Cartoon Forum, the pitching and co-production event for animated TV series, revealed a steady stream of European animation at the 24th edition  of the gathering which ended last 20 September in Toulouse, France.

Cartoon Connection Canada will be held in autumn 2013.

The European Association of Animation Film announced the winners for Cartoon Movie Tributes 2013.

 Aardman Animation's founding partner Peter Lord (UK) won the European Director of the year award at Cartoon Movie 2013 for his stop-motion adventure comedy "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" in stereoscopic 3D.

 Cartoon Movie participants elected TF1 International (France) as European Distributor of the year. The company co-produced its first animation feature film in 2011, "The Rabbi's Cat", followed by "Santa's Magic Crystal" and "Aya of Yop City".

Finally, Didier Brunner's Les Armateurs (France) is the European Producer of the Year, having released two major films the same year: "Kirikou and the Men and the Women" by Michel Ocelot, and "Ernest & Celestine",César award for Best Animated Feature.

Ms Farida Boudaoud from the Rhône-Alpes Region gave a trophy to the Rhône-Alpes' Personality of the Year to highlight the local animation talent.

The winner is Benjamin Renner, former student of La Poudrière, who co-directed "Ernest & Célestine".

See all the nominees:

European Director of the Year award:

• Enzo d'Alò (Italy) - director of Pinocchio [info-trailer]
• Peter Lord (UK)  - director of the Academy Award-nominated The Pirates! Band of Misfits
• Michel Ocelot (France)  - director of Kirikou and the Men and Women [info-trailer]

European Distributor of the Year:

• Pro Film, distributor of independent films in Bulgaria which has recently introduced several European animation films in the country like "Ronal the Barbarian", "Niko and the Way to the Stars", "Freddy Frogface", "Moomins" and "Lotte and the Moonstone", and planning to release soon "Niko 2", "Thor 3D" and "Gladiators of Rome"
• TF1 International, first animation feature film in 2011, "The Rabbi's Cat", followed by "Santa's Magic Crystal" and "Aya of Yop City" (info)
•  Universum Film, independent film distributors in Germnay and co-producer of animated films such as "Niko & Way to the Stars", "Moonman" and "Knight Rusty".

European Producer of the Year:

• Anima Vitae (Finland) production (Niko & The Way to the Stars, "Niko 2 - Little Brother, Big Trouble)
• Les Armateurs (France) production Kirikou, Belleville Rendez-Vous, Ernest & Celestine
•  El Toro Pictures, Lightbox Entertainment & Ikiru Films (Spain).  Production: Tad, the Lost Explorer
  

The 15th Cartoon Movie, regarded as one the main showcases to promote European animation,  presented 56 new projects for animated films from 20 countries across Europe to over 700 sector professionals.

Caleb Wood, Elli Vuorinen and Emma De Swaef were the 3 animators chosen to participate in the Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo progamme 2012-2013.

Pitch THIS! Returns to TAC &, Ottawa Animation Festival in 2012.

The race for the best European animated film has started.  The European association Cartoon unveiled its 5 nominated films for the coveted Cartoon D' Or.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits and Patrice Leconte's The suicide shop will be shown in the European pitching forum Cartoon Movie (7-9 March, Lyon).

The 2012 edition of Cartoon Movie, the European forum for pitching animated projects, has now revealed its line-up.

The film by Johannes Weiland and Uwe Heidschötter won Cartoon d’Or 2011, the award for the best European short film of the year.