Animation: European market and Ukraine – the situation now and prospects for development

Can Ukrainian animation become a driving force for the whole industry in the international market and what is needed for that? This is the keyquestion for a specialized roundtable discussion to take place on September 19 at KMW.  

Today, the animation sector in Europe is developing rapidly. It has the potential and all chances to spread its wings and become a serious independent field. Moreover, thanks to the implementation of cutting-edge technologies, animation is often the driving force for the whole industry development. It is also the first to test new business models. And in this context, it is great to see that the current development vector of Ukrainian animation totally matches this European trend.

A vivid example is an animated feature released this year by Animagrad (FILM.UA Group), The Stolen Princess – its demonstration rights have been sold to more than 50 countries. As of late August 2018, the cartoon was seen by over a million people, and it is still being distributed.

But what is the place of Ukraine on the European and global animation map? And what happens at our internalmarket today? These questions will be discussed in detail by participants of the KMW panel ‘Animation in Ukraine: how to drive market growth’ organized with the support of Ukrainian Association of Animation (UANIMA).

The panel moderated by Platfor.ma editor-in-chief Yuriy Marchenko will feature respected experts in the field.In particular, head of Ukrainian State Film Agency Philip Illienko, executive director od UANIMA and Red Dogstudio producer Elena Golubeva, CEO of Animagrad Egor Olesov, general producer of niche channels at 1+1 Media Ivanna Nayda, general manager at MMD Film Company Roman Martynenko, project manager at Creative Europe National Desk Anna Turlo, as well as expert of Ukrainian Marketing Association ValentynaLavrenenko who also managed the research ‘State of animation market in Ukraine: current situation, achievements, problems.’

Panel participants will familiarize themselves with the results of this research conducted by the Ukrainian Marketing Association upon the initiative of UANIMA. They will also discuss the interaction of animation with TV and film industries, the role of the state in animation industry development in the context of elaboration and adoption of state target program for five years. The participants will ponder about ways for further development for Ukrainian animation market, both inside the country and internationally. Another plan is to analyze the European Animation Plan and what it can mean for Ukraine.

This Plan was developed last September by Creative Europe MEDIA upon the initiative of CARTOON, Animation in Europe, and Annecy Festival MIFA. It proposes mechanisms and solutions for industrydevelopment for the following five years and outlines its expectations. In particular, the Plan notes that for the animation to prosper in Europe in the future – in the form of TV content, arthouse short films, and feature projects – it is necessary to join efforts of animation funds, studios, and state institutions. The goal is to encourage global reach and attractiveness of EU animation, to popularize European countries as excellent destinations for work of both local talents and international experts, and to simplify access to finance and international public funds.  

In December 2017, the Plan was supported by representatives of national animation associations from 19 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. They signed the Ljubliana Accord the goal of which is to establish a platform for information exchange, to create networks for cooperation among countries, and to encourage and support sector growth via providing comprehensive information for both local and international audience.  

Panel discussion ‘Animation in Ukraine: how to drive market growth’ will take place on the third day of KYIV MEDIA WEEK (September 19) from 15:50 until 16:50.

KYIV MEDIA WEEK will be held on September 17-21, 2018 in Hyatt Regency Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine). You can register for the media forum here.

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Ukrainian Association of Animation (UAnimA) was created in March 2017. It represents and unites the whole Ukrainian animation market. The Association’s mission is to integrate efforts of professional animation community to promote the development of animation in Ukraine.