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French director/screenwriter Manon Tacconi, a former student of reputable animation school La Poudrière, is living the animated dream in Annecy this year.

Her debut short “La bouche en cœur”—which was nominated at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Intl. Short Film Festival—is on track to become a cracking 15×7’ animated comedy series titled “Bitches” (“Garces” in French), after successfully climbing every step of the classic-yet-selective path of European animation production.

First presented at MIFA pitches in 2023, “Bitches” delighted the MIFA jury and received the Prix Ciclic, a €25,000 grant and two-month residency.

At Cartoon Springboard, a key launchpad for European co-productions, “Bitches” received support from the French collective Sacd (Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers), and went on to Cartoon Forum a year later, where professionals from all over Europe applauded this female-driven, female-led adult animation endeavor.

“Those steps helped us maintain a steady course,” said Tacconi, reflecting on the journey so far.

What kind of animation has Europe’s next gen talent got in the hopper? Cartoon Springboard, an E.U. platform organized by Cartoon for burgeoning toon talents which kicks off today in Madrid, can supply some answers.

Of the 24 projects to be pitched Wednesday and Thursday at Madrid’s Atheneum, a large part will be made, if financed, in 2D. At least half are from women.

Quite a few potential standouts come from France: ”Bitches,” which won an Annecy Ciclic Prize at its MIFA Pitches; “Maestitia,” co-helmed by Merel Hamers, at Gobelins, and “Inspector, Your Pants!” from the same prestige school; “When Monsters Within,” whose key creative Pablo Alcázar studies at Valence’s La Poudrière, another venerable French animation school.

Some directors are known values, as streaming platforms and France’s Annecy Festival turn creators into niche stars. “All Good,” for instance, is co-directed by Diego Porral, who served as...

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