Ireland is sending its biggest ever delegation to the Kidscreen Summit in Miami, the premier event in the global animation calendar. More than 50 Irish delegates from 30 top Irish Animation Studios are attending, with a view to pitching ideas and securing deals with the most prominent media companies.
The week-long event is taking place this week (12th to 15th of February) and allows studios to get face to face time with major industry leaders, discover new talent and build relationships with potential partners. Among the global players attending the Kidscreen Summit will be Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Nickelodeon, Sony and Warner brothers.
The Irish delegation, supported by Animation Skillnet, is led by Animation Ireland, the trade association for Irish animation studios. The number of delegates this year highlights that the animation sector here is growing rapidly and that Ireland is becoming a major hub for global animation production.
Leading the Animation Ireland delegation is its Chief Executive, Ronan McCabe. Commenting on the event, Ronan said;
‘’Animation Ireland is here this week with an Irish delegation to promote Ireland as one of the world’s best locations for animation production and engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry. Kidscreen is always a fantastic opportunity for studios to meet key executives from the major media companies and have really frank and open conversations with them to pitch ideas and find out what is happening in the industry.’’
Ronan goes on to say;
‘’Every year I come to Kidscreen there are more and more people asking me about Ireland, why it is doing so well and how such a small country is producing so much amazing content. Ireland has so many advantages when it comes to animation and VFX production and it is important we showcase these to the world, including the brilliant talent we have and the stunning, award-winning work they have produced over the past ten years.’’
The newly opened Consulate of Ireland in Miami partnered with Animation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, with the support of RTE, Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen, to host a networking reception during the Summit.
The event, celebrating Irish animation, attracted a large turnout of delegates, including several of the leading figures in global film and television production.
