Animated UK Meets Europe in new post-Brexit Cartoon Forum initiative

Dialogue-free comedy Duck & Frog

UK animation producers will be allowed to pitch their projects at Cartoon Forum for the first time since 2020 this month as part of the fledgling Animated UK Meets Europe initiative.

Animated UK Meets Europe, the first details of which were announced earlier this year, is spearheaded by Animation UK in partnership with the BBC, Disney+, Warner Bros Discovery and Sky, and is supported by agencies across the UK, including Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Scotland, Creative Wales and Film London.

The number of UK producers at the annual event, held in Toulouse, France, has gradually diminished after the UK government decided not to participate in Creative Europe’s Media programme after Brexit.

Since 2021, UK companies have only been able to attend Cartoon Forum as viewing participants, buyers or coproduction partners on projects led by producers from countries that are participating in the Media programme.

The new initiative will allow them to pitch UK-originated projects again, with five set to be pitched by UK creatives together with a UK broadcast partner in a 90-minute pitching session. Each new project is actively looking for collaboration with a European partner.

The first project is Duck & Frog, a 50×7′ 2D animated series for seven- to 12-year-olds produced by Sun & Moon Studios with support from BBC Children’s & Education.

Duck & Frog is a modern take on a classic slapstick, dialogue-free comedy, about a long-suffering duck trying to live a quiet life and his larger than life, eccentric frog flatmate who tries to live a loud one.

Next up is Huggy the Hugasaurus, a 78×7′ stop-motion animated series for preschoolers produced by Yamination Studios & Threewise Entertainment with support from Warner Bros Discovery.

Huggy is the world’s first ‘hugasaurus,’ and audiences follow her as she navigates her way through a world of fun, feelings and first times to make everyone’s problems a thing of the prehistoric past.

The Wolfbjorns, is a 26×11′ 2D animated series for 7-10s produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions with support from BBC Children’s & Education.

The sitcom follows the antics of a quiet young Viking and his loud, unconventional family as they struggle to adapt to life in modern society while holding onto their Viking roots.

Pleasure Beach, meanwhile, is a 12×22′ animated series for young adults and adults produced by Nexus Studios with support from Disney+.

In the formerly famous seaside town of Branbourne, a pier manager cooks up fantastical schemes to bring back the grandeur and the tourists, with the help of his Gen Z deputy. It is co-created by director Laurie Rowan and stand-up comedian Sean McLoughlin.

Finally, Magic Animal Friends is a 46×11′ 2D animated series with 3×22′ specials, for four- to seven-year-olds produced by Coolabi Productions and Paper Owl Films with support from Sky Kids.

Magic Animal Friends, an adventure-comedy series, is based on the book series by Daisy Meadows that follows two best friends on their adventures into the sparkling world of Friendship Forest. They are accompanied by an exuberant and flamboyant cat who introduces them to his animal friends who frequently find themselves embroiled in magical muddles and mayhem.

Cartoon Forum is a pitching and coproduction forum for animated TV projects that takes place in Toulouse every September. For three days, producers have the opportunity to pitch their projects in front of potential partners.

The event gathers around 1,000 professionals from 40-plus countries. Since its creation, Cartoon Forum has helped 956 animated series obtain financing of a total of €4bn (US$4.29bn).

Kate O’Connor, executive chair of Animation UK, said: “We are delighted that the UK animation industry is being provided the opportunity to profile our highly regarded sector known for its creative excellence, innovation, storytelling, iconic characters and humour.

“We look forward to showcasing new projects supported by our partners, as well as our centres of excellence across the UK, and having a renewed presence this September at Cartoon Forum where we will celebrate Animation UK with friends and partners across Europe. We are actively looking for European coproduction partners for all of our animated projects which will range from preschool to family and adult.”