The 30th Cartoon Forum will be held in Toulouse, France from September 16-19. The European animation co-production event will provide a platform for 85 new projects originating from 24 countries to be pitched to about a thousand producers, investors, distributors, buyers and VOD platformers like Netflix, WarnerMedia, Playkids or Hopster.
The Forum will also be the venue for the Cartoon Tributes. These professional awards recognize the most positive and influential European broadcaster, investor/distributor and producer of the year. A total of 15 companies are among the nominees for these awards, French companies lead the way with four nominations, followed by Belgium and Germany with two nominations each. Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom are also present with one nomination each.
The nominees are:
BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
- Czech Television (Czech Republic) Public broadcaster currently operating six channels, two of them – ČT1 and ČT2 – are nationwide. In 2013, Czech Television’s new kids’ channel ČT:D was launched as a Free TV digital channel broadcasting every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Animation represents 54% of the content and 2,824 hours per year. CT offers colorful, entertaining, contemporary and inspiring content – not only educational programming but also high-quality entertainment, series and movies as well. (Chico Chica Boumba, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales, The Jungle Bunch, Ernest & Celestine, Dimitri)
- Radio y Televisión Española (RTVE) (Spain) Spain’s largest multimedia group, the RTVE Corp. is entrusted with the mission of guaranteeing state-owned public radio and television services, offering objective & plural information, encouraging democratic participation & debate, effectively promoting culture, knowledge, child protection, gender equality and social & territorial cohesion. With six television channels and six radio stations, RTVE aims to serve the widest audience. (Monchhichi, Simon, Lunnis, Momonsters, Mya Go)
- RTBF-OUFtivi (Belgium) In nine years, OUFtivi, RTBF’s 360° Youth Label (TV-Web-Social Media-Events-YT) has become a leader in the audiovisual landscape of young French-speaking Belgians. The channel has absolutely no advertising and provides content for children ages 3 to 12, and for the whole family, that stimulates creativity, good values, and develops their critical thinking. OUFtivi’s DNA is to educate, entertain, inform and empower children with a touch of awesomeness. (My Knight and Me, The Fox Badger Family, Arthur and the Children of the Round Table, PJ Masks, The Jungle Bunch)
- Sky (U.K.) One of the Europe’s leading entertainment companies, serving 21 million customers across five countries. Sky is focused on proving the best entertainment service for the whole family. This includes kids as well as grown-ups with a recently launched dedicated kids app and a renewed commitment to investing in even more shows that kids will love, starting with Morph later this year. (George & Paul, Pirata & Capitano)
- TVP ABC (Poland) Launched in 2014 as a part of the largest broadcaster in Poland, public television TVP. TVP ABC’s offers programs for preschoolers, youth and their parents, but the main target is kids 4-12. TVP ABC broadcasts about 18 hours of programming a day, as well as animation (80%) produced in European countries and from all over the word, along with educational programs/magazines. (Masha and the Bear, Super Wings, Heidi, Florka’s Diary)
INVESTOR/DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
- Atmosphere Media (Germany) Founded by Peter Voelkle, former CEO of kids and family programming group TV Loonland, Atmosphere Media finances, co-produces, and distributes animated series and feature films in all formats. It is based in Berlin and Zurich, and has a representation in New York. Atmosphere Media co-owns a studio in Liège (Belgium), and is building further production and distribution capacities in Europe and internationally. As part of Atmosphere Media Group, it pursues strategic investments in existing companies and assets. Current productions include That’s Joey, Flix, Osmond, Anna & Froga, Billy, the Cowboy Hamster, My Spooky Family and Octopus’s Garden.
- Cyber Group Studios (France) Multi-award-winning French independent company founded in 2005 which develops, produces and distributes its own (Zorro, the Chronicles, Gigantosaurus) and third-party productions (Nina Patalo, The Long Long Holiday, Ernest & Rebecca) and brands. The company focuses on content for kids and families, namely with 3D CGI and 2D HD-animated productions (TV series and movies). Its mission is to bring the best quality entertainment to the public, by creating partnerships with key talents worldwide and developing breakthrough technologies to enhance the quality of its programs.
- Ferly (Finland) An entertainment company based out of Helsinki, Vancouver and LA. Ferly specializes in storytelling through TV, film, digital products, licensing and publishing with a team that has achieved the impossible many times over.
- Kids First Distribution (France) A distributor specializing in entertainment content for kids. The initial catalogue includes five brand-new animated series: Nate is Late, Max & Maestro, Best Bugs Forever, I, Elvis Riboldi and MarbleGen. Kids First is looking to distribute shows from the most talented French and international producers
- TeleGael (Ireland) A substantial annual investor in high-quality film and television content – animation and live action. TeleGael operates one of Ireland’s largest animation studios specializing in scripting, design, storyboards, voice record, sound design, picture & sound post-production. Telegael’s productions have been licensed to over 150 territories and translated into more than 40 languages. It works with broadcasters including Cartoon Network US & Europe, Disney, ZDF, CITV, NickToons, KiKA, France 3 & ABC. (Lexi and Lottie, Yoyo, The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
- Graphilm (Italy) An award-winning production firm founded in 1988, specializing in animation for entertainment and advertising. As a leading Italian studio, it is internationally active to develop its properties in line with market trends and demands, uniting art, industry, cartoon tradition and new technologies. Graphilm will present its new TV series project #In the Middle at the 30th Cartoon Forum. (Boo Boom the Long Way Home, Nefertine on the Nile, Hanukkah)
- Miyu Productions (France) Founded in 2009 and comprising three studios (Paris, Valence & Angoulême), the company is known for its high-quality 2D animation (Fog). It has produced a series of acclaimed shorts (Egg, Symbiosis) and is currently developing its first series for a young audience, as well as its first feature film (Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman). Miyu Productions will pitch its TV series project Claudy at Cartoon Forum 2019.
- Panique! (Belgium) Panique! takes over from the company La Parti production. In animation, it has produced Panique au Village (series, feature film & TV special), Ernest & Celestine, Stinky Dog and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales. Its film Back to School received the Jury Award for a TV Special in Annecy in 2016.
- Studio Soi (Germany) An independent animation studio founded in 2003 by seven animation directors, Studio Soi attracts clients who value taking part in the creative process, and seeks to be both a haven and a collaborator for artists and clients who also aim to push their work forward, explore and create something new. Studio Soi will pitch its new TV series project Boots & Paws at Cartoon Forum 2019. (Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo’s Child, Trude’s Flatmate, The Little Boy and the Beast, Klump)
- Xilam Animation (France) Founded in 1999 by Marc du Pontavice, Xilam is a production company specializing in family-oriented audiovisual and multimedia content. Xilam creates, produces and distributes animated series and feature films for TV, cinemas and all cutting-edge technological and media platforms. Xilam currently employs 300 people, including 200 artists, operating from its four studios in Paris, Lyon, Angoulême and Ho-Chi-Minh City (Vietnam). Its catalogue includes Oggy and the Cockroaches, Lupin’s Tales, Mr Magoo and Paprika. At Cartoon Forum 2019, Xilam will pitch its new TV series project, Lucy Lost.
