Adult Animation Could Help Lure Audiences Back to Cinemas, Experts Say
Lise Pedersen An A-list panel was invited to discuss the question of animated film for adults in a conversation entitled “What Is Adult Animation Film’s Strategy and Where Is It Headed?” at the Cannes Film Market’s fourth edition of Animation Day on Sunday.Panelists included Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen (“Doberman,” “Blueberry,” “My Cousin”), who also presented his latest project “Epiphania” in the morning’s 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. Asked whether the perception of adult animation is evolving, Lacombe, who heads Europe’s leading theatrical distributor of Japanese animation, alluded to the genre’s exponential growth over the past two years, saying: “Change will come with big money and big business.