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Events
CARTOON FORUM
The future of European animation at Cartoon Forum 2020 By Rossella Arena Cartoon Forum 2020, from 14 to 17 September, took place entirely online for the very first time, but there was no shortage of innovative and interesting projects. Here are just some of the shows, pilots and concepts that had the most positive reactions at this major animation showcase. Cartoon Forum is one of the most anticipated events in the world of animation every year, with new and interesting projects coming from all over Europe. This year, due to the necessary restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the event took place entirely online.
Tiny Island At the 2020 forum, 80 projects from 22 European countries were shown, representing a budget of about 327.2 million euros, and 445 hours of animation. Although it is now over, the various pitches can be accessed on the web until 15 October, using a personal login. The pre-school projects in particular were notable for their bright colours, energy and themes of adventure, tenderness and fun. Tiny Island, for example, is a 3D French project about a charming and delightful island. Creator Greg Grabianski and
director Guillermo Garcia Carsi explained that the show’s heroine Tiny is always ready for adventure in this big world, especially when her new friends need her help! Tiny Island immediately established itself among the top 10 projects gaining the strongest response during the event. Relè is an Italian project in 3D and 2D, whose hero is a mouse, who appears in stories that reflect the fantasy and wonder of children’s imaginations. The author Alessandro D’Osualdo stated: “The series was built on a character who had already obtained wide feedback in various fields (including educational, advertising, art publishing and social promotions) and who was developed and tested with the help of professionals in such areas as teaching, marketing and communication.” Hanna & Nana is an Irish project whose producer John Rice said that within a few days of the presentations they were inundated with shows of interest. In each episode of this show the two Flip’s Fantastic Journal
Hanna & Nana main characters, a grandmother and her granddaughter, take care of an animal in difficulty or look after the environment. The creator of Flip’s Fantastic Journal, Angelo DeCesare, has explained that the show is based on a series of books that address part of the school curriculum and have been used in the United States for many years. DeCesare drew the characters with simple shapes, so that children could easily copy them. They are also adaptable for many types of license. Calypso Cruise is a French 3D project from Redfrog studio about a cruise ship designed for exhausted soft toys who come on board to have a rest. The show is named after Calypso, the teddy bear cruise director (and daughter of Captain Teddy Daddy). The series aims to convey values such as taking care of others and respecting them, in between a lot of fun and adventure. It is a project that can be adapted to numerous contexts, such as social media (including music, viral videos
