Jan Kounen, Kate Ogborn, Lisa Marie Russo Among Work-in-Progress Pitches at Cannes Animation Day

variety.com:

Lise Pedersen The fourth edition of Animation Day, which is part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Market, will take place on May 22.A one-day event aimed at the global animation filmmaking community, it is a joint initiative launched in 2019 by the Cannes Film Market and the Annecy Intl.

Animation Film Festival, in partnership with Animation! Ventana Sur, the animation branch of Latin America’s leading film market.This edition will kick off with the Annecy Goes to Cannes pitching sessions, featuring five works-in-progress projects at various stages of development.

Attendees will also be able to attend a morning panel discussion entitled “What Is Adult Animation Film’s Strategy and Where Is It Headed?,” which will address the question of the animated film offer for adults, both in theaters and on smaller screens, as viewing habits evolve.

Panelists include Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen (“Doberman,” “Blueberry,” “My Cousin”), who is also presenting his latest project “Epiphania” in the pitching sessions, alongside Sun Creature (“Flee”) co-founder and producer Charlotte De La Gournerie, Bruno Felix, founder and co-CEO of Amsterdam-based Submarine (“They Shot the Piano Player,” “Where Is Anne Frank?”), and Amel Lacombe, CEO and founder of Paris-based indie distributor Eurozoom.Besides Kounen’s film, this year’s lineup of Animation Day projects includes Franco-Swiss co-production “With Closed Fists” by Jean-Jacques Kahn, Zoltan Horvath and Franck van Leeuwen, “Lollipop” by BAFTA and Emmy Award winning duo Lisa Marie Russo and Kate Ogborn from Fly Film, Ukrainian animation “Mavka.