Organisers of the cartoon industry’s equivalent of the Oscars and Europe’s biggest trade fair for animation filmmakers are in the region to assess the area’s bid to bring these multi-million pound events to the North East.
The organisers flew in last night from Brussels and London for a two-day visit to meet the north east’s bid team lead by NewcastleGateshead Initiative and the Sponsors Club for Arts and Business.
The team comprising of representatives from ONE northeast, Arts Council England, North East, Northern Film & Media, Digital City Teesside, Tyneside Cinema and Codeworks will be hoping to convince the organisers that the region has what it takes to host the events in September 2007 or 2008.
If the region is successful the five day event would bring 800 broadcasters, film and television producers, investors and media from around 20 European countries to the area.
Ian Taylor, Commercial Director for NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “It’s fantastic to know that we are now becoming a place that springs to mind immediately when organisers are looking for destinations to host events of this kind of stature.
“This demonstrates how far we have come in such a short space of time as a leading destination capable of staging major, world-class events. If we do go on to win this it would be a tremendous feather in the cap for NewcastleGateshead and the wider region.
“We’re confident that we have an excellent bid and hope the judges like what they see over the next couple of days.”
The Cartoon Forum is the biggest annual meeting place of major players in European Animation and represents an important platform for producers to attract finance for new projects.
During the Forum broadcasters and producers will assess over 80 different animation proposals.
The highlight of the Cartoon Forum is the presentation of the Cartoon D’or to the creator of Europe’s best cartoon of the year.
Those competing for what is essentially the equivalent of the animation industry’s best film Oscar- are winners from the nine most prestigious cartoon festivals from around the world.
In 1991 the first cartoon d’or was awarded to Nick Park for “Creature Comforts.”
Andrew Dixon, Executive Director Arts Council England, North East said: ”To bring this event to the north east would confirm the region’s growing reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the animation industry.
“There is already an emerging scene being forged here by the likes of Digital City and Tyneside Cinema and the Cartoon Forum would help the talent that exists in the region attract the attention of the very best in the business.”
