Part of the 17th Animation Production Days running April 26-28 in Stuttgart, the conference takes place on April 26 and offers animation professionals a platform to discuss current developments in the industry.
The 17th Animation Production Days (APD), a co-production and financing market for animation projects in German-speaking countries, will take place in Stuttgart from April 26-28, running concurrently with the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), which runs April 25-30, and the FMX - Film & Media Exchange, running onsite April 25-27, and online April 28, 2023.
Taking place as part of APD is the APD conference “New Voices – New Stories” on April 26 from 1:45 pm to 5:15 pm in the rotunda of the L-Bank in Stuttgart. A complement to the one-to-one meetings, the conference offers animation professionals a platform to discuss current developments in the industry.
This year, the conference highlights and addresses the question:
“How can we ensure that the diversity of society is reflected in the programs being made, and how can young talent be promoted in such a way that as many different voices as possible have the chance to contribute their ideas and opinions?”
Local and global industry stakeholders from across Europe, Africa, and North America present best practice examples, initiatives, and talent development programs that share the common goals of giving new artistic voices more visibility and supporting young talents to become professionals.
In an opening conversation with Jinko Gotoh (FMX 2023 Program Chair) and Julie Ann Crommett (Collective Moxie), APD curator and conference host Prof. Lilian Klages will introduce the topic of this year’s conference. Then, she will present and discuss case studies with APD curator and co-host Christophe Erbès.
Prof. Andreas Hykade (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg) and Benjamin Manns (SWR) explain how the project “Ich kenne ein Tier” (English title: “I know an animal”) became a launchpad for young animation talents. In addition, Irene Sparre (Sparre Productions) and Julie Lind-Holm (DR) will report on the special conditions of the creation Danish-French TV series Team Nuggets.
The second part of the conference will look at the emerging animation talents of South Africa, the country in focus at this year's ITFS. Orion Ross (The Walt Disney Company, EMEA), Stuart Forrest (Triggerfish), and Lesego Vorster (The Hidden Hand Studios) will present the animation anthology series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and share insights into initiatives and perspectives in the South African animation industry.
As the fourth case study, Vanessa Pfeiffer (Warner Bros. Discovery) and Amanda Miller (Psyop) will present the HBO Max X WBD Access Animated Shorts Program, another young talent program promoting artists from historically underrepresented communities.
In addition to accredited APD participants, FMX and combi-ticketholders and those with an ITFS accreditation for professionals are welcome to attend the APD conference. The event is held in English.
Additional information is available here.
Source: Animation Production Days
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
