Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Announces Winners of 2024 Pitching Contest
Skwigly
Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Winners 2024
21 projects selected from 120 entries received from 33 countries like India, Europe, Chile and the United States, among others. Main aim: bring the creators of the pitching projects closer to the realization of their ideas for films. We already know the winners of this year’s ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum Pitching contest. The official award ceremony took place during the 9th ANIMARKT’s evening gala on 17th October at Mediateka MeMo in Łódź, Poland.
This year’s edition was unique, because we had a pleasure to organize the event in the newly opened Mediateka and we think that it gave the Pitching contest a more glamorous mood. Also the projects set the bar high. We are more than happy that we could host this event, set up a platform of networking between creators, producers and animation studios from all around the world as well as offer support to the projects. We hope that that’s the beginning of their successful story.
Paulina Zacharek, president of MOMAKIN, the co-organizer of the Forum
21 projects competed for valuable prizes to help bring their projects to life. Among them were: a voucher for a contribution in kind to the equivalent of PLN 40 000 from the Wrocław Feature Film Studio; a package from APA LAB Awards containing: 5 nights’ accommodation at Unquillo, free accreditation to APA LAB – a special mentoring programme with B2B meetings; marketing consultations on audiences and funding from Animond Award; Dragonframe 5 software from the producer; accreditations for the Animator Pro festival and event from Animator International Animation Film Festival and accreditation for Young Horizons Industry and a place in the Project Pool section from the organiser.
The creators who took part in the pitching contest were supported by an exceptional tutors: Christophe Erbes (former director of European Kids TV at Canal+, SuperRTL, Nickelodeon, Disney; international consultant on children’s, youth and family media), Kike Ortega (Chilean director and animation series creator, his research focuses on sustainable animation using biomaterials and clean energy), Nancy Denney-Phelps (journalist specialising in European animation and festivals and animation music producer), Kerdi Oengo (executive producer of Estonian studio Nukufilm since 2005, which has produced more than 40 animated shorts), Piotr Knabe (versatile freelance artist with extensive experience in sculpture, mould making, creative engineering, character design, illustration, 3D modelling and 3D printing).
The Pitching section is divided into two categories, with 11 projects selected in each this year. Eligible for the first are short film projects in the development phase, with a running time of 25 minutes or less and with at least a first draft of the script completed. The second format focuses on feature film and TV series projects, at various stages of development. A mandatory qualification in both cases is that a minimum of 80% of the animation is to be done in stop-motion. This year, submissions once again had to be accompanied by a sustainable production plan for the film, which accounts for 10% of the evaluation of the overall project.
List of awarded projects
SHORT FILM PROJECTS
40 000 PLN in kind contribution sponsored by the Wroclaw Feature Film Studio
Project: SAUDADE, dir. Laura Moncada, prod. Laura Moncada, Daniel Virgüez
APA LAB AWARDS, Cordoba (Argentina) in March 2025
Project: SAUDADE, dir. Laura Moncada, prod. Laura Moncada, Daniel Virgüez
Animond Award: Marketing, Audience and Financing Consultation
Project: BARRO, dir. José Prats, prod. Andrew Oldbury, Holly Carrington
CEE Animation Forum Award: qualification to the Out of Competition selection in 2025
Project: 10.000 STEPS, dir. Joan Rubinat, Belinda Bonan, prod. Belinda Bonan
IAFF Animator Award: accreditation for producer and director
Project: IT CAME WITH THE TIDE, dir. Monja Dietrich, Vincent Suttner, prod. Monja Dietrich
Dragonframe Award: Dragonframe 5 software
Project: ONLY RATS, dir. Paz del Carre, prod. Leticia Montalvá
FEATURE FILM & TV SERIES PROJECTS
Animond Award: inclusion in Animond Catalogue
Project: DANI’S FICTION RULES, dir. Coty Luzoro, prod. Kike Ortega
CEE Animation Forum Award: qualification to the Out of Competition selection in 2025
Project: NATURAL SELECTION, dir. Irida Zhonga, prod. Kostas Mylonas, Bruno Caetano, Irida Zhonga
IAFF Animator Award: accreditation for producer and director
Project: MICHEL CLUB, dir. Paul Mas, prod. Stéphanie Launay
Dragonframe Award: Dragonframe 5 software
Project: IF I DIE, dir. Esther Vital, prod. Camilo Cavalcanti
Animarkt Award: 2025 Accreditation Award
Project: NATURAL SELECTION, dir. Irida Zhonga, prod. Kostas Mylonas, Bruno Caetano, Irida Zhonga
Animarkt Award: 2025 Accreditation Award
Project: MICHEL CLUB, dir. Paul Mas, prod. Stéphanie Launay