Discover the CARTOON Movie Tributes Nominees
Skwigly
CARTOON MOVIE, pitching and co-production event for animated features, has announced the finalists for Cartoon Tributes 2019, the awards for outstanding contribution to the development of European animation over the last year.
Divided into three categories – Director, Distributor and Producer of the Year – this year’s Cartoon Tributes bring together the best of the latest European animated features as well as some of the continent’s most active companies within the industry.
Marona’s Fantastic Tale
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
- Anca Damian (Romania) is nominated for her long feature “Marona’s Fantastic Tale” (in sneak preview at Cartoon Movie 2019 – release date: September 2019 in France). Damian is the most prolific animation director from Romania. She already directed 2 animation feature films (“The Magic Mountain” and “Crulic: The Path to Beyond” – Cristal for Best Feature Film at the 2012 Annecy International Animated Film Festival). Anca Damian will also present “The Island”, her new project in concept mixing 2D/3D, painting and cut-out.
- Denis Do (France) is nominated for his movie “Funan” (release date: March 2019 in France). It is at the heart of a dramatic historical event, the Khmer Rouge revolution, that Do set the scene for his first feature film. This work is a perfect example of the ability of animation to capture an adult and historical subject and make it accessible to the greatest number of people. In 2018, the movie won the Cristal (Best Feature Film) at Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the Jury Price & Audience Awards at Animation Is Film Festival and the Best Sound Design & Best Writing Awards at the Emile Awards.
- Anders Matthesen & Thorbjørn Christoffersen (Denmark) are nominated for “Chequered Ninja”, a 3D movie which is the best-selling animation movie in Denmark ever, since its release date on 25 December 2018 (to date: 900 000 tickets sold). In 2019, the long feature won the Best Children/Youth Film & Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at Robert Festival, the Best Danish Film at Zulu Awards and is nominated for the Best Film at Bodil Awards.
- Salvador Simó (Spain) for “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” (in sneak preview at Cartoon Movie 2019 – release date: June 2019 in France). The movie is based on the 1932 documentary “Land Without Bread”, controversial at its time and now reckoned as one of the greatest films of Luis Buñuel. In 2019, the movie won the Special Jury Price at Animation is Film Festival and is nominated for the Best Film Award at Miami Film Festival. Simó is already working on a new animation film: “Gabo Memoirs of a Magic Life”.
Chequered Ninja
EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
- Cinema Public Film (France) is a film distribution company dedicated to art-house cinema for a young audience. Founded in 1989 to defend and develop the cultural diversity, the company actively participated to promote worldwide cinematography. Some of the films released by the company are “The Three Musketeers”, “The Wind in the Reeds”, “Marona’s Fantastic Tale”, “Pat & Mat”, “Mimi & Lisa”, “La Chouette”, etc.
- In The Air (Netherlands) distributes youth and family films and TV series in innovative ways. Animation highlights include: “Beyond, Beyond”, “Otto the Rhino”, “Rabbit School”, “The Great Bear”, “The Lotte Films”, “Luis and the Aliens”, “Longway North” and “Solan & Ludvig”. This year, the project in development “Miss Moxy” is presented at Cartoon Movie and will be distributed by In The Air.
- SC Films International (UK) is a sales and distribution company behind the international success of “Yellowbird”, “White Fang”, “Ozzy”, “Pachamama”, “Dragonkeeper”, “Ark at 8”, etc.
- Sola Media (Germany) is a world sales agent specializing in high-quality children’s films and family entertainment with a strong focus on animation feature films for the big screen. Recent animation features include: “Rabbit School”, “Coconut the Little Dragon”, “Captain Morten and the Spider Queen”, “Up & Away”, “Manou the Swift” & “Latte and the Magic Waterstone” etc.
EUROPEAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
- Folivari / O2B Films / Doghouse Films / Kaïbou Production for “Pachamama” (France / Luxembourg / Canada). The movie takes the public on an amazing trip through the cultural and artistic splendor of the great pre-Columbian civilisation. It is the first animation film ever made about the conquest of America from the point of view of the natives. The movie is mixing 2D-3D computer, stop-motion, puppets & cut-out techniques. It is directed by Juan Antin (Mercano the Martian). It was nominated in the Best Animated Film Animation category at César Awards 2019.
- Les Films d’Ici / BAC Cinéma / Lunanime / ithinkasia for “Funan” (France / Luxembourg / Belgium / Cambodja), a story about the survival and the struggle of a young woman during the Khmer Rouge revolution, to find his 4-year-old son, taken from his family by the regime. In 2018, the movie won the Cristal (Best Feature Film) at Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the Jury Price & Audience Awards at Animation Is Film Festival and the Best Sound Design & Best Writing Awards at the Emile Awards.
- Submarine (Netherlands), as the premier animation studio in the Netherlands, creates compelling and visually-stunning stories for both the big and small screen. Submarine is nominated for (co-)producing 6 animated films today: “Coppelia” (directed by Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul & Ben Tesseur), “Fox & Hare save the Forest” (directed by Mascha Halberstad), “Where is Anne Frank?” (directed by Ari Folman), “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” (directed by Salvador Simó), “My Grandfather used to say he saw demons” (directed by Nuno Beato) and “In the Forest” (directed by Joris Bergmans & Cedric Babouche).
- Ulysses Filmproduktion / A. Film Production / Fabrique d’Images for “Luis and the Aliens”(Germany / Denmark / Luxembourg) – nominated at the Emile Awards 2018, category “Best Character Animation” – released in June 2018. It is an animated adventure sold in 150 countries, telling the story of an 11-year-old boy who makes friends with three lovable little aliens.