‘The Tern,’ ‘Phil & Sophia,’ ‘Zoey Oceans’ Set for Cartoon Forum
France’s “The Tern,” “Phil & Sophia” and “Nino Dino,” along with Spain’s “Zoey Oceans,” Poland’s “Happy not Lucky,” Ireland’s “Natu Natu,” and Romania’s “Karma” lead a packed 80-title line-up of animated TV projects to pitch at the 2022 Cartoon Forum.
It will take place in Toulouse, Southern France, over Sept. 19-22.
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“The Tern” is a 10-episode half-hour from Paris-based family entertainment company Cyber Group Studios. Directed by Slimane Aniss, it tells the adventures of a fleet of massive dirigibles traveling endlessly above a devastated Earth, following the flight paths around the planet of a particular bird, the tern.
Targeting preschoolers, “Phil & Sophia” is written by Martine Gasparov. Produced by France’s Xilam (“Oggy and the Cockroaches”), the story follows two siblings with strong opinions, whose daily issues often fuel passionate debate.
Directed by Aurélie Raphaël and Jeanne-Sylvette Giraud, “Nino Dino” is produced by France’s Folivari (“Ernest and Célestine”). The 52-episode show offers a comedy adventure for older preschoolers (5-7s), which follows young dinosaurs as they explore their world.
A barometer for current and building trends in European animation, the French event will offer projects involving 19 countries as main producers. 2022 Cartoon Forum projects has an overall budget of around €367.2 million ($367.2 million). The average budget of TV series pitched there is $4.5 million.
“Zoey Oceans,” a project recently awarded by Netflix and Mianima (an animation lobby for Spanish women), is produced by Spain’s Studio Kimchi and penned by Anna Espinach. The adventure-comedy focuses on a 9-year-old girl who has built an amphibious vehicle to look for her father who is lost at sea. Her only clues are the 2,000 rubber ducks that were on the ship and have now been popping up in the most disparate places around the world, from the Gobi Desert to the Coral Sea.
Polish animation company Letko will bring 11-minute 52-episode kid series, “Happy not Lucky,” a comedy adventure about two self-proclaimed kid detectives— black sheep Lu and black cat Teo – who are always on the hunt for a new case despite their many mishaps.
In adult animation, produced by Romanian auteur Anca Damian (“Starseed”) at her label Aparte Film, “Karma” is a 13-minute six-episode show following Marty, an 11-year-old boy who is a soldier of Karma and has to punish people for their mistakes with a magic toy that leads to some tragic consequences. Helped by a new friend, he rebels against his menacing schoolmaster.
Credit: Cartoon Forum
Some other well-known production companies presenting their latest cartoon shows include Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon (“Natu Natu”), France’s Laïdak Films (“Round and Round the Wishing Well” – a sequel to “Mum is Pouring Rain”) and TeamTO (“Next Level: Odyssey”) and Germany’s Wolkenlenker (“Tiger and Bear”).
In terms of target audience, 21 projects (25%) target preschoolers, 43 titles (51.2%) are intended for older children, four (4.8%) for teens, six (7.1%) for family audiences and ten (11.9%) for adults.
The cost-per-minute of animation production is $13,780, which means a slight increase compared to that of 2021 ($12,720), according to the organization’s statistics.
France has the largest presence at Cartoon Forum with 37 titles. It’s followed by Ireland and Spain with 8 and Ireland and Germany with 6 each, Italy (5), Poland (3) and Belgium and Denmark with two projects each. Austria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Serbia and Sweden each have one project.
In terms of co-productions, the line-up involves partners from 27 countries. Besides the mentioned 19 countries as leading producers, Canada, Chile, Japan, Peru, Portugal, UK, Uruguay and the U.S. also produce. Out of the 85-title total slate, 35 projects (42%) are co-productions with Germany, Belgium, and France being the most active co-producers in Europe.
Four projects’ budgets top $10 million, have budgets between $8 million and $10 million, 16 in the $6 million-to-$8 million range, 19 in the $4 million-$6 million range. 14 icomes in between $2 million and $4 million. 21 projects have budgets below $2 million.
2D animation is the most frequently used technique, applied in 57% of the projects. Projects using 3D represent 24% out of the whole package versus 20% in 2020. Projects combining 2D and 3D techniques make up 15% of the lineup.
Credit: Cartoon Forum
SELECTED PROJECTS AT 2022’s CARTOON FORUM
PRE-SCHOOL
“A Day With The Dogs,” Dandeloo (France)
“BeddyByes,” JAM Media (Ireland)
“Delù from the Jungle,” Animoka Studios (Italy), Nalu Animation (France)
“Doopydoo,” Wiggleywoo (Ireland)
“Gouti’s Great Journey,” Parmi les Lucioles Films (France)
“Lemon and Berry,” Likaon, GS Animation (Poland)
“Little Whale,” Paper Panther Productions (Ireland)
“Max,” Submarine (Netherlands)
“Mogu & Perol,” Zephyr Animation (France), Dwarf (Japan)
“My Brother is a T-Rez,” Mr Klaus Animation Studio (Spain), Lusco Fusco Animation (Portugal)
“Natu Natu,” Cartoon Saloon (Ireland)
“Nino Dino,” Folivari (France)
“Phil & Sophia,” Xilam Animation (France)
“Polka dot Zebra,” Sygnatia (Spain) Bro Cinema (Portugal)
“Sleepy’s Dream Team,” Bigchild Entertainment, Freebird Pictures (Germany)
“Tiger and Bear,” Wolkenlenker, Janosch Film & Medien (Germany)
“TinkerBen and Motor,” Metaxilasis (Serbia)
“Trotro & Zaza,” Ellipsanime Productions (France)
“Vanja’s World,” Fabian&Fred (Germany)
“Welcome to Permacity,” Millimages (France)
“Wild Danish,” Zebra Animation Studios (Denmark) Belga Productions (Belgium) Metropolitan (Norway)
CHILDREN
“Anuki,” Sas Folimage (France)
“Aquaworld,” Les Films de l’Arlequin, PL Films (France)
“Bertie’s Brainwaves,” In Efecto (Spain), Flickerpix (U.K.)
“Best Friends Forever… Stranded!,” Peekaboo Animation (Spain)
“BFF,” Art Shot (Lithuania), GS Animation (Poland)
“Biguden,” Apaches, Cosmic Production, Mr Loyal (France)
“Billie & the Rockets,” Caribara Production (France)
“Chill out, Zeus!,” Arx Anima Animation Studio (Austria), Die Film (Germany)
“Cocobanana,” Den Siste Skilling (Norway), Knudsen Pictures (Germany)
“Dino Fino,” German Film Partners (Germany)
“Frnck,” Superprod (France)
“Giggle Wiggle,” Badi Badi, Beat Shop Marek Domański (Poland)
“Go Flash,” Cube Creative Productions (France)
“Graine and Princess Bilboquet,” Tchack – Aluma Productions (France), Freebird Pictures (Germany)
“Hakan Super Brakan,” Nuttery Entertainment (Sweden)
“Happy not Lucky,” Letko (Poland)
“Ice Breakers,” Fabrique D’Images (Luxembourg), Gap Busters (Belgium)
“Jack the Red,” beQ entertainment (Italy)
“Kat & Cats,” Normaal (France)
“Ki & Hi,” Drawsome (France)
“Leo’s Workshop,” Foliascope (France) Curiosity Studio (Ireland) Aerial Contrivance Workshop (US)
“Lisa & Kolos “Melting Productions, Andarta Pictures (France), Squarefish (Belgium)
“Louca,” Media Valley (France), Belvision (Belgium)
“Maddie + Triggs,” Turnip + Duck (Ireland)
“Magic Mission in Mexico,” Kazak Productions, (France)
“Marcel, Father Christmas (and the Little Pizza Delivery Boy),” Xbo films (France)
“Mervyn’s Album,” Kick the Door Productions (Spain), BigB (Germany)
“Mildew,” Daily Madness Productions (Ireland)
“Myth Club,” Cartobaleno (Italy)
“Next Level: Odyssey,” TeamTO (France)
“Schalotte – an Onion for all Cases,” Trickstudio Lutterbeck (Germany)
“Shadow’s World,” Recircle Studio (Croatia)
“Shepherdess Warriors,” Vivement Lundi!, L’Incroyable Studio (France)
“Tardy – The Water Bear from Outer Space,” Kairostudio (Italy)
“The Last Whale Singer Series,” Telescope Animation (Germany), Big Bad Boo (Canada), Big Bad Boo Entertainment (Netherlands)
“The Little Orchestra,” Mago Audiovisual Production (Spain), Apus Animación y Contenido (Peru), Juan Luis Carve Pascale (Uruguay)
“The Song of the Storms,” Sacrebleu Productions (France)
“The Tinies,” MIAM! Animation (France)
“Umami,” Distillery Films (Ireland)
“Welcome to Lolyland,” Cottonwood Media (France)
“Will Moogley Ghost Agency,” Studio Pandora, Show Lab (Italy)
“Witch Detectives,” Method Animation (France)
“Zoey Oceans,” Studio Kimchi (Spain)
FAMILY
“Feathered Vignettes,” Novanima Productions (France)
“Firsts,” TV ON Produccionnes (Spain), Tippo Creative Lab (Chile)
“Round and Round the Wishing Well,” Laïdak Films (France)
“Spaghetti Sisters,” Sixteen South Television (Ireland)
“The Animal Court,” Zadig Productions, AOP Production (France)
“The Tern,” Cyber Group Studios (France)
TEENAGERS
“Bootyboo and the Mutants,” Paraiso Production, Ikki Films (France)
“In Jacob we Live,” A. Film Production (Denmark)
“Mekka Nikki,” Squarefish (Belgium), Dada! Animation (France)
“Star Stable: Mistfall,” Ferly (Finland), Atmosphere Media (Germany)
ADULTS/YOUNG ADULTS
“Doom Mates,” Twentytwo Film (Germany)
“Dr. Bob,” Mr Loyal (France)
“Dreamland,” Dupuis Edition et Audiovisuel, Chouette Compagnie (France)
“Fucking Cat,” Autour de Minuit Productions (France)
“Gustave,” Deadliners Production, Andarta Pictures (France)
“Hamsters,” Haptic (Belgium)
“Karma,” Aparte Film (Romania)
“Keiko and the Floating World,” Iliade et Films (France)
“My Superhero Husband,” Addart Production (Greece), The Alphabet Initiative Agency (Germany)
“The Hall of Fail,” Ikki Films, Dadbod (France)
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