European Animation and animated movies aim to earn an official seat at the table of the International Movie Industry—with a capital M. The EFM Animation Days, held from February 12 to 14 during the Berlinale Film Festival and the European Film Market, have been a good signal for this trend.
We at AJ attended several events, and more reports will follow. However, in this article, we would like to delve into a panel discussion that focused on the rise of independent European animated film distribution. There was a lot of talk about becoming protagonists on the international stage, but also significant discussion about traditional unwritten rules and approaches that still affect the ability of independent EU productions to stand out globally.
Let’s take this in order. The panel speakers were Alba Sotorra, Executive Producer at Alba Sotorra SL; Luce Grosjean, CEO at Miyu Distribution; Sean Clarke, Managing Director of Aardman; and Yohann Comte, co-founder and chairman of Charades. They represented a spectrum spanning from distribution to production, including an established UK company like Aardman, which focuses much of its content development on an IP-driven approach, and independent entities like Alba Sotorra, which work on niche and highly artistic productions.
All speakers—and indeed all animation industry players—agree that we are facing a tough market, though it remains unclear when and how it began and when and how it will end. It seems that animation exists in a kind of eternal purgatory where independent producers have developed incredible skills to navigate challenging market conditions.
That said, Netflix came up in the discussion to highlight how it has boosted adult animation through its editorial line, offering a ray of hope for positioning and relevance for content that was considered extremely niche until recently.
Regarding the relevance of the animation industry and mainstream attention, there is widespread concern that animation talent does not receive the same attention as actors and directors in live-action movies. The lack of appeal of the personalities behind an animated movie can also be linked to the limited attention this genre receives from mainstream audiences. Certainly, one of the main requests from the animation industry attending EFM is: ‘Look at us with the same attention you give to live-action idols and content!‘ This is a fair request, especially given the superlative quality of the content being offered.
In our view, among the panel discussion’s speakers, Aardman is in a category of its own, with 25 years of animated films under its belt and plasticine stop-motion successes in its rich portfolio, which have created long-term IPs that extend beyond the big and small screens, such as Shaun the Sheep. Sean Clarke’s remarks were clear: Hollywood movies represent 10% of the global offering, but they capture 70-80% of the audience. For the European animation industry, the challenges center on funding, as most European producers create their work with public funds. Clarke suggests combining private and public funds to produce animation, enabling more resources to collaborate in the production process. Within the industry chain—including buyers, cinemas, and all players—it is crucial to highlight how the animation process differs from live action, requiring more time, more resources, more processes, and consequently, more substantial budgets and support throughout a longer timeline that extends beyond just development or pre-production to include production and release. Of course, it is not feasible to request public funds throughout this entire process. That is why combining private and public support could be key to strengthening this important part of European cultural industry. For her part, Alba Sotorra reinforces this point by highlighting how they are also requesting support from private cultural funds and museum financial backing to produce their entirely hand-painted animation work inspired by Goya.
As for distribution, another specific issue is how specialized this part of the industry chain has become. It is very rare for distributors to have a portfolio that includes both live-action and animated films, further marginalizing the animation sector.
A common request is to have a seat at the main table, where the principal movie industry players sit. The call is to give the animated movie industry the same space, relevance, and importance as other film industries, while acknowledging its unique characteristics. For many players, this is a crucial part of the legitimization that could serve as the foundation for more well-defined funds, greater attention from a broader number of distributors and buyers, and ultimately, the final audience.
For Miyu Distribution, which focuses on distributing animated shorts, going beyond the niche festival circuit is a key priority. Grosjean encourages buyers and cinemas to ‘take the risk‘ of programming the unknown but fascinating and experimental world of shorts. Never tasted, never knowing what the reaction could be. Maybe the results could be surprising.
YouTube and TikTok inevitably entered the discussion. As always, when talking about these social and online tools, opinions are controversial. Are they useful promotional tools or a way to distribute content that requires investment with no return? The answer may not be clear yet, but their promotional value is undeniable, and more companies are learning to leverage these platforms without undermining their traditional business models. The world is changing rapidly, as is the way content is consumed. Perhaps YouTube can be a way to introduce general audiences, Gen Z, and young viewers to animated movie content in a more direct and dynamic way, prompting traditional buyers to consider new trends. What BBC is doing on YouTube could be a trend to follow.
When it comes to ‘marketing’ topics, traditional positions are even more entrenched. Issues with dubbing and differing release times across regions create a significant barrier to deeper discussion on this topic, but it is evident that it is crucial and cannot be avoided much longer. Perhaps it is time for producers to consider the importance of marketing strategy plans and IP media touchpoint development at the outset of their lengthy animation production journey. Delegating all final results regarding notoriety and awareness to local or international distributors may no longer be sufficient, particularly in today’s fragmented media world. If the animation industry wants to sit at the same table as the major movie players, it should take certain actions at the outset of the process. We know this is a controversial topic and will remain an open discussion. AI has been included in the discussion, but that conversation was not the right place to go into more depth on it.
Conclusions
Here are the key takeaways we brought from the speakers with us from this discussion:
- Support the animated movie industry in every phase of the production process (Charades)
- Allow the combination of private and public funding to manage resources and enable European animated movies to come to life (Aardman)
- More shorts on TV and in cinemas, allowing greater exposure (Miyu Distribution)
- More education on animated cinema in schools to evangelize the audience (Alba Sotorra)
European animation is a soft-power tool for protecting and enhancing European values. This is clear to everyone in the animation industry. We sincerely hope that after the EFM Animation Days, this message has reached a wider industry audience and garnered greater attention.
