Luxembourg well represented at Annecy

Every year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival - and the market of the same name - attracts around 7,000 animation professionals from all over the world, making it the biggest in the world.

The Fonds national de soutien à la production audiovisuelle has been present since 2000 with a promotional stand featuring fifteen Luxembourg animation companies (production, studios and service providers).

The official selection out of competition includes Raul Garcia's feature film Extraordinary Tales (an adaptation of five stories by Edgar Allan Poe), co-produced at 63 % by Melusine Productions, and, competing in the TV films category, Caroline Origer's Polo series for 3-6 year-olds, adapted from Régis Faller's comic strips: short, wordless 6-minute episodes, produced mainly by the Fabrique d'Images.

Students from the BTS Animation programme at the Lycée Technique des Arts et Métiers de Luxembourg (LTAM) were once again out in force, accompanied by their teachers, to promote the BTS on a stand in the "Training Institutes" area.

At the traditional "speed dating" meetings, students from the Lycée Technique des Arts et Métiers introduced animation professionals to their talents with a view to a possible work placement or recruitment.

The Fund and Luxembourg producers also took part in a networking event organised by UNIFRANCE (with the support of the Film Fund Luxembourg, SODEC, Swiss Films and WB Images) to stimulate relations between professionals and international partners (broadcasters, festivals, distributors and institutions).

Guy Daleiden, Director of the Fund, came to support the profession and recalled the importance of the animation sector in Luxembourg. "When I see the projects that are in the pipeline for the coming months, I'm not worried about the future of our audiovisual sector in general and animation in particular".

Stéphan Roelants announced the recent creation of the "Fédération des métiers de l'animation et de l'image virtuelle", which aims to defend the interests of its members and the professions they represent. The committee is made up of Stéphan Roelants (Chairman), Laurent Witz (Vice-Chairman), Pierre Urbain (General Secretary) and Régis Drujont (Treasurer).

Three feature-length animated films co-produced by Luxembourg production companies are due to hit cinemas in the coming months: "Two by two" (Fabrique d'Images), "Le prince et les 108 démons" (Bidibul Productions) and "Mullewapp" (Melusine Productions).