Annecy: Europe’s Cartoon Forum rolls out 2017 line-up

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Mr. Passenger,” “Papertoyz,” and “The Inventor” figure among 83 TV series projects set for the 2017 Cartoon Forum, which runs Sept. 12-15 in Toulouse, Southern France, Variety said.

Twenty-four European countries bring new TV projects to Toulouse.

“Mr. Passenger” is a 26-episode series produced by Portugal’s AIM Animation Studios offering poetry and adventure and singular aesthetics. Set in a dream world, the series sees Mr. Passenger and companion Sign Bird explore new routes and discoveries. The project is directed by José Pedro Cavalheiro (a.k.a. Zepe), director of feature “Cândido,” who has just presented a feature project at Annecy’s MIFA market.

Produced by France’s Samka Productions (“Our Neighbors the Marsupilamis”), “Papertoyz” weighs in as a 26-seg hybrid meshing 3D with live-action. Made out of cut-out and folded paper, the main character fearlessly explores with our dangerous, hostile world.

Also from France, and adapting Jean-François Martin’s children’s book, the 52-part “The Inventor” features a brilliant and charming inventor, Mr. Felix, a spiritual son of Charles Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, according to its producers from Emmanuel-Alain Raynal’s Miyu Productions, which unveiled “Philo 3000” at this year’s Annecy transmedia showcase.

A sign of its production TV animation production volume and co-production culture, France is the country with a larger number of projects (28), followed by Ireland (9), Belgium (5), Poland (5), Finland (4), Italy (4), Spain (4) and the U.K. (4). South Korea will be Carton Forum’s guest country. Brazil, Japan, United Arab Emirates and U.S. figure as co-producers on one project each country.

Of other TV series projects, one of France top TV animation producers, Marc du Pontavice’s Xilam (“Oggy & the Cockroaches,” Paprika”), is the French company behind “Moka,” a 78-episode series following the king of the Savannah’s only son, a naïve and reckless crocodile that one day leaves his quiet home to get to know his vast kingdom in the company of Cherry, a strong, brave rhinoceros from the Royal Guard who’s meant to ensure his safety.

Among Finnish projects, the 52-part ”Best and Bester,” turns on two peculiar characters who each morning get up and firstly have to decide what body they will wear. Gigglebug Entertainment (“Kikattava Kakkiainen”) produces.

Also from Finland, “Ballon Marco” is a 52-episode pre-school project set at Balloon Town, the place where balloons go when we let go, a place where their dwellers eat air-food and wears balloon clothes. Anima Pictures Entertainment (“Niko and the Way to the Stars”) produces with Japan’s Global.

Other projects: “Elle & Everest” (Karrot Entertainment), the MIFA market-presented DinoGames (Moonbite Games, Dream Team Concept), and “Leo da Vinci” (Gruppo Alcuni, Warsaw Movie Home). Belgium’s Panique! and France’s Autour de Minuit’s will pitch “The Agricultural Fair,” a new TV special re-enrolling the characters of “Panique au village,” after 2014 Cartoon d’Or winning “Christmas Log.”

17 projects have a €1 million ($1.1 million)-€2 million ($2.2 million), budget; 14 are budgeted at less than €1 million. In the high-end range, 12 come in at €5 million ($5.6 million) to €6 million ($6.7 million), one at €8 million ($9.0 million) to €9 million ($10.0 million) and another one at north of €10 million ($11.2 million).

48% of the projects target 5-12s; pre-school series or specials account for 40%. Six projects target teens, another six are made for family audiences.

57 projects are 2D, Underscoring the build in multi-media production,46% of the projects are designed for second platforms, whether online distribution, vidgames, mobile, tablets, and so on.

Cartoon Forum was created in 1990 to boost the co-production and distribution of European animation for television and new media platforms.