This year’s BLON Animation and Games Festival (11-14 September) hosted a panel discussion on animation distribution, highlighting the evolving strategies Lithuanian and broader CEE players are exploring to reach audiences beyond traditional festival circuits. The session, held on 13 September and titled “Animation Distribution: How to Reach the Audience?”, featured Agnė Adomėnė (producer at Lithuania’s Art Shot), Rimantė Daugėlaitė (head of the Vilnius Short Film Festival and managing director of the agency Lithuanian Shorts), Lucia Dubravay Trautenberger (co-founder and owner of Bear With Me Distribution), and Agneta Tumė (TV content manager at Telia Lietuva), moderated by Blon’s Head of Industry Justė Michailinaitė.

Michailinaitė first invited Adomėnė to describe the series BFF, a comedy co-created with Urtė Oettinger. Adomėnė explained that the series depicts everyday challenges and emphasises empathy and belonging. Initially, the team had hoped to replicate a model popular in neighbouring Poland, where local animation series often receive cinema releases and generate encouraging box office numbers. “The first idea was, if it works in Poland, why not here?” she admitted.

However, the experiment revealed the limitations of assuming a small domestic market would behave like its larger neighbour. Lithuanian animation, particularly for children, faces historical scepticism, Adomėnė explained, noting that for roughly two decades after 1990, little or no animation was produced locally. Audiences were cautious, with low expectations for domestic productions, and cinema releases fell short of projections: 4,000 admissions versus an expected 20,000.

Adomėnė acknowledged that the promotional strategy had been misaligned with the intended audience. While social media campaigns were extensive and visually prominent, they primarily reached teens aged 12-15 rather than the target group of 5-8-year-olds, who are largely absent from social platforms. “So we should have engaged with their parents instead of [trying to talk] to the kids directly,” she noted. Despite the mismatch, the campaign succeeded in raising awareness of Lithuanian animation’s existence, even if commercial returns were modest.

Later, Daugėlaitė emphasised that distributing shorts presents an even bigger challenge, as audiences are less accustomed to encountering them outside of festivals. Her team collaborates with cultural centres and libraries across Lithuania, curating collections of shorts for children and adults to foster regular viewing habits. She pointed out that national platforms, like Kultūros pasas, support educational distribution, while Vilnius hosts at least one annual theatrical release of a programme of shorts.

Dubravay Trautenberger reflected on the timing of distribution decisions. Producers often approach distributors too late, sometimes with insufficient funds to expand reach. She noted that working with shorts demands attention to both audience and buyers: long-term relationships with festivals, education platforms, and smaller players can offer more sustainable value than VOD platforms alone.

The panel then explored Dubravay Trautenberger’s own distribution firm, Bear With Me Distribution, founded in 2024 with a focus on the CEE region and on shorts. Initially handling two films, one of which recently won the Young Audience Award at Annecy, the outfit quickly attracted more producers. Dubravay Trautenberger explained that, for short-form content, “it’s a short marriage of about three years” to evaluate whether distribution efforts succeed, with transparency being key. Moreover, age-appropriateness remained a central consideration. For content aimed at teenagers, careful attention is paid to avoid material unsuitable for viewers under 16, including nudity or graphic violence.

Next, panellists noted that awards and festival accolades can drive buzz and engagement, though the impact is not always directly on children.

Tumė, drawing on her experience with major studios, reflected on post-pandemic shifts in distribution. She observed that the proliferation of streaming platforms and multiple licensing windows has permanently changed audience habits, though she maintained that cinema remains relevant. Creative control, she added, often correlates with investment: when Telia’s investment is significant, they provide guidance on early viewer engagement, particularly the first three minutes of content, while leaving ultimate creative decisions to the producers. When they contribute 5-10% of a project’s budget, they do not expect producers to apply all of their recommendations, while still providing feedback.

The panel also debated the viability of 3D animation on limited budgets, concluding that while 2D remains a strong alternative, quality standards must be considered.

A recurring theme was the need to align distribution strategies with both audience expectations and the realities of a small national market. Success for Lithuanian animation, the panel suggested, depends less on immediate box-office returns and more on cultivating recognition, building viewing habits, and fostering relationships with festivals, educational platforms, and cultural institutions. Reaching audiences, they concluded, requires flexibility and experimentation, with targeted outreach, festival exposure, and strategic partnerships offering a viable path for emerging CEE distributors.