What does it take to produce animation these days?

Nuno Beato, producer and director at Sardinha em Lata, shares his thoughts on the role of the producer in today’s international animated film market.

The masterclass addresses the main challenges currently facing the development and production of animated projects: financing, building partnerships, international co-productions, team management and adapting to an increasingly competitive and globalised sector.

In a constantly changing landscape, the masterclass will also discuss new ways of developing, financing and positioning projects in the international market, as well as the importance of co-production networks in making films possible and expanding their reach.

This masterclass forms part of the programme for the 50th edition of the Espinho International Animation Film Festival, organised by CINANIMA.

Nuno Beato

Nuno Beato. Born in Lisbon on 18 April 1977. He began his career at an early age as a producer and director of animated films. In 1998, Nuno set up the production company Lampadacesa, Lda., having previously worked as a freelance animator for other production companies. In 2007, he co-founded the production company Sardinha em Lata, Lda., with the aim of investing in the internationalisation of Portuguese animated cinema.

Nuno began his teaching career in 2002, on the Volume Animation course at CITEN, part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. His first feature-length film, "My Grandfather’s Demons", premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was nominated for the Quirino Awards and the Goya Awards in 2023, having already won a dozen festival awards. It had a total budget of 3 million euros. It took seven years to make, with producers from three different countries: Portugal, Spain and France.

He also co-produced "O Macaco", a Portuguese-Spanish co-production that won the Goya for Best Animated Short Film in 2022; he produced "Darwin’s Cave", winner of the 2018 Sophia Award for Best Animated Short Film. "O Sapateiro", "Olhos do Farol", "A Minha Vida nas Tuas Mãos", "Cândido", amongst others. Currently, in addition to being a producer and director, he also teaches Animation Film at Lusófona University in Lisbon and Moving Image at the University of the Algarve.