The 16th edition of Cartoon Movie, which runs from 5-7 March in Lyon, will assess 60 feature film projects, which are to be pitched to over 700 animation professionals from 40 countries. The projects, which include four Irish features, will be pitched to 200 buyers.
For an intense two days, producers can pitch their film project in order to speed up financing, find co-producers and interest international distributors, sales agents and game companies. Cartoon Movie is unique in that projects may be presented at a variety of stages – whether they are in concept, development, in production or completed.
‘Oops! Noah is Gone’ is among the Irish animations that have been submitted. The 3D animation is about a group of animals who are desperate to get on Noah’s ark to be saved by a flood. The co-production is directed by Toby Genkel and Sean McCormack with production company Moetion Films.
While the former is in production, ‘The Sandwolf’, produced by Irish company Paper Dreams, is still in concept. The film is about a young girl who after moving to a desolate island makes an unlikely friend on the beach. The film was produced with Swedish company Slugger Film and Alexandra Schatz Filmproduktion from Germany.
Also at the concept stage of production is ‘You, Me, the Sky and the Sea’. Produced by Wiggleywoo, the feature is about an elderly woman and her adult son who only have each other for company when they find themselves in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean.
Finally, Cartoon Saloon’s second feature, ‘Song of the Sea’, will participate in the forum. Director Tomm Moore follows his critically acclaimed and award-winning ‘The Secret of Kells’ with this story about the journey a boy and his little sister, who is the last Seal-child, take to return home. ‘Song of the Sea’ is a co-production between Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Belgium and France and is currently in production.
Founded in 1999, Cartoon Movie has been described as ‘neither a fair nor a festival, but rather a co-production forum for animated feature films’. The event emphasises the creativity of European animation, and aims to create a synergy between producers, investors and distributors of feature-length animation films.
For further information about Cartoon Movie, see here.
For a full list of the projects selected, see here.
