GO-N’s toon Elle(s) chosen by EBU copro initiative after Cartoon Forum pitch

Animated kids’ series Elle(s), pitched by Paris-based Go-N Productions at Cartoon Forum in September, has been selected for coproduction by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)’s Animation Co-Development Initiative.

Nine European pubcasters have committed over €60,000 (US$69,910) to develop the series, which was chosen from more than 70 projects presented at Cartoon Forum this year.

Led by lead broadcaster France Télévisions, the other eight pubcasters are Belgium’s RTBF and VRT, Germany’s ARD/SWR/HR, Denmark’s DR, Finland’s YLE, the BBC in the UK, Rai in Italy and Ireland’s RTÉ.

Aimed primarily at viewers aged 9-12, with broader appeal for teens, Elle(s) is an animated adaptation of the graphic novels of the same name by Kid Toussaint and Aveline Stokart.

Over eight serialised episodes in 3D animation, the series explores the life and inner world of Elle, a seemingly ordinary 15-year-old trying to navigate the everyday challenges of high school, until her subconscious takes over in dramatic fashion. It aims to examine identity, emotion and coming of age.

Elle(s) will be the fourth series developed within the EBU Animation Co-Development Initiative, following Belgian producer Creative Conspiracy’s Ray & Ruby and Fleng Entertainment in Denmark’s Pig & Andersen, which were both pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2023, and French companies Brain Comet and Blue Spirit’s My Life is a Manga, which was pitched in 2024.

Matthew Trustram, head of television at the EBU, said: “Serving young audiences is a core mission of public service media, and it’s a mission we fulfil best when we work together. Our animation coproduction initiative brings broadcasters into close collaboration, enabling them to support independent creators and develop standout content – such as Elle(s) – for children across Europe. By joining forces in this way, we are safeguarding a diverse and thriving European animation sector in an increasingly competitive world.

Annick Maes, general director of Cartoon Forum organiser Cartoon, said: “We are delighted that Cartoon Forum has once again hosted this initiative, helping pave the way for stronger European and collective co-operation. As unilateral funding becomes increasingly difficult, this initiative provides an opportunity for both producers and public commissioners to rethink what European distribution can be and to promote cross-border distribution among European public broadcasters. Building on the success of the 2025 edition, we look forward with confidence to those that will follow.”