Event has announced an ambitious program to promote Mexican and Latin American creative industries; featured activities include a focus on recruitment, women in animation, and business networking meetings.
Mexican association Pixelatl has announced its program their 2020 virtual event, which includes an ambitious slate of conferences and business meetings. The event promises to be an international bonding and learning experience for artists and entrepreneurs in Mexico and Latin America’s creative industries. Taking place online from September 1-5, the virtual event will host top executives from the main international networks such as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Netflix , Fox, Discovery Kids, Sony Pictures Animation, Disney Animation Studios, Dreamworks Animation TV, Amazon Studios, the UK’s BBC, PBS, and Televisa, among others
"In the midst of the economic crisis, a consequence of the COVID pandemic, the creative industry can be an engine of economic recovery for Mexico and Latin America," explained Pixelatl’s director, José Iñesta.
Past business meetings and networking have yielded contracts with animation studios in Mexico who are now playing a part in the creation of popular series aired on international networks and channels. In addition, intellectual properties have been picked up by Cartoon Network, Discovery Kids, Netflix, and NatGeo Kids.
"Each Festival is part of a process that takes place over the course of the year, the best ten or twelve series or animated film projects that are presented to the networks are selected from the Ideatoon call,” continued Iñesta. “Some of the previous year’s projects are already being produced.”
For studio delegates in attendance, a pre-agenda of business meetings is prepared based on information submitted upon registration. During the networking event a help desk will assist in facilitating meetings with Latin American studios.
Recruitment
National and international studios participate in the event to recruit new talent and emerging artists. In previous years, Quebec companies have hired Mexican creators to work in their Canadian facilities or remotely from Mexico.
“This year major studios will be recruiting and doing portfolio reviews like Laika, Bento Box, Disney, and Nickelodeon,” remarked Pixelatl artistic director, Christian Bermejo.
Women in Animation
The event's program is designed to highlight and promote female talent in the industry. Among the main guests are Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe, and Mexican Sofía Alexander, creator of Onyx Equinox, an original Crunchyroll series.
Other guests include comic book editor, Taneka Stots; HBO MAX animated series Summer Camp Island creator Julia Pott; art director Linda Chen, who is currently working at DreamWorks TV on Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia series; German-based Dutch illustrator “Loish;” and Bolivian animator, Matisse Gonzalez Jordán, who will present a pilot developed for Cartoon Network.
Other highlights
2020 Pixelatl Festival features over 100 activities including:
- The exclusive premiere of a new Cartoon Network show.
- Four talks and panels by Nick animation, from an artistic and business perspective.
- A panel with the supervising directors of iconic adult animated series: BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons, American Dad, Midnight Gospel, and Paradise PD.
- A panel with ILM executives and artists discussing the Star Wars universe.
- Disney Animation panel with legendary animators.
- Presentation with the creators of Duncanville, the new FOX animated series.
For additional program information visit the event website.
Source: Pixelatl
