CARTOON is pleased to announce a new partnership with Toscana Film Commission to support emerging animation talent through Cartoon Springboard 2026.
TFC and Cartoon Springboard are joining forces to empower the next generation of animation creators, bridging Italian talent with the international market through intensive training and industry-led mentorship.
As a department of Fondazione Sistema Toscana, the organisation offers a range of free services to support audiovisual productions operating in Tuscany. It also manages Manifatture Digitali Cinema (MDC), a regional audiovisual infrastructure project that provides production facilities, operational support and high-level training programmes for industry professionals.
In 2026, Toscana Film Commission launched the Kids & Teens Development Labs for Audiovisual Content for Young Audiences, a specialised training programme designed to support emerging creators in developing original projects for young audiences. Bringing together authors, producers and showrunners, the initiative supports projects across animation, live-action series, documentaries and entertainment formats through mentoring, collaborative writing sessions and direct industry networking. Guided by leading international experts, participants develop their projects to meet the standards of the national and international audiovisual market.
Among the programme’s training paths is the Animation AI Product Manager Lab, an innovative initiative that combines traditional animation practices with generative artificial intelligence, helping participants explore new approaches to storytelling, character development and production workflows.
The programme culminates in a pitching event hosted at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, where participants present their projects to Italian and international producers, distributors and broadcasters.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to helping young creators build their careers and connect with the European animation industry. Through this collaboration, projects developed within the Kids & Teens programme will be encouraged to apply to Cartoon Springboard 2026, where selected participants will have the opportunity to pitch their projects, receive expert feedback and meet leading animation professionals from across Europe.
To support this pathway, Toscana Film Commission will cover the accreditation cost, travel and accommodation costs of a number of talents participating in the Kids & Teens programme whose projects are selected to attend Cartoon Springboard.
Together, CARTOON and Toscana Film Commission aim to create new opportunities for emerging creators and contribute to the future of European animation.