The jury has selected 35 projects from 15 countries to take part in this year’s Animation Production Days (APD). The curated business platform is taking place from 4-6 May 2022 as a hybrid event where, in pre-planned one-to-one meetings, the producers will present their selected projects to potential co-production and financing partners. APD is a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the FMX – Film & Media Exchange.
For the first time in two years, APD can once again take place on site in Stuttgart, albeit on a smaller scale than usual due to Covid-19. There is also the option to participate in selected parts of the programme online. Approximately a quarter of the selected projects are designed for preschool children, about half for school children up to the age of around 12 and another quarter for a young adult and/or adult target audience. They include eight feature films, a TV special, 21 series and five cross-media projects. Germany is the most highly represented country with 11 projects, followed by France with five and Denmark with four. Projects also originate from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Great Britain.
The adventure and comedy stories for the youngest target group address friendship and family in all their facets, with environmental and sustainability aspects also playing a role. The projects for older children (nine-12 years of age) often deal with questions of identity and belonging. The material for the older target group ranges from offbeat comedies and historical-political topics to stories about experiences of crisis and mental illnesses. A wide variety of animation techniques are used, from stop motion and classical 2D to 3D CGI; some projects also deploy real-time technology.
Five outstanding projects have been selected from 20 submissions for the APD Talent Programme which gives up-and-coming producers and creatives the opportunity to discuss their ideas with experienced industry experts, establish contacts and find partners for their projects. Thanks to the APD’s cooperation with the European training programme Animation Sans Frontières, the series project “Dark, Dark Woods” by Emile Gignoux has qualified for participation in the Talent Programme this year.
