SPECIAL CARTOON D'OR
There were two reasons why Cartoon created the Cartoon d’Or, and to this day it remains the only completely European animation prize. Firstly, we were beginning to witness the first stirrings within the European animation industry, and this needed to be nourished by work from creative filmmakers. European television series needed to be creative and attractive in order to compete with programming on offer from the USA and Japan. Most artists were working in the short film sector. Secondly, although major financial support was being given to develop European animation, no special place was made for it at major European festivals and awards (Cannes Film Festival, Berlin, Venice, the European Felix, etc.)
It was therefore agreed to create a European prize for an animated short film, for which the prize –apart from the trophy– would be a sum of money to be put towards the creation of a television series or short film. The Cartoon d’Or would act as a pipeline between short film makers and the industry. The first prize was awarded in June 1991 during the festival in Annecy. But this was not an ideal location. In order for these talents to reach their goal, it was important that the prize should be awarded before an audience of cinema and television professionals. The Cartoon Forum was the ideal place.
The films that can compete for the Cartoon d’Or are those that have already won prizes at Cartoon’s festival partners. A jury selects 5 films which will be presented during the Cartoon Forum (in order to promote 5 filmmakers each year) and one film will receive the Cartoon d’Or.
The Cartoon d’Or is a prestigious prize and is recognised as such within the industry. The finalists are often approached by producers to work on series or feature films. Some finalists and prize winners have themselves gone on to make series or feature films.
Our festival partners for 2006 are Cinanima, Espinho (PT); I Castelli Animati, Genzano di Roma (IT); Anima, Brussels (BE); Internationales Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart (DE); International Festival of Animated Films, Trebon (Cz); International Animation Festival, Annecy (FR)
Here are the Cartoon d’Or winners since its creation in 1991:
Creature Comforts by Nick Park (UK, 1991); Manipulation by Daniel Greaves (1992, UK); The Village by Mark Baker (UK, 1993); The Wrong Trousers by Nick Park (UK, 1994); The Monk and The Fish by Michael Dudok De Wit (NL, 1995); Quest by Tyron Montgomery (DE, 1996); La Vieille Dame et les Pigeons by Sylvain Chomet (FR, 1997); L'Enfant au Grelot by Jacques Remy Girerd (FR, 1998); Migrations by Constantin Chamski (FR, 1999); A Suspeita by Jose Miguel Ribeiro (PT, 2000); Father and Daughter by Michael Dudok de Wit (NL, 2001); Home Road Movies by Robert Bradbrook (UK, 2002); Sans Queue Ni Tête by Sandra Desmazières (FR, 2003); Fast Film by Virgil Widrich (AT, 2004); Jo Jo in the Stars by Marc Craste (UK, 2005).
Marc Vandeweyer & Corinne Jenart
Cartoon Managers