Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Announces Finalists for 2024 Pitching Session

04 September 2024 // News

Skwigly

Animarkt Stop Motion Forum (Source: MOMAKIN)

Animarkt Stop Motion Forum organized by Łódź-based Momakin, has announced 22 international finalists and their stop motion projects in two categories: short film as well as feature film & TV series, that will compete for valuable awards while presenting the projects in front of the jury during this year’s edition of the Forum between 13-17 October 2024 in Łódź, Poland. The awardees will get closer to fulfilling their aim – most importantly, obtaining support to realize their projects.

Pitching – the competition section of the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum – offers an extraordinary opportunity to present the yet unrealized stop motion projects in front of a group of world-famous experts, producers and key international production studios’ representatives. It’s a chance for the finalists to gain partners and win awards that are going to support their projects in the process of film production, opening the door to an international career. This year’s open call received 80 applications from 33 countries, ranging from India to Europe to US and Chile, 22 of which received an invitation to participate in the Pitching section. 21 finalists have confirmed their participation.

Animarkt Stop Motion Forum is a unique event that connects creatives with the stop motion industry. It’s a place where for a couple of days the Pitching participants have an excellent opportunity to meet international experts and benefit from the support that’s especially important in the early stages of the work on a project. Each year we partner with studios, organizations and festivals who are equally passionate about developing the stop motion industry and especially in supporting creators. This year the winners of the Pitching section will receive accreditations to key industry festivals, as well as distribution and co-production support

Marianna Piskorz, Forum organiser

The creators of the selected projects will receive professional support to help them prepare for their pitching presentations. Every one of them is going to go through training sessions on pitching, presentation, screenplay preparation techniques and green production.

We invite people who are deeply involved in the world of animation to join the panel of experts. Among others, the finalists will be assisted in their preparations for their official presentations to the jury by well-known and respected journalist Nancy Denney-Phelps, who writes about European animation and festivals, and Nick Phelps, an animation music creator. They travel the world in search of the freshest, most interesting and unusual animation. We feel honored that they come to Animarkt every year, they have been with us since the first edition of the Forum.

Paulina Zacharek, president of Momakin, organizer of the Forum

The Pitching section is divided into two categories, in each of them 11 projects have been selected. The first one qualifies short projects in development that are no longer than 25 minutes in runtime with at least the first draft of the screenplay completed. Second format focuses on projects of feature films, TV series or TV specials in different stages of development. The mandatory qualification in both cases is that the minimum of 80% of the animation is to be made in stop motion techniques. This year, the Pitching submissions once again had to include a sustainable production plan for the film, which stands for 10% of the entire project’s rating.

The 9th edition of the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum is going to take place from 13th to October 17th in Łódź. Apart from the Pitching competition section and workshops, the program includes masterclasses and discussion panels, meetings focused on facilitating industry contacts, as well as recruitment sessions for international animation studios.

SELECTED PROJECTS FOR THE PITCHING SECTION

PITCHING 2024 SHORT FILM PROJECTS:

10.000 Steps dir./prod.: Joan Rubinat and Belinda Bonan, prod. company: Most Wanted Studio, Spain.
Alli dir/prod.: Sharanya Ramesh, India.
Barro dir.: José Prats, prod.: Andrew Oldbury, Holly Carrington, prod. company: Diploid Productions, United Kingdom.
Demon of the Marshes dir.: Martin Pertlíček, prod.: Kamila Dohnalová; prod. company: Maurfilm (Czech Republic), co-prod.: ZVVIKS (Slovenia).
It came with the tide dir.: Monja Dietrich & Vincent Suttner, prod.: Monja Dietrich, prod. company: The Hidden Institute GbR, co-prod.: Paradoks Film GmbH, Germany.
LAST MINUTE dir: Joanna Kozuch, prod. by Joanna Kozuch & Martin Vandas & Etienne Jaxel-Truer, prod. company: PLACKARTNYJ, co-prod.: Maurfilm (Czech Republic) & STUDIO EJT-LABO (France)/ Slovakia, Czech Republic, France.
Only Rats dir.: Paz del Carre, prod.: Leticia Montalvá, prod. company: Pangur Animation, Spain.
Saudade dir./prod.: Laura Moncada, prod.company: Fiero Studio, co-prod.: A ocho y medio (Colombia) – Diego Doncel (Colombia) – Juan Carlos Concha Riveros (España) / Colombia.
The Beetle / Żuk dir.: Kacper Bukartyk, Zuzanna Fluder, prod.: Paulina Ratajczak, prod. company: Las Sztuki Foundation, Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association, co- prod.: Sound Mind Studio (Poland), WFF – Wrocław Feature Film Studio (Poland), Poland.
The Molepire dir.: Marek Čermák, prod.: Karolína Fránková, Hana Blaha, Šilarová, prod.company: Films & Chips, co-prod.: Respiro Productions (France), Czech Republic.

Qualified without selection – winner the ANIMARKT Award at CEEA Forum 2023

Dolls dir.: Joachim Hérissé, prod.: Stephanie Launay, prod. company: Komadoli Studio, France.

PITCHING 2024 FEATURE FILM & TV SERIES PROJECTS:

12th House dir./prod.: Merve Cayder, United States.
Bully! Bully? dir./prod.:: Birute Sodeikaite, Canada. / cancellation of participation
CLUB MICHEL dir.: Paul Ma , prod.: Stéphanie Launay, prod.company: Komadoli Studio, France.
Dani’s Fiction Rules dir.: Coty Luzoro, prod.: Kike Ortega, prod.company: PATAKA, co-prod.: Hera Management (Chile), Chile.
El origen de la experiencia dir.:Zulu Gonzalez , prod.:Carlota Darnell , prod.company:Cornelius Films, co-prod.: La Corriente del Golfo (Mexico, main co-producer); Hampa Studios (Spain); Midralgar (France), Spain.
Emi (Emotional Intelligence) dir.: Leonid Tyvoniuk, prod: Polina Zapolska, prod.company: NGO “IMAGO”, Ukraine.
Natural Selection dir.:Irida Zhonga, prod.: Kostas Mylonas, prod.company: Takes 2 Productions, co-prod.: COLA Animation, Portugal, Greece.
R6ST – Resist dir.: Laure Clemansaud-Madia, prod: Xavier Truchon, TOKU FRANCE, France.
Se eu morrer (If I die) dir.: Esther Vital, prod.: Camilo Cavalcanti, prod.company: O par, co-prod.: Martine Vidalenc (France), Brazil.
Speransa dir.:Nuno Beato, prod.: Diogo Carvalho, prod.company: Sardinha em Lata, Portugal.
Weirdos dir.: Paul Hollingsworth, prod.: Justin Ridge, prod.company: Digital Wizards Studios, co-prod.: Ben Varadi, B*Boss Ltd (Canada), United States.

Qualified without selection – winner the ANIMARKT Award at CEEA Forum 2023

Dolls dir.: Joachim Hérissé, prod.: Stephanie Launay, prod. company: Komadoli Studio, France.

For more information on the selected projects: www.animarkt.pl/en/pitching

Animarkt Stop Motion Forum is the only industry event in the world focused on the most important problems and challenges connected with stop motion animation production. Its main purpose is to create a platform to share experiences and practices between stop motion film creators, distributors, broadcasters, producers, animation services providers and industry representatives from all around the world. Event’s organizer is Momakin that connects the world of animation film creators with the international production, distribution and promotion market. Its specialty are stop motion projects.