The event, which took place in Ljubljana from 2 to 6 December, brought together 24 independent producers of animated films to discuss the current situation in the animation sector and how to unlock its creative potential.
At the final panel discussion on animation coproduction in CEE, film professionals formulated a joint statement on steps needed to enable growth and strengthen the animation industry in the region. “The result of this discussion is a document divided in nine sections such as e.g. film funds, coproduction or education, and more than seven pages of concrete strategies describing how to work in this industry together. We call this document the Ljubljana Accord and we all signed it to prove that this is an act of larger understanding and the declaration of a will to work together as a region with distinctive trademark that we call CEE Animation,” announced Juraj Krasnohorsky, Slovak producer and one of the initiators of the workshop.
The document was signed by all 24 participants: local producers and representatives of the Visegrad Animation Forum and also several national producers associations. Its initiators are Michal Podhradsky (Czech Republic), Matija Šturm (Slovenia) and Juraj Krasnohorsky (Slovakia).
Participants came to the CEE Animation Workshop to network, consult, learn and share their production experience. Throughout the workshops and panels they tried to find solutions and new forms of cooperation under the guidance of the five-member team of international tutors led by the industry expert Linda Beath in cooperation with additional guest experts.
“The CEE Animation Workshop was the first occasion on which producers of animated films from 16 countries of CEE region met to discuss not just strategic issues concerning coproduction, but also their relationship to broadcasters and film funds of the region,” Juraj Krasnohorsky said.
Another goal was to discuss this year’s Animation Plan, developed by the European Commission, and to point out the significance and importance of the CEE region. The plan already aims to reinvigorate the animation industry throughout the EU.
On the very first AnimatekaPRO pitch 15 projects from the ex-Yugoslavian countries have applied, and six of them participated in a training workshop led by expert tutor Anna Vašova. After 10-minute pitching presentations, the international jury announced the winning project, the 12 minutes animated film Lights & Shadows directed by Rastko Ćirić and produced by Iva Ćirić and Milan Stojanović through Sense Production, in coproduction with Kolja Saksida through Slovenian ZVVIKS and Irina Colida through Portuguese Film do Mundo.
The CEE Animation Workshop was a one-off networking and training event co-organised by the Creative Europe Desks – MEDIA offices from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Georgia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine and the market access platform Visegrad Animation Forum. The local partners were the Slovenian Animated Film Association and the Motovila Institute in cooperation with the Animateka International Animated Film Festival.
For reports on the animation industry compiled by the Creative Europe Desks of each country see the FNE Country Profile pages.
