Annecy Winner ‘The Violinist’ Found Its Italian Co-Producers at Tokyo Market, Director Ervin Han Tells Anime Co-Production Panel
A meeting at Tokyo’s TIFFCOM market in 2023 connected Italian producers with Singaporean filmmaker Ervin Han’s animated feature “The Violinist”. The film later won the top prize at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, illustrating how early international partnerships can help bring a project to completion.
At a TIFFCOM panel, industry speakers said co-productions need early planning for financing, deal structures and rights. Han said “The Violinist” took 10 years from conception to completion and described promotion as more challenging than production. French streaming services must invest at least 20% of their French revenue in European or French-language original productions, rising to 25% for some services; industry leaders also stressed the importance of platform partnerships, talent and trust.
In short
- A 2023 Tokyo meeting led Italian producers to join “The Violinist”.
- The animated feature went on to win Annecy’s top prize.
- Panel speakers highlighted early planning, platforms and people.
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The case for
International co-productions can combine financing, talent and market knowledge that a single producer may lack, helping ambitious projects reach completion and audiences. Planning rights, deal structures and platform partnerships early can make collaboration more workable, while shared risk may support films that would otherwise be difficult to fund.
The case against
Cross-border partnerships can bring complex financing, rights and decision-making arrangements that are difficult to manage, especially over a long production. Reliance on platform investment and promotion may also shape which projects get made and how they reach audiences, so producers may reasonably favour simpler arrangements that preserve creative control and avoid uncertain commitments.
Explained simply
Animated films are often financed and made across several countries, with producers sharing costs, expertise and rights. Ervin Han is a filmmaker from Singapore; his feature The Violinist was developed with Italian co-producers after the partners met at TIFFCOM, a film and television market in Tokyo.
These partnerships can help projects find funding and reach audiences, but they need to be planned early. Producers must agree how financing, decision-making and rights will be handled, while building relationships with artists and potential distributors. International rules and investment requirements can also shape which projects streaming services support.
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