Maurfilm Animation European Mini-slate Development

ongoing

Maurfilm's Mini-Slate comprises one animated feature for children, a 26-part anidoc for tweens, and one short debut. They all combine the animation, talent, and experience of emerging filmmakers from CEE with unique themes and approaches. All films reflect core European values such as diversity, inclusion, tradition, and equality, focusing on female directors, producers, or debutants collaborating with experienced filmmakers. In all of them, we are concerned with creating jobs for talents from our region and building international relationships for co-production. A 2D animated feature Otis is the debut of young animators Filip Diviak and Noemi Valentíny. It is a co-development, supported by the Czech Film Fund and avf.sk. It was presented at Cartoon Springboard, Cartoon Movie, and CEE Animation Workshop. CE MEDIA support would cover marketing in the search for co-producers and a sales agent already in the financing phase. It would also serve the completion of the animatic including voice casting, the development of an art design, and the elaboration of the production pipeline. Producers are Mária Môťovská, a new partner in Maurfilm, and Martin Vandas. The Little Big Ones TV series is our entry into new territories through co-development with a public broadcaster. The 26 parts are about inspiring kids with the theme targeting children 8–12, while being politically engaged, motivating, and encouraging children to be socially engaged. It will be presented now at Young Horizons and Cartoon Forum, where we are looking for co-producers and sales. Support would help with scripts, artwork, and storyboards, and develop marketing for future financing and distribution. The short film Demon of the Marshes by Martin Pertlíček is a stop-motion debut – a natural and magical odyssey and opulent tribute to painter Josef Váchal. The film was selected for the CEE Animation Forum 2024 and CEE Animation Rise & Shine 2023. Producer Kamila Dohnalová is a new partner in Maurfilm.