Brendan And The Secret Of Kells was the big winner at this year's Cartoon Movie in Lyon, winning best European director and best producer.

More than six hundred participants voted for the Cartoon Movie Tributes which recognise companies or personalities exercising a positive and dynamic influence on the European animation feature film industry.

Irish animator Tomm Moore was named best European director of the year for his feature debut Brendan And The Secret Of Kells which had had its world premiere in the Berlinale's Generation sidebar last month.

In addition, the film's producers Cartoon Saloon, Les Armateurs and Vivi Film were voted as best European producer of the year.

The Irish-French-Belgian co-production was first pitched by Moore and Paul Young at the Cartoon Movie market in Babelsberg in 2001.

Meanwhile, the Cartoon Movie Tribute for best European distributor of the Year went to Bac Films in recognition of its particular emphasis on European animation films.

Last year saw the French distributor releasing Niko And The Way To The Stars, which posted over 700,000 admissions, and this year's releases include A Case For Friends and Jasper The Movie.

Bac Films recently picked up The Sandman And The Lost Sand Of Dreams and Journey To Saturn which screened on the evening of this year's edition of Cartoon Movie.

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