The 25^th edition of Bordeaux’s Cartoon Movie, the pitching and co-production event for European animated features, ran this year from 7-9 March. The gathering hosted 876 participants from 40 different countries, including 282 buyers. A total of 58 feature-film projects were presented, accounting for an overall budget of €422.4 million and 81 hours of new content. As usual, France boasted the biggest contingent (taking part in 25 projects), followed by Germany (eight projects), Spain and Italy (with five projects each).

Here, we present details of three interesting projects that were introduced at this year’s gathering.

Richard the Stork 2 by Mette Tange and Benjamin Quabeck

Richard the Stork 2 – Mette Tange and Benjamin Quabeck (Germany/Belgium/Norway)
The sequel to the successful 2017 family-orientated, 3D animated flick Richard the Stork [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película], penned by directorial duo Mette Tange and Benjamin Quabeck, alongside Reza Memari and Philip Lazebnik, once again follows the adventures of the titular daring sparrow who was adopted by a family of storks. In this new picture, Richard enjoys wintering at the Great Lake in Northern Africa until he realises he won’t be the one able to lead the flock back north. Therefore, he runs away, escaping the nest to travel and to learn more about what it means to be a sparrow. On his journey, he meets Samia and her flock of sparrows, who are being held captive by evil marabous under the control of the greedy peacock Zamano. The sparrows’ only shot at freedom is to solve a riddle and find the Great Jewel, which will require teamwork, trust and, most importantly of all, “spork” (sparrow + stork) skills.

Budgeted at €10 million, the movie is being produced by Germany’s Knudsen Pictures, and co-produced by Belgium’s Walking the Dog and Norway’s Den Siste Skilling. Co-financiers and partners on the project include BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, Mediefondet Zefyr, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Magellan Films, Senator Film Produktion, Nordisk Film Shortcut Oslo, the German Federal Film Fund, the German Federal Film Board, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the Belgian Tax Shelter, Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Berrymark NV, the Norwegian Film Institute and Creative Europe.

The English-language cast includes the likes of Jay Myers, Kyra Jackson, Simona Berman, Blake Farha, Jeffrey Hylton and Tim Heller. Indie Sales is in charge of the feature’s world sales. Wild Bunch Germany will release it theatrically in that country on 23 March, Paradis Films in France on 12 April and SF Studios in Norway on 21 April.

Fiammetta by Nicola Barile

Fiammetta – Nicola Barile (Italy)
Currently in development, Fiammetta is penned by Nicola Barile himself (one of the Italian pioneers of 3D animation) along with animation veteran Enzo d’Alò (A Greyhound of a Girl [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película]) and novelist Giovanni Calvino.

Set in the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore in Naples during the Holy Saturday of 1336, the story follows the title character, the young, illegitimate child of the King of Naples. She meets Boccaccio, the son of a merchant from Florence, who wishes to become a poet. At the court of Naples, ruled by the House of Anjou, begins one of the love stories that has been among the most celebrated in literature throughout the centuries.

The production is spearheaded by Naples-based studio Uanèma Entertainment, a joint venture initiated by TILE Storytellers and Digitalcomoedia, led by Giovanni Parisi, Guido Bozzelli and Stefania Iannella. The project has also received backing from Italy’s Ministry of Culture and the Film Commission Regione Campania.

“The story’s backdrop boasts one of the most extraordinary, culturally rich periods of 14^th-century Italy. At the time, the Anjou court not only hosted young Boccaccio, but also the great Giotto di Bondone, who was at that time painting some frescos in the Santa Chiara monastery,” said Barile, Calvino and d’Alò.

“This is indeed another amazing challenge that we’re taking on with our project. Giotto’s frescos got lost before the birth of photography and cinematography. Therefore, our feature will need to envision his lost artworks, without creating too much concern among connoisseurs,” added Parisi, Bozzelli and Iannella.

Fox and Hare Save the Forest [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Mascha Halberstad
ficha de la película] – Mascha Halberstad (Netherlands/Luxembourg/Belgium)
Produced by Submarine Animation (Netherlands), and co-produced by Doghouse Films (Luxembourg) and Walking the Dog (Belgium), this 3D picture is based on the literary series of the same name by award-winning Flemish author Sylvia Vanden Heede, published in more than 15 countries. Penned by Fabie Hulsebos (Coppelia, Rintje), the script was developed in co-operation with a small team of readers, and it targets audiences aged between four and seven, but also boasts “enough adventures and action to entertain their parents”. The story begins when, one day, Fox and Hare find out that Owl has disappeared. Together with their friends, they search the forest to find him, but instead, they discover a big lake that had not been there before. During her pitch, Halberstad stressed how most of the story revolves around “restoring a friendship”, and highlighted the importance of working and improvising with voice-over artists to refine the personalities of her characters.

Speaking on the current status of the project, David Mouraire, of Doghouse Films, confirmed, “Modelling, texturing and layouts are finished, and animation will be completed by the end of June. […] Compositing and lighting are in progress.” He added that the movie will be available in English-, French- and Flemish-language versions by the end of Q1 2024.

Frédéric Corvez, of Urban Sales, is in charge of its international sales. He confirmed that the picture has already been pre-sold to France, Poland and the Middle East.