Petter Lindblad, (photo) producer of Copenhagen Bombay's animation film The Great Bear which bowed simultaneously on Danish screens and at the Generation Kplus programme in Berlin, is going to bring the company's animation savoir-fair and flair to Sweden.
Five years after Danish filmmaker Anders Morgenthaler and producer Sarita Christensen created their own animation brand Copenhagen Bombay, the company partly owned by Nordisk Film, is expanding, both geographically and vertically. Interviewed in Berlin, Lindblad said the idea to open a Swedish branch was triggered by the positive creative and financial collaboration with Film i Väst on The Great Bear and Copenhagen Bombay's desire to bring its original animation brand and craftsmanship to Sweden. "Sweden has a great animation tradition. Our goal is to introduce Copenhagen Bombay's original stories for kids and youth and adapt our in-house animation philosophy to Sweden, with the opening of a Swedish animation studio." The Swedish-born Lindblad will run the Swedish branch, sharing his time between Copenhagen, Trollhättan and Stockholm.
Meanwhile in Berlin, Esben Toft Jacobsen's computer animated feature film The Great Bear was snapped up for distribution by France (Bac Films), Russia, Middle East, Brazil, Indonesia and mainland China, with final negotiations under way with Germany. Malene Iversen, head of Copenhagen Bombay Sales said international distributors were seduced by the film's authentic Nordic storytelling and the possibility to use the company's cross media properties for their own marketing campaigns.
Copenhagen Bombay's Great Bear books and merchandise materials were used for the launch of the film last Thursday in Danish cinemas. The Great Bear was the first feature length film released directly by Copenhagen Bombay on local screens. "The company has many projects for cross media universe. We decided to keep control of the whole chain of filmmaking, from production to distribution, to make it easier for cross media exploitation, said Iversen. Released on 66 cinemas, The Great Bear opened at number nine at the Danish Top Ten. The film will soon screen at Cartoon Movie in Lyon, France and will compete at the upcoming BUFF Children's Film Festival in Malmö and at Stockholm Film festival Junior in April.