Cinekid Selects for Junior Co-Production Market

Cinekid has selected 19 projects from 21 countries for the 2024 Junior Co-Production Market, including 11 films, seven series and one work-in-progress.

Entries from newly participating countries include Rise of the Water Fox (Estonia), Time Skippers (Nigeria) and My Home Is in the Hills (Nepal). The Axolotls, a new project from director Filip Pošivač (Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light), has also made the cut.

Projects from the Netherlands, in addition to I Accidentally Wrote a Book, include Kittens by Nova van Dijk, along with two co-productions: the Belgian-supported Scrumple and Millie and the Secret of the Crocodile, a co-production between Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Other animated titles in the selection are Billy & the Boingo Band (Austria/Canada/Northern Ireland), Caramel’s Words (France/Spain), Crunch Crunch Farm (Ireland), The Legend of Salamanders (France/Slovakia/Germany), Puck (Sweden), Roc & Lola (Italy), Sissi & Caesar (Spain/Chile) and The Sorcerer’s Eye (Latvia).

More live-action projects that were chosen include Hunnic Summer (Serbia); Lina’s Friends (Belgium); and Rosanna, Jaris and the Otherworld (Switzerland).

Also, for the first time this year, Cinekid is participating in the pilot program for series co-productions launched by the Council of Europe. Cinekid will award one project with the Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award, worth €50,000. This initiative aims to facilitate independent producers’ access to series development funding and foster creative collaboration as a foundation for future co-productions.

There are three other awards that will be given to projects from the selection. The best feature film project with European co-production potential intended for cinema release will receive the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, worth €20,000. The PUBLIKUM Audience Awareness Award is worth €9,000 and is given by Danish business consultancy Will & Agency. The Filmmore Post-Production Award comes with a €5,000 prize and will go to the best live-action project. The winners of the different awards will be named on October 31.

Sara Juričić, head of Cinekid for Professionals, commented: “As we prepare to showcase yet another edition of the Junior Co-production Market, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the artistic talent and inspiration that came our way this year. Whether we’re talking about living and breathing siblings saving each other or little aquatic animals saving their community, these stories remind us of the importance of connection and responsibility, not just to each other but to the world around us. Many of these projects are brought to life through films, but we’re also seeing a growing number of series each year. That’s why we are particularly proud to present the Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award this year, an initiative within the Council of Europe’s pilot program for series co-productions.”