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.<\/p>\n
More than 850 delegates have committed to attending this year\u2019s edition, Annick Maes, general director of CARTOON, which organizes the annual event, tells TV Kids<\/em>, including 230 buyers. First-time participation makes up 11.5 percent of that count.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re once again seeing a vibrant mix of returning professionals and newcomers, which reinforces Cartoon Forum\u2019s unique role as a key meeting point for the European animation community,\u201d Maes says. \u201cThe 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\u2019re confident this year\u2019s edition will spark exciting new partnerships and creative collaborations.\u201d<\/p>\n Showcasing new content is a key element of Cartoon Forum\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Among the key themes to emerge from this year\u2019s 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\u00a0Grannies<\/em>\u00a0from Ca\u00efmans Productions,\u00a02142<\/em>\u00a0from The World of 2142,\u00a0Olga<\/em>\u00a0from Fabrique Fantastique and\u00a0Wing it like Lilly<\/em>\u00a0from Wolkenlenker. Environmental issues are explored in 15 percent of the selections, including\u00a0Under the Floor\u00a0<\/em>from Running Rabbit Films,\u00a0Electric Birds of Pothakudi<\/em>\u00a0from Les Films de l\u2019Arlequin and Animateco\u2019s\u00a0Tigi & T-eco<\/em>. Meanwhile, 17 percent of the selections tackle inclusion and representation, among them\u00a0Roc & Lola<\/em>\u00a0from Primal Shape,\u00a0Pepper<\/em>\u00a0from Millimages and\u00a0Zebracat<\/em>\u00a0from VlinVlin.<\/p>\n While featuring animation for all target demos, Cartoon Forum\u2019s selections are heavily skewed toward kids and family this year, accounting for 80 percent, up from 68 percent last year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is likely a reaction to current economic pressures, leading producers and buyers to prioritize safer, traditional audiences,\u201d Maes says. Teen and adult animation slipped to 20 percent from 24 percent.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the growing interest, buyers appear to have become more risk-averse, shifting back toward younger audiences,\u201d Maes says. \u201cStreaming platforms remain the major supporters of teen\/adult content, although their investment pace has slowed recently.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to an increase in preschool projects, Maes also points to a rise in short-form content\u201473 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 \u20ac4.4 million per project.<\/p>\n With the high number of submissions, Cartoon Forum\u2019s selection committee \u201cprioritized the emergence of new intellectual properties,\u201d Maes says. \u201cThis approach reflects our strong commitment to nurturing original content, especially in light of the current economic challenges affecting the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Maes does refer to today as the \u201cera of adaptations,\u201d with 27 percent of selections based on existing IP. \u201cMoreover, the production teams tend to increasingly consider developing for other platforms from the start of the project,\u201d Maes says. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Cartoon Forum also features a comprehensive conference program, designed to help animation producers navigate the evolving realities of the business.<\/p>\n \u201cFinancing has become increasingly difficult, and fewer projects are being greenlit, creating serious obstacles for producers,\u201d Maes says. \u201cMany 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s and Education. Taking place on September 17, it will highlight U.K. creativity and opportunities for U.K.-Europe collaboration.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 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 T\u00e9l\u00e9visions and Yle) will deal with the power of co-production, all the more a real artistic and financial leverage in today\u2019s context.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cNow in its third year, the EBU, in partnership with France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions 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\u00a0My Life is a Manga<\/em>, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Annick Maes, general director of CARTOON, provides a preview of what to expect at this year\u2019s Cartoon Forum, taking place from September 15 to 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":30390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,21],"tags":[5644,5536],"class_list":["post-30384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","category-top-stories","tag-annick-maes","tag-cartoon-forum","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n