More than a hundred digital animation experts meet up in Gran Canaria
On Thursday 9th December, Antonio Morales, President of the Island Council of Gran Canaria, opened the digital animation seminar, Cartoon Business. This event makes for the second time the island as a meeting place for more than a hundred specialists of the sector between production companies, investors, and TV channels, among other companies and entities.
Morales was accompanied in this opening by Cosme García, Managing Director of the Corporation for the Economic Development of the Canary Islands (SPEGC), and by Nuria Guinnot, the Gran Canaria Film Commission coordinator. During his speech, he emphasized that they are actively focusing on attracting companies from the digital animation sector to Gran Canaria, as part of an economic diversification strategy.
“The overall growth of audiovisual industry demand, the development of new production processes, and the new distribution platforms, linked to the efforts we are doing through the Island Council, gives us great opportunities for reinforcing this industry and the related creation of skilled job opportunities”, noted Morales.
He also explained that Council areas of work are mainly focused on nurturing local talent, on giving to the new projects facilities and personalized services, but above all, on enhancing the use of tax incentives for international and national productions. These tax incentives are currently the most competitive in Europe.
As for Cosme García, he has highlighted the importance of Gran Canaria will once again host this major event, “allowing strategic alliances between the domestic sector and all the companies involved and also turning the island into a major film production scenario”.
García also explained the work that Gran Canaria Film Commission has developed for providing advice and assistance to companies interested to settle on the island. “It’s a program completely adjusted to each entity’s individual needs, a high-quality support service we give them before, during, and their post-arrival to Gran Canaria”.
In recent years, Gran Canaria has become a magnet for the animation industry. Currently, companies like Ánima, Fortiche, Birdland, or Koyi moved onto the island and from here they produce TV series like ‘Cleo y Cuquín’, ‘Arcane’, ‘Shark Academy’ or ‘Pocoyó’.
‘Cartoon Business 2021’
Promoted by Gran Canaria Council, in cooperation with Europa Creativa MEDIA and Gran Canaria Film Commission, the ‘Cartoon Business 2021’ event, will make Gran Canaria the focus of one of the biggest digital animations meetings, and also will give the island a significant repercussion.
This year’s edition will include several speakers as Charlie Cooper Henniker of The LEGO Group, Stefan Kastenmueller of Sesame Workshop, or Yago Fandiño of Radio Televisión Española (RTVE). Who will analyze together with other relevant speakers the future of the European animation business through such issues as public and private funding, the new business models, licensing and merchandising, digital opportunities, and legal matters, among other subjects.