TVKIDS
The 31st Cartoon Forum, with a focus on the business side of animation, is set to take place in Toulouse, France in September under a strict biosafety protocol amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The co-production event for animated series will feature the launch of 90 original projects from across Europe, selected from 143 submissions. Twenty-four European countries are involved in the projects, while another six countries outside the region participate as co-producers. Producers will present the projects in-person to the professionals attending the event, including potential buyers and partners.
France leads the lineup with 36 projects, followed by Ireland (8), Denmark (6) and Spain (6), while Belgium, Finland and the U.K. count 4 projects each. Led by Denmark, the Nordic countries’ presence amount to 11 projects, while 8 other projects hail from CEE countries. Animation aimed at children 6 to 11 leads the lineup with 38 projects, followed by series for preschoolers (30 projects), family audience (11), young adults (8 projects) and teenagers (3 projects).
Among the animation companies presenting their new projects in Toulouse this year are France’s Folimage (Anuki), Xilam Animation (Gemma’s Quest), Millimages (The Springs), Dandelooo (The Upside-Down River), Cyber Group Studios (Monster in My Pocket), Ellipsanime Productions (Wonder Waï), Vivement Lundi! (Super-Lucha) and Autour de Minuit (Two Little Birds), among others. The lineup also includes new series by Belgium’s Lunanime (Tommy Pepper), Denmark’s Copenhagen Bombay (Rabarbar), Ireland’s Dream Logic (The Ghastly Ghoul), Spain’s Motion Pictures (Agus & Monsters), the U.K.’s Paper Owl Films (Mr. Dog) and Italy’s Gertie Production (Relè).
Some 20 of the selected projects are adaptations of comic books, books and live-action films, including the French series Open Bar (Les films du poisson rouge) and Zombillenium (Maybe Movies)—based on the comic books by Fabcaro and Arthur de Pins, respectively.
Other highlights include the U.K.’s Rocket Robbins (Illuminated Films), based on the picture book series written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola, Finland’s Belzebubs (Pyjama Films), based on the webcomic created by JP Ahonen, the Netherlands’ Princess Arabella (Phanta Animation), an adaptation of the picture book by Mylo Freeman, and Champions (Morena Films), a series based on the top-grossing film in Spain in 2018.
There’s also Atla5, produced by Dwarf Ent. (Montpellier), Obo, My Very Spatial Friend, produced by Digiblur (Toulouse) and Immobile Stars, produced by Tripode Productions (Montclus), from the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Mediterranée region. Eastern European projects include Daisy & Dot (KEDD, Hungary) and Baldies (Cofilm, Czech Rep.)
Projects from first-time producers and directors are Hanna & Nana (Jam Media, Ireland), Baldies (Cofilm, Czech Rep.), The Very Hairy Alphabet (Eagle Eye, Germany), Blue Figures (Laidak Films, France) and Felix! He Can Explain Everything (Sacrebleu Production, France). Other highlights include Blue Figures (Laidak Films, France) and Good Enough—Burnout Diary (Studio Pupil, Netherlands).
Cartoon Forum 2020 will be held in Toulouse from September 14 to 17.
