RAFA resulting the year of 2023

RAFA is summing up the results of 2023. In general, the year was very fruitful, both for individual RAFA member companies and for Russian animated films industry in general.

In 2023, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin instructed to ensure the possibility of full state financing of full-length animated films. In addition, work will continue to reduce the tax burden on the industry. The President of the Russian Federation instructed to consider the issue of providing financial support measures to domestic developers of priority software products used in the production cycle of the film industry.

Another point of the President’s instruction concerns manufacturers of goods and services that use licenses for domestic images from children’s literature, cinema and animation. The relevant executive authority, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, will submit proposals on subsidizing part of the costs of developing the production of such goods using these images.

RAFA CEO Irina Mastusova sums up the results of 2023: ‘The animation industry has become one of the most intensively developing creative industries in recent years. Such results would not have been possible without strategic mechanisms of state support, which made it possible to achieve a multiple increase in the volume of the animation market in just a few years. Thanks to the tax benefits that the industry has received, our animation has made a qualitative leap – over the past five years, production has tripled, exceeding 150 hours of animation per year, and continues to increase.

In 2023, we continued to explore new markets, going to LATAM, MENA countries, and Asia. In 2024, we have a very large amount of work ahead of us. In China or India, our content is already known and in high demand. Domestic animation is competitive in the global market and is adequately represented both at the level of creativity – that is, creative ideas, and at the level of artistic embodiment.’

On April 8, 2023, Russian Animation Day was celebrated for the first time in Russia as an official state holiday.

In 2023, representatives of the Association took part in a number of official and industry events, such as: SPIEF 2023, Moscow Entrepreneurship Week, Russian Creative Week 2023, ArtMasters National Championship of Creative Initiatives, Russian Creative Week Siberia 2023, Made in Russia Forum, meetings of the Russian-Chinese Working Group, Russian-Chinese Subcommittee on Humanitarian Cooperation, etc.

Among the relevant events in 2023:

– international film markets: CICAF Festival and film market in Hangzhou, SIFF Market in Shanghai, TIFFCOM in Tokyo, Telefilm Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok International Digital Content, BCWW in South Korea, Indian Film Bazaar, Dubai International Content Market, Kids Russia & Licensing World Russia, Kids Central Asia Spring, “World of Childhood”, “The 2nd Global Digital Trade Expo” in Hangzhou, etc.

– festivals: The SCO Countries Television Festival in Nanjing, the XXVIII Open Russian Animated Film Festival in Suzdal, the I Voronezh International Animation Festival, the II International Animated Film Festival “Animur”, the Russian Film Festival in different countries of the world, “World of Wonder” in Kaliningrad and Serbia, the VII Arctic International Film Festival “Golden Crow”, etc.

– awards: National Animation Award “ICARUS”, Russian National Award in the field of creative industries Russian Creative Awards, X award of the Association of Russian TV and Film producers, “Golden Bear”-2023, “Golden Eagle”, Russian Licensing Awards-2023, National Children’s Award “Main Characters”, National Internet Content Award-2023, etc.

– pitching: AAC organized pitching sessions with representatives of the animation film industry in China and Argentina.

– b2c exhibitions: “Live together!” at VDNH, “Kikoriki. The art of being round” at the Bakery, etc.

In 2023, RAFA acted as an information partner of such events as Moscow Export Day within the framework of the Moscow Business Forum, the Moscow Licensing Summit, the XIV Congress of the Children’s Goods Industry, and the Media Production Forum.PRO, World Content Market, XVII Big Cartoon Festival, I festival of debutants of animated cinema “Nest”.

In 2023, the ranks of the AAC were replenished with new members, it included the studios “Kupi Golos”, “Platoshka”, “Big Papa”, “Terra Anima”, the Yusupov Animation Studio, “Movie & Co.”, “Chilgood Animation”, “Peganov Entertainment”, “Reppy”, “Khor Media”, “House of Fekla”, “SPkino”.

In 2023, AAK held the VI International Festival of Children’s Animated Films “Animatika” together with the “Artek”, successfully implemented its own projects – the creation of the animated almanac “I AM MYSELF. Poems. Animation. Music” and “Donbass children’s Animation schools. Support, training and integration into Russia”, and also began producing the series “Watercolor Paints” based on the works of K.G. Paustovsky with Moscow and regional children’s animation studios.

2023 was marked by the dynamic development of personnel training in the animation film industry.

RAFA congratulates you on the New Year 2024 and wishes you further development of Russian animated films both on the domestic and global market!