Cartoon Saloon turned 25 years old this year and the celebrations began at the BFI London Film Festival, where audiences enjoyed a curated selection of Cartoon Saloon shorts followed by a discussion with the studio directors Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young as well as screenings of the Feature Films throughout the month of January.
There were plenty of celebrations of the 25 years with screenings taking place around the world and 2 parties for crew and supporters of the studio at Annecy and Kilkenny Animated.
Puffin Rock continues to grow
Puffin Rock had another busy year! Puffin Rock and the New Friends had its North American premiere at the New York International Children’s Film Festival and the movie had its Ukrainian language premiere in Dublin at Lighthouse Cinema. The Ukrainian language version has been made available for educational and non commercial use across Ireland and Europe. Puffin Rock and the New Friends also won the Kids Competition Award for the Best Feature Film at Lucas Film Festival and also Best Feature at The British Animation Awards as well as screening at festivals around the world.
The Puffin Rock Habitats exhibition launched this year and has toured venues in counties Kildare, Kilkenny, Cork, Donegal and Waterford. In 2025, the exhibition will tour to venues in counties Dublin, Wicklow, Armagh and Galway. Puffin Rock Habitats is an educational project between the Heritage Council and Cartoon Saloon to promote greater awareness and understanding of Ireland’s nature and biodiversity amongst families with young children through a touring exhibition, workshops and activity book.
Puffin Rock’, collaborated with leading Irish games studio, Feenix Studio and Cartoon Saloon Brand Development, to bring this much loved show to Roblox, offering fans of the beloved series a new way to interact with the world of Puffin Rock. Launching exclusively on Roblox, this nature-inspired game allows players of all ages to explore the lush landscapes of Muddy Cove, the Lagoon, and beyond, embracing Puffin Rock’s themes of friendship and environmental care in an interactive, adventure-filled format.
Screecher’s Reach Awards
Screecher’s Reach art director, Almu Redondo, won the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® for Production Design in January and The Star Wars Visions Vol 2 short was also nominated for two Annie Awards; Editor Richie Cody for Best Editorial (TV/Media) and Paul Young for Best Direction (TV/Media) with Paul bringing home the Best Direction Award.
Preschool series Silly Sundays launch
Cartoon Saloon launched its latest preschool series ‘Silly Sundays’, a feel-good comedy series full of heart and deeply rooted in the theme of family. Everything centres around Sonia, Hugo, Mel, Mom, Dad and Granny, on those days when there is nothing scheduled except spending time with family and friends. The stories focus on their ups, their downs and mostly their fun times as they embrace every little moment together. The series is available on RTÉ Junior in Ireland, Cartoonito across EMEA regions and has just launched in the US on Cartoon Network and HBO Max.
Cartoon Saloon can’t wait to share even more exciting projects and announcements with you in 2025!