Cartoons on the Bay, the International Festival on Television Animation organized by Rai Trade, in collaboration with Rai and Rai Fiction, has assigned the animation winners in Salerno, Italy.
International Jury of animation experts selected the winners from 40 submitted programs.
"For pushing social boundaries and tackling stereotypes in a wicked and irreverent way," the Best Television Series of the Year went to Canada's Cuppa Coffee Studios for RICK & STEVE: THE HAPPIEST GAY COUPLE IN ALL THE WORLD.
WATER IN BUBBLES, from Rai Fiction, also took home prizes for Best Television Series for All Ages from both the International Jury and the Jury Abbonati Rai.
Three other awards went to Italian products: GLADIATORS (Rai Fiction), set in ancient Rome for Best Series Action and Adventure, A BICYCLE TRIP, the short film by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia -- Animation Department Piemonte showing the effects of LSD by Doctor Albert Hofmann. The third went to ME, MYSELF AND THE OTHERS (Rai Fiction), based on the comic strips by Andrea Pazienza, was voted by the Jury Abbonati Rai as the Best TV Series for Children.
The Unicef prize for the Best Educational and Social Program was attributed to BBC CHUNNILAL, an Indian spot in stop motion recommending HIV testing. Also coming from Asia, the Korean program WANTED was voted as Best Television Special for 2008. A special mention was given to Canada's SLEEPING BEAUTY for Best Animation and the Best Character of the Year 2008 went to Germany's Ellen La Gnu from NO ROOM FOR GEROLD.
THE BUNJIES, from the German Bilder, was voted for the Best European Series while the prize for the Best Music Score went to TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU from Nickelodeon, which was also chosen by the Jury Abbonati Rai for the Best Series in its category.
The Best Script went to MY FRIENDS TIGGER AND POOH from Walt Disney Television Animation. The remaining prizes went to BUDDY AND ELVIS (U.K.) for Best Pilot, JOHN AND KAREN (U.K.) for Best Short Film, FRANKENSTEIN'S CAT (U.K.) for Best TV Series for Children and to Nelvana's MY FRIEND RABBIT (Canada) for Best TV Series for Children.
