Estonia, Greece, and Portugal join member countries collectively calling on streamers to invest more heavily in European animation; new board members/advocates elected at a general meeting last week in Annecy.
Estonia, Greece, and Portugal have joined the Animation in Europe (AIE) - Federation of Animation Producers in Europe, bringing the total number of member countries to 20 (including associate member U.K.). In addition, the federation announced the election of its new board and advocates, chosen at a general meeting in Annecy. The new board members’ tenure is two years.
- Philippe Alessandri (Watch Next Media / France) - President
- Moe Honan (Moetion Films / Ireland)
- Pablo Jordi (Pikkukala/ Finlande)
- Ivan Agenjo (Peekaboo Animation / Spain)
- Dirk Beinhold (Akkord Film Produktion / Germany).
The federation’s expansion is indicative of needed cross-country exchange of information and a unified front to seek increased investments in European animated content by streaming platforms.
Although AIE welcomes the 2018 vote and implementation of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS), which allows foreign media to be subject to investment obligations, the organization calls for required increased platform investments in European animation.
While European animated films and series perform well internationally, the market share is low. AIE noted, "In Germany, a handful of family animation films, representing barely 5% of film production, generate half of the feature film exports.” Similarly, in France, “animated series account for nearly half of audiovisual revenues abroad, even though they only constitute about 10% of the total volume of national production across all genres.”
Even though platforms invest more heavily in producing local dramas, the number of European animated series and films commissioned is limited. Buyers from American streaming platforms “focus their investments on national dramas to attract new subscribers.” Children’s content, “perceived as more universal,” is directed by the headquarters in Los Angeles, which engages American studios.
The situation in France is similar but marginally better due to a policy emphasizing "diversity of genres" in the investment obligations of streaming platforms. As a result, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon have committed to supporting animation, but at levels that remain low compared to the overall animation in their catalogs.
AIE described a similar trend in Ireland, where service production is offered for series on American platforms. An example is Netflix's adaptation of the video game Cuphead produced by Ireland-based Lighthouse Studios.
Spain, AIE stated, only has two original productions for Netflix, and one adult animation program, Pobre Diablo, for Max (Warner). Furthermore, “the rest of Europe’s animation industry profits even less from US streaming platforms.” For example, Germany has no animation commissioned by streaming platforms.
"We need to offer children, who make up over 10% of the EU's population, content created and produced in Europe,” said Alessandri. “The introduction of an animation quota would ensure fair representation of European animation on platforms.”
AIE has expressed the need for more comprehensive data collection by governments and regulatory authorities across Europe to bolster the industry's resilience to both survive and stay competitive. It also seeks to ensure diversity.
Animation in Europe has called on the European Union and EU member states to leverage the planned review of the AVMS Directive, set for no later than the end of 2025, to defend the position of European animation and promote a European editorial offering targeted at a young audience.
Source: Animation in Europe
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
