03/07/2025 - 24 projects from 16 countries will be presented at Warsaw’s international co-production forum for films and series targeting young audiences

Young Horizons Industry has announced the official selection for its ninth edition, set to take place from 29 September-1 October in Warsaw. A total of 24 projects – 20 in the In Development category and four in Work in Progress – have been chosen from among a record-breaking 111 submissions hailing from 56 countries. As in previous years, the event will be held in a hybrid format, with both on-site and online participation.

The 2025 selection showcases a strong presence of Central and Eastern European countries, with Poland leading with five selected projects, followed by Estonia (three), and the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary and Latvia contributing one each. Other European territories represented include Germany (four), Denmark (two), France (two) and the UK (two), along with single entries from Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Sweden. In total, 16 countries are involved in the selected line-up, including co-productions.

The 13 selected movies comprise seven live-action and six animated titles, while the 11 selected series include five animated, five live-action and one hybrid show with animated elements. The projects target diverse age groups, with the majority aimed at children aged 7-12 (46%), followed by young adults (37%), preschoolers (21%) and teens (12%). Several projects are designed to appeal to multiple age categories.

A broad range of genres is present, from fantasy and comedy to crime, adventure and drama. Many projects explore important themes such as mental health, first love, inclusivity, technology and social justice. Topics like social anxiety, hypersensitivity, child poverty, environmental awareness and personal identity are particularly prominent in this year’s selection.

Notably, Rise of the Water Fox, Headrush and Ela’s Top-Secret Diary 2 delve into mental-health issues among youngsters, while Drone City, Children of the Wind Mother and The Babirusa address questions of coexistence, inclusivity and environmental themes. Meanwhile, titles such as Aliens FC, Onno & Ontje – Friends Are the Best Gift and Superception promise light-hearted adventures and family-friendly viewing. Returning production companies include Animoon (Megi Zigi Dance), Blaue Pampelmuse (Onno & Ontje), Czech Television (Ela’s Top-Secret Diary 2) and Bulletproof Cupid (School of Thieves), among others.

This year, for the first time, Young Horizons Industry introduces a new curated section, Spotlight on Croatia, which will feature sneak-peek screenings of nearly completed Croatian projects and aims to foster co-production opportunities with the country.

The 2025 selection was curated by a five-member jury: Selma Munksgaard Hansen (Angel Films, Denmark), Julietta Sichel (8Heads Productions, Czech Republic), Maja Fišter (HRT, Croatia), Jakub Karwowski (Letko, Poland) and Gennarino Romano (Dandelooo, France).

All selected projects will be eligible for several industry prizes, including in-kind and service awards from Wroclaw Feature Film Studio, FIXAFILM and No Problemo Music, as well as direct invitations to events such as m:brane and the CEE Animation Forum.

In parallel, the call for projects for the Project Pool, the non-pitching section of the forum, is open from 2-31 July. Project Pool offers more visibility and opportunities to producers and screenwriters to help them find potential producers or partners and gain feedback without actually pitching the project on stage. Projects from this section will have a chance to win the PFX Award. Both producers and screenwriters can submit a project to the Project Pool.

Further details about the projects, the Spotlight on Croatia and the Project Pool are available here. Young Horizons Industry is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, Creative Europe - MEDIA and the City of Warsaw. Spotlight on Croatia is organised in cooperation with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.

Here is the list of selected projects:

In Development

25% (live-action series)
Producer: Cinebonbon (Czech Republic)
Co-producer: Rabbit & Friends

Ann Was Here (live-action series)
Producer: Allfilm OÜ (Estonia)
Co-producer: Moondustfilms

The Babirusa (animated film)
Producer: Tchack (France)
Co-producer: ARAPROD

Children of the Wind Mother (animated film)
Producer: Filmfabriq/Ulab (Hungary)

Cloudy & Stormy (animated series)
Producer: Laniakea Pictures (Poland)

Drone City (animated series)
Producer: Monde et Media TV (France)
Co-producer: Karandash Animation Studio

Headrush (live-action series)
Producer: Randan (UK)

Higher Pitch (live-action series)
Producer: Fíbín Media (Ireland)
Co-producer: Fíbín Films Northern Ireland (UK)

A Hundred Days at Home (live-action series)
Producer: Jamedia Production (Finland)

In Between (animated series)
Producer: Sparre Production (Denmark)

Megi Zigi Dance (animated series)
Producer: Animoon (Poland)

Onno & Ontje – Friends Are the Best Gift (animated film)
Producer: Blaue Pampelmuse (Germany)

Princess Eats Lion (live-action film)
Producer: Mirikal Filmproduktion (Germany)
Co-producer: YALfilm Productions

Rise of the Water Fox (live-action film)
Producer: Stellar Film (Estonia)

School of Thieves (live-action film)
Producer: Bulletproof Cupid (Belgium)
Co-producer: Eleven (Netherlands)

Socks (animated film)
Producer: Page to Pictures (Poland)

Steel Hearts (animated film) - m:brane award winner
Producer: EyeCandyFilm (Denmark/Croatia)

Summer in the Gardens (live-action film)
Producer: Running Rabbit Films (Poland)

Superception (live-action film)
Producer: Delta Film (Poland)

Valentino the Dream Sheep (animated series)
Producer: Sideways Studios (Germany)
Co-producer: Zooper Film (Sweden)

Work in Progress

Aliens FC (animated film)
Producer: Magic Frame Animation (Cyprus/UK)

Dirt in Your Face (live-action film)
Producer: Taska Film (Estonia/Germany/Latvia)
Co-producers: Apollo Film Productions, Film Angels Studio, Shoot'n'Post

Ela’s Top-Secret Diary 2 (live-action series with animated elements)
Producer: Czech Television (Czech Republic)

Like! (aka A Smartphone Story) (animated film)
Producer: Capitán Araña (Spain)