Cartoon Springboard, the renowned European pitching event running October 25-27, lands this year in Madrid, Spain, where selected young European talents will present their animation series or feature film projects to a panel of experts. The panel will mentor the authors, directors, and producers to help strengthen projects both creatively and financially. Shortlisted from 49 submissions, the 24 selected projects hail from 12 European countries: Spanish animation leads with seven projects, followed by France (4), Czech Republic (3), Denmark (2), and Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden each with one project.
In addition to pitching sessions, the event includes keynote speakers who will discuss the latest trends and challenges facing European animation. Guest speakers include: Madrid-based animator, screenwriter, and director Sergio Pablos (SPA Studios), who will give a master class on story development; Telidja Klaï from the public children's television channel Ketnet-VRT (Belgium), who will discuss the definition of target audiences; Daniella Gallegos (Tribes Media - Glitch, Netherlands), will reflect on the role of VoD Services; and Louis Jacobée (Gallimard Group, France), who will delve into the relationship between the publishing industry and animation. Networking activities will help participants deepen their knowledge of the animation market, in addition to personally meeting decision makers in the sector. The list of confirmed experts includes Daniel Bays (CAKE Entertainment); Diogo Carvalho (Sardinha em Lata); Manuel Cristobal (Mano Animation Studios); Bálint Gelley (CUB Animation); Nuria González Blanco (Cartoon Saloon); David Tarik Jabrane (France Télévisions); Cristian Jezdic (beQ entertainment); Elodie Mellado (Filmin); Sarah Muller (BBC Children's); Jens Opatz (WDR); Martin Vandas (MAUR film); Dario van Vree (Studio Pupil); and Maite Woköck (Telescope Animation).
'Garbage'. by Joraslav Klimes, one of the projects being pitched at the upcoming Cartoon Springboard.
Cartoon Springboard activities are open to students and alumni from animation schools throughout Europe who have completed their studies within the last five years. Professionals from companies interested in discovering new talent can also participate. The registration deadline is October 10 via this link. Since Cartoon Springboard's first edition in 2015, animation students and recent graduates have presented 190 projects, nine of which have been released and 60 which are in active development. For some, the event has been a first step before Cartoon Forum and Cartoon Movie co-production events for animated series and features films. This year’s Cartoon Forum included two projects from Cartoon Springboard: My Superhero Husband (Funny Tales, Greece / The Alphabet Initiative Agency, Germany), and Best Friends Forever.... Stranded! (Peekaboo Animation, Spain).
Cartoon Springboard is organized by CARTOON, supported by Creative Europe - MEDIA and the Community of Madrid, the City Council of Madrid, Madrid Film Office, and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX).
News source: https://www.awn.com/news/cartoon-springboard-pitching-event-lands-madrid by: Whitney Whitener