Norway’s Frank Mosvold and Atle Blakseth are running for Best European Director at the European animation awards held during Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux (March 3-5).

The story of 12-year-old Ella Bella Bingo and her friends, will compete against the French film The Swallows of Kaboul by Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec, and the Spanish film Klaus by Sergio Pablos.

Ella Bella Bingo was co-written by director Frank Mosvold, with seasoned US screenwriters Rob Sprackling and Johnny Smith (Gnomeo & Juliet). ”It’s a fun film about the power of friendship, where both children and adults can identify with the challenges of the protagonists of the movie,” said Mosvold who also produced the film for Kool Production, in association with VFX studio Gimpville (Kon-Tiki, The Wave) and support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Since its late January theatrical release, the film has sold more than 60,000 tickets in Norway via Norsk Filmdistribusjon, 11,000 in Finland and 35,000 in Denmark via Scanbox who will launch it in Sweden in March.

Internationally, the film has been sold to more than 30 territories by Studio 100.

Besides the award for Best European Director of the year, the 900+ participants at Cartoon Movie will also vote for the Best Distributor of the year and Best European Producer of the Year. The winners will be announced March 5, 2020.

Nordics at Cartoon Movie
The annual industry event Cartoon Movie will present 66 new animation films in various stages of concept, development, production or ready for release. While France leads the way with 23 selected projects, confirming its leadership position in Europe, Denmark has the largest Nordic presence with five productions and two co-productions, while Finland and Norway have one project each.

Nordic projects are the following:

Denmark

  • Nordic Ghost Hunters (in concept) co-directed by Magnus Møller & Mette Tange produced by Tumblehead (Denmark) and Intrepid Films (France) 
  • Planet of the Kids (in concept) co-directed by Philip Einstein Lipski, Maria Biilmann and Jericca Cleland, produced by Nimbus Film and Einstein Film (Denmark) 
  • Panda Bear in Africa (in development), co-directed by Karsten Kiilerich & Richard Claus, produced by Cool Beans (Netherlands) and A Film Production (Denmark), 
  • I Am Helena (in development) by Karla von Bengtson, produced by Copenhagen Bombay (Denmark)
  • Raven Girl (in development) by Jericca Cleland, produced by Angel Film and Nerlum (Denmark), Taqqut Productions (Canada) 
  • No Filter (In development) by Tor Lubich Fruergaard & Michael Hegner, produced by Sparre Production (DK)
  • Raggie (Sneak preview) co-directed by Meelis Arulepp & Karsten Kiilerich, produced by A Film Estonia and A Film Denmark

Finland

  • Fleak (In development) produced by Anima Vitae with Anima Vitae Point (Malaysia), Animoon (Poland), Godo Films (France) 

Norway 

  • Ella Bella Bingo (Sneak Preview)