files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from Cartoon Movie
Animated feature film “Chico & Rita”, winning director Fernando Trueba (“Belle Epoque”) Mariscal, will open the 13th edition of Cartoon Movie on 2 March in Lyon, France.
Trueba’s animation debut was recently released to wide public and critical acclaim in Britain after having received the award for Best Feature Film at the Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF). In the next few months, it will compete for a Goya Award for Best Animated Film at Spain´s national film awards.
Set in Havana and New York during the end of the 1940s, “Chico & Rita” tells an epic story of love and heartbreak between a pianist and a singer who were brought together and torn apart by destiny over 50 years. The soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés takes us back to the origins of latin jazz when musicians like Dizzy Gillespie or Charlie Parker started fusing Cuban music into their compositions.
Targeted at an adult audience – a growing trend in European animation – he film evokes the unmistakable mark and visual of Javier Mariscal, regarded as one of the most innovative and original designers of our time. The mascots that he created – Cobi for the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games or Twipsy for the World’s Fair in Hannover in 2000 – have become landmarks of universal culture. First film experience of the artist, “Chico & Rita” is also co-directed by his younger brother, Tono Errando.
The film is joint-production between Spain’s companies Fernando Trueba PC and Estudio Mariscal, and Britain´s Magic Light Pictures, led by former Aardman Animations Michael Rose.
54 other films – completed or in progress – will be shown at Cartoon Movie 2011, the co-production forum for animated feature films that will be held from 2-4 March in Lyo (Rhône-Alpes), France.
Projects include participation from other acclaimed live action directors like Patrice Leconte (“Man on the Train”, “My Best Friend”) and Terry Gilliam (Monty Python), as well as confirmed animation director Jean-François Laguionie (César for “Rowing across the Atlantic”).
The event confirms the positive trend in European animated film productions this year, with a 20% rise in the global budget to 385 million EUR, and illustrates the rise of stereoscopic 3D in European animation, which represent almost a quarter of the projects selected.
About CARTOON
CARTOON - European Association of Animation Film is an international non-profit association based in Brussels that organises Cartoon Movie, together with Cartoon Forum, a co-production forum for animated TV series, Cartoon Master training seminars and Cartoon Connection, a new programme intended to explore ways of reinforcing cooperation between EU and non EU animation professionals.
The 13th edition of Cartoon Movie is organised with the support of the MEDIA Programm of the European Union, CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée), the Rhône-Alpes Region, Greater Lyon and in collaboration with the Cluster Imaginove (Lyon).
More information about Cartoon Movie 2011 and the selected projects at
www.cartoon-media.eu/MOVIE/index.php .
