02/03/2010

Kicking off tomorrow in Lyon is the 12th Cartoon Movie, which will open with Czech director Jiří Barta’s In the Attic: Who Has a Birthday Today? [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Over three days, 590 professionals, including 160 buyers (of which 90 are distributors) will take part in the features co-production forum. This year, it brings together 50 projects from 20 European countries in a sector that is booming with the arrival of 3D animation.

Among the films in production, 3D is much in evidence this year with Pascal Hérold’s French/Belgian co-production Cinderella (3D); Holy Night! by Spain’s Juan Galiñanes and The Apostle by fellow Spanish director Fernando Cortizo; Maria Lindberg’s Finnish feature Moomins and the Comet Chase; Martin Clapp’s Polish co-production Project Chopin - The Flying Machine; Antti Haikala and Igor Bertolucci’s The Magic Crystal (Finland/Belgium/Italy); and Occho Kochoï (French production by TeamTO).

But 2D is still alive and kicking with Janno Põldma and Heiki Ernits’ Lotte and the Moonstone Secret (Estonia/Latvia); Olsen Gang Gets Polished by Denmark’s Jørgen Lerdam; The Great Bear by fellow Danish director Esben Toft Jacobsen; and Ramón by Spain’s Samuel Ortí.

Besides those previously announced (see news), projects in development include Laurent Boileau and Jung Henin’s French/Belgian co-production Approved for Adoption; Raúl Garcia’s Luxembourg/French/US title Extraordinary Tales; David Havel’s Czech film Hurveenek the Movie; Gerald Conn’s Heart of Darkness (UK); Loulou’s Secret (France); Angel Izquierdo and Ricardo Ramón González’s Spanish film The Heart of the Oak; Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein’s German/Danish co-production Marnie’s World; and German projects Moon Man by Stephan Schesch and Secret Agent Morris by Norbert Maier and Sandor Jesse.

3D titles in the line-up are Juan Antin’s French/Argentinean/UK co-production Tin Gods and German project Of Hares and Hedgehogs.

Finally, Cartoon Movies will present special screenings of Belgian director Ben Stassen’s Around the World in 50 Years (3D) and Sylvain Chomet’s UK/French co-production The Illusionist.

(Translated from French)