Ibermedia Boosts Animation with New Measures for Development

ANNECY, France — Ibermedia, the multi-million dollar pan-regional audiovisual fund, has applied new regulations and changes affecting animation. The changes have been applied to this year’s call for applications, closing April 25. After evaluations, award results will be announced the first week of November. There will be just one call for entries per year.

In a session held at Annecy’s Mifa market, the changes were explained in detail. The changes include a new fund for the animation project development with a minimum annual endowment of $200,000 in the form of a zero-interest loans which producer receive when a project starts animation or shooting.

The aid is primarily earmarked for features –the minimal length of eligible project is set at 60 minutes – and TV series of no less than 90 minutes. Animated immersive experiences, such as AR and VR, are included, but must be at least 24 minutes long.

Hybrid works blending live-action with animation must contain at least 70% animated footage.

As explained by Ibermedia representatives, the support is intended to result in a screenplay – a single episode in the case of a series – a complete bible and a teaser. The projects should be Spanish or Portuguese-language, although other languages – indigenous languages for instance – of the member states “will also be taken into account,” according to the Ibermedia reps.

The amount of the awarded grant will not exceed 50% of the development budget of the submitted project and the maximum financial contribution that can be granted to each animated project is set at $30,000, twice as much as live-action.

Additionally, payment conditions have been updated. Winners will get 70% of aid at the signing of the contract, 20% after the presentation and approval of the “bible” and a project progress report, and the remaining 10% after the presentation and approval of the completed script.

“Ibermedia has been in contact with representative Ibero-American animation companies and federations in order to develop specific tweaks for animation projects, recognizing their specific requirements in terms of budgets, financial plans, deadlines and other particular needs of 2D, 3D and stop motion animation and other forms of animation,” Ibermedia co-production and distribution coordinator Victor Sánchez told Variety:

In terms of co-production aid, there has been only one minor change. All projects targeting children and teen audiences will receive five additional points on a point system for qualifying for aid used by the organization.

Projects backed by Ibermedia include “Homeless,” now a contender in Annecy’s Contrechamp section and directed by José Ignacio Navarro Cox, Jorge Campusano and Santiago O’Ryan,  as well as David Bisbano’s “Dalia and the Red Book” (both pictured).

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