Projects for the 15th Animation Production Days (APD) can be submitted from today. The most important co-production and financing platform in the German-speaking region for international animation projects will be taking place from 4 – 7 May 2021 as an online or hybrid event.
APD is a curated business platform for the European and international animation industry with around 170 participants every year. Animation producers from more than 20 countries present their new projects to potential financing partners and co-producers in pre-planned one-to-one meetings. The organisation of the 2021 Animation Production Days has been adjusted due to the Covid-19 situation.
“To enable all participants to make plans as soon as possible, we’ve decided to hold the one-to-one meetings in the co-production and financing market online. We already gained good experience of this last year which we can now build on. But we know that the industry is really missing meeting each other face-to-face. Hence we are adopting a hybrid concept for the conference and roundtables and – should the situation permit – we will have on-site participation on a smaller scale alongside the event’s online components,” said APD head Marlene Wagener.
APD is a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (4 – 9 May 2021) and the FMX – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media (online, 4 – 6 May 2021).
All information on project submission is now available on the APD website. Producers have until 22 February 2021 to submit their film, TV-series, mobile content, games, cross and transmedia projects. Hybrid formats mixing animation with live action are also eligible.
A maximum of 50 projects will be selected for presentation at APD. Particularly projects in an early stage of development will profit from the detailed feedback and tips provided by the numerous representatives from broadcasters, streamers, world sales agents, distributors, funding institutions and other investors who come to APD seeking innovative and highly promising projects.
Representatives from broadcasters, streamers, sales agents, distributors, film and media funders, publishers and banks can also register for APD 2021 via the online form.
Production companies and studios from the animation, games, VR and VFX sectors who do not wish to present their own projects but instead are looking for projects in which they can become involved as co-producers or service providers can apply for an accreditation to the Producers for Co-Production programme. Registration for this is also via the online form. Further information is available on the APD website.
The 15th edition of APD is once again offering up-and-coming European producers with their own project the chance to participate in APD free of charge. The aim is to bring newcomers together with established industry experts and thus help them make their first steps in the international market. A total of eight Talent Projects will be selected.
This year, one project will again come from the European “Animation Sans Frontières” talent initiative. This is already the fourth time APD is co-operating with this training programme which is supported by the Creative Europe programme of the EU and is organised by the Animation Institute of the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg and three other European animation schools.