Agata Novinski is a Slovak producer working in the field of animated film. She achieved significant success with her debut, the feature-length puppet film Living Large, which premiered at the prestigious Annecy festival, where it won the Jury Award in the Contrechamp section, received the ECFA Award, and was also nominated for the European Film Awards. This year, she presented the animated film Tourists together with its director Mária Kralovič at the world’s largest short film festival in Clermont-Ferrand. Agata Novinski currently leads the Slovak Association of Animated Film Producers (APAF).
What are your expectations from the Producers on the Move programme?
It is a great honour for me to be part of such an exceptional group of producers. I am very grateful to the Slovak Film Institute for the nomination and support with the application. Meeting the programme’s criteria is not easy at all. When I look at the achievements of the other participants, I appreciate even more the opportunity to be among them.
Producers on the Move is a unique opportunity for me to establish new professional connections and develop international collaborations. I plan to present our upcoming project Wish It! and at the same time showcase Slovakia as a reliable and creative co-production partner.
How do you choose the projects you get involved in? What needs to interest you from a producer’s perspective?
I am very pleased with the success of our latest film Tourists and proud of its director Mária Kralovič. We recently won the main award at The Athens International Film + Video Festival, which is Oscar-qualifying, giving us the opportunity to compete for an Academy Award – an enormous achievement for us.
When selecting projects, the theme and the quality of the script are key for me. The visual style is also important, but the director’s personality plays a crucial role. Producing animation is a long-term and demanding process, so it is essential for me that the collaboration works on a human level and that the entire process remains as creative and enjoyable as possible.
Both films were developed over a relatively long period and involved international co-productions with the French company Novanima and Czech companies Barletta (Living Large) and Evolution Films (Tourists). How did these collaborations come about and what did they bring to the films?
Barletta was involved in Living Large from the very beginning, first represented by producer Veronika Sabová and later by Matej Chlupáček. Our collaboration with the French company Novanima began during the pandemic. Together with Mária Kralovič, we participated in the Euro Connection co-production forum at the Clermont-Ferrand festival. After our online presentation, several producers approached us, including Marc Faye from Novanima, with whom we immediately connected.
At the same time, I was working on Living Large, where, during a Eurimages consultation, Ms. Gindl-Tatárová recommended involving a French partner due to the French literary source. I approached Marc with this project as well, and our collaboration developed naturally from there. For all of us, it was a debut in feature-length animation, which made it quite an adventure.
Your third producing project is the feature-length animated film Wish It!, continuing your collaboration with the Living Large director Kristina Dufková. How is its development progressing?
I am very excited about Wish It!. It is a beautiful theme that explores the importance of dreaming – not the kind we experience at night, but the ability to pursue and fulfill our own dreams. Wish It! is a stop-motion animated feature about two children whose wishes unexpectedly come true, leading them on a playful yet emotional journey across a small town, exploring family, imagination, and the surprising power of what we dare to wish for.
We are once again collaborating with Kristina Dufková and Matej Chlupáček, joined by new co-producers Anna Mroczek and Ilan Urroz, whom I met at a festival in Morocco thanks to Living Large. We are currently in the development phase, with production scheduled to begin in the summer.
Producing animated films is generally more time- and financially demanding compared to live-action or documentary projects. As a producer, also active in APAF, you are closely engaged with the funding conditions for animated production in Slovakia, which are primarily provided by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and the Slovak Television and Radio (STVR). Could you describe the current demands and needs of animation producers and how successfuly are they being met?
Conditions for cultural production today are very challenging, and animation is no exception. It is unfortunate that what has been built over many years is now being significantly weakened in a relatively short time. Animation is extremely demanding both in terms of time and finances. Costs are rising, while available funding is decreasing. The situation has also been impacted by STVR halting its support for animation, which had been crucial for maintaining continuity in animators’ work.
We are currently in a situation where producers cannot provide sufficient conditions for animators to make a living in Slovakia. Many are therefore leaving, either moving into related fields such as post-production or going abroad altogether. This poses a serious risk to the future of Slovak animation. Without systematic support, Slovakia risks losing the continuity in animation it has built over decades. Rebuilding it would be far more difficult than sustaining it.
The Producers on the Move programme at the Cannes Film Festival gives 20 promising emerging European producers from 20 European countries a platform and the opportunity to build and enlarge their international network. Participants will meet potential co-production partners and sales companies in one-on-one meetings and take part in project pitching, case studies, social events, and a comprehensive promotional campaign. The programme is organized for the 27th time by European Film Promotion, of which the Slovak Film Institute is a member.
