€200m line-up of European toons for Cartoon Forum 2011

Cartoon Forum, the animation screenings event that has served as a launch-pad for many of Europe’s most successful kids series, has unveiled a 66-project line-up for this year’s event.

There are more projects than presented last year with organisers citing a “spectacular rise in the global budget for projects.” The cumulative budget of the 66 projects on offer is €214 million, 30% more than the 62 projects presented last year.

To be eligible for Cartoon Forum, a producer needs a letter of interest from a broadcaster (which does not, however, equate to a firm financial commitment).

French animation producers again lead the way at Cartoon Forum Polska with 21 of the 66 projects. Their British counterparts have put in a strong showing with 14 projects, twice as many as they had in 2010. Spanish producers, meanwhile, will present 11 shows at this year’s event, which takes place in Sopot, Poland in September.

Projects targeted at 6-9s stand out this year, organisers said. Multiplatform ideas are also prevalent with over a third of the projects intended for simultaneous launch on television and other platforms.

Producers with shows at Cartoon Forum include Cyber Group/Timoon, Dargaud and Gaumont-Alphanim from France. From the UK there are projects from Random House and, separately, Peppa Pig producers and distributor eOne. Cromosoma and Imira are among the Spanish producers with new projects.

The full list of projects can be accessed here.