Editorials

European Commission

LUCÍA RECALDE Deputy Director, Head of Unit at Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes, European Commission – Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology (DG CONNECT)

The audiovisual sector has been slowly recovering from the Covid-19 crisis. As we are half-way through 2022, it is still difficult to predict the future audiovisual trends in the aftermath of the global pandemic. Still some things remain unchanged, such as the rapid technological developments accompanying new ways of creating and of working and the capacity of the animation sector to embrace innovation.

As animated stories are growing, we expect to see more animated content both on the big screen and in streaming platforms. While emerging technologies allow production of works in more innovative ways, storytelling is effortlessly bringing together animation alongside different genres, such as documentary.

Through Creative Europe MEDIA and the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan, we aim at supporting the industry’s efforts and boosting the opportunities of each European player, to strengthen the sector as a whole. Animation will benefit from MEDIA actions related to co-development, and from a more flexible TV programming scheme, as well as training programs for those looking to keep pace with the digital and green transformations.

As every year, we will be following the discussions in the Annecy Festival and Mifa to explore the latest technological developments, latest trends in storytelling and to best accompany this sector.