Event Preview: Cartoon Forum

Cartoon Forum is returning to Toulouse, France, from September 15 to 18, with an agenda firmly focused on providing new solutions for producers, distributors and buyers.

More than 850 delegates have committed to attending this year’s edition, Annick Maes, general director of CARTOON, which organizes the annual event, tells TV Kids, including 230 buyers. First-time participation makes up 11.5 percent of that count.

“We’re once again seeing a vibrant mix of returning professionals and newcomers, which reinforces Cartoon Forum’s unique role as a key meeting point for the European animation community,” Maes says. “The level of buyer participation, in particular, highlights the continued demand for fresh, innovative content and the value of face-to-face networking. With such a dynamic and diverse group of attendees, we’re confident this year’s edition will spark exciting new partnerships and creative collaborations.”

Showcasing new content is a key element of Cartoon Forum’s remit, with 75 projects selected from 108 submitted. France is at the forefront with 30 projects, followed by 11 from Central and Eastern Europe, seven from Ireland, six each from Belgium and Spain and three each from Germany and Italy. Projects were also selected from Greece, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Portugal and Sweden.

Among the key themes to emerge from this year’s submissions was a noticeable uptick in female perspectives and heroines, Maes says; 37 percent of the selections are centered on girl perspectives or characters. Projects from female directors and producers also rose, with Maes listing examples such as Grannies from Caïmans Productions, 2142 from The World of 2142, Olga from Fabrique Fantastique and Wing it like Lilly from Wolkenlenker. Environmental issues are explored in 15 percent of the selections, including Under the Floor from Running Rabbit Films, Electric Birds of Pothakudi from Les Films de l’Arlequin and Animateco’s Tigi & T-eco. Meanwhile, 17 percent of the selections tackle inclusion and representation, among them Roc & Lola from Primal Shape, Pepper from Millimages and Zebracat from VlinVlin.

While featuring animation for all target demos, Cartoon Forum’s selections are heavily skewed toward kids and family this year, accounting for 80 percent, up from 68 percent last year.

“This is likely a reaction to current economic pressures, leading producers and buyers to prioritize safer, traditional audiences,” Maes says. Teen and adult animation slipped to 20 percent from 24 percent.

“Despite the growing interest, buyers appear to have become more risk-averse, shifting back toward younger audiences,” Maes says. “Streaming platforms remain the major supporters of teen/adult content, although their investment pace has slowed recently.”

In addition to an increase in preschool projects, Maes also points to a rise in short-form content—73 percent of projects are under 13 minutes, compared with 63 percent last year. Furthermore, co-productions have also increased; they accounted for just 15 percent of selections in 2019 but rose to a substantial 31 percent this year. Budgets are down, with average spend slipping to around €4.4 million per project.

With the high number of submissions, Cartoon Forum’s selection committee “prioritized the emergence of new intellectual properties,” Maes says. “This approach reflects our strong commitment to nurturing original content, especially in light of the current economic challenges affecting the industry.”

However, Maes does refer to today as the “era of adaptations,” with 27 percent of selections based on existing IP. “Moreover, the production teams tend to increasingly consider developing for other platforms from the start of the project,” Maes says. “This is a potentially fruitful answer to the growing interest of children (and older ones) in technology. Whether through esports and video games, music, podcasts, social media campaigns or comic collections, adopting a transmedia approach surely offers the opportunity to reach a broader audience.”

Cartoon Forum also features a comprehensive conference program, designed to help animation producers navigate the evolving realities of the business.

“Financing has become increasingly difficult, and fewer projects are being greenlit, creating serious obstacles for producers,” Maes says. “Many are now urgently seeking new leads, partners and funding sources to close budget gaps and push their projects forward. To respond to these evolving challenges and better support the industry, CARTOON has introduced several new measures aimed at providing practical, results-driven support.”

These include the return of a matchmaking-based networking afternoon on September 18 and the Fill the Gap initiative to help producers complete financing on projects. Maes also highlights Animated UK Meets Europe, led by Animation UK in collaboration with CARTOON and supported by BBC Children’s and Education. Taking place on September 17, it will highlight U.K. creativity and opportunities for U.K.-Europe collaboration.

“This curated session will showcase three exciting new U.K. animation projects seeking European co-producers and distribution partners. The event complements the official pitch program and is designed to foster new creative alliances and highlight emerging talent. In addition, a Cartoon Talk involving public broadcasters (BBC, France Télévisions and Yle) will deal with the power of co-production, all the more a real artistic and financial leverage in today’s context.”

Also in line with boosting cross-border partnerships, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is returning to see 15 PSBs select at least one project to support.

“Now in its third year, the EBU, in partnership with France Télévisions and CARTOON, continues to support the co-development of high-quality animated content through collective financing. This collaborative model allows EBU member broadcasters to select a standout project from the Cartoon Forum pitch lineup to receive development funding. In 2024, the chosen project was My Life is a Manga, produced by Brain Comet and Blue Spirit. Aimed at young audiences, the series follows 13-year-old Liya, who transforms her everyday life into thrilling, manga-style adventures. The early stages of the project will be unveiled at Cartoon Forum 2025.”