The European Film Academy (EFA) has announced the three nominated titles in the Animated Feature category for the European Film Awards (3 December) in Berlin. A Cat in Paris, the animated feature directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, is one of them. 
Although A Cat in Paris seems French, it has a strong Flemish feel to it: two young Flemish animators, Pieter Samyn and Pascal Vermeersch, played a key role in animating the movie. Right from the beginning A Cat in Paris set out on an impressive festival tour, including the Berlinale’s Generation K+ programme where it competed for the Crystal Bear for Best Feature.
Dino is a cat with a secret double life: during the day he is Zoé’s ordinary pet, but at night he turns into a thief’s accomplice. While Zoé’s mom, a police inspector, investigates the burglaries Zoé is kidnapped by a gangster. A Cat in Paris showcases the focus on felines in this year’s nominations. Apart from A Cat in Paris two other films are nominated: The Rabbi’s Cat by Antoine Delesvaux and Joann Sfar and Chico & Rita directed by the threesome Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba.
A Cat in Paris is a French-Belgian co-production. The Flemish producer is Annemie Degryse for Lunanime. Sales are handled by Film Distribution, an international sales agency based in France. A Cat in Paris received support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), a.o.
The European Film Awards are the European equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are held annually by the European Film Academy ‘to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements’. Earlier the EFA announced a shortlist of 45 live action films to compete for the European Film Awards, including Michaël R. Roskam’s Bullhead and Le gamin au vélo by the Dardenne brothers.
If you want to know more about the Flemish involvement in the production of A Cat in Paris you can read it here.