Five European short films have been selected to compete for the 15th Cartoon d'Or award to be handed out at the awards ceremony September 24, 2005, at Cartoon Forum, which takes place Sept. 21-24 in Kolding, Denmark.
The films were chosen by a jury from a field of 26 projects that won prizes at Cartoon's partner European festivals: Annecy, Bratislava, Bristol, Brussels, Espinho, Genzano di Roma, Fredrikstad, Stuttgart and Utrecht.
With this prize, the filmmakers will obtain 15,000 euros to put toward production of a series or a feature.
This year, the jury Karsten Kiilerich (Denmark), Philippe Leclerc (France) and Peter Lord (U.K.) met in Brussels on June 30 to select five finalists.
Kiilerich is a director/producer at the Danish studio A. Film, the largest in Scandinavia. A. Film has several features to its credit, including HELP! IM A FISH, TROLLS and, in production, THE UGLY DUCKLING AND ME.
Leclerc directed the film, LES ENFANTS DE LA PLUIE (RAIN CHILDREN) and is currently working on a new feature, LA REINE SOLEIL (THE SUN QUEEN), which is set in ancient Egypt.
Lord is one of the two founders of the Bristol studio Aardman Animations. As well as many plasticine animated shorts, including ADAM, he also directed CHICKEN RUN, in collaboration with Nick Park.
The finalists are:CITY PARADISE, by French filmmaker Gaëlle Denis. The film, whimsical and poetic, tells of a young womans arrival in London and her discovery of the language, neighbors and environment.
FALLING, by German filmmaker Peter Kaboth. A street-sweeper sweeps a courtyard between skyscrapers while the camera follows the inhabitants as they each pass through the courtyard.
FLATLIFE, by Belgian filmmaker Jonas Geirnaert. A musical look at the adventures of a group of neighbors plagued by a moody washing machine and nails which do not remain fixed in the walls.
JO JO IN THE STARS, by British filmmaker Marc Craste. Jo Jo is in love with a trapeze artiste, but true love seems out of reach. The film is set in a fantasy, mysterious town where poetry and tenderness lurk just below the surface.
LITTLE THINGS, by British filmmaker Daniel Greaves. A light with a time switch, and a long corridor the little things in life that make it so hard sometimes, but funny too.
The jury will have a final meeting at Kolding during the Cartoon Forum, to choose the winner of the 15th Cartoon dOr.
