This Forum took place at the heart of Celtic culture in an intriguing region dominated by the mountains of Snowdonia.
The 770 participants were able to enjoy the old fashioned and occasionally un- predictable qualities of the hotels in Llandudno birthplace of Alice in Wonderland.
We had a 30 minute coach ride alongside the sea each morning before arriving at Bangor, and the Faenol Estate, an old royal residence with a splendid park where we pitched the Croissant Show.
But where were the meeting rooms? They were in stables, cattlesheds and barns that had been adapted into a conference centre. Sometimes the Forum is held in strange places. Fortunately, the sun shone for the 3 days.
In these pastoral surroundings, 80 projects were presented including «The Invisible Man» from B.R.B., «Lazy Lucy» from Toons ´N´ Tales, «Kirk» from Cartwn Cymru, «Little Vampire» from France Animation, «Peppa Pig» from Creative Film
Productions, «Ready to Board» from MotionWorks, «Skyland/Le Rema- nent» from Method Films, «Spirello Songs» from Cine Cartoon, «Tiff!» from Siriol, «Tupu, the Wild Child of Central Park» from Xilam and «Ugly Duckling Junior» from A. Film.
Participants visited the village of Portmeirion - famous as the location for the television series «The Prisoner».
The poster was designed by Andrew Offiler.
A poignant choir
It would be unthinkable to hold the Forum in wild North Wales without a farewell dinner in a real´ Welsh castle Beaumaris Castle.
The evening started with the Cartoon d´Or which was held in the beautiful as- sembly room at Bangor University. A male voice choir sang in Welsh to everyone´s delight. The Cartoon d´Or was awarded to Robert Bradbrook for his film «Home Road Movie».
Christopher Grace, Former S4C Director of Animation, S4C
«Krees, - The landladies in Llandudno like people from Liverpool but not us. Why?
- Can the buses get under the gate?
- Will it rain?
- Can you fi nd another £100,000?
- Where IS Eryri?»
And so on, for 18 months. I would not have missed any of it - from Dafydd Iwan’s gentle taunt to the Bavarians «We have REAL Castles!» to the proof of that a year later, the fi nal dinner within the 13th Century walls of Beaumaris Castle. And I learnt again that in such ventures partnership and professionalism are paramount. Without both the Forum fails. Marc, Corinne, Annick and the brilliant team in Brussels set the standards and continuity. I cannot think of any of them without smiling. But unless the host country leaves politics, personalities and the rest aside and truly commits itself, then the Forum is tainted. And believe me the 770 delegates soon pick up on it. Happily that did not happen in Eryri. Nor did it rain.
And «Eryri»? It’s Welsh for Snowdonia, that beautiful and historic mountainous area of North Wales. Come and see us again soon.
site by un pas plus loin