Edito – Pierre Siracusa

PIERRE SIRACUSA
Director of Animation, Young Audiences and Education
France Télévisions

The opening of our favourite festival coincides with this year's European elections. It is perhaps worth taking this opportunity to reflect on the important role that Europe has played in the short history of our industry.

Because in many ways, animation is exemplary of the Old Continent's major technical and industrial challenges.

Animation is, by its very nature, a desperately slow industry, yet one that is in a perpetual state of change, as well as a costly one that requires highly specific skills.

But above all, it is a sector that cannot, in most cases, be envisaged solely within individual countries.

Yet European animation has developed considerably over the past thirty years, to the point where it has reached a remarkable degree of maturity and competitiveness.

Substantial national efforts (CNC, public audiovisual services, institutional and regional subsidies) would have been in vain without the European framework and the support of its bodies.

MEDIA first and foremost, through direct funding for production, but even more, through the creation of forums for dialogue and exchange between the various players in the industry and its creation (Cartoon Forum, Movie, Next, Springboard, etc.).

At a time when fiction was still describing its international co-productions as Europudding, European animation was already creating worldwide successes.

These have been undeniable industrial successes, but they have also been artistic successes, proving firstly that European nations can develop a passion for content from another part of Europe, but also that artistic collaboration can exist between creators from different countries.

It would undoubtedly be premature to refer to a common European culture, but the strengthening of European collaborations over recent years could herald the start of one.

Long live the Europe of animation!