Expanded program includes ‘Producers Meet Producers,’ aimed at facilitating co-productions between German and international partners.
Stuttgart – Animation Production Day (APD), the annual business platform for the international animation industry, is taking place this year in Stuttgart's L-Bank on May 7-8 with an expanded program. “Producers Meet Producers” is the new section of this networking event hosted by the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and FMX, the Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Transmedia, and organized by Film- & Medienfestival (FMF) and Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The goal of these new co-production meetings is to facilitate even more animation productions between German and international partners. Financial support for APD's expansion derives from additional funding awarded by the German Federal Film Board (FFA) and the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg (MFG), thereby strengthening the animation industry and Stuttgart's position within it.
“Producers Meet Producers” consists of one-on-one meetings in which German and international producers, animation studios and -- for the first time -- service companies, are all in a position to join projects as co-financiers and negotiate co-productions.
“The choice of the right partners is essential in international co-productions,” explains Dittmar Lumpp, Managing Director Organization & Finances of FMF and ITFS. “The meetings will create new momentum and open up fresh perspectives, which is exactly what APD aims to encourage.”
“The targeted initiation of international co-productions substantially increases the prospects of success for German producers both in the German and international markets,” adds Prof. Ulrich Wegenast, Managing Director Program of FMF and ITFS.
Prof. Andreas Hykade, Program Consultant FMX and Senior Lecturer for Animation at the Filmakademie, recognizes the new section as providing a big opportunity for the expansion of Baden-Wuerttemberg as an animation hub: “Particularly local artists and graduates from the universities and academies will benefit from the opportunities for cooperation offered by the ‘Producers Meet Producers’ section.”
The inspiration for the new section arose from conversations with various industry members. “We very much welcome this new part of the program,” says Jan Bonath, Head of Animation at the German Producers' Alliance. “Germany is an interesting market for international animation producers and German producers are, in turn, very strong partners. APD provides us with the best of opportunities to turn these advantages into fruitful collaborations.”
The companies in the Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart -- including Pixomondo, M.A.R.K. 13 and Mackevision -- are key partners in the realization of complex animation productions worldwide.
Source: Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
