Poland’s Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Announces Guests, Programs For October Edition

Next month sees the return of the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum, a dynamic event for stop-motion animators held yearly in the Polish city of Łódź. The forum has a strong educational thrust, running an array of courses, masterclasses, pitching sessions, and other events aimed at networking and sharing best practices across the field. This year’s edition runs October 8–12.

Heading the program is Ask The Expert, a series of consultations between budding artists and industry veterans. “It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discuss one’s project with experienced professionals, ask them for advice, remove the doubts. This year you can consult your ideas with producers, distributors, an animator, a script doctor, or financial institution representative,” said Paulina Zacharek of Momakin, the company that organizes Animarkt. The consultants participating this year are:

• Corinne Destombes (producer, Folimage)
• Olivier Catherin (creative producer/co-founder of the European Animation Awards)
• Vanja Andrijevic (producer, Bonobostudio)
• Kasia Kąkol (Polish Animation Producers Association)
• Ben Vandendaele, (producer/sales agent/distributor, Radiator IP)
• Luce Grosjean (CEO, Miyu Distribution)
• Kerdi Onnego (producer, Nukufilm)
• Anna Szadkowska (producer/production manager, Audiovisual Technology Center)
• Tim Allen (animator, Isle of Dogs, Frankenweenie)
• Carlos Bleycher (script doctor/content consultant/story editor)
• Sophie Prigent (sales director, Jetpack Distribution)
• Monika Głowacka (Łódź Film Commission)

Attendees also have the chance to apply for a job at Portland, Oregon-based stop-motion Laika (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link). Anna Kvorning, the company’s talent acquisitions supervisor, will be meeting with animators and costume makers on October 10; this is Laika’s only planned recruitment session in this part of Europe.

Another cornerstone of Animarkt’s program is its workshops — intensive, multi-day sessions run by top professionals. There are three workshops this year: animation direction with Barry Purves (who directed such shorts as Next and Screen Play, and was involved with Mars Attacks and King Kong); character animation with Juan Soto (My Life as a Zucchini, Missing Link); and stop-frame cinematography with Malcolm Hadley (Corpse Bride, Isle of Dogs).

Two masterclasses, by Christine Polis and Angela Poschet, round out the program. Polis is a puppet maker and sculptor who has worked on A Town Called Panic, My Life as a Zucchini, and Isle of Dogs. Poschet is a production supervisor whose credits include Isle of Dogs and Frankenweenie.

Animarkt also hosts pitching sessions for artists currently developing stop-motion shorts, but this year’s application deadline has passed.

All events are free to attend, but space is limited and applications must be applied for beforehand. Some of the deadlines have already passed, but other events mentioned above can be applied for until September 15. For details on applying to attend, visit Animarkt’s website.