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A new edition focused on the future of animation and emerging industry perspectives.
From April 23 to 25 in Marseille, CARTOON organized the 4th edition of CartoonNext, bringing together the European professional animation community to explore the future of the industry and its technological, professional, and structural outlook, while seeking answers on how to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.
CartoonNext 2025 explored numerous perspectives for the future of animation and offered industry professionals a space to meet and exchange ideas about the challenges ahead.
The participants of CartoonNext 2025
The 4th edition of CartoonNext brought together 269 animation professionals from 24 countries. This marked a record level of attendance since the event's creation. This growing participation highlights the increasing importance of the event and the value of this type of training for European animation professionals who seek to deepen their understanding of the issues addressed by CartoonNext.
Among the 269 participants, 5,6% (15 people from 9 countries) received a scholarship from CARTOON, supported by the Creative Europe Media Programme, to attend the event. The grant recipients came from the following 9 countries: Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
The programme of CartoonNext2025
Staying true to its mission of anticipating and responding to developments in the sector, CartoonNext dedicated three days to exploring the evolution of the creative and digital industries. This was achieved through professional panels as well as the presentation of projects from across Europe, all distinguished by their multi-platform strategies.
CartoonNext 2025 offered a comprehensive program featuring 14 keynotes, case studies, and panels led by top-tier experts from various sectors. The main themes of this 4th edition included:
When creativity meets technology
Innovating in the art of storytelling: pioneering new narrative forms
The power of intellectual property: winning strategies for franchises
New partnerships and platforms: creating original ideas and hybrid genres
Local innovation, global impact
Key moments of the programme
CartoonNext reaffirmed its role as a catalyst for innovation and exchange among animation industry professionals on the key issues of tomorrow.
- The rise of Artificial Intelligence was the central topic of this year’s event. Keynotes and panel discussions, led by speakers from a wide range of backgrounds, explored the many questions raised by this emerging technology.
- Creativity was also a core focus of this edition. A dominant theme emerged from the discussions: emotion. Creativity is deeply human because it evokes feeling. Artists and creators channel their emotions, experiences, and personal stories into their work — it becomes an extension of themselves.
- The topic of transmedia storytelling also featured prominently. A key takeaway was that transmedia is not just an endpoint, but also a starting point. The rise of platforms such as Roblox, webtoons, Minecraft, as well as virtual and augmented realities, reflects a growing public interest in content delivered through new media and in new forms.
NEW! For the first time at CartoonNext 2025, we introduced end-of-day sessions: the “Takeaways”. These dynamic Q&A sessions with the audience aimed to highlight the key ideas, discussions, and standout moments from the day, while fostering greater interaction between speakers and participants. These sessions were very well received, with attendees appreciating the opportunity to ask more questions and benefit from a concise recap of the day’s themes. They will become a recurring feature in future editions.
About the speakers
This year, CARTOON brought together 42 speakers and experts in Marseille, representing 12 different countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, the United States, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland). They were invited not only to give talks but also to assess the 8 selected projects.
Focus on the South territory
This year, the opening session of the event was dedicated to the outlook for the animation industry in the Région Sud.
During this session, SudAnim — the association of animation and video game professionals in the Région Sud — showcased the region’s local talent, innovative expertise, and future prospects for the animation sector.
We also introduced two new initiatives to further promote the city of Marseille, its region, its local products, and its tourist activities.
With the support of the Tourist Office, we created a dedicated webpage allowing event participants to access key tourist activities at discounted rates.
With the help of the Fabriqué à Marseille label, we offered participants stands featuring local products.
Short films screenings
As in previous years, CartoonNext featured screenings of local short films.
Two screenings were organized on the second day of the event. These screenings aimed to showcase local creative talent.
The following two short films were presented:
"Au Revoir mon Monde", directed by Estelle Bonnardel, Quentin Devred, Baptiste Duchamps, Maxime Foltzer, Florian Maurice, and Astrid Novais from MoPA. The film has received several awards, including the Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards (USA) and the Student Jury Prize at the European Short Film Festival in Bordeaux (France).
"Jour de Vent", directed by Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Choe Lab, Hugo Taillez, and Camille Truding from L’École des Nouvelles Images (ENSI).
The multi-platform projects presented in 2025
8 projects from across Europe — specifically designed for digital platforms — were selected by the Selection Committee:
The 8 projects presented this year came from 7 European countries: Bulgaria (1), Finland (1), France (2), Iceland (1), Norway (1), Slovenia (1), and Spain (1).
The majority of the selected projects targeted children aged 6–9 (4 projects) and young adults (3 projects), while 1 project was aimed at preschoolers.
These were ambitious projects with innovative transmedia strategies spanning a wide range of animated formats (TV series, films, digital content), as well as games (mobile, video, board games, toys), publishing, music, live performance, and AR/VR experiences.
The full list of selected projects for 2025 can be found here.
Business & Networking at the heart of CartoonNext
Alongside the sessions held in the main conference hall of the World Trade Center in the heart of Marseille, CartoonNext organized social networking opportunities for all participants.
One key example is the One-to-One meetings, which were held — just as in previous years — on the first day of the event. These meetings were open to all attendees and served as an icebreaker, allowing participants to get to know one another from the very beginning, not just locally but also on an international level.
This format was well received by participants. In 2025, 86 meetings were organized, involving 14% of participants from 17 countries and various sectors (including writers, publishers, investors, broadcasters, directors, producers, and more).
Beyond the sessions, CartoonNext offers golden opportunities for networking, especially through its social events — including the welcome dinner, buffets, coffee breaks, experts’ dinner, and the closing cocktail.
The concept of the event is simple: business without stress!
The Coaching Programme dedicated to young talents in the Region
CartoonNext 2025 also offered a Coaching Programme for around fifty students from animation schools in the Région Sud–Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, led by mentor Agnès Bizzaro.
The Coaching Programme is a training initiative designed to build a bridge between the new generation and emerging talent. The programme was followed by 47 students and teachers from 8 schools in the region:
Brassart Aix-en-Provence
École de Condé Marseille (EDC)
MoPA School
ECV Aix-en-Provence (new in 2025)
ESRA – Côte d’Azur
Lycée Marie-Curie
MJM Graphic Design
Ynov Campus Aix-en-Provence
Mini-pitch workshop
As in previous years, a Mini-Pitch Workshop was held as part of the Coaching Programme, giving students the opportunity to present a project before a panel of experts and receive direct feedback.
6 projects were selected by the selection committee, composed of Florian Cabane (Région Sud), Chrystel Poncet (MaGic C / SudAnim), Marc Rius (TNZPV), and Agnès Bizzaro (Coaching Programme mentor and Editorial Director of Cartoon Springboard):
"Forget me Not" by Emma Desanti (École de Condé)
"Le Lien de la Rouille" by Margot Bernardin, Yann Pujol, Julie Mouillor, Zoé Guilvout, and Lilian Baron (École de Condé)
"Marciss" by Lily-Chance Pata, Bertille Sechet, and Marine Rouland (Lycée Marie-Curie)
"Sors de ta Tête" by Maël Duchateau, Louise Badea, Raphaëlle Gillet-Ligny, and Lisandra Fanon-Palinacci (Lycée Marie-Curie)
"Mon Corps est en Vie" by Narcisse Petit and Adèle Collin (MoPA School)
"Sormiou" by Noé Doulière (MoPA School)
Award-winning projects were:
Région Sud Prize (a free accreditation to MIFA Annecy): "Marciss" by Lily-Chance Pata, Bertille Sechet, and Marine Rouland (Lycée Marie-Curie)
Do Not Disturb Prize (a spot in the residency): "Sormiou" by Noé Doulière (MoPA School)
Cartoon Springboard Prize (a free accreditation to Cartoon Springboard 2025): "Sors de ta Tête" by Maël Duchateau, Louise Badea, Raphaëlle Gillet-Ligny, and Lisandra Fanon-Palinacci (Lycée Marie-Curie)
The Portfolio Review
A new initiative introduced in the 2024 edition of the Coaching Programme was renewed in 2025 with some improvements: the Portfolio Review.
This workshop gave students the opportunity to meet in small groups (4 to 5 students) with professionals from the animation industry to receive feedback on their portfolios and advice on how to build a strong one.
10 mentors were brought in for the occasion, representing various sectors of the industry (2D, 3D, stop motion, etc.). A total of 20 one-hour sessions were held (with each group participating in at least two one-hour meetings).
This workshop was once again highly appreciated by both the students and the mentors, and it will be continued next year in the same format.
Results of the survey and thanks of the participants
- 96% of the respondents found the event "excellent" (52%) or "very good" (44%)
- 96% of the respondents would recommend the event to other professionals / colleagues
- 72% of the respondents found the keynotes updated to market trends and relevant to their career development
- 68% of the respondents found that CartoonNext 2025 had led to networking or business opportunities
- 75% of project pitchers consider that the event helped with the development of their project
Save the date!
The next edition of CartoonNext will take place from 8 to 10 April 2026.