180 Projects Announced for Catalog of 16th edition of Weird Market
Skwigly
Image: Weird Market
The 16th edition of Weird Market announced the 180 projects that will be part of its official catalog, a selection that includes 10 feature films, 39 short films, 22 series, 44 video games, 20 web series, 8 transmedia projects, 15 comics, and 22 board games. As part of this International Animation, Videogames and New Media Market’s program, a total of 27 projects will be presented by their creators or artistic teams. The new venue of La Harinera in Valencia will host one of the Martket’s most awaited events on Friday October 4th and Saturday October 5th.
This year, the official catalog once again demonstrates “the strength of a sector in continuous growth, with the ability to adapt to new techniques and working methods, with results that are celebrated both by specialized critics and by all types of audiences,” says José Luis Farias, director of Weird Market; “it is our duty and our purpose to serve as a worldwide showcase for the creators and their works.”
In the feature film section, attendees will be able to learn about three Ibero-American films: Frank and Mary by Spain’s Javier Pinto, El Sinnerman by multi-award winning and Goya-nominated Carmen Córdoba, and El Viaje de Azul by Mexico’s Aline Romero, which uses stop motion technique to address current issues such as climate change and the migratory crisis.
EIGHT SHORT FILMS: COPRODUCTIONS BETWEEN SPAIN, FRANCE, PORTUGAL, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES
The short film format will, once again, shine bright under the limelight, with eight shorts at the event in Valencia. Productions and co-productions from Spain, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States attest to the importance of international connections and support. Highly anticipated titles include the likes of Agua Dulce by Mexican Ana Ramirez, who has worked for Pixar and DreamWorks TV, and Barro by Goya nominee José Prats, the UK-based Spaniard whose latest short film “Adiós” will premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Another co-production, in this case Spanish-Portuguese, is Birds & Shells by Alessandro Novelli (De Imperio). Spain and France will join forces in two of the shorts: Carmela by Vicente Mallols and Con Café (Cuentos con la c) by María Manero Muro. Planetarium by Yuri Rojo Alonso, Rollin’ Punkis by Alberto Andrés Sánchez, and Welcome to the Pleasure Dome by Víctor Bonafonte complete the line-up.
SERIES, WEBSERIES, AND TRANSMEDIA PROJECTS
Another noteworthy category is animation series, with five submissions, two of them headed by women: Violeta by Paula Abreu, and Catwalk by Lidia Luna, Toni Mortero and Omayra González (the winning project at Next Lab Generation 2024), a good example of how female animators are making room for themselves in the industry. In addition to these titles, the event also promises news about the post-apocalyptic Antártida by Javier Tostado, OVERMUM by JuanPe Arroyo (who has worked for The Amazing World of Gumball), and Sarrabisco by Jorge Ribeiro from Portugal.
Webseries will be represented by Simona & Jacques, Aprendiendo a Cazar Monstruos by Argentine Ruben F Stremiz, and Us, Over Here by Portuguese Joana Sousa Pinto. In addition, transmedia projects will include previews of Artxipelagoa by Oier Aranzábal, as well as Martians Vs Roughnecks by Pete Michels, a famed creator who has been in charge of multiple episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy.
COMICS AND BOARD GAMES ALSO PRESENT IN THE 2024 EDITION
Physical formats will continue to play an important role in this year’s edition. As for comics, Megalith, by author Lizz Lunney, will be discussed, while, in the board game section, Refugio, the first social board game about refugees and human rights by designer/social worker David Expósito, will be presented.
Complete list of projects in the catalog HERE
Project submissions HERE