From Neon Pick-up ‘Robot Dreams’ to Fated Hippy Romance Tale ‘Rock Bottom,’ Animation Lifts Off in Catalonia
variety.comHolly Jones Validated at Cannes by a U.S. sale to Neon for Pablo Berger’s “Robot Dreams,” Catalan animation is on a roll – thanks to ambitious creatives muscular state funding, cutting edge talent and diverse stories that captivate global audiences. “Catalonia’s long had a strong tradition of important animation production companies, which developed ambitious projects,” Edgar Garcia, general director of Catalan cultural company agency ICEC, told Variety. “Over the years, this resulted in the creation of smaller studios with highly qualified professionals on the creative and technical sides.
Those studios and professionals are now working for productions all over the world,” he added. Garcia points to a dedicated ICEC fund for animation, features and series, with a €4.5 million ($4.9 million) budget for 2023.
Of course, we believe this support scheme reflects the quality and creativity of Catalan animation, but has also helped nurture it.
As the whole of the audiovisual production in Catalonia, animation is also living a highly vibrant moment and has become one of the flagships of our industry.” Further animation funds come from an ICEC film fund.
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