What kind of animation has Europe’s next gen talent got in the hopper? Cartoon Springboard, an E.U. platform organized by Cartoon for burgeoning toon talents which kicks off today in Madrid, can supply some answers.
Of the 24 projects to be pitched Wednesday and Thursday at Madrid’s Atheneum, a large part will be made, if financed, in 2D. At least half are from women.
Quite a few potential standouts come from France: ”Bitches,” which won an Annecy Ciclic Prize at its MIFA Pitches; “Maestitia,” co-helmed by Merel Hamers, at Gobelins, and “Inspector, Your Pants!” from the same prestige school; “When Monsters Within,” whose key creative Pablo Alcázar studies at Valence’s La Poudrière, another venerable French animation school.
Some directors are known values, as streaming platforms and France’s Annecy Festival turn creators into niche stars. “All Good,” for instance, is co-directed by Diego Porral, who served as...
Of the 24 projects to be pitched Wednesday and Thursday at Madrid’s Atheneum, a large part will be made, if financed, in 2D. At least half are from women.
Quite a few potential standouts come from France: ”Bitches,” which won an Annecy Ciclic Prize at its MIFA Pitches; “Maestitia,” co-helmed by Merel Hamers, at Gobelins, and “Inspector, Your Pants!” from the same prestige school; “When Monsters Within,” whose key creative Pablo Alcázar studies at Valence’s La Poudrière, another venerable French animation school.
Some directors are known values, as streaming platforms and France’s Annecy Festival turn creators into niche stars. “All Good,” for instance, is co-directed by Diego Porral, who served as...
- 10/24/2023
- by Emiliano De Pablos, Holly Jones and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Spain’s Revelations showcase has focused on shorts, not features, unveiling the huge breadth of animation talent and techniques in Spain.
Some shorts directors are already stars, such as Alberto Mielgo with the Oscar-winner “The Windshield Wiper.” Diego Porral, director of “Leopoldo From the Bar,” served as animation lead on “Love, Death + Robots” episode “Kill Team Kill.”
Standouts among new projects in Revelations included “Latente,” a Next Lab Generation winner from Carlos Zaragoza and Aurora Jiménez, and Martín Romero’s “To Bird or Not to Bird,” from Uniko and Abano Producións, which is a 2D short made largely in black and white featuring an angst-ridden clock cuckoo and other birds beset by environmental destruction.
Revelations climaxes with a special screening, the first in a cinema, of “Sith,” Rodrigo Blaas’ episode in Disney+’s “Star Wars: Visions.”
As for features, here are 10 toon titles to track. Further international co-productions – Mr.
Some shorts directors are already stars, such as Alberto Mielgo with the Oscar-winner “The Windshield Wiper.” Diego Porral, director of “Leopoldo From the Bar,” served as animation lead on “Love, Death + Robots” episode “Kill Team Kill.”
Standouts among new projects in Revelations included “Latente,” a Next Lab Generation winner from Carlos Zaragoza and Aurora Jiménez, and Martín Romero’s “To Bird or Not to Bird,” from Uniko and Abano Producións, which is a 2D short made largely in black and white featuring an angst-ridden clock cuckoo and other birds beset by environmental destruction.
Revelations climaxes with a special screening, the first in a cinema, of “Sith,” Rodrigo Blaas’ episode in Disney+’s “Star Wars: Visions.”
As for features, here are 10 toon titles to track. Further international co-productions – Mr.
- 5/21/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish animation shows off its serious side in Cannes’ “Revelations!” showcase, dedicated to new shorts both by promising beginners and acclaimed filmmakers, such as Alberto Mielgo, who scored an Academy Award for “The Windshield Wiper.”
In June, four of the presented titles will also head to Annecy: María Lorenzo’s “Fashion Victims 2.0,” “Lost at Sea,” directed by Lucija Stojevic and Andrés Bartos, Pablo Río’s “Conej Steps Out” and Carla Pereira and Juanfran Jacinto’s “All Is Lost.”
“Animators, or just artists in general, tend to reflect on their times. Some of these films were born during the pandemic and yes, there is this melancholy to them. They are tackling multiple serious subjects,” says animation curator Carolina López Caballero.
That includes elderly suicide, like in the case of Diego Porral’s tender “Leopoldo from the Bar,” where a lonely man walks through ever-changing streets of Madrid accompanied by a massive pigeon.
In June, four of the presented titles will also head to Annecy: María Lorenzo’s “Fashion Victims 2.0,” “Lost at Sea,” directed by Lucija Stojevic and Andrés Bartos, Pablo Río’s “Conej Steps Out” and Carla Pereira and Juanfran Jacinto’s “All Is Lost.”
“Animators, or just artists in general, tend to reflect on their times. Some of these films were born during the pandemic and yes, there is this melancholy to them. They are tackling multiple serious subjects,” says animation curator Carolina López Caballero.
That includes elderly suicide, like in the case of Diego Porral’s tender “Leopoldo from the Bar,” where a lonely man walks through ever-changing streets of Madrid accompanied by a massive pigeon.
- 5/17/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Roc Espinet
“I’m a big fan of 2D, keeping a handcrafted look and strong emotions, like in Ghibli movies. Having said that, I always want to complement it with a contemporary narrative concept and bold and crazy camera movements,” Catalan animator Espinet says. He’s a regular collaborator of Alberto Vázquez and has worked as an animator and layout artist for HBO (“Deadly Class”) and Amazon (“Niko and the Sword of Light”).
A pick-up from Latido when in in development, “Girl and Wolf” is Espinet’s debut feature, currently in pre-production and based on Espinet’s eponymous graphic novel. Produced by Sygnatia Films and Hampa Studio, it tells the story of an innocent girl who grew up in a medieval orphanage besieged by wolves. Espinet is also developing “Colossal Jane,” set up at Nexus Studios, a comedy series “where musicals, ghost hunting, Kung Fu and womanhood meet in a super energetic way,...
“I’m a big fan of 2D, keeping a handcrafted look and strong emotions, like in Ghibli movies. Having said that, I always want to complement it with a contemporary narrative concept and bold and crazy camera movements,” Catalan animator Espinet says. He’s a regular collaborator of Alberto Vázquez and has worked as an animator and layout artist for HBO (“Deadly Class”) and Amazon (“Niko and the Sword of Light”).
A pick-up from Latido when in in development, “Girl and Wolf” is Espinet’s debut feature, currently in pre-production and based on Espinet’s eponymous graphic novel. Produced by Sygnatia Films and Hampa Studio, it tells the story of an innocent girl who grew up in a medieval orphanage besieged by wolves. Espinet is also developing “Colossal Jane,” set up at Nexus Studios, a comedy series “where musicals, ghost hunting, Kung Fu and womanhood meet in a super energetic way,...
- 6/14/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Starting this year, Spain’s Animayo Gran Canaria will place not one, but two animated short films in the running for an Oscar. Both the winner of Animayo’s International Jury Grand Prize and – effective this 17th edition – the best Spanish-language animated short will be eligible for consideration in the animated short film category of the Academy Awards.
News broke days after the festival wrapped May 7 which saw “Prisoner Outside” by Germany’s Igor Medvedev snag the International Jury Grand award, which includes a cash prize of €3,000 Euros and the aforementioned eligibility for Oscar consideration. Short centers on a long-confined prisoner who uses his imagination to escape from his cell.
Also eligible for Oscar consideration, the best short film in Spanish – the Animation With an Ñ Award, went to “Leopoldo el del Bar” (“Leopoldo from the Bar”), by Spain’s Diego Porral, which revolves around Leopoldo, an old man who...
News broke days after the festival wrapped May 7 which saw “Prisoner Outside” by Germany’s Igor Medvedev snag the International Jury Grand award, which includes a cash prize of €3,000 Euros and the aforementioned eligibility for Oscar consideration. Short centers on a long-confined prisoner who uses his imagination to escape from his cell.
Also eligible for Oscar consideration, the best short film in Spanish – the Animation With an Ñ Award, went to “Leopoldo el del Bar” (“Leopoldo from the Bar”), by Spain’s Diego Porral, which revolves around Leopoldo, an old man who...
- 5/14/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Jose Zelada and Richard Claus’ “Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon”, Cesar Cabral’s “Bob Spit: We Do Not Like People” (Brazil) and Hugo Covarrubias’ Oscar-nommed “Beast” (Chile) are some of the animated works in the running for the 5th Quirino Awards, the biggest prize event on Spain, Portugal and Latin America’s burgeoning animation scene.
In addition to a ceremony, the Quirino Awards includes an industry co-production and business forum for animation titles from the region.
The Quirino event will also host meetings including one of the Ibero-American Caaci state film-tv agencies, and another of Ibermedia, the region’s key international co-pro and distribution fund.
Brazilian feature “Bob Spit” and Chilean short “Beast” nabbed the highest number of nominations, each securing four. Mexican TV series “Frankelda’s Book of Spooks” and Peruvian movie “Ainbo” follow with three and two noms respectively.
“Beast” is the second Chilean short running for the Oscars.
In addition to a ceremony, the Quirino Awards includes an industry co-production and business forum for animation titles from the region.
The Quirino event will also host meetings including one of the Ibero-American Caaci state film-tv agencies, and another of Ibermedia, the region’s key international co-pro and distribution fund.
Brazilian feature “Bob Spit” and Chilean short “Beast” nabbed the highest number of nominations, each securing four. Mexican TV series “Frankelda’s Book of Spooks” and Peruvian movie “Ainbo” follow with three and two noms respectively.
“Beast” is the second Chilean short running for the Oscars.
- 3/24/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Segovia — Things got weird in Segovia over the weekend at Spanish animation, video game and new media networking event and festival 3D Wire. And it looks like it’s going to stay that way. As of Saturday evening’s closing ceremony, the annual event went by the name Weird Market. It also plans to expand to include other formats including comic books and tabletop games.
“The new name is quite literal. It’s going to be a weird event,” 3D Wire-and now Weird – founder-director José Luis Farias explained to Variety in Segovia. “There will be new dedicated sections for comics and tabletop games. We are going to focus more on IP and we don’t care if it starts out as something as small as an animated Gif or a toy. In the end, we want to work with good ideas.”
Over 11 editions, the event has grown into one of...
“The new name is quite literal. It’s going to be a weird event,” 3D Wire-and now Weird – founder-director José Luis Farias explained to Variety in Segovia. “There will be new dedicated sections for comics and tabletop games. We are going to focus more on IP and we don’t care if it starts out as something as small as an animated Gif or a toy. In the end, we want to work with good ideas.”
Over 11 editions, the event has grown into one of...
- 10/7/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Spain’s 3D Wire Animation, Video Games and New Media Festival and market is preparing to kick off on Sept 30 beneath the Roman aqueducts of Segovia in the shadows of the Alcázar de Segovia, a castle referenced by animators when designing Walt Disney’s own.
The festival runs until Oct 6, with Oct. 3-5 dedicated to industry activities and the 3D Wire Market.
This year’s short film competition consists of 41 films. 32 form an international competition which includes films from 20 countries, while the other nine shorts will compete in a domestic competition.
Five prizes will be handed out by the jury for the best international, European, and Spanish shorts, and the audience will select a best international and best Spanish short as well.
This year’s jury is made up of Spanish director, screenwriter and producer Nuria G. Blanco, Ventana Sur Animation! coordinator Silvina Cornillón, Belgian Oscar-nominated producer Vincent Tavier, and web designer Marc Aguesse.
The festival runs until Oct 6, with Oct. 3-5 dedicated to industry activities and the 3D Wire Market.
This year’s short film competition consists of 41 films. 32 form an international competition which includes films from 20 countries, while the other nine shorts will compete in a domestic competition.
Five prizes will be handed out by the jury for the best international, European, and Spanish shorts, and the audience will select a best international and best Spanish short as well.
This year’s jury is made up of Spanish director, screenwriter and producer Nuria G. Blanco, Ventana Sur Animation! coordinator Silvina Cornillón, Belgian Oscar-nominated producer Vincent Tavier, and web designer Marc Aguesse.
- 9/25/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
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