For the first time ever this year, Cartoon Forum (13-16 September 2016) will be hosting a spotlight on one country with Ireland the focus – recognition of the country’s performance on the world stage over the past few years.
The massive nine Irish titles this year are ‘Alva and the Trolls’ (Kavaleer Productions), ‘Boogaloo and Graham’ (Sixteen South), ‘Creepers’ (Giant Animation), ‘I’ve Got A Time Travelling Monkey On My Back’ (Treehouse Republic), ‘Peek Zoo’ (Igloo Films), ‘Snoozeville’ (JAM Media), ‘The Mooneys’ (Salty Dog Pictures), ‘Urban Tails’ (Pink Kong Studios) and ‘Zombabies’ (Keg Kartoonz).
Produced by Kavaleer Productions, ‘Alva and the Trolls’ is a 52x11 television series aimed at pre-school children and aims to be the first kids show that links preschool social and emotional development with transferable media literacy skills though a classical fairy tale format - essentially training wheels for social interaction.
Sixteen South’s ‘Boogaloo and Graham’ (the same name as the 2015 Oscar nominated short film) is a 52x5 television series aimed at pre-school children that centres on opinionated chickens that celebrate both sides of the brain by letting the viewer experience science and imagination.
Giant Animation’s ‘Creepers’ is a 13x22 TV series aimed at 9-11 year olds which follows the exploits of three lifelong friends on their journey to investigate and document the eeriest mysteries of their city.
Also aimed at 9-11 year olds is Treehouse Republic’s 26x11 TV series ‘I’ve Got A Time Travelling Monkey On My Back’. When Burt Burchester invents a time machine in the distant future, his highly evolved monkey lab assistant, Archibald, is up first for a test run. Travelling back to the present, he is stuck when the time machine breaks and must enlist Burt, now at age 12, to help him get back to his own time.
Aimed at pre-school children is the 26x6 Igloo Films production ‘Peek Zoo’, which centres on the adventures of zookeeper Mr. Peek and his two children, Jimmy and Violet, as they look after the loud and colourful animals of Peek Zoo.
Also on the Cartoon Forum slate is the 52x11 TV series ‘Snoozeville’ from JAM Media. Aimed at children between 6 and 8, the series follows three best friends. Kip is a goofy, carefree 10-year-old kid who with his buddies, Pillow and Tick, just wants to... live the dream.
Salty Dog Pictures 6x25 TV series ‘The Mooneys’ is aimed at Young Adults and is set in the year 2090 where the world’s fossil fuels have run dry and the world is hosting a reality TV competition so that each country has an opportunity to make use of a rare element that would mean a limitless power supply. This competition means that each country puts one family on the moon for 24 months where they have to adhere to the many rules of the show. Unfortunately for Ireland, their chances of winning begin with one miscreant family: The Mooneys.
Aimed at 6-8 year olds is the Pink Kong Studios 52x2 TV Series ‘Urban Tails’. Filled with funny character-driven content the series is energetic, unpredictable and upbeat, presenting the viewers with a unique take on Urban Wildlife.
The 26x12 TV Series ‘Zombabies’ (produced by Keg Kartoonz and aimed at 6-8 year olds) follows the Fitzgeralds, an aristocratic family who, haven fallen on hard times, are forced to move into one of the many new generic houses built on their former land with the Zombie Kids (Zombabies) as their neighbours.
Stay tuned to IFTN for more news on Cartoon Forum as it comes in.
