Barcelona will be hosting the European Animation Convention Animar_BCN for the third year, between 26 to 28 November. The meeting will attract some 90 delegates representing 60 European organisations from the industry, including associations and federations of producers, public policy-makers, investment funds and broadcasters.
The aim is to analyse European animation, encompassing the sector’s entire value chain and all European territories. A total of 24 European countries will be represented.
Animar_BCN arose from an initiative of the Spanish Federation of Audiovisual Producers (PROA) and ProAnimats and is a platform for debating and promoting the competitiveness, cooperation and visibility of European animation.
One of the key features of this year’s event will be the debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry. The effect on the intellectual property of works, processes and professionals will be the focus of a working group moderated by European Commission Creative Europe Unit, Media, DG Connect —Communications Networks, Content and Technology head Lucía Recalde; and Animation in Europe vice chairwoman Moe Honan.
Industry stakeholders will also be reflecting on green animation. They will be analysing the environmental sustainability initiatives being applied in the sector and will assess the possibility of attaining a European standard. This working group will be moderated by Catalunya Film Commission manager and EUFCN co-president Carlota Guerrero; and Animation in Europe vice chairman Dirk Beinhold.
A third working group will focus on the legal framework of European animation works. It will address the implementation of the AVMSD (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) and other European directives that influence the definition of ‘independent production company’ or ‘European work’ and the retention of intellectual property, among other aspects. The group will be co-moderated by Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media BKM executive director Els Hendrix and Animation in Europe chairman Philippe Alessandri.
The promotion of European animation co-productions will be another topic up for debate, focusing particularly on public funding programmes, minority and pan-European co-productions, and tax incentives. This discussion will be moderated by Council of Europe Eurimages pilot programme for series co-production programme manager Alex Traila, and Animation in Europe vice chairman Iván Agenjo.
To explore this topic further, Animar_BCN will be hosting an event open to professionals, titled ‘Let’s talk Europe’, which will analyse the weight of European co-production of both cinematographic and non-cinematographic works. To this end, it will demonstrate how producers, distributors, channels and institutions from all over Europe measure the success of these types of collaborations.
The case studies of the film Rock Bottom (with its producers Alba Sotorra and Robert Jaszczurowski) and DeAPlaneta (with its content and distribution director, Carlos Biern) will be discussed. This session, presented by the Animation in Europe treasurer Pablo Jordi. It will also feature the participation of Council of Europe pilot programme for series co-productions programme manager Alessia Sonaglioni; BBC Children’s & Education director Patricia Hidalgo; RTVE Clan and Children content director Yago Fandiño; RTP Children’s content head Andrea Basilio; DR business affairs director Martin Engelhardt; BNT Cinema and foreign programs department head Todor Ignatov; and 3CAT Children’s and animation co-productions executive producer Muntsa Tarrés.
The conclusions of the four working groups will be shared at a public session to be held on the morning of Thursday 28 November in the Lecture Hall of Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University. The session will be facilitated by European Animation Journal editor Cristina Angelucci.