Cartoon Forum continues its successful track record. Joint manager of Cartoon, Corinne Jenart (left). Photo credit (right): Ron Diamond.

Cartoon Forum wrapped for its 16th year on Sept. 24, 2005, after three solid days presenting new concepts for animation series. Some 67 projects were shown off from 16 different European countries with a combined budget of €232 million. The European Union’s Media program-sponsored event was staged this year in the Danish town of Kolding — next year it’ll be heading for the southern French town of Pau.

Joint manager of Cartoon Corinne Jenart said that by the end of the final day 24 of the projects (representing a total 156 hours of programming) had attracted enough interest from broadcasters and investors to confidently expect to complete their financing in the short term. This was in line with the average for the first 15 editions of the Forum — with around a third of all participating projects so far have been produced.

Tales of the Sunrise Tree from Jet Media in Latvia and Qollective in Slovenia was one of four projects from EU’s new member countries. It emerged within the top one-third of projects in terms of attendance during the Forum. © Jet Med

Jenart said she was pleased that this year’s Forum was able to welcome four projects from the new member countries of the European Union. She added that it was particularly good to see one of these — Tales of the Sunrise Tree — emerging within the top one-third of projects in terms of attendance at presentations and attendance of broadcasters and investors. It’s a story that pits the three young elves of the sunrise tree against comic bad guys Horace the Dragon and Bumble the Dwarf in an attempt to maintain harmony in the forest. I must admit I was especially pleased at the success of this project as I’ve personally been closely involved with it as scriptwriter and co-producer — together with Jet Media in Latvia and Qollective in Slovenia.

In terms of other trends, Jenart went on to say that there was a big increase in the number of pre-school shows this year. Teenage and adult projects are still less common with only six this time. There was also a continuing switch away from 2D to 3D technology — the majority of presentations are now for CGI series. However, she added that all the evidence indicates broadcasters still want 2D programming.

Average budgets are running at a little under €10,000 per minute — but with some major variations between territories. In Denmark the average was €12,600, in the UK €10,500, in Spain €7,700 but in Ireland only €5,200.

The top 10 shows in terms of attendance at the producers’ presentations were: Khudayana from BRB Internacional in Spain, Frankenstein’s Cat from Mackinnon and Saunders in the U.K., The Pinky And Perky Show from Pinky and Perky Enterprises in the U.K., Anna Young from CAOZ in Iceland, Little Kingdom from Astley Baker in the U.K., Minifant — Forgotten Tales from Okavango from Toons `N’ Tales and Scopas Medien in Germany, Oliver Panpot from Funkhauser Film in Denmark, Dad The Impaler from Kavaleer Productions in Ireland, Twisted Tales from Jam Media in Ireland and Safehouse Hotel from Calon in the U.K.