The Avengers, Men in Black, Coma and many others. Set in a completely original world, this magical story aims to raise awareness of important environmental issues.

Also during the market, two Russian co-production projects were presented during the online launch session presented by the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival; one of which is animation Pinocchio and the water of life, an Estonia-US-Russia company.

SMF Studio Presentation: The Formula of Water (courtesy ROSKINO)

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