Nordic Animation Showcased At Cartoon Movie 2022
Every year since 2017, the Cartoon Movie industry event for European animation features in development spotlights a country or a region,originality and their wonderful contribution to the art of animation. As Annick Maes, General Director of CARTOON states, 'the spotlight on a European country/region attracts both limelight and business cooperation opportunities'. In the 2022 Bordeaux event, animation features from Nordic countries will have their call.
From H.C. Andersen’s 'The Little Mermaid' to Astrid Lindgren’s 'Pippi Longstocking' to Tove Jansson’s 'Moomins' and Thorbjørn Egner’s 'The Forest of HuckyBucky' – the Nordic countries have a distinct culture for stories that transcend generations and speak of what it means to be human. Stories that show that people are equal, no matter how different.
The spotlight at Cartoon Movie is a recognition of the fact that the animation industry in the Nordic countries is enjoying a golden age with increased output, greater diversity, more talents and bigger ambitions than at any other point in history. This attention at Cartoon is a great opportunity to show off our talents, strengthen the ties to European colleagues and market both our own films as well as our eagerness to participate on projects from other European countries - Tonje Skar Reiersen producer, on behalf of the network Nordic Animation.
A record of nine projects from Norway, Finland and Iceland will be presented during the 2022 edition of Cartoon Movie. Find them all below:
In Production:
Just Super (Norway), director Rasmus A. Sivertsen
11-year-old gaming enthusiast Hedvig finds her life turned upside down when she is forced to replace her father as the town’s superhero much earlier than expected. But Hedvig is not a superhero, and the challenges are far greater than her coaching father anticipated.
Titina (Norway, Belgium), director Kajsa Naess
Italian airship engineer Umberto Nobile enjoys a quiet life with his beloved dog Titina, who charmed him into rescuing her from the streets of Rome. One day, Norwegian explorer superstar Roald Amundsen contacts him and orders an airship to conquer The North Pole
In Development:
Born Happy (Finland, Latvia, Poland) by Edmunds Janssons
During the school summer break, the 9‑year-old Ilze joins her family in the rainforest where they live together with the Pemon tribe close to the Devil’s mountain. When after an accident Mom needs to fly Dad to a hospital, Ilze volunteers to look after her 3‑year-old brother Alex
Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights (Finland, Germany, Denmark, Ireland) by Kari Juusonen, Jørgen Lerdam
Niko is a flying reindeer boy whose biggest dream is to become a member of Santa’s Flying Forces. But he gets challenged by a super talented reindeer girl who breaks that dream. Niko needs to choose between trust and loyalty.
Ploey 2 (Iceland) - scriptwriter Otto Geir Borg
When the world is threatened with an endless winter, a young idealistic plover and two unlikely feathered heroes; a street-smart snake charmer and a legendary warrior who is past his prime, set out on a perilous thousand miles journey to foil the plans of the evil Ice Queen and her fearsome army by signalling the arrival of spring in order to fulfil an ancient legend.
Valemon (Norway), dir. Mikkel Sandemose
Valemon: The Polar Bear King is a spectacular and modern animated film based on one of Scandinavia’s most beloved folk tales. It is a story of love, greed, courage, and nature’s wonders, packed with suspense, humour, music and breathtaking scenery.
In Concept:
Magical Friends (Norway) dir. Natalia Malykhina Bratli
When two worlds are face to face, and one child is between them. Between the modern and the traditional, between the fabulous and the real. The story about a little girl Anna, her unusual friends — magical creatures from the Norwegian folklore, their dreams, adventures, challenges and friendship.
My True Imaginary Friend - Mr. Clutterbuck (Finland) -dir. Jørgen Lerdam
Iida, a lonely 9‑year-old girl, befriends an alien creature, a 3D character from a TV series, who is stranded on earth in the world of human beings. The two start a different kind of friendship in which the creature learns that not all human beings are evil and greedy, and Iida learns the truth about her father’s old imaginary friend.
Odd Is an Egg (Norway) - dir. Rune Spaans, Kristin Ulseth
Odd is terrified of his head, until one day he falls in love with Gunn who is both fearless and happy in life. Odd’s life is turned upside down and soon he plunges into an adventure he would never have imagined and is freed from his worries in the most unexpected way.
In addition, a further 20 producers will be on site, discussing and pitching their upcoming releases off the record. This is by far the largest Nordic delegation at any Cartoon event.
Cartoon Movie takes place 8-10 March 2022, Bordeaux, France