Cartoons on the Bay is an international event with awards, workshops, lectures, TV and theatrical previews, and events centering on the ever-changing world of television animation. The Pulcinella Awards Competition is open to all animation for television and the Internet, including pilots of series. The competition is also open to short films.
One hundred and 76 programs, from 24 countries, were chosen as the Official Selection of the Festival's 12th edition. The usual predominance of European and American productions is balanced by a stronger and more incisive presence of Asian ones with programs coming from China, Japan and South Korea. Quite overwhelming is this year's presence of Latvia, Malaysia, India, Slovenia and Colombia.
Forty works have been nominated for the 2008 Pulcinella Awards, five for each of the eight competing categories. Cartoons on the Bay will be enriched by a special program of events, film previews, press conferences, meetings with authors, directors, producers and Italian and foreign television personalities, as in the tradition of the festival.
Classic characters like Winnie the Pooh in the new series MY FRIENDS TIGGER AND POOH (Walt Disney Television Animation), presented in last year's preview, are back in Salerno, while two characters like PAT & STAN (Mac Guff Ligne, Tv-loonland and Tf1), familiar to the TV audience, step in as nominees in the TV Special section along with new characters like the Indian heroin of the pilot episode of the series SALLY BOLLYWOOD (Tele Images Kids and France3), always dealing with a new adventure, and JOHN AND KAREN (Arthur Cox), the polar bear and the penguin of the short that illustrates the difficult sentimental communication between these extremely different animals.
Different genres, themes and technologies are represented to illustrate every aspect of animation, from the classic action taking place in a distant and disturbing future of ANATANE AND THE CHILDREN OF OKURA (Les Films De La Perrine, Carrere Group e Tooncan), to the irresistible irony and vintage setting of SQUIRREL BOY (Cartoon Network Studios), the series' second season, and the short SLEEPING BETTY (National Film Board of Canada).
Seven competing programs come from Italy, all co-produced by Rai Fiction: EVERYBODY LOVES A MOOSE (Trion Picture and Cosgrove Hall), AMITA OF THE JUNGLE (Lastrego & Testa Multimedia), GLADIATORS (MondoTv), UFFA CHE PAZIENZA (Enanimation Motus Motionworks), STEFI'S WORLD (The Animation Band), A BICICLE TRIP (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia), ACQUA IN BOCCA (Maga Animation Studio).
Asian productions are properly represented this year as well, with programs like the Japanese MIYORY IN THE SACRED FOREST (Nippon Animation Co. E Fuji Television Network), a very poetic TV special, HOORAY FOR FIZI (Sui Sui! Fizi Production Committee), a kaleidoscopic pre-school genre, and the Korean WANTED (Electric Circus), a metaphor of a tragic event that hit the country.
During the duration of the exhibition all programs will be available to authors, buyers, distributors, multimedia publishers, journalists and to all professionals operating in the field, at the Digital Library.
Works completed after the Jan. 1, 2007 and created with any kind of animation technique may participate. The various Pulcinella Awards are presented in seven competing categories, including best series for infants, children, young adults & adults, all audiences, best pilot, best TV movie, best short film, as well as best European program, best program of the year and best character of the year. Entry into the competition is free. For more information, visit www.cartoonsbay.com.
