Spotlight on the 2021 projects
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A few months after the Mifa Pitch sessions, here's news about the development of some of the projects presented. .
Feature Film Project
Annah la Javanaise – Animation du Monde
Project Leader: Fatimah Tobing Rony
Director: Fatimah Tobing Rony
Indonesia
What do you remember from your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
Even though our Mifa Pitch was held during a pandemic, and was a hybrid version, it was an inspiring and gratifying experience to be able to meet with so many producers, buyers, distributors, and financers, at the highest profile animation festival in the world.
For Ariel Victor, my Director of Animation and Visual Design, and for me, it was our first time to be physically at Annecy (our short was in the Official Competition in 2020 but that year the Festival was entirely online), so being at the Mifa with our Pitch was an intense, fun, and exhilarating experience.
The Mifa Pitch was well-run by Géraldine Baché and Charline Thénot, who helped us get our bearings, and we were so thrilled and inspired to soak up the high level of artistry of the films at the Annecy Festival.
What is your project’s current status?
We are currently refining our treatment and our pitch deck, based on feedback that we have received, with the goal of writing our screenplay soon. Our financial efforts were launched at the Mifa Pitches, June 2021. Our current phase is development, working on the overall visual style and design, and we have a first written treatment.
Now we are looking for producers and further development funds to continue the creative process and help us make our film.
A last word about your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
As our project is an Indonesian project, and our short film was also made in Indonesia, it was an eye-opening education to be part of the Mifa Pitches at Annecy in 2021. I strongly encourage anyone with a dream to apply for the Mifa Pitches. You don't have to have great funding and tons of experience in making animation in Europe or North America. The key is passion, creative vision, an authentic voice, and a strong story that must be told.
We are forever grateful to the 2021 Mifa Pitches for being the launching event of our financing efforts.
For more information
Trailer of the Project
Project index
Short Film Project
"two ice creams, please"
Project Leader: Brecht Van Elslande
Director: Jasmine Elsen
Belgium
Mifa Pitches Partner Prizes 2021: Open Workshop Prize
What do you remember from your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
We are very grateful that we were selected for the last edition of the Mifa Pitches. Preparing and making the video pitch helped us to structure the project and to go to the core of the project.
We were lucky to be able to physically attend the Annecy Festival. During the Festival we had some first meetings with some interested producers.
What is your project’s current status?
For the moment, the project is in the development phase. We received funding from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund for the project’s development phase. We are still developing the project in terms of content, visual approach, and on the productional level. So, we are still open to discussing possible co-productions.
Currently, Jasmine is at the NEF Animation Fontevraud Residency (France) to continue working on the storyboard and visuals. Our next steps will be to finish the pre-production at the Open Workshop Residency in Viborg and to apply for production support at the Flanders Audiovisual Fund.
What was the contribution to the development of the project from the partners that awarded you the prize?
We are really excited to have won the Open Workshop Prize. Jasmine will probably go there in Spring 2022 to finish the pre-production; involving animation tests and animatics.
A last word about your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
Getting selected for the Mifa Pitches was very encouraging for us and the project. So, we would definitely recommend that animation filmmakers apply to the Mifa Pitches with their projects.
We would like to thank the Mifa team for the professional organisation, Laurent Auclair for his great advice, and of course the Open Workshop team for giving us their award.
For more information
Production : Animal Tank
Animal Tank on Instagram
Jasmine Elsen on Instagram
Project Index
TV Series Project
What It Takes
Project Leaders: Les Astronautes (Vanessa Buttin-Labarthe and Jean Bouthors)
Directors: Kelsi Phung and Fabien Corre
France
Mifa Pitches Partners Prizes 2021: Ciclic Prize and TitraFilm Prize
What do you remember from your Mifa Pitches experience?
For us the Mifa Pitches were a marvellous opportunity to present our project.
What It Takes is an ambitious project because of its format (8x26’), its target audience (teens/adults), its very realistic graphic style and its storyline. This is a very political project. It was really important to be able to present it in person, to reveal the Directors' intentions and convince potential partners.
We have had various feedback and we realised that thanks to this online Pitches format we reached a wide range of people: producers, broadcasters and institutional financers.
What is your project’s current status?
The last few months we’ve worked on a teaser that we presented to the Cartoon Forum in September and where we once again received very positive and encouraging feedback.
Kelsi and Fabien are moving forward with the writing by joining a 2-month residency next spring at Ciclic Animation thanks to the prize won during the Mifa.
We are also moving forward with the financial/broadcasting aspects with some of the contacts secured at the Mifa.
What was the contribution to the development of the project from the partners that awarded you the prize?
We were fortunate and thrilled to receive 2 prizes: the Ciclic Prize, thanks to which the directors will be able to go on a 2-month residency in Vendôme next spring, and the TitraFilm Prize, which is postproduction assistance.
We could record the voices for the teaser at the TitraFilm studio. Éric Réginaud from Ciclic Animation, and Rodolphe Ploquin from TitraFilm, know the project well and we know we can count on them to discuss about the progress, share our artistic and technical questions, which is invaluable.
A last word about your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
When developing a project, whether you are a writer or producer, it is essential to pitch it, not only to look for partners but I would say first and foremost to know if you’re going in the right direction: you can see if you have a strong concept and if the intentions were well formulated. Development is a long phase, and it’s important not to go it alone, without standing up in front of an audience.
For more information
Project Index
Digital Experience Project
Emperor
Project Leader: Oriane Hurard (Producer)
Directors: Marion Burger and Ilan Cohen
France
Mifa Pitches Partners Prize 2021: SACD "Interactive Work" Prize
What do you remember from your Mifa Pitches experience?
As the majority of the Mifa was held online this year, we had very few meetings organised. But we are thrilled to have been able to enjoy the Festival and to have had the opportunity to meet the other XR project teams, whether at the Mifa or in the international competition. This fabulous selection particularly enabled us to discover the latest productions, and more expansively the latest news about the sector, which is in constant evolution, and therefore to position our project in respect to the current innovations.
Lastly, to see the full XR section every day, and to observe the Festivalgoers genuine enthusiasm for this new form, is very encouraging!
What is your project’s current status?
After the Mifa, we were lucky enough to present the project in Venise (Gap-Financing Market) and we will also be presenting it in Amsterdam during the IDFA Forum. We are thrilled to welcome onboard France Télévisions’ Story Lab department among our partners for the project, and we are now in the rewriting and funding processes. Production should start during the first semester in 2022.
A last word about your participation at the Mifa Pitches?
Despite this year’s hybrid edition, we are pleased and proud to have been selected at the Mifa, whose renown is second to none. Participating in the Mifa Pitches provides an international label that adds a definite advantage to our project, just when it needs it most (seeking funding and broadcast partners).
We can’t wait to finish it and show it to the public!
For more information
Project Index