Cartoon Movie Winners: ‘Mars Express,’ ‘Mavka,’ ‘Pesta’ Awarded, Eurozoom Named Distributor Of The Year

variety.com:

Ben Croll Paris-based Eurozoom – the independent outfit that has recently backed “Suzume,” “Four Souls of Coyote,” and “Fox and Hare Save the Forest,” among others – was named distributor of the year at the recently wrapped Cartoon Movie, which ran from March 5 – 7 in Bordeaux. “Mars Express” director Jérémie Périn and “Mavka, The Forest Song” studio Animagrad rounded out the winners, claiming respective honors for director and producer of the year.

All are familiar faces at the European animation sector’s largest co-production and pitch forum. “Mavka, The Forest Song” was presented in concept in 2017 and returned as an in development title the following year, while “Mars Express” presented in 2019, screened as a work-in-progress in 2022, then a sneak-peak last year before claiming the director accolades at this latest edition.

And so, given Cartoon Movie’s fidelity to projects shepherded and nourished by the program, one can reasonably expect to the see the Eurimages co-pro development prizewinning team behind “Pesta” at subsequent editions. Engagement Matters Directed by Hanne Berkaak and produced by Mikrofilm alongside Xilam and Knudsen Pictures, “Pesta” already emerged as one of this year’s breakthrough titles following a presentation that accented outreach and innovation on the narrative development front.

For their so-called “romantic folk horror” set during the Black Death, the filmmakers imagined a composite target viewer – an adolescent girl with hyper specific tastes and interests – and then went out to engage with social media users who fit that particular bill.