Weird Market announces jury for its 15th edition
Skwigly
Weird Market, an International Animation, Video Games and New Media Market, unveils the first details of its new edition, among them the return of the showroom, the increase in the number of venues, the consolidation of the recruitment day, the celebration of a special “Beerworking” session, and the new B2B meetings slot between animation and video game companies. This year, the event will be held once again in Valencia, from September 26th to October 1st, and the international juries for its short film festival have been announced. “After last year’s success, in 2023 we deploy our full potential as a compass for talent and synergy generator. This year we also remember that we are celebrating 15 years supporting the sector,” explains José Luis Farias, director of the event.
Image: Weird Market
One of the most awaited announcements among Weird Market followers is the return of the video game and animation showroom. The IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Art) will host this space, thus becoming a new venue that boosts the market’s importance and scope.
On Friday September 29th and Saturday September 30th, innovative experiences and video games that have not yet been released will be available for testing. A showcase open to both the professional and general public where the latest trends in the animation, video game and new media sector will be on display.
Another of Weird Market’s programming focal points are the networking opportunities which, together with the meeting app, facilitate the connection between professionals. This year, as an innovation, a new programming slot will be opened with B2B meetings scheduled between animation companies and video game companies, promoting collaborations, synergies, and joint projects. The Cultural Center La Beneficència will host this new over two-hour slot on Thursday afternoon, September 28th, where companies from both sectors will be able to network around their current and upcoming projects.
Registration for the showroom is now open and is due by August 22nd. In the case of B2B meetings, interested parties can request them along with the accreditation application, which will open on August 31st.
RECRUITMENT, BEERWORKING & CONFERENCES
The main lines of work for the 2023 event include the recruitment day to be held on Thursday, September 28th. Leading companies in the sector will be looking for professional profiles to complete their work teams, an important milestone that makes Weird Market a major employment driver.
A day earlier, on September 27th, the spotlight will be on “beerworking,” which will return to this city by the Turia river, combining a relaxed atmosphere, short presentations, and a large group of top-level professionals.
Conferences and project presentations will take place on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th of September. Two intensive days where important players in the industry will meet to learn details and news. As a prelude, during these two days of conferences the projects selected for MIANIMA 2023/2024 will be announced, and Studio Seufz will lecture on the pros and cons of being a hybrid studio, working on both animation and video games. The networking spaces and the showroom will also be open during both days.
A JURY FULL OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TALENT
Weird Market organizers also confirm the Jury of its WFest – Weird Market International Animation Short Film Festival. Four top names that will come to Valencia to decide the winning works in each of their categories.
Image: Weird Market
Personalities with a proven track record such as Aneta Ozorek, artistic director of Kaboom Animation Festival, a cutting-edge festival in the Netherlands known for its vision and innovation in all formats and genres of animation. Ozorek has an extensive industry experience as a curator and organizer of film events, educational workshops, exhibitions, and festivals in the European market. She is head of the short film section of the CEE Animation Pitching Forum, board member of the REX Animation Festival (Sweden) and professor at the Fachhochschule Salzburg (Austria), as well as a member of the European Children’s Film Association and illustrator of six children’s books.
The second member is Stefan Michel, producer at Studio Seufz, based in Stuttgart, which creates independent animated films and video games for young adults since 2017. Stefan coordinates all aspects of his films, games, and VR productions with a focus on creating genre-altering IP such as The Longing (winner at international festivals such as A Maze, Ludicious Zürich Game Festival and IGF Awards) and Lucky Tower. Michel is also an educator and sits on the management committee of AG Animationsfilm, German Animation Association.
The international trio is completed by Louis-Guillaume Loy, head of the Distribution Department at Sacrebleu Productions, a leading French production company founded in 1999, with more than 90 short films selected at the most prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Annecy, and Clermont-Ferrand. During these years, they have also produced series and feature films, and their works have won important awards such as the Palme d’Or, the Cesar Award or nominations for the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
The Spanish and regional representative will be Rocío Álvarez. This illustrator and animation director born in Castellón de la Plana has a degree in Fine Arts from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. After exploring in the world of painting and urban installations, she specialized in animation at the school of La Poudrière (France) where she directed the short film Écart de conduit, selected for the Cartoon d’Or Award in 2013, the year since when she has been living and working in Brussels. Her short film Simbiosis Carnal (2017) was distinguished in several festivals. In it, she used experimental techniques to talk about the experience of poetic exploration of sexuality. This work premiered at Prime The Animation! 2018, where it won the first prize, and later received several awards at Anima Brussels and Animac, among other competitions.
The WFest screenings will take place on September 26th and 28th at the Filmoteca Valenciana, Rialto Building. The presentation of domestic short films in competition will take place on Thursday 28th, and the winning works will be screened on Sunday October 1st.
The 15th edition of Weird Market is co-organized by the Valencian Institute of Culture, attached to the First Vice Presidency and Department of Culture and Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana. It also has the main sponsorship of the City Council of Valencia and the Provincial Council of Valencia; the participation of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Art) and À Punt, among others.
More information at weirdmarket.es