Madrid’s Cartoon Springboard ran from 28-30 October this year. On this occasion, 22 projects were pitched by emerging European animation talents and assessed by the experts in attendance. Cineuropa takes a closer look at eight of these new works in development.

MÜMU™, Forget-me-not - Tania Palma Rodríguez (Spain)
Produced by TrendPicStudio, this 85-minute family feature blends comedy, adventure, and themes revolving around physical and mental health. The story follows tech prodigy Elizabeth (“Ellie”) O’Sullivan, who is dragged into a cosmic race against time by her eccentric grandmother Mümu, an interdimensional guardian battling early-onset Alzheimer’s, and a mischievous time god, Cronos. During a summer road trip filled with quirky allies, Ellie evolves from an impatient teen into her grandmother’s emotional anchor, proving their bond can withstand multiversal threats. With an estimated budget of €7.5 million, the team is seeking co-producers and international sales agents, aiming to expand their network and explore the global potential of this “cheeky, heartwarming and universal story”.

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Necroville (Italy)
Necroville, created by Michelangelo Matteuzzi, Indi Arumahandi, Michele Mazzetti, Bianca Serra, Valeria De Vincenzi and Luca Bernardi, is a 26×11-minute animated TV series targeting children aged 6-9. Set in a metropolis of undead creatures, it follows three silly zombies – Capo, Mortifer and Ben Tornata – who are family to one another and always have each other’s backs. When they discover a long-forgotten TV channel showing humans accomplishing extraordinary feats, they hatch a plan to emulate them and stand out in their town. Blending comedy, friendship and action, the series is designed as an expandable narrative universe. The team is seeking producers and broadcasters to bring Necroville to screens and help the series reach a wide audience.

Lido by Oscar Bittner

Lido - Oscar Bittner (Germany)
Lido, written by Sarah M Kempen, is an 80-minute feature targeting teenagers aged 12-15. Inspired by real high divers, it follows Tuan and Felix, lifelong friends who have sacrificed their childhoods to pursue their dreams of Olympic high diving. As the pressure mounts, their friendship and budding love turn into rivalry, culminating in a life-changing dive at the World Cup. More than a sports story, Lido explores the dangers of living under others’ expectations, the toll of mentors’ pressure, and the struggle of young adults seeking their place in the world and with each other. The film blends magical realism with coming-of-age drama, and addresses physical and mental health, diversity and self-discovery.

Adventure Gazing - Nikolaos Bourloukas (Greece)
Adventure Gazing, penned by Chrysiida Alexandraki, is a 26×26-minute TV series aimed at 9- to 11-year-olds, blending comedy, adventure and science fantasy. The story follows Tito Gattito, a scholarship student at Thaia’s Adventure Gazing Organization, whose “laughing touch” seems trivial compared to other powers. He befriends Blaine Velho, an alien-born peer with extraordinary abilities, and together, they explore uncharted planets, meet aliens, face cosmic beings and uncover dark secrets. Over the semester, they confront insecurities and learn about identity, belonging and inevitability. The team is after producers, funding, broadcasters and skilled artists to complete production, with a possible budget of around €150,000 per episode. They hope Cartoon Springboard will foster industry connections and new opportunities.

Marmots by Alex Perrière

Marmots - Alex Perrière (France)
Staged by Werlen Ipsum, the project is a 52×3-minute 3D animated series blending slapstick and tenderness to celebrate family life. Set at a ski resort, it follows Mama and Papa Marmot as they care for their whirlwind brood of 172 pups, turning even simple tasks into epic saves amid comedic chaos. Dialogue-free and light-hearted, the series highlights the natural comedy of children and the wild joys and challenges of parenting, where epic saves triumph over epic fails. Having assured a budget of €2.4 million, the team – including authors Victor Thoulouze, Yann Germain, Valentin Adiba and key creative Gwenn Germain – is attending Cartoon Springboard to seek advice, co-production partners, broadcasters and distributors who share their vision and can help the series reach an international audience.

Off Track - Antoine Gallouin (France)
This animated feature is set seven years after civilisation collapses owing to a bug in all robots’ chips, leaving androids behaving dangerously and unpredictably. The young adult-/adult-orientated tale follows William, a programmer carrying form 1-14-1 to the Tax Office – the only document capable of resetting the robots and restoring humanity. During his journey, he encounters eccentric survivors, from people involved in a bread-factory heist to a castle of mad medical robots, forcing him to question whether to complete his mission or enjoy life’s small pleasures, like roasting marshmallows or admiring a sunset. Gallouin, developing the concept independently and now seeking a producer to secure financing, describes the film as “a meditation on the search for purpose in a collapsing world”.

I Love You, Mr. Earthling! by Linda Marcon (© Linda Marcon)

I Love You, Mr. Earthling! – Linda Marcon (Italy)
This Italian project is a 12×25-minute 2D animated series blending sweetness, humour and 1990s-2000s pop-culture nostalgia. Set in 1999, it follows K4000R177A (Carina), a young alien girl who crash-lands in Stillsbury, California, and disguises herself as a human while gathering supplies. She meets Alex, a high-schooler by day and hacker by night, who saves her from local thugs, sparking an immediate romantic connection. Using her alien powers – which recharge when she eats sweets – Carina must also evade Dr Smorlok, a mutated virus obsessed with her human form, as they both race for the Love-o-BLAST 2000, a weapon capable of conquering hearts and galaxies. Marcon seeks producers and collaborators to bring this €4.5 million passion project to life.

Kasimir & Grandpa Tree – Arne Hain (Germany)
Penned by Theresa Worm, the project is an upper-preschool series following Kasimir and his forgetful grandfather, a tree, on a whimsical quest to recover the latter’s lost hat. Along the way, they encounter other characters, navigate conflicts born of Grandpa’s forgetfulness and Kasimir’s stubbornness, and ultimately discover the depth of their emotional bond. Produced by PixelPEC GmbH together with Sebastian Simon, the project is planned as 13 episodes of seven minutes each, with an estimated budget of €1 million and a simple, character-focused visual style. Currently seeking international broadcasters and co-production partners, the team hopes to expand the series to 26 episodes.