Animation Production Days 2023: 50 Projects Selected From Over 100 Submissions
Skwigly
A total of 102 newly developed animation projects were submitted for the 17th edition of Animation Production Days (APD) in Stuttgart. Out of this record number of submissions, the selection committee has now chosen 50 outstanding projects from 18 countries. Between 26 and 28 April, the producers and directors of these projects will negotiate co-production and funding opportunities in pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. APD, a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the FMX – Film & Media Exchange, is the most important business platform for animation projects in Germany.
Trends and challenges of the animation industry will be discussed at the APD Conference. © Animation Production Days 2022, Reiner Pfisterer
It is difficult to gauge whether the Covid-19 pandemic gave a special boost to the development of material or if other reasons are behind the high number of submissions this year. However, the fact that projects with dystopian themes were submitted particularly by younger producers and creatives reflects the world’s current crisis-ridden situation. Overall, the range of submissions was broad: environmental issues are tackled both for preschool children and in the form of science fiction for young and adult audiences, and questions of individuality, belonging and solidarity are also addressed for the youngest as well as older audiences. In addition, there are comedy series for every age group, some with philosophical undertones or which are critical of society, and lots of fantasy and adventure stories. There are also social dramas and historical material for the whole family.
Pixcomm from South Africa presents Awakening, a film project about Nelson Mandela. ©2023 Pixcomm / Animationsfabrik
Of the 50 selected projects, 15 come from Germany, followed by five from Spain and four each from Denmark and France. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the UK are also represented. Two of the projects were selected as part of a cooperation with the CEE Animation Workshop. Two exciting projects are also being presented at APD this year from South Africa: their producers are part of a South African delegation travelling to Stuttgart as part of a partnership between ITFS, FMX and APD, and the South African Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) and the Triggerfish Foundation. This initiative is being supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Overall, this year’s APD selection comprises 14 feature-length films, two TV specials, 31 series and five cross-media projects. At least one woman is involved in a managerial position (i.e. as a producer or director) in 63 percent of the projects.
Around 20 percent of the selected projects are designed for preschool children, another 20 percent for a family audience, just over 40 percent for school children and teenagers up to the age of around 14 and almost another 20 percent for young adults and/or adult audiences. The combined production volume of the projects amounts to more than 200 million euros.
ahoifilm from Hamburg presents “Achoo, Hiccups & Co”, a TV special for pre-school children. ©2023 ahoifilm/Dully&Dax
A total of 37 submissions received were for a place in the coveted APD Talent Programme which sees eight European projects selected each year to participate in APD free of charge. At APD, up-and-coming producers and creatives have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with experienced industry experts, establish connections and find partners for their projects. The series project “Rille and Julia” by Jonas Hjohlman (Sweden) has qualified for participation in the Talent Programme this year via our cooperation with the European training programme Animation Sans Frontières. And, thanks to another cooperation with the Polish Kids Kino Industry event, Ester Kasalová and Hynek Spurný from Czechia have won a place in the APD Talent programme with their project “Butterfly Quest”.
An overview of the selected projects is available on the APD website at animationproductiondays.de/projects-2023