Stavanger and Sandnes to host 20th Cartoon Forum

More than 800 European film professionels will attend the 20th Cartoon Forum, the annual rendez-vous to support co-production, financing and distribution of animated films, which will for the first time take place in Norway, between 22-25 September.

Hosted by the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes in the Rogaland county, the three-day event will give the participants the opportunity ”to catch a glimpse of the next generation of animated series for television and new platforms,” according to Gerardo Michelin, press attaché of the European Association of Animation Film.

63 projects will be presented at the forum, totalling 320 hours of animation and a budget of €155 million. 28 are co-productions from two or more countries, ”confirming the increasing importance of co-productions to develop animation projects across Europe,” per Michelin. France holds to its leading role with 17 projects.

The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Finland are represented by 11 titles, including five from Norwegian producers Maipo Film & TV Produksjon, Kool Produktion, Nordisk Film & TV, Farsnø, SF Norge and Kool Produktion. Productions developed in 2D only slightly surpass 3D series, by 41% against 37%. The majority of projects (39%) are directed to children between 6-9 years old.

“The producers’ are increasingly using crossmedia formats so that content20can be used on Internet, mobile phones or videogames in addition to television screens,” Michelin added. – The Cartoon Forum has also programmed the Cartoon d’Or 2009 awards for best European animated short film, as well as the Cartoon Tributes for television.