An Emotionally Open Space: The Animation Series Project 'Tulip' (In Focus: CEE Animation 2025)

TV animation series and specials are now becoming even more indie-minded and bold at the same time. In the recent CEE Animation Forum, the TV series (10x5) animation project 'Tulip' by Juli Tudisco ('Sirence', 'Baby Steps', 'Oh, Droplet', 'Children of the Bird') and produced by the French indie company Avec ou sans vous (Valentin Maupin) won the prize for Best TV series; the jury found it "sincere, humorous and based on real life experiences. We appreciate its colourful but sensitive balance in the depiction of relationships'.

The project also got the Audience Award at the event.  Inspired by a life-altering hospital experience, 'Tulip' (script by Cédriane Fossat) tells the story of a woman in her 20s who decides to break up with her nearly perfect boyfriend, Angelo, and take for the first time the decisions into her own hands. Moving into a new flat, she finds a scarf with a Moth (an intrusive pest), which seems to be the alter ego for her fears.

The winning team told us more about the project.

The 'Tulip' Concept

Juli Tudisco: The series explores that messy emotional space where you feel completely lost, but also strangely open to something new. It is about learning to live with yourself, handling intense feelings, building friendships, and slowly reconnecting with your own intuition. Luckily, Tulip is not alone. She is joined by Cat, a calm mentor with a deep voice, and Moth, the messy embodiment of her anxiety. Along the way, she also meets different creatures, animals, and plants who share tools for managing emotions. These tools are inspired by DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), a method that has helped many people find balance in their inner world. The series stays close to real emotions, while leaving space for humor, imagination, and gentle growth.

Transition from Short Films to Series:

Juli Tudisco: I’ve made four short films so far, and I knew they would mostly live within the festival circuit. But after traveling to so many festivals with my latest film, 'Children of the Bird', I started to feel the urge to connect more directly with people beyond that world.

Making a series feels very different. You have to know your characters on a much deeper level, because they move through different situations and emotional layers across episodes. The arc unfolds more slowly, and the characters need space to grow. It is not just about expanding an idea. It is about building an emotional ecosystem. With 'Tulip', I am thinking more consciously about young adults who might see themselves in her struggles. I still want to stay honest and personal, but in a way that truly invites others in. 

The 'Tulip' Production Plan

Valentin Maupin: Tulip is a cross-media project, made for social media and traditional TV broadcasting. The series consists of 10x1min episodes in both vertical and horizontal formats, and 10x5min episodes in horizontal format. Our production plan is to finance each format differently. The first, social media format is almost fully financed, supported by CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée), Pictanovo Hauts-de-France Talent, Transperfect Media, Tchack Studio, and Avec ou sans Vous in-kind support. Additionally, we aim to secure extra funding through crowdfunding, which we plan to start in the spring of 2026.

For the long-episode format, we are currently seeking development funding from CNC and various regions in France, as well as a European co-producer, to help us raise funds and find a broadcaster. To strengthen our strategy, we will participate in the CEE Animation Workshop next year and continue presenting the project at various events and festivals, such as MIFA in Annecy 2026. 

The 'Tulip' Aesthetics

Juli Tudisco:  It is always a bit hard for me to describe the visual style of my work. I usually work very intuitively. I draw and redraw things until they feel right, rather than following a fixed concept from the beginning. I do not always have the words for it, but I think that is part of the process, too. 

One clear decision I made for 'Tulip' is that strong emotions affect the world around her. When she feels something deeply, whether it is joy, anger, sadness, or fear, the environment becomes more surreal and expressive. For example, when she feels free and happy, the flowers dance with her, the tree gives her a high five, the weather becomes a bit sunnier, and even the sun seems happier. When she is overwhelmed with anger, which later turns out to be fear and sadness, she sets the whole flat on fire without even noticing. These moments let her inner world spill into the outer world. The present emotion takes over everything around her, which I think is something many overly sensitive people can relate to. This is something I want to keep exploring visually throughout the series.

The CEE Animation Forum Experience

Juli Tudisco: It was our first time presenting 'Tulip' in this new format, so I was nervous about how people would react. But the response was overwhelming in the best way. So many people came up to tell us how much they connected with the story and the characters. It really reminded me why I am making this series in the first place.

Winning both the Best Series Pitching award and the Audience Award meant a lot, especially because they reflect both professional feedback and emotional connection. I left feeling inspired, more confident, and deeply grateful to be part of this community.

Valentin Maupin: The feedback we received from the jury also confirmed that 'Tulip' is suitable for different formats and audiences, which reassures us about our production plan. Winning the CEE Animation Workshop Award will also allow us to continue developing our project, while some episodes for social media will enter production. It was therefore a big push to put all our energies into 'Tulip' to produce and broadcast it within the next two years. 

Tupin pitching at the 2025 CEE Animation Forum (photo: Petra Sucha)

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