The winners will be announced at the Centre de Congrès in Lyon on 7 March.

The nominees are:

Best European Director of the Year

* Thorbjørn Christoffersen, Craig Frank and Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen (Denmark) for «Journey to Saturn»
* Jacques-Rémy Girerd (France) for «Mia and the Migoo»
* Tomm Moore (Ireland) for «The Secret of Kells»

Best European Distributor of the Year

* BAC Films (France)
* Intersonic (Slovak Republic)
* Lusomundo (Portugal)

Best European Producer of the Year

* Anima Vitae / Cinemaker (Finland) / Ulysses (Germany) / A. Film (Denmark) / Magma Films (Ireland) for «Niko & the Way to the Stars»
* Crone Film (Denmark) / Sola Media (Germany) for «Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms»
* Kandor Graphics / Perro Verde Films / Green Moon (Spain) for «The Missing Lynx»
* Cartoon Saloon (Ireland) / Les Armateurs (France) / Vivi Film (Belgium) for «The Secret of Kells»

The organisers of Cartoon Movie also announced that the Danish film «Journey to Saturn» has been chosen to open the event on Wednesday 4 March. Produced by A. Film and directed by Thorbjørn Christoffersen, Craig Frank and Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen, this unconventional CGI animation tells with adult humour the space journey of an incompetent crew of Danish astronauts. Based on the classic Danish graphic novel by Claus Deleuran the film was released last September in Denmark.

Cartoon Movie 2009 is organised with the support of the Media Programme of the European Union, CNC (Centre Nationale du Cinématographie), the Rhône Alpes Region, Greater Lyon and in collaboration with the Cluster Rhône Alpes Imaginove (Lyon).

The feature program includes some non-kindergarten films, too. Take New York animation maverick Bill Plympton’s brand new film Idiots and Angels for example: a story of a guy who accidentally grows wings but has difficulties with turning into an angel. Or check out Ari Folman’s much acclaimed Waltz with Bashir – an animated drama about Israeli soldiers in the Lebanon war. And then there’s Nina Paley’s Annecy-winning movie, Sita Sings the Blues, which is said to be the greatest break-up story ever told. It’s actually two break-ups in one: the epic Ramayana and a present-day breaking-up-by-email story, accompanied by Annette Hanshaw’s heartbreaking songs from the 20s. Following the path from America to the Middle East to India, the festival also serves up two brand new Japanese animations, the visually explosive big screen version of Evangelion 1.0, and a unique anime-musical titled Piano Forest. And finally, to truly get away from the kindergarten, Anilogue will give us Dead Space, probably the bloodiest zombie animation ever made.

Anilogue’s call for the best European animated short film produced more than 500 entries this year. A 32-strong selection of competition shorts are in the final round and the winner will be announced in Vienna’s Filmcasino on the evening of December 3rd. The seven days of Anilogue 2008 also includes the Toons&Tunes workshop with comparative screenings of Walt Disney and Fleischer Brothers studios from the early 1930’s and actual hands-on composing sessions with the composer and workshop leader Nik Phelps. You’d also be a badly drawn fool if you missed the year’s most awarded animations in the World Panorama, and of course the seven-hour-long cartoon marathon that is Animated Night. Your life is dull – animate it at last!

(Thanks for this article to Budapest Funzine!)