Cartoon Movie, the premier co-production and pitch forum for European animation, is set to take place in Bordeaux from March 5 - 7. This year marks the 26th edition of the event, which will showcase 55 projects and host over 800 industry delegates, including representatives from 22 new studios and producers, 42 sales companies, and 76 distributors.
The program will feature sneak peeks of upcoming titles like 'Living Large' and 'SuperKlaus,' as well as concept pitches for projects such as 'The Little Prince of Shangri-La' and 'Into the Wonderwoods.' Notably, a significant portion of the selection will focus on In Development titles, indicating a surge in new creative content following the pandemic.
Themes of adventure and resilience against challenging environments are prevalent in many of the selected projects. For instance, 'The Wild Inside' adapts a psychological thriller set in the Alaskan wilderness, while 'Rose and the Marmots' tells a stop-motion fable about a young girl and her blind grandfather in a harsh mountain landscape.
Historical adventures also take center stage with films like 'The Line,' which follows French aviation pioneer Jean Mermoz, and 'The Great North Adventure,' a 17th-century exploration drama. The Nordic region is well-represented this year, with nine features from the area, including projects from Norway like 'Pesta,' 'Kaja the Great,' 'Finding Home,' and 'The Polar Bear Prince.'
Cartoon Movie's efforts to spotlight different industries have proven successful in attracting new talents and projects. This year, the focus shifts to the publishing world, with delegations from literary and gaming sectors participating in the event to foster transmedia collaborations.
General director Annick Maes emphasizes the importance of boosting European animation sales globally and encourages industry professionals to stay engaged and tuned in to the evolving landscape of animated content.
