Cartoon Forum 2009 Announces Projects
Rogaland county in southwest Norway is preparing for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Cartoon Forum, the annual European rendezvous to support the co-production, financing and distribution of animation series for television and new media platforms.
From September 22-25 the world of animation will be watching the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes, where producers from across Europe will present the latest generation of European animation series.
This edition of Cartoon Forum will once again be defined by the diversity and quality that sets apart European animation. Of 63 projects presented, 28 are co-productions from two or more countries, confirming the increasing importance of co-productions to develop animation projects across Europe.
Together, the 63 projects contain 320 hours of animation and a total budget of 155 million EUR. France has held on to its leading role with 17 projects followed by Spain and the UK with 12 and 7 respectively. The Nordic countries continue boosting their presence on the European animation stage with 5 projects from Norway, 3 from Denmark, 2 from Finland and 1 from Sweden.
Projects developed in 2D slightly surpass those made in 3D (41% vs. 37%), while projects directed to children between 6 and 9 years old once again make up the majority with 39%. Also worth highlighting is European producers' increasing use of cross-media formats so that content can be used on Internet, mobile phones or videogames in addition to television screens.
In addition to the presentation of these projects -- the main focus of the event -- Cartoon Forum Rogaland will also host the Cartoon d'Or 2009 awards for best European animated short film, a prize that has helped promote new sector talent since it was created. The Cartoon Tributes for television -- which elects the best producer, broadcaster and investor/distributor of the year -- will also be awarded at the event.
Since its creation in 1990, Cartoon Forum has been revered as a springboard for the production of European animation series. Organized by the European Association of Animation Film -- CARTOON, the event has helped support European animation both within Europe's borders and abroad. Over 300 projects, with a total budget of more than 1 billion EUR, presented at Cartoon Forum have secured their financing.
With its beautiful landscapes and thousand-year old heritage, Rogaland county will be an ideal setting for this event, which has garnered a reputation as an excellent place to strengthen business relationships in the animation sector. This will be the first time the Cartoon Forum is held in Norway and the fourth time it lands in Nordic countries after the Kolding (Denmark, 2005), Gotland (Sweden, 2000) and Suomi, Turku (Finland, 1995) editions.
The main partners of Cartoon Forum 2009 are the EU MEDIA Programme, the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes, the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Innovation Norway and NRK.