The eighth edition of 3D Wire is set to take place next week in historic Segovia, Spain, with major international names in attendance from throughout the European animation industry.

More than a festival, 3D Wire is a market, conference, and meeting point that highlights the vitality of Spain’s animation, video game, and new media sectors. Nearly 150 Spanish animation projects will be presented at the market side of the event, including including 22 short films, 14 feature films, 22 animation series, 67 video games, 9 apps and 14 vr projects.

The event’s accompanying film festival—3D Wire Fest—has selected 31 international short films and 14 Spanish shorts for competition. Winners of the competitions will qualify for Spain’s Goya Awards as well as Cartoon Forum’s Cartoon d’Or Award. The jury for the 2016 film festival is comprised of Luce Grosjean, Paolo Polesello, Rebeca Núñez, and myself. (Cartoon Brew is also a media sponsor for this edition.)

The guests at the festival represent both the business and creative sides of the animation world. On the business track, presenters will include French producer Nicolas Schmerkin, founder of the influential production company Autour de Minuit (maker of the Oscar-winning Logorama) and Eleanor Coleman, head of acquisitions of animated feature films, transmedia, and co-productions at France’s Indie Sales.

Other key business-side attendees include Eric Goossens, producer and founder of the Belgian production company Walking The Dog (The Secret of Kells, The Triplets of Belleville); Adriano Schmid, director of production for Discovery Kids Latin America; and Enrique Vazquez, network manager of Atomo Network; an online partnership between Channel Frederator Network and Mexico’s Anima Studios.

On the artist-side, speakers include Sam Taylor and Wesley Louis of the UK collaborative The Line; Ankama Animations animator Rebeca Nuñez (Wakfu, Dofus, Livre 1: Julith); Guillermo García Carsí (Pocoyo co-creator), and Nikotxan, creator of the long-running Spanish web series Cálico Electrónico.

Dozens of other guests are scheduled to speak on diverse topics including transmedia, virtual reality, Latin American animation alliances, online film promotion, indie video game publishing, and production pipeline workflows. For the latter topic, Sergio Pablos’ studio will offer a presentation on how they’re using Toon Boom to produce their upcoming feature Klaus.

Sergio Pablos' feature film in development, "Klaus," is among the projects that will be presented at 3D Wire next week in Spain.
Sergio Pablos’ feature film in development, “Klaus,” is among the projects that will be presented at 3D Wire next week in Spain.

3D Wire’s guest country this year is neighboring Portugal, which will see a delegation of its industry, including directors José Miguel Ribeiro and Abi Feijó; animators Laura Gonçalves and Alexandra Ramires; Andrea Basílio, head of children and youth at public broadcaster RTP; André Luis, founder of the Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn conference; and producers like Humberto Santana (Animanostra) and Nuno Beato (Sardinha Em Lata), among others. 3D Wire cites this edition’s Portugal focus as “being the first step to turn 3D Wire into a Portuguese-Spanish event.” 

3D Wire runs from October 6-9 in Segovia, Spain. Passes cost as little as €15, while professional passes cost €45. For details on schedules, guests, and passes, visit the 3D Wire web site.

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