01/10/2026 - The laureate of the new Best Pitch Award, presented by the Polish Film Institute, was the Danish animated series Pony Pony, which bewitched all of the accredited attendees

Pony Pony producer Thomas Borch Nielsen receiving the Best Pitch Award (© Wojtek Chrubasik)

After a day packed with lively pitching sessions for 21 projects (16 in development and five works in progress), taking in series, films, animation, live action, fiction and documentary, the tenth edition of Young Horizons Industry (YHI, 28-30 September) handed out its prizes – for the first time including two cash awards – during a ceremony hosted by its new head, Anna E Dziedzic (see the interview). Participants pointed out that they particularly enjoyed having had feedback from all attendees, including the returning “young experts”, an initiative that YHI is especially proud of, as connecting children's content creators to their target audience is both complex and paramount.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Reflecting this emphasis on feedback and input, the winner of the brand-new Best Pitch Award, presented by the Polish Film Institute, was chosen by all accredited participants. The PLN 15,000 (approximately €3,424) cash prize went to the Danish project Pony Pony, directed by Kirsten Skytte and produced by Thomas Borch Nielsen, a wacky, animated TV series about three tiny ponies who have had enough of being rejected and use every trick in the book to secure leading roles in the stable.

The DeAPlaneta Award, comprising a €1,000 cash prize and a co-production opportunity, went to Pixel, presented by producer Francesca Portalupi, animation director Sara Tagariello, and director and animator Yassmin Yaghmai. The Italian animated series follows two siblings who discover a quirky AI on the run from the system that created her and who embark on a series of slapstick adventures revolving around digital dilemmas, from FOMO to filters, likes and algorithms.

The Documentary Feature Film Studios (WFDiF) Award, worth €12,000 in post-production services, was granted to the Polish live-action feature Pola and the Christmas Catastrophe, written by Marcin Osiadacz, produced by Iza Kiszka, and centring on a nine-year-old girl intent on preventing her demonic uncle from destroying Christmas. This project in development also won the ATM Virtual Award, which consists of one day of shooting on an LED stage, preceded by one day of pre-lighting, altogether representing €21,000.

The Wrocław Feature Film Studio Award, worth €10,000 and giving access to a great range of resources and sound stages, went to the Czech animated film Norm & Gnomes, produced by Tomas Eiselt, where an 11-year-old tries to save all of the things that connected his grandmother to her past, and learns along the way that nothing is lost as long as we remember.

The Aeroplan Award, coming with €5,000 worth of sound post-production services, went to Christmas at Ram’s Inn, another winter-holiday-set, live-action feature, this time from Norway, in which a boy and an elf girl are pitted against a bitter, fallen elf who threatens to ruin Christmas. The prize was received by producer David Leader and screenwriter Vilde Eide.

The only WIP in this year's list of winners got the No Problemo Music Award, a free music licence for songs from the Audio Network’s library for use in the production itself and all promotional materials, without any restrictions on time, territory or fields of use. The lucky project was the Polish animated series Meow Clique – not a gang, but a lifestyle, as the logline goes – produced by Anna Głowik and Jakub Karwowski.

Finally, the m:brane Award, offering direct access to the official selection at m:brane 2027 in Malmö, went to the Icelandic animated series Alfie's Alright!, presented by producer Heather Millard and revolving around a young elf who moves to the city and has to navigate an experience close to that of being an immigrant in a new country.

Here is the list of winners at the tenth Young Horizons Industry:

Best Pitch Award
Pony Pony (animated series)
Producer: Nice Ninja (Denmark)

DeAPlaneta Award
Pixel (animated series)
Producers: Indyca, So What (Italy)

Documentary Feature Film Studios (WFDiF) Award
Pola and the Christmas Catastrophe (live-action film)
Producer: Watchout Studio (Poland)

Wrocław Feature Film Studio Award
Norm & Gnomes (animated film)
Producer: Blue Light Pictures (Czech Republic)

ATM Virtual Award
Pola and the Christmas Catastrophe

Aeroplan Award 
Christmas at Ram’s Inn (live-action film)
Producers: 73 Eyes, Screen Story (Norway)

No Problemo Music Award  
Meow Clique (animated series)
Producers: Letko, Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Poland)

m:brane Award
Alfie’s Alright! (animated series)
Producer: Compass Films (Iceland)