The winners of the CEE Animation Forum 2020 announced
Il EEC animation forum, the leading presentation, funding and co-production event focusing on the animation industry in Central and Eastern Europe, was held online from 6-8 October. International juries made up of professional cinema experts participated and examined 28 animated projects in four categories of field races, and the winners were announced on Thursday, during an online awards ceremony.
The highest accolades were the Georgian feature IGI from 20 Steps Productions, the Czech TV project No Happily Ever After from Helium Film, the Hungarian short film The Garden of the Heart by CUB Animation and the Lithuanian interactive pitch Paperback VR.
The CEE Animation Forum is usually held annually in the Czech Republic, parallel to the Anifim International Animation Film Festival. Due to the ongoing global situation, the event was postponed to October and finally took place online. The public will be able to follow the program via Facebook Live, or following a free registration on the online B2B platform. Facebook streaming launch sessions have had more than 3.000 spectators and on the MeetToMatch platform more than 700 views starting from 40 different countries.
The event also focuses on networking and a particular emphasis was placed on 1: 1 sector meetings. The organizers registered more than 350 decision makers (producers, directors, broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, investors, festival representatives, film funds or national associations). During the three days of the program, almost 300 online meetings have been made.
Part of the program was dedicated to young novice creators. A selection of six short films made by promising young directors from the CEE region was officially presented. The compilation, called CEE animation talents, it is produced by festival directors from the CEE region each year and presented together with numerous animated film festivals around the world.
CEE Animation Forum 2020 Award Winners:
Feature Films (1.000 euro prize): IGI | p. Vladimer Katcharava, 20 Steps Productions, d. Natia Nikolashvili (Georgia)
Jury statement: "IGI it is at the same time a personal, universal and promising project with a strong visual style led by a talented director. We hope that further development of the project will benefit from the award ”.
Feature film jury: Annemie Degryse (Lunanime / Lumiere Group, Co-owner & Producer, Belgium), Jakub Karwowski (LETKO, Producer, Poland), Esben Toft Jakobsen (Animation Director & Writer, Denmark).
TV series and specials (1.000 euros): No Happily Ever After | p. Mária Móťovská, Helium film, d. Gabriela Plačková, Alžběta Göbelová (Czech Republic)
Jury statement: “The winner in the TV Series and Specials category presented a clear format with a lot of humor and energy. The creators showed great knowledge of their target group and developed a visual concept that the jury found playful, clever and original. The jury was particularly impressed with how the format tied the old mythological world together with today's modern society and how seemingly irrelevant fairy-tale creatures can tell an important story to today's children.
Special mention: Betti and Lola | p. Drasko Ivezic, Adriatic Animation, d. Hana Tintor (Croatia)
Jury statement: “In addition to the winner, the jury is convinced that the project offers short, fascinating and fun daily adventures of a young woman and her dog. When combined with a strong digital concept, the stories have great potential and unfold their charm and magic. The jury therefore in particular CEE Animation Forum 2020: Awards and Winners wants to underline and honor Betti and Lola from Adriatic Animation, Croatia, with a special mention. "
TV Series and Specials Jury: Stefan Pfaffle (KiKA, Deputy Head of Fiction & Co-Production, Germany), Michaela Sabolcakova (RTVS, Program Editor & Buyer, Slovakia), Nils Stokke (Spark, Producer & CEO, Norway).
Short films (1.000 euros): The Garden of the Heart | p. Balint Gelley, CUB Animation, d. Oliver Hegyi (Hungary)
Jury Statement: “The presentation of the winning project accurately defined the atmosphere and tone of the film, revealing the persona of the director and the main character, as well as the motivation and dedication of the production team behind the scenes. The director made it easy to relate to the issues addressed in this story and left us waiting for a succulent graphic show in ... The Garden of the Heart. "
Special mention: The animal called stress | p. Drasko Ivezic, Adriatic Animation, d. Laura Martinovic (Croatia)
Jury statement: “Emotions can be overwhelming, so putting them on a leash and learning to tame them seems like a good idea. Combined with a very eye-catching character design, it definitely makes for a fascinating concept for a film aimed at children but also relevant to all of us. The jury wants to give an honorable mention to the director for the first time Laura Martinović and her project The animal called stress. "
Short film jury: Wendy Griffiths (Dark Prince, CEO and producer, UK), Karsten Matern (Balance Film GmbH, production manager, Germany), Anna Zača (Latvian Animation Association, Riga International Film Festival).
“We were struck by the quality of each project for the current relevance of the topic and the absolute inventiveness of the proposal. All the projects presented had a solid foundation for becoming a successful film. Even in this strange time when we all feel so distant and slightly displaced from each other, we are excited at the prospect of rediscovering each of these projects in next year's film festival circuit. ” - Short Film Jury
XR (1.000 euros): Paperback VR | p. Giedre Burokaite, Meno avilys, d. Robertas Nevecka (Lithuania)
Statement by the jury: “A project more rooted in the world of virtual reality, presented in a convincing and engaging way. As the jury, we felt the authors had a clear vision of how this project will be presented in virtual reality using storytelling tools and techniques unique to this medium. Let's give the prize to the project Paperback VR. "
XR Jury: Milivoj Popovic (Prime Render Studios, Director & Producer, Croatia), Veljko Popovic (Prime Render Studios, Director & Owner, Croatia), Manu Weiss (Freelance, XR Producer & Curator, Switzerland).
Audience Award (1.000 euros): Baldies | p. Jiri Sadek, COFILM, screenwriter: Eliska Podzimkova (Czech Republic) - Animated series
CEE Animation Workshop Scholarship: King Wray | p. Ana Maria Parvan, Studioset (Romania), d. Anton Groves, Damian Groves (UK)
Animation Sans Frontieres Scholarship: Facial recognition | p. Martinus Klemet, Animartinus, d. Martinus Klemet (Estonia)
Direct selection of Cartoon Forum 2020 *:
- Baldies | p. Jiri Sadek, COFILM, screenwriter: Eliska Podzimkova (Czech Republic)
- Daisy and Dot | p. Géza M. Tóth, KEDD animation studio, d. István Heim (Hungary)
* Both projects have already participated in Cartoon Forum 2020
Direct selection of the film Cartoon 2021: IGI| p. Vladimer Katcharava, 20 Steps Productions, d. Natia Nikolashvili (Georgia)
Animarkt Stop Motion Forum accreditation: In his face | p. Ana Paula Catarino, BRO Cinema, d. Margarida Madeira (Portugal)
Kids Kino Industry accreditation: No Happily Ever After | p. Mária Móťovská, Helium film, d. Gabriela Plačková, Alžběta Göbelová (Czech Republic)
CEE Animation is supported by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Program of the European Union and co-financed by state funds, foundations and professional organizations from Slovenia (DSAF, Slovene Animated Film Association), Czech Republic (ASAF, Association of Czech Animation), Hungary (HAPA, Association of Hungarian Animation Producers), Poland (SPPA, Association of Polish Animation Producers) and Slovakia (APAF, Slovak Association of Animation Film Producers).
