CEE Animation Forum: Selection Results 2021

CEE Animation Forum reveals its selections, having received a record number of submissions with high representation of authors from Central and Eastern Europe. The line-up of 42 animated projects features Student Academy Award-winning or shortlisted filmmakers but also debut works.

For its 9th online edition, the organizers of CEE Animation Forum received a record number of 116 submissions from 27 countries. From among these, a committee of international experts has made a final selection of projects to be pitched. The majority of the selected teams come from Central and Eastern Europe: 6 from Hungary, 4 from Slovakia, 3 from Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Slovenia, 2 from Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and 1 project from Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine. (female directors: 47% and female producers 46% of the projects selected).

CEE Animation Forum & Workshop Managing Director Matija Sturm points out the balanced representation between Central and Eastern European Countries and the most developed markets of Western Europe.

The quality of works originating from the region of Central and Eastern Europe is improving very rapidly, which is very motivating for us and for the industry. Compared to 2017, we have almost doubled the number of projects in competition, and from two categories we have increased to a total of five - Matija Sturm.

CEE Aninimation Forum has a new pitching category this year, Rising Stars, focusing on up-and-coming European animation directors and producers, in order to both increase the quality of school projects by making them test in market conditions and initiate a dialogue between the schools in the region.

We are all eagerly looking forward to CEE Animation Forum 2021 to meeting new talents and seeing the future engines of regional animation. Schools are the most important workshops of unrestricted creations where the animation profession can refresh from and where new trends are born, which is why we have to pay attention to them - Gyorgyi Falvai, Head of RIsing Stars section.

Hello, Summer

All of the pitching project teams are starting with coaching in March: the first session is with Bonnie Williams, which will be followed by 1:1 direct consultations provided by Matthieu Darras, Bonnie Williams and Katrin Nandelstadt. Each project  will receive access to the introductory and two individual coaching sessions (84 individual sessions  to assist project teams when preparing for both the pre- recorded video pitch and 1:1 meetings with juries and industry representatives).

Everyone registered  for the CEE Activities will have the possibility to meet with international co-producers, world sales agents, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, representatives of public funds and financiers n more than 400 individual meetings organized in advance.

CATEGORY FEATURE FILMS

Birds Don’t Look Back
Director: Nadia Nackle / Producer: Sebastien Onomo, Special Touch Studios
Country: France

Blaise
Director: Dimitri Planchon / Producer: Alexandre Gavras, KG Productions
Country: France

Dreamworld
Director: Veljko Popovic / Producer: Milivoj Popovic, Prime Render d.o.o.
Country: Croatia

Grizzlebetter
Producer: Tania Assova, Zographic Films Ltd. / Country: Bulgaria
Senior Crush

Director: Orsolya Richolm
Producer: Andrea Ausztrics, Umbrella Kreatív Műhely Kft.
Country: Hungary

The Night Falls over Madrid
Director: Daniel V. Villamediana, David Epiney / Producer: Eugenia Mumenthaler, Alina film
Country: Switzerland

Vast Blue Antarctica
Director: Christos Panagos / Producer: Charalambos Margaritis, Kimonos Animation Studio
Country: Cyprus

Birds Don't Look Back

CATEGORY SERIES & TV SPECIALS
(only series in the selection)

Anselmo Wannabe
Director: Massimo Ottoni / Producer: Federico Turani, Ibrido
Country: Italy

Bogboy
Director: Jack O'Shea / Producer: Paul Ruttledge, Bogboy Productions Limited
Country: Ireland

Deivit and Lisa
Director: Alessandro Di Renzo / Producer: Mario Tarrago
Country: Spain

Mitch-Match
Director: Geza M. Toth / Producer: Geza M. Toth, KEDD Animation Studio
Country: Hungary

Robot and the Martians
Director: Tomasz Niedzwiedz
Producer: Tomasz Paziewski, Badi Badi
Country: Poland

Rosie and Sapphire
Director: Anna Katalin Lovrity / Producer: Balint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd.
Country: Hungary

Starting with Hope
Director: Sonia Velvien / Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production
Country: Romania

The Adventures of Gloria Scott
Director: Matija Pisacic / Producer: Dijana Mladenovic, Kinematograf
Country: Croatia

The Olive Bunch
Director: Magnus Kravik / Producer: Maria Pavlou, Pixel giants
Country: Cyprus

What the Old Moon Tells
Director: Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez / Producer: Carol Ratajczak, Blaue Pampelmuse
Country: Germany

Zhuzha Fixes the World
Director: Oleksandra Ruban / Producer: Kateryna Kopylova, Sashko Chubko, Trident Film
Country: Ukraine

The Adventures of Gloria Scott

CATEGORY SHORT FILMS

Albert
Director: Szandra Pataki / Producer: Krisztina Endrenyi, Mythberg Films Kft.
Country: Hungary

Autumn
Director: Wojciech Sobczyk / Producer: Aneta Zagorska, Robert Sowa, Krakow Film Klaster - Centrum Animacji w Krakowie
Country: Poland

Electra. A Poem
Director: Daria Kashcheeva / Producer: Zuzana Krivkova, MAUR film s.r.o.
Country: Czech Republic

Hello Summer
Director: Martin Smatana / Producer: Martin Smatana, Studio Bororo
Country: Slovakia

Ibis
Director: Maria Burgues, Enric Sant / Producer: Maria Burgues, BLISS PICTURES
Country: Spain

Milu's dog
Director: Daniel Gray / Producer: Bella Szederkenyi, CUB Animation
Country: Hungary

Nut Cake
Director: Meinardas Valkevicius / Producer: Akvile Bliujute – Januse, JSC Meinar
Country: Lithuania

Patrick in Town
Director: Eszter Sandor, Valentina Huckova / Producer: Valentina Huckova, Young Glass Noodle
Country: Slovakia

Sivužas (working title)
Director: Ignas Meilunas / Producer: Juste Beniusyte, Vilniaus Primavera
Country: Lithuania

Sugar, Blood & Insulin. Diary of a Type 1 Diabetic
Director: Thijs Koole / Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production
Country: France

Unspoken
Director: Misia Mormina / Producer: Engin Karabagli, Emegro B.V.
Country: Netherlands

Ibis

CATEGORY XR IMMERSIVE MEDIA

Finding Frida
Director: Hilde Kristin Kjøs / Producer: Bjørn-Morten Nerland, Stargate Media AS
Country: Norway

Fruits on the Tube
Director: Klaas-Harm de Boer / Producer: Vincent Lindenboom, Next Empire BV
Country: Netherlands

Swarm
Director: Maarten Isaak de Heer / Producer: Maartem Isaak de Heer, Menetekel Film
Country: Netherlands

CATEGORY RISING STARS

Beyond the Face
Director: Anja Resman / Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts - University of Nova Gorica
Country: Slovenia

Desire to Win
Director: Michaela Rezova / Producer: Zuzana Bukovinska, Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague
Country: Czech Republic

Forgive
Director: Alzbeta Macakova Misejkova / Producer: Jiri Pecinovsky, Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts
in Prague – FAMU
Country: Czech Republic

Holes
Director: Sofiya Kruglikova / Producer: Academy of Fine Arts and Design - University of Ljubljana
Country: Slovenia

Kurent
Director: Miha Reja / Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts - University of Nova Gorica
Country: Slovenia

Light Year Apart
Director: Viktoria Taranova / Producer: Michaela Cermakova, Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU
Country: Slovakia

Orange You Glad
Director: Daniel Sterlin-Altman / Producer: Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf
Country: Germany

Silo
Director: Ema Nemcovicova / Producer: Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU
Country: Slovakia

The Last Drop
Director: Anna Tokes / Producer: Jozsef Fulop, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest – MOME
Country: Hungary

The Perfect Gift
Director: Kristina Penava / Producer: The Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek
Country: Croatia

Kurent

CEE Animation Forum will have its traditional pitching competition, newly expanded to 5 categories,  held April 26 – 29; the additional industry programme will take place in collaboration with Anifilm International Festival of Animated Films May 4 – 9.

• Τhe CEE Animation Forum page