06/03/2023 - The unmissable animation co-production forum is unspooling 7 – 9 March in Bordeaux with 58 feature films in the showcase, ranging from the concept stage through to sneak previews

Close to 900 professionals (including 260 buyers) hailing from 42 countries are coming together in Bordeaux between 7 and 9 March for the 25th Cartoon Movie, the biggest co-production forum for the genre in the world. The selection consists of 58 animated feature films (20 at the concept stage, 27 in development, three in production and eight in sneak previews) hailing from 20 countries, including 25 French-initiated projects, eight German, five Italian, five Spanish, three Belgian and two Danish.

Likewise represented by way of a project each, are Finland, Norway, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Ireland, the Netherlands and Armenia. A third of these films are co-productions between two or more European countries, while six regions not belonging to the European Union (Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, the UK and Tunisia) are acting as minority co-producers.

In terms of targets, projects geared towards family audiences remain dominant (34 titles), followed by those aimed at adults and young adults (13 titles), at children (10 projects) and at toddlers (one title).

Standing especially tall among the various projects at the concept stage are My Friend Gadhgadhi by Rafik Omrani (following in the footsteps of a Tunisian terrorist), the German-French project Alpha Two's Dreamed Journey (with the Netherlands’ Michael Dudok de Wit featuring among the trio of graphic designers), The Perfect Story by France’s Nathalie Pochat Le Roy (who co-wrote the script alongside Sab­ri­na B. Karine) and Cyrano by Guillaume Galienne (an adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s famous classic).

Eye-catching films in development include Julián by Louise Bag­nall (steered by Irish firm Cartoon Saloon), I’m Still Alive by Italian writer Roberto Saviano, Fiammeta by his compatriot Nicola Barile (penned by Enzo D’Alò), Decorado by Spain’s Alberto Vázquez (Unicorn Wars [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and French projects Love is a Gyp­sy Child — A Car­men Story by Sébastien Laudenbach (The Girl Without Hands [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Happy End by Marie Amachoukeli (Party Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marie Amachoukeli, Claire B…
film profile]) and Vladimir Mavou­nia-Kou­ka.

Impatient audience members will get to discover sneak previews of Richard The Stork 2 by Denmark’s Mette Rank Tange and Germany’s Benjamin Quabeck, Dragonkeeper [+see also:
trailer
interview: Salvador Simó
film profile] by Spain’s Salvador Simó, Four Souls of Coyote by Hungary’s Áron Gauder, Rosa and the Stone Troll by Denmark’s Karla Nor Holmbäck, Mars Express [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jérémie Périn
film profile] by French director Jérémie Périn, Chicken for Linda! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by his compatriots Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, The Inseparables by Belgium’s Jérémie Degru­son and Bim by fellow Belgian Tom Van Gestel.

Last but not least are the eight projects selected for Cartoon Next, which are looking to develop multi-platform strategies: French movies Sirocco et le royaume des courants d'air (Sacrebleu Productions) and The Ride (Mira), Lithuania’s Babookums (Make It Happen), Bulgaria’s Eli, Bimzal and the Water of Life (Premierstudio Plus), Germany’s Jeppe's Pixie World (Dully&Dax), Spain’s Spanish Chapbooks (Pata Palo Films), Belgium’s Surkotés and Poland’s Wonder Legends (Myths and Steam).

Projects in the concept, development and production stage which have been selected for the event are as follows:

Projects in the concept stage

Alpha Two's Dreamed Journey
Production: Olé Film-und Fernsehproduktion (Germany), Godot Films (France)

Betty’s Dream - Liam Engels
Production: Sun Creature France (France)

Cursed Children - Matisse Gonzalez
Production: Studio Seufz (Germany)

Cyrano - Guillaume Galienne
Production: Nolita (France)

Fela Back To Lagos - Loulou Dedola
Production: Culture Synapses (Italy)

Felix the Brave - Ali Samadi Ahadi
Production: Little Dream Entertainment (Germany), Amour Fou Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Jim Queen - Marco Nguyen, Nicolas Athane
Production: Bobbypills (France)

My Friend Gadhgadhi - Rafik Omrani
Production: Les Films d'Ici Méditerranée (France)

Otis - Fil­ip Diviak
Production: Archa Production (Slovakia)

Sell Your Skin Dearly - Elet­tra Orlandi
Production: Latteplus (Germany)

The Granny Pirate - Alex Cer­vantes
Production: Hampa Studio (Spain)

The Legend of Lune - Freek Quartier, Olivier Senny
Production: Vivi Film (Belgium)

The Legend of Magnus the Good - Frank Mosvold
Production: Kool Produktion (Norway)

The Mellows - Marlène Ranchon, Niels Prayer
Production: Supamonks (France)

The Perfect Story - Nathalie Pochat Le Roy
Production: Cheyenne Federation (France)

The Roman of Renart - Léo Marchand, Anne-Laure Daffis
Production: Lardux Films (France)

The Treasure of the Wyrm - Francesco Vecchi
Production: Small Boss (Italy), Xbo Films (France), Maur Film (Czech Republic), Doruntina Film (Italy)

Trash Monsters
Production: Anima Vitae (Finland), Ulysses Filmproduktion (Germany)

Zako - Tigran Arakelyan
Production: OnOff Studio (Armenia)

Films in development

Back to Tomioka - Michaël Crouzat
Production: Foliascope (France)

Beau soleil - Xabi Molia, Fanou Lefebvre
Production: Moteur S'il Vous Plaît (France), Doghouse Films (Luxembourg)

Clarissa
Production: X Filme Creative Pool (Germany)

Decorado - Alberto Vázquez
Production: UniKo (Spain), Abano Producións (Spain)

DinoGames. Adventures in the Metaverse - Lorena Ares, Carlos F. de Vigo
Production: Dr. Platypus & Ms. Wombat (Spain), Beside Productions (Belgium)

Fiammetta - Nicola Barile
Production: Tile (Italy)

Forest - Luca Della Grotta, Francesco Dafano
Production: Al One (Italy)

Happy End - Marie Ama­chouke­li, Vladimir Mavou­nia-Kou­ka
Production: Miyu Productions (France)

I’m Still Alive - Roberto Saviano
Production: Mad Entertainment (Italy), Lucky Red (Italy), Gapbusters (Belgium), Sipur (Israel)

Isis and Osiris - Fabrice Luang-Vija
Production: Fargo (France)

Julián - Louise Bag­nall
Production: Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Sun Creature (Denmark), Folivari (France), Aircraft Pictures (Canada), Wychwood Media (UK)

Lascar 2: Family Business - Laurent Nicolas
Production: Millimages (France)

The Bird Kingdom - Wes­ley Rodrigues
Production: Sacrebleu Productions (France), Lupa Filmes (Brazil)

Birds Don’t Look Back - Nadia Nakhlé
Production: Special Touch Studios (France), Creative Touch Studios (France), Paul Thiltges Distributions (Luxembourg), Animoon (Poland)

Like! - Nacho La Casa
Production: Capitán Araña (Spain), A Contracorriente Films (Spain)

Long Time A Girl: An Endless City Adventure - Cédric Babouche
Production: UMANIMATION (France)

Merry Christmas Monsieur Hulot - Céline Willard, Marc Rius
Production: TNZPV Productions (France)

Moses The Pirate - Flo­ri­an Westermann
Production: Letterbox Filmproduktion (Germany), Ulysses Filmproduktion (Germany)

Ninn - Salomé Chatelain
Production: TeamTO (France)

Love is a Gyp­sy Child — A Car­men Story - Sébastien Laudenbach
Production: Folivari (France), La Garde montante (France), Pikkukala Barcelona (Spain)

Round and Round the Wishing Well - Hugo de Faucompret
Production: Laïdak Films (France)

Roxelana - Oleg Malamuzh
Production: Animagrad Studio (FILM.UA GROUP) (Ukraine)

The Hermit and the Bear - Marine Blin
Production: Tant Mieux Prod (France), Sun Creature France (France)

The Horn Quartet Goes To Hollywood - Ben­jamin Botella
Production: Vivement Lundi ! (France), La Boîte... Productions (Belgium)

The Precious Gift - Lenka Ivančíková
Production: Animation People (Czech Republic), JPL Films (France)

Tudy - Rescue at Sea - Richard Danto, Pascal David
Production: Cosmic Productions (France)

Yap Yap - The Secret Forest - Jens Møller
Production: Parka Pictures (Denmark), Milford (Sweden)

Yakari 2 - Xavier Gia­comet­ti
Production: Dargaud Media (France), Belvision (Belgium)

Films in production

Butterfly Tale - Sophie Roy
Production: Ulysses Filmproduktion (Germany), Carpe Diem Film & TV (Canada)

Fox and Hare Save the Forest [+see also:
film review
interview: Mascha Halberstad
film profile] - Mascha Halberstad
Production: Submarine Animation (the Netherlands), Doghouse Films (Luxembourg), Walking The Dog (Belgium)

Iggy the Eagle - Bartek Kędzierski
Production: Horus Movies Animation (Poland), Orangeanimation (Poland), Polish Film Institute (Poland)

(Translated from French)