Producers, sales agents, and directors from ten different countries have been nominated for the Cartoon Movie Tributes, which aim to honor significant accomplishments in European animation from the past year.
European Producer of the Year
Nine companies involved in three European co-productions are nominated for the Producer of the Year category. All three films cited were pitched in different stages of development in previous editions of Cartoon Movie.
Barletta (Czech Republic), NOVINSKI (Slovakia) and Novanima Productions (France) for Living Large
Living Large is a coming-of-age story about self-acceptance, love and friendship made in stop-motion, 2D, and puppet animation. Directed by first-time filmmaker Kristina Dufková, the film won the Jury Award in 2024 Annecy’s Contrechamp competition and was nominated for the European Film Awards 2024 in two categories (European Film, and European Animated Feature Film).
Dream Well Studio (Latvia), Sacrebleu Productions (France) and Take Five (Belgium) for Flow
Flow has already garnered widespread international acclaim, including its recognition in the European Film Awards, the Golden Globes and Annecy, among others. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, Flow has also made history as the first Latvian film to be nominated for the Academy Awards (Best International Feature Film and Best Animated Feature).
Je Suis Bien Content (France), Gao Shan Pictures (France) and ZEILT Productions (Luxembourg) for Into the Wonderwoods
Into the Wonderwoods, by the French duo Vincent Paronnaud and Alexis Ducord and based on a graphic novel by Paronnaud (written under the penname Winshluss), is a 3D animated film aimed at family audiences. It has been distributed in 45 territories after its World Premiere in Cannes.
European Sales Agent of the Year
Kinology (France)
Kinology is a world sales and co-production company based in Paris representing “some of the most ambitious and innovative European feature films”. Argonuts, Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds, and the upcoming titles Pets on a Train, Ogresse, The Faun and The X-Tras are some of the animated films included in its catalogue.
LevelK (Denmark)
Copenhagen-based LevelK is an international film sales and aggregation house with an innovative approach to distribution. Among many other European animated films, its catalogue features Mumbo Jumbo, Shelly and the Magic Light, Oink, and the Checkered Ninja trilogy.
The Playmaker (Germany)
Focused on family entertainment – both animated and live action -, Munich-based The Playmaker lineup includes epic animated adventure Ploey and its sequel, Ploey 2, as well as Pirate Mo and The Legend of Red Ruby and The Ogglies – Welcome to Smelliville, among other films. The Playmaker operates within the holding company SL Group, which also provides services such as co-production, camera rental, postproduction, VFX, and restoration.
European Director of the Year
Claude Barras for Savages
Eight years after winning this same award with his worldwide success debut My Life as a Courgette, Swiss filmmaker Claude Barras is once again in the running with Savages, a co-production between Switzerland, France and Belgium.
Jean-François Laguionie for A Boat in the Garden
The prolific French director, screenwriter and animator Jean-François Laguionie is up for the award with A Boat in the Garden. Set in post-world war France, this poetic drama is the seventh feature film by Laguionie (The Prince’s Voyage, Louise by the Shore, The Painting), often hailed as one of the pioneers of French animation.
María Trénor for Rock Bottom
Inspired by the music and life of British cult musician and composer Robert Wyatt, Rock Bottom is the debut film of Spanish screenwriter and director María Trénor. The film builds on Wyatt’s homonymous album to tell the self-destructive love story of a young couple of artists caught up in the creative maelstrom of the hippie culture of the early 70s.
