Women Mentor Programme & Green Future Of Animation | Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Announces Programme
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum (Source: Momakin)
Questions about the future of animation and equal rights in the industry, search for ecological solutions and discussions about education in the industry – this year’s edition of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum focuses on the debate concerning challenges for the world’s animation industry. There will also be no shortage of the usual elements of the programme, such as business meetings, workshops, masterclasses and pitching (from 14 countries). We can now announce the programme of the October event.
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum 2023 is going to begin on October 4 and last for five days. This is the only industry event in the world that integrates circle of stop motion film. Łódź’s forum is precisely the place where business relations are initiated, international cooperations started and young creators are offered unordinary opportunity to present their own projects in front of the masters. This is the place where films appreciated by both critics and audience have their beginnings.
This year, except for the usual points of the programme, we’re going to talk about the future of animation industry. Together with forum participants we’re going to think what has to be changed so the industry was more worker-friendly. We’ve also created group of specialists from all around the world that’s going to search for innovative solutions reducing negative impact on the environment. We do all this to constantly expand our possibilities.
Agnieszka Kowalewska-Skowron – MOMAKIN, director of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum
Questions of equal treatment and parenthood is going to appear during a panel discussion about changes that should be implemented to make the industry more work-friendly. Among the panellists we’re going to find screenwriter Rita Domonoyi, director Joanna Kożuch and scenographer Susanna Jerger. This year’s highlight will be a mentoring programme for young female producers and production managers, targeted to participants from Middle-Easters Europe. Five women are going to get to know the aspects of organisation and film production management, film production financing, promotion, distribution and sustainable film production. Among mentors there will be well-known specialists: executive producer Katarzyna Gromadzka, creative producer Maria Motovska, producer Annemie Degryse, producer Kamila Dohnalova and green production specialist Birgit Heidsiek.
“Green team” – initiated by MOMAKIN and containing those who specialise in puppet and set props making – is going to gather at the round table to discuss and try out selected new material solutions, such as material made out of pine. The event will involve well-regarded people in the industry, such as puppet maker Sonia Iglesias Rey, director Debora Mendes, art director Francesca Maxwell, director Ru Kuwahata. The subject of green filming is also going to be the focus of a panel discussion dedicated to green filmmaking prepared by MOMAKIN that collects guidelines regarding green production. Taking part in the panel are Birgit Heidsiek, Kike Ortega, Margarita Miel Paredes and Sonia Iglesias.
We are perfectly aware that animation industry affects the environment. We want to prevent that so we try alternative solutions for the ways we did things up to this point. We look for materials that could replace current ones and at the same time would be neutral for the environment. We’re overjoyed with the fact that for the work on green guide and round table we managed to invite people who look for innovative, ecological solutions in their everyday professional lives.
Paulina Zacharek, co-organiser of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum
Equally interesting will be the conference dedicated to industry education, during which participants are going to confront each with other various education systems in animation in Poland and in the world.
As usual, in the programme there won’t be a shortage of intensive workshops. The first one, devoted to character animation, is going to be led my Kim Keukeleire who cooperated with Wes Anderson on his “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. She was also senior animator on “Guillermo del Toro: Pinocchio”. The second one, about the role of the line producer in stop motion animation, is going to be led by Angela Poschet (acclaimed line producer and consultant, known from Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” and Oscar-nominated “Frankenweenie” by Tim Burton).
MASTERCLASSES: Ru Kuwahata – director and co-creator of Oscar nominated “Negative Space” film – is going to talk about her latest film, at the same time her first feature project, in which she connects stop motion and digital techniques. Piotr Matysiak, experienced camera operator, is going to explain what artistic potential is hidden in stereoscopy. And Miel-Margarita Paredes, puppet creator specialising in building animation armatures, is going to talk about the art of puppet making.
The opportunity to present and a find job on stop motion projects will be part of the Career Days – short 15-minutes long meeting with representatives from five studios. Talks with selected creators are going to be managed by representatives of selected studios: Dutch 5 A.M. Studios, Swedish Apparat AP, American LAIKA, Spanish Pangur Animation and British Passion Picture.
The most important, and the most awaited point of the programme, is the competition section of the forum. The pitching strand will see 20 projects: from Germany, France, Brazil and Mexico whose creators are going to compete for prizes bringing them closer to the realisation of their film. Organisers highlight this year’s projects as very interesting and varying, and the selection of the best ones is going to be particularly difficult.
The detailed programme of the 8th edition of the event can be found on the website: www.animarkt.pl. Participation in the new edition costs 45 euros and 30 euros for students.
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum is going to take place between 4 and 8 October in Łódź.
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum is co-financed from the funds of the International Visegrad Fund, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. Creative Europe Desk Polska is a partner of the event. Main partners of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum 2022 are EC1 Łódź – the City of Culture, Łódź Film Commission, Direccion General de Promocion de Exportaciones Chile, Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual I.P. / ICA and the Centre for the Development of Creative Industries are partners of the event and, as well as LOOM Hotel.