20/09/2024 - We take a closer look at four of the seven new Italian projects pitched at the Toulouse-based gathering

The team behind Mission: Delta pitching their project (© Cartoon)

This year’s edition of Cartoon Forum trained the spotlight on Italian animation. During the gathering, which ran from 16-19 September, seven new projects from the country were pitched to the industry reps in attendance. As things stand, Italy’s animation sector is made up of 6,000 workers, 60% of whom are aged under 35. The global turnover of the country’s industry is roughly €200 million.

The spotlight was organised in partnership with the regional film commissions from Sardinia, Marche, Lazio, Piedmont and Tuscany, and was coordinated by Cartoon Italia. In this article, we take a closer look at four of the projects pitched in Toulouse.

Mission: Delta - Mari­no Guarnieri (Italy)
Produced by Giuseppe Sac­cà for Eagle Original Content and co-produced by Luciano Stella for MAD Entertainment, the 26x11-minute comedy-adventure-sci-fi show aims to intercept children aged between six and nine. The 2D/3D story is an adaptation of Maria Scoglio and Cristina Sivieri Tagliabue’s 2021 book Mis­sione Democrazia. Scoglio and director Marino Guarnieri are taking care of its animated adaptation. The question that prompted the team’s creative process is: what if kids were the ones who made the rules in this world? The show zooms in on a group of young astronauts from the prestigious WASA Space Academy embarking on a space mission. They will find out that becoming citizens of a faraway, unknown planet could potentially turn into an amazing adventure. Sixty percent of the project’s budget has been secured through public funding and private investments. The team said they have just started the writing process, aiming to wrap production by the end of 2026. They are seeking for distributors, financiers and co-producers.

Matita HB – Francesco Forti, Victoria Musci (Italy)
The 26x11-minute 2D show, targeting kids aged from 9-11, is based on the books by Susanna Mattiangeli and Rita Petruccioli (translated into 11 languages), and is being produced by Giuseppe Lo Vero and Federico Turani for Ibrido Studio. The plot follows Matita, a ten-year-old girl who rewrites in her diary her version of reality thanks to her “compulsive” imagination. A simple piece of geography research turns into an adventure on a galleon, sailing the seas of boredom. A race turns into an epic mythological tale, as long as her crush is running with her. An investigation into a betrayal looks like a film noir if it involves her best friend. Every day is made up of a new story, a new literary genre and a little life lesson for her future self, so that she won’t forget it once she grows up. Her imagination, however, also shows her things that scare her – things to run away from.

Zooming in on the show’s concept, the producers said: “With Matita HB, we want to tell children of the importance of expressing what they imagine, rather than drifting away from reality and being dragged into solitude. Writing is a tangible tool to describe thoughts, understand yourself, and communicate your needs and fears. The series is a sort of manual for children on how to face everyday life with a personal perspective, using creativity to explore their feelings.” The project is set to enter production in 2026.

Mind­TOON­ness - Valentina Mazzola (Italy)
In this 10x25-minute 2D project being produced by Lucia Vismara for Vismanimation and budgeted at €3.5 million, “positive change through psychology” and “engaging stories” take centre stage. Based on writer, psychologist and entrepreneur Luca Mazzucchelli’s SerenaMente series of books, the show aims to intercept young viewers aged between four and eight, and is made up of TV specials designed to ignite kids’ imagination and foster healthy development. It boasts feel-good, anthropomorphic characters that children can relate to. They live with their families in a fantastical land that combines snowy mountains and tropical forests. While the setting is diverse and magical, the animals’ adventures serve as allegories for important psychological concepts, helping the young audience grow up as healthy, strong adults. Mind­TOON­ness has been defined as “a co-viewing and co-learning experience”, characterised by a “gentle, adventurous and uplifting tone”. The project entails extensive transmedia development, including a gaming app, school and crafting activities, short videos, songs and the creation of an “orientation compass for caregivers”. The team is now looking for “like-minded partners, broadcasters, co-producers and investors”, aiming to enter production in January 2025.

Guglielmo the Inventor – Danilo Caracciolo (Italy/France/Czech Republic)
The 26x13-minute 2D project, a co-production between Italy’s POPCult, France’s Animalps Productions and Czech studio Krutart, was presented on stage by producer Giusi Santoro.

The story follows Guglielmo and his brother Alfonso as they welcome their cousin Daisy, who comes from Scotland to spend her holiday in their villa amidst the hills south of Bologna. They need to find a way to stay in touch from a distance when she has to go back home far away after the summer. Guglielmo leads the experiments, helped by the other two and inspired by the real story of Guglielmo Marconi, the wireless pioneer.

Budgeted at €3.8 million and backed by the European Union’s Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission and the Municipality of Bologna, the project is now in late development – a trailer, a pilot episode and all of the episode outlines are available. The show aims to intercept an audience aged between six and nine.