Press Release from Cartoons on the Bay

This year’s theme of Cartoons on the Bay is linked to the Diversity to which the second day of the program of the Festival is dedicated. Cultural, religious, political and social diversities. “We want to understand how cartoons have told and still telling a value like the diversities – says the Artistic Director of the Festival, Roberto Genovesi – all these diversities that consider the confrontation an enrichment and a chance of growing up in juxtaposition to those diversities that consider other people as a threat”.

Chinese Animation will be the object of events,. Retrospective and exhibitions: China will be Guest Country of 2010 edition of the Festival. In co-operation with ICE (Italian Trade Commission), a delegation of producers will be hosted at Cartoons on the Bay, in order to promote meetings and start sinergies between the innovative chinese audiovisual industry and the italian one, thanks to the capability of the Festival to network and promote products and cooperations among companies, producers, distributors and broadcasters. In charge of assigning the Pulcinella Awards among the 470 programs submitted, a record number, in the 9 different competing categories, (Best Series Preschool, Best Tv Series Kids, Best Tv Series Tween Generation, Best Tv Series Young Adults, Bet Pilot of Tv Series, Best Short Film, Best Educational and Issues Film – UNICEF Prize, Best Interactive Animation, Best Cross-Media Projects) will be Christy Dena, Maya Goetz, Gary Goldman, Nicole Keeb e Diana Manson.

A prestigious showcase dedicated to projects of Authors, Screenwriters, Animation Studios or Indipendent Producers not yet launched in the professional market, is the Pitch Me! Rai Trade will add in its portfolio the three winners, guaranteeing at least one year of distribution of the finished product, stating the effort of the company in supporting the animation industry. The Pitch Me!Pierluigi de Mas Jury is composed by: Enzo D'Alò (Director, Writer and Musician), Gianfranco Noferi (Director of Rai Gulp) and Umberto Virri (Honorary President of Accademia Disney).

The traditional Pulcinella Award competition will be joined by a series of special events that will open even more to the participation of the general public the world of Cartoons on the Bay, thanks to the best shop window competition, dedicated to the shops that will dress their windows cartoon-style. Play and competition also in the Cosplayers championship, that will liven up Rapallo, Portofino e Santa Margherita Ligure.

Tigullio or Tusken Village? This year la 501 Italica Garrison, partner of the Festival, will bing to Liguria the Tusken Village, the Sand People, the native tribe of the sci-fi universe created by Gorge Lucas. An extraordinary chance to see and live the everyday life of these misterious people and live first persone a great adventure on the Tatooine Planet.
Cartoons on the Bay will also be the chance the celebrate the 10-year success of Geronimo Stilton, with the co-operation with con Atlantyca Entertainment. Among the many international guests of this 14th edition of the Festival, Geronimo will certainly be the most beloved by kids, who will have the chance to meet him in his very own office at the Cartoon Village.

Cartoons on the Bay has also developed many barter agreements with international events like MIFA, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM, Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Roma, Castelli Animati, Romics, Kidscreen Summit, Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Moreover, Rai Trade and  Museo del Fumetto e dell'Immaginazione di Lucca (Museum of comics and imagination of Lucca) have signed an agreement of high significance for the italian world of animation and cartooning, making the Tuscan city the “Capital of Fantasy”.

Studios of the Year

Atlantyca Entertainment, born in September 2006, is a new and polyheydric Italian enterprise that in a few years has become a leader in the international entertainment market.

Founded by Pietro Marietti, President, Claudia Mazzucco, Managing Director and Caterina Vacchi, Administrator, Atlantyca was originally established to develop new business opportunities for the Geronimo Stilton brand and its “world” and characters.