After three days of engaging pitching sessions and a grand celebration for our 35th edition, we hope you've gathered a wealth of contacts and ideas for the coming year. We are proud of the diverse, compelling, and impactful selection of projects showcased.
This year, our Spotlight on Italy reunited close to 100 Italian participants, representing about 9.7% of the total attendees. And 5 Italian projects were pitched: “Guglielmo the Inventor” (POPCult), “Matita HB” (IBRIDO Studio), “Mindtoonness” (Vismanimation), “Mission: Delta” (Eagle Original Content & MAD Entertainment), and “No Pets!” (Nuvole e Strisce).
We were also delighted to welcome three countries for the first time: Moldova with the project “Occupation: Witch” (Studio Metrafilms), Georgia with “The Hermit” (Lira Production Studios) and Armenia with “Alphabet Heroes” (ReAct production).
TOP 10 • PRESENCE FOR EUROPEAN COPRODUCTIONS
The order reflects the number of participants in the pitching room for projects co-produced in at least 2 European countries.
- A Lamb's Stew – La Cabane Productions (France), Thuristar (Belgium)
- Esther – Take Five (Belgium), Sacrebleu Productions (France), Rudo Company (Argentina)
- Ooops! The Ark is Stranded – Moetion Films (Ireland), Ulysses Filmsproduktion (Germany)
- Bobby & the Bottle Brigade – Something Big (France), Kavaleer (Ireland)
- Mia Moké – Special Touch Studios & Creative Touch Studios (France), African Touch Studios (Cameroon), Paul Thiltges Distributions (Luxembourg), Ozemnia Studios (Senegal)
- Harmony – Fabrique d'Images (Luxembourg), Fantabulous (France), Freaks Factory (Belgium)
- Guglielmo the Inventor – POPCult (Italy), Animalps Productions (France), Krutart (Czech Republic)
- The Forest Five – Fool Moon (Slovakia), PFX (Czech Republic)
- Once there was... – Bagan Films (France), B Film (Slovakia), Momakin (Poland)
- Steel Hearts – EyeCandyFilm (Denmark), Poster (Croatia), Invida (Slovenia)
TOP 10 • PRESENCE OF BUYERS IN PITCHING SESSIONS
The order reflects the number of buyers present in the pitching room.
- Master of the Unicorns – Cyber Group Studios (France)
- The Wolf in Underpants – KMBO Production & Les Films de l'Arlequin (France)
- Lost in the Future – Ellipse Animation (France)
- A Lamb's Stew – La Cabane Productions (France), Thuristar (Belgium)
My Great Great Great Family! – Dandelooo (France) - The Tour de Fear – Samka Animation (France)
- Mary & Franky – Media Valley (France)
My Life is a Manga – Brain Comet & Blue Spirit (France) - The Shrimps – Autour de Minuit (France)
- Ooops! The Ark is Stranded – Moetion Films (Ireland), Ulysses Filmsproduktion (Germany)
- H.O.M.E – TeamTO (France)
- Bin Buddies – Millimages (France)
THE TRENDS OF CARTOON FORUM 2024
Newcomers and rising talents. Among the 65 selected projects this year, 19 are making their debut. We’re pleased to see our promising Cartoon Springboard participants breaking into the audiovisual sector: “All Good” (Glow, Spain), “Bitches” (Caïmans Productions, France), and “No Pets!” (Nuvole e Strisce, Italy). Additionally, projects such as “The Broos” (Bobby Prod, France) and “Titan Tofu” (UniKo Estudio Creativo, Spain), to name a few, were also selected.
Crossover projects. An increasing number of projects, particularly those targeting younger audiences, are embracing a transmedia approach that integrates various platforms and social networks. “My Life is a Manga” (Brain Comet and Blue Spirit, France) features a web series and mobile games, while “Mechozaurs: The Voice From Afar” (Laniakea Pictures, Poland) is a fantasy series based on an anthology of 10 comics by acclaimed writers and illustrators from around the globe.
Adult animation keeps gaining ground. Projects for Young Adults / Adults have surged to 24% of the selection, tripling since 2019, while series for family audiences remain stable at 8%. Key issues relevant to Millennials and Gen Z are highlighted in the projets, such as workplace violence and open discussions on intimacy, like in “All Good” which follows the main character’s emotional journey through burnout, or “The Broos” and “Bitches”, which explore everyday stories by delving into the characters’ inner thoughts, making them deeply relatable to viewers.
Support to projects and young creatives from the local territory. This year’s selection featured three projects supported by the Occitanie Region: “Our Lil’ Adventures” from Xbo films, “Animals in a nutshell” from Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée & Les Films d’Ici, and “Marie Curie’s Great War” from Tripode Productions.
A full day of masterclasses was held as part of the Coaching Programme, tailored for young talents from 12 local French schools. On Thursday afternoon, CARTOON hosted a mini-pitch workshop where six selected projects were presented to regional experts. At the conclusion of the session, the Occitanie Region awarded a participation in Cartoon Springboard 2024 to the project “Kär et le mystère de Noël” from Le Centre Universitaire de Tarn-et-Garonne - Institut Supérieur Couleur, Image, Design (ISCID - Montauban).
A NEW & FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR
A delegation of 35 publishers from 11 countries attended the event. Thanks to a new collaboration with Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), we organised, for the first time, an afternoon dedicated to networking, with a focus on publishers and animation participants. 136 participants registered with approximately 250 meetings scheduled over a two-hour period. A total of 25 countries were represented. The most requested companies for meetings included: Netflix, Andarta Pictures, DeAPlaneta Entertainment, Banijay Kids & Family, Studio 100 International, Mediatoon Distribution, Miam! Distribution, Toei Animation Europe, Xilam Animation, Gaumont Global Animation & Family, and ORF Austrian Broadcasting.
SAVE THE DATE
Cartoon Forum 2025 will happen from 15 to 18 September in Toulouse. Registration will open as soon as April 2025.
CARTOON FORUM'S ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER THE YEARS
Created in 1990 to boost the co-production and distribution of European animation for television and new media platforms, Cartoon Forum has, over its 35 year journey, helped 1,002 animation series obtain financing to the tune of 3.7 billion EUR. Discover more about the celebrations for its 35th anniversary edition.