The European animation industry is preparing to reconvene in Toulouse for the 37th edition of Cartoon Forum, set to unspool from 14-17 September. This year, the pitching and co-production gathering will showcase 66 animated projects selected from 111 submissions, alongside an expanded programme encompassing financing initiatives, international collaboration, training, networking and the Cartoon Forum Tributes.

The official selection consists of 61 TV series and five TV specials, amounting to 330 hours of prospective programming and a combined budget of €283.58 million – ie. €4.30 million per project on average. Nineteen countries are represented as main producers, with France accounting for 32 projects, followed by Ireland with six, Germany with five and Spain with four. Six projects hail from Central and Eastern Europe, while a further six originate in the Nordic countries.

International collaboration remains a major feature of the line-up. Twenty-six projects – representing 39% of the selection – are being developed as co-productions, with 15 countries involved as co-producing territories. The programme is also continuing its gradual move beyond traditional children’s programming: 17 projects, ie. 26% of the slate, target teenagers, young adults or adults.

Several projects also illustrate the connections between Cartoon Forum and other European development and industry platforms. WAW Resort, produced by Spain’s Peekaboo Animation, and the French project OUCH!, staged by Anna Films, both took part in Cartoon Springboard. Meanwhile, the German productions Emotsters (Blaue Pampelmuse) and Reinventing Herman (Wolkenlenker) gained access through the Animation Production Days, while Tolo & Bolo (Filmograf), from Poland, was awarded direct access by the CEE Animation Forum jury.

The host region will be represented by three projects produced in Occitanie: Xbo Films’ The Banana Complex, Dwarf Entertainment’s PlasticLand and Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée’s The Old Ladie and the Dragon.

Amongst the broader programme highlights is a Cartoon Talk titled “How do Children’s Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) remain relevant to Young Audiences in the Digital Era?”, scheduled for 15 September. Marysol Charbonneau, director of youth and family content at Télé-Québec, Telidja Klaï, content manager at VRT-Ketnet, and Tiphaine de Raguenel, director of editorial strategy for France Télévisions, will discuss how public-service media can retain young audiences at a time when viewing habits increasingly tend to migrate away from linear television towards platforms and on-demand environments. John Lomas-Bullivant will moderate the session.

International outreach will be highlighted on 16 September through the “Québec-Canada Land in Europe: A Space for Creation” initiative, the first dedicated presentation of Québec and Canadian animation series at Cartoon Forum. Six projects will be pitched: Algorythm; El Kapoutchi, The King of Villains; Miss Tzatziki’s Classroom Mysteries; Alien Book Club; The Labradoodles; Semanka. This spotlight session is backed by SODEC, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund.

After its launch last year, Fill the Gap is also returning as Cartoon attempts to respond to the persistent financing difficulties affecting European animation. The scheme targets former Cartoon Forum projects which have secured at least 70% of their budgets and already have a commissioning broadcaster attached, but still require additional financing to enter production.

The Forum will likewise maintain its focus on emerging talent through its Coaching Programme, which allows around 80 students from various animation schools across the Occitanie region to meet producers and industry professionals. The programme includes masterclasses on production, pitching and broadcasting, and a mini-pitch workshop which will showcase six student projects.

Networking remains integral to Cartoon Forum. The bulk of the pitching sessions will run from 15-17 September. The final afternoon will combine Fill the Gap with one-to-one meetings designed to connect producers with potential financiers, buyers and other partners.

Another major feature of the event are the Cartoon Forum Tributes, which recognise broadcasters, investors/distributors and producers who have contributed to the development of European animation. Participants attending the Forum will vote for the winners in the three traditional categories and this year, a newly created Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute will acknowledge a European production company or initiative’s contribution to environmental sustainability. This new award was devised in partnership with non-profit organisation Ecoprod, which selected its three nominees and will choose the winner.

Competing for Broadcaster of the Year are the BBC (UK), Südwestrundfunk/SWR (Germany) and Sveriges Television/SVT (Sweden). For Investor/Distributor of the Year, the contenders are Folivari International (France), Mediawan Kids & Family (France) and Studio 100 International (Germany). The nominees for Producer of the Year are Bionaut (Czech Republic), Bobby Prod (France), Mago Production (Spain) and Mélusine Studio (Luxembourg). Finally, running for the inaugural Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute are Gao Shan Pictures (France), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland) and La Cabane Productions (France). The winners of the Tributes will be announced on 17 September.

The full line-up of projects below:

Adonis
Production: Brain Comet (France)

The Adventures of Icarus and Ariadne
Production: Wonder Legends Studio (Poland), Primal Shape (Italy), Peng! Boom! Tschak! Films (Germany)

Agatha & Hercules
Production: Method Animation (France)

Akissi
Production: Ellipsanime Productions (France)

Animal Jack
Production: Ellipsanime Productions (France)

Atta Slam
Production: Submarine Animation (Netherlands), Igloo Studio (Thailand)

The Banana Complex
Production: Xbo Films (France)

Banane Has Questions
Production: Haut et Court (France), Hélium Films (Switzerland)

Beat Street
Production: Paper Owl Films (Ireland)

Beyond
Production: Funny Tales (Greece)

Bird
Production: Blue Spirit Productions (France)

Buffalo Johansson
Production: Cartouche (Belgium)

Calinours
Production: Les Films de l’École des Loisirs (France), Les Films de l’Arlequin (France)

Cara & Bran
Production: Telegael (Ireland)

Curl Power
Production: Toon2Tango (Germany)

Dandelion
Production: Treehouse Republic (Ireland)

Danny Denfer
Production: Watch Next Media (France)

Dog and I
Production: Sacrebleu Productions (France)

Dream Tango
Production: Uncloudy & Co (Sweden)

The Electron Boy
Production: Motion Pictures Entertainment (Spain)

Emma Makes Waves
Production: La Cabane Productions (France)

Emotsters
Production: Blaue Pampelmuse (Germany)

Epic Family
Production: Animagency (Finland)

Ernestine
Production: Ad Astra (France), Laïdak Films (France)

Fantasy Riders
Production: Hampa Studio (Spain), Panini (Spain)

Free Range
Production: Passion Paris Productions (France), Passion Pictures (UK)

Funny Feelings
Production: Sixteen South (Ireland)

Garden Square
Production: Distillery Films (Ireland), Watch Next Media (France), A Productions (UK)

Heroes of Bronze
Production: Elysian Dreams (Czech Republic)

In the Workfield
Production: Vana Animation Studio (Romania)

Jasmine
Production: TeamTO Films (France), Sandship (France)

Lily & Kyle
Production: Mago Production (Spain), Alopra Estudio (Brazil)

The Little Shadow Thief
Production: Frog Box (France), Toutes Ces Choses (France)

Lunar Squad
Production: Mondo TV France (France), Nalu Animation (France)

Lussekatt
Production: Les Films de l’Arlequin (France)

Maggie Maggou and the Wish Lab
Production: Folimage (France)

Marilou
Production: Media Valley (France)

Mebh and the Wolf Pups
Production: Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Mélusine Studio (Luxembourg)

The Mini Missions
Production: 20 Pictures to Midnight (Belgium), La Fabrique d’Images (Luxembourg), Trickstudio Lutterbeck (Germany), Will Productions (France)

Minifauna
Production: Anima Vitae (Finland)

Mitten Pals
Production: Zographic Films (Bulgaria), Big Bad Boo Studios (Austria)

Nate in a Pickle
Production: Kopli Kinokompani (Estonia)

The Old Ladie and the Dragon
Production: Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée (France)

The Otherness
Production: Deal Productions (Luxembourg), Melusine Studio (Luxembourg)

OUCH!
Production: Anna Films (France)

Outside Kabul
Production: Les Films du Poisson (France), Tchack (France), Ström Pictures (Denmark)

Pélagie of Navarique
Production: Les Astronautes (France)

Pie in the Sky
Production: JPL Films (France)

Plasticland
Production: Dwarf Entertainment (France)

Rainy Days
Production: Animadre Studios (Austria), Laïdak Films (France), CUB Animation (Hungary)

Reinventing Herman
Production: Wolkenlenker (Germany)

Rock Me Amadeus!
Production: Big Idea Farm (Germany), Markand Media (Austria), Animoon (Poland)

The Roots of My Hair
Production: Gao Shan Pictures (France), Bigger Than Fiction (France)

S(e)ummer Stories
Production: Werlen Ipsum (France), Premier Degré (France)

Scope of the Universe
Production: LØV Film (Norway), Bionaut (Czech Republic)

Scraplings
Production: Made by Us (Denmark)

Spill the Tea
Production: Novanima (France)

Stitch Head
Production: Gringo Films (Germany), La Fabrique d’Images (France)

To Be Tween
Production: Graphilm (Italy)

Toco Toco
Production: Xilam Animation (France)

Tolo & Bolo
Production: Filmograf (Poland)

Underground
Production: Caïmans Productions (France)

Valdra
Production: Skjaldborn (Denmark)

Waven
Production: Ankama (France)

WAW Resort
Production: Peekaboo Animation (Spain)

Zombie Kidz
Production: Piano Sano (France)