News

Nordic animation makers need to embrace “compassion, equality and inclusion,” Kool Produktion’s Frank Mosvold told Variety.

“As a gay producer, I’m alarmed by the growing negative attitude and harmful portrayals of the queer and trans communities in Europe, which is why I am developing ‘The Legend of Magnus the Good,’” he added, teasing the animated feature about “acceptance, regardless of gender and identity.”

In the film, Magnus’ father is the famous Viking king Olaf. When his uncle decides to steal the crown, the boy has to flee. He travels in time, landing in the middle of a drag show in Norway.

“It’s important to make something that’s important to you,” Mosvold said later, during Ffa’s panel Nordic Animation: How to Make New Classics. A son of a “very successful businessman,” he also had to deal with high expectations.

“With [previous animation] ‘Ella Bella Bingo,’ it was all...

New titles from Michel Hazanavicius, Nora Twomey.

Screen is on the ground at the 46th Annecy International Animation Festival this week, where work-in-progress titles are presented as part of both the main festival, and separately in the Mifa market.

Here are three films from each side to look out for in the coming months:

Festival

The Most Precious of Cargoes (Fr-Bel) dir. Michel Hazanavicius

Having won five Oscars for 2011’s The Artist, and most recently opened Cannes with zombie comedy Final Cut, French stalwart Hazanavicius is making his animation feature debut with this adaptation of a 2019 book of the same...

“Pearl Diver” by Norway’s Margrethe Danielsen has swept Spain’s 16th Animayo Gran Canaria Festival awards, making off with the International Grand Jury Prize as well as plaudits for best student short film, stop motion and comedy for adults.

“Pearl Diver” follows three odd couples: a hedgehog that falls in love with a balloon, two oysters anxious to meet; and an Arctic couple drifting apart.

The stop-motion animated short was produced at Volda University College and has already won a string of awards worldwide. Aside from scooping a cash prize of €3,000 and a trophy, “Pearl Diver” qualifies to compete for the Academy Award’s short list of qualifying animated shorts.

Italy’s “Where Night Falls” by Francesco Filippini nabbed the best 3D, best comedy for all ages and best screenplay awards. The short revolves around a boy and his grandmother as they set off on a shamanic journey to discover their roots.

Bordeaux, France — French directors Zabou Breitman and Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec, Belgian distributor Lumière and French production outfit Xilam won Tributes Awards at this year’s Cartoon Movie, Europe’s biggest animated feature co-production and sales forum which closed today in the French port city of Bordeaux.

Breitman and Gobbé-Mévellec’s “The Swallows Of Kabul,” which world premiered at the Cannes Festival’s Un Certain Regard last year, is produced by Les Armateurs in co-production with Melusine Prods. and Close Up Films. The 2D watercolor-style animation adapts the bestselling book from Yasmina Khadra offering a touching “fresco” of life under Taliban rule in the Afghan capital through the intertwined stories of two couples. It marks the fifth feature of actress-director Breitman and the her first animated title and for animator Gobbé-Mévellec her debut feature. “Kabul” is sold by Paris’ Celluloid Dreams.

Nominees for the Direction Tribute Award also included Spain’s Sergio Pablos...

Child actors Summer Fontana (The Originals, Dark Phoenix) and Jack Fisher (Agents of Shield) have joined the English voice cast of Ella Bella Bingo, a 3D animated feature from Norwegian directors Atle Solberg Blakseth and Frank Mosvold.

Fontana will lend her voice to the lead character, Ella Bella, who is best friends with Henry (Fisher). But everything changes when a new boy moves into the neighborhood.

Filling out the English voice cast are Benjamin Plessala (Big Little Lies), Tress MacNeille (Tiny Toon Adventures), Richard Kind (Inside Out), Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy) and Chris Sullivan (This is Us).

Studio 100 Film and Kool ...

Child actors Summer Fontana (The Originals, Dark Phoenix) and Jack Fisher (Agents of Shield) have joined the English voice cast of Ella Bella Bingo, a 3D animated feature from Norwegian directors Atle Solberg Blakseth and Frank Mosvold.

Fontana will lend her voice to the lead character, Ella Bella, who is best friends with Henry (Fisher). But everything changes when a new boy moves into the neighborhood.

Filling out the English voice cast are Benjamin Plessala (Big Little Lies), Tress MacNeille (Tiny Toon Adventures), Richard Kind (Inside Out), Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy) and Chris Sullivan (This is Us).

Studio 100 Film and Kool ...

Yatao Li’s Chinese entry Carry On won the Best Of Festival Award, while Aneta Kopacz’s Joanna from Poland prevailed in the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau Grand Jury Award.

Timothy Yeung’s 90 Days took the Panavision Best North American Short honours.

The festival ran from June 17-23 and screened 330 films from more than 3,000 submissions. Organisers handed out more than $115,000 in prizes, including $21,000 in cash awards, in 21 categories.

“The 2014 Palm Springs ShortFest far surpassed all of our expectations,” said festival director Kathleen McInnis (pictured at the Australian reception). “Our audience, filmmaker and industry attendance all soared, as did the striking talent we were able to showcase during our 20th anniversary year.

“Well over 800 filmmaker and industry guests made our Filmmaker Forums one of the most dynamic we have ever had, and most of the screenings had all filmmakers in attendance — a great bonus for our audience who love their Q&A sessions. Filmmakers brought...