Cartoon Forum hosted its 18th annual outing in the northern Spanish city of Girona. Courtesy of CARTOON.

Cartoon Forum staged its 18th annual outing in September with over 800 participants gathering in the northern Spanish city of Girona. A unique event in the world of animation, the Forum moves around Europe year by year and in 2008 will open its doors in Ludwigsburg, Germany.

Established in order to help European animation producers compete on the international stage, it provides an opportunity for them to unveil new television projects currently in development and attract interest from potential broadcasters, investors and co-producers.

Projects are selected in advance to fill the 60 presentation slots available over a three-day period. Producers then get 40 minutes to sell their concept to a theatre filled with potential collaborators. This year's top five in terms of numbers attending were: Oops -- Noah Is Gone, Magma Films (Ireland), Sally Bollywood, Téléimages Kids (France); How To Drive Everybody Crazy, TeamTo S.A.S. (France); Little J, Aardman Animations (UK); and The Bunjies, Studio Film Bilder (Germany).

Magma Films are Cartoon Forum regulars with a new project presented for each of the past 13 years. The latest series stars a cast of animals left behind when Noah sailed off in his ark -- which means these are like no animals you have ever seen before.

The producers of How to Drive Everyone Crazy presented their concept for the series to potential collaborators. © Team TO-france 3-2007.

"We all sometimes feel like we have missed the boat so I think there is a high degree of personal identification with this project," says Magma CEO Ralph Christians of the proposed 26x26 series.

"We are planning both a feature film and a series -- just as we did with Ugly Duckling and Me with A Film and Futurikon, and the project we pitched last year, Bug Muldoon. The Irish Film Board is already on board for the feature film, so we are well ahead in development.

"The feature is like a classic western where the animals have to cross from the East Coast to the West and have a lot of adventures along the way. The series is more in the High Noon style that is frozen in time."

Sally Bollywood is a 52x13 junior detective story in a beautiful Bollywood style from successful French producer Téléimages Kids. It aims at a six-to-nine age group and stars the daughter of a famous detective in Little Bombay who sets up her own investigation agency to solve cases for other kids.

The Bunjies was perhaps the surprise hit of the week. A tremendous trailer ensured it was standing room only for the show's presentation. © Studio Film Bilder.

How To Drive Everybody Crazy comes from French CGI studio TeamTo. The 52x4 series for six- to nine-year-olds was presented together with distribution partner Tom Van Waveren of Cake Ent.