Madrid Hosts Cartoon Springboard 2022

Cartoon Springboard, taking place October 25 to 27, is being held for the first time in Madrid, with a total of 24 projects.

Shortlisted from 49 submissions, the 24 selected projects developed by European animation schools’ recently graduated screenwriters, directors and producers hail from 12 countries. Spain leads the pack with seven projects.

France is represented with four projects, followed by the Czech Republic with three and Denmark with two. Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Slovakia, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden are represented with one project each.

Spanish projects to be presented at this year’s Cartoon Springboard are Frank by Javier Pinto, Phantasma by Alejandra Luque and Paula Ruiz, Lazaro by Beatriz García de Leaniz, Fridge and TV by Jorge Sarria and Javier de la Chica, Awa in the Desert by Julia Horrillo Pla and Verónica Adel, Missing Pieces by Roger Pinol and Joan Palacios, and The Last Drop by Joana Chuliá.

Out of the 24 projects, 15 are TV series. The selection also includes six web series, two feature films and one TV special. The dominant genres are comedy and adventure, with fantasy and action projects also featuring. Themes include friendship, sustainability and inclusion, among others.

Animation aimed at young adult/adult audiences accounts for nearly half of the selected projects at 46 percent. Titles for children ages 5 to 11 make up 34 percent of the projects, while programs for family audiences make up 12 percent. Titles for preschoolers and teenagers represent 4 percent each.

2D animation makes up 80 percent of the lineup, which also features 3D and stop-motion projects.

In addition to the pitching sessions, Cartoon Springboard features keynotes and conferences. Guest speakers include Madrid-based animator, screenwriter, producer and director Sergio Pablos (The SPA Studios), who will give a masterclass on story development, and Telidja Klaï, from the public children’s television channel Ketnet-VRT (Belgium), who will talk about the definition of target audiences. Daniella Gallegos (Tribes Media—Glitch, Netherlands) will reflect on the role of VOD services, and Louis Jacobée (Gallimard Group, France) will delve into the relationship between the publishing and animation industries.

A number of networking activities will also take place, with confirmed attendees including Diogo Carvalho (Sardinha em Lata), Manuel Cristobal (Mano Animation Studios), Tania Pinto Da Cunha (Pink Parrot Media), Bálint Gelley (CUB Animation), Nuria González Blanco (Cartoon Saloon), David Jabrane (France Télévisions), Cristian Jezdic (beQ entertainment), Corinne Kouper (TeamTO), Elodie Mellado (Filmin), Emmanuèle Pétry-Sirvin (Dandelooo), Lucy Pryke (BBC Children’s), David Gruber (Super RTL), Martin Vandas (MAUR film), Dario van Vree (Studio Pupil) and Fabian Driehorst (Fabian&Fred), among others.

Since Cartoon Springboard’s first edition in 2015, a total of 190 projects have been presented, nine of which have been released and 60 of which are in active development. This year’s event is supported by Creative Europe—MEDIA, the Region of Madrid, Madrid City Council, Madrid Film Office and ICEX Spain Trade and Investments.