John Musker, the genius of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, the director and producer Leslie Iwerks (“Recycled Life”), the cartoonist Juanjo Guarnido (“Blacksad”), Sara Pichelli, among the most appreciated Italian cartoonists in the world. And Stefano Bessoni to whom an exhibition will be dedicated. These are just some of the guest stars of the 28th edition of Cartoons On The Bay scheduled in Pescara from 29 May to 2 June. The Rai festival organized by Rai Com and dedicated to cinematographic, television and cross-media animation “demonstrates that the ninth art has the right to citizenship among the great works of genius”, explains the president of Rai Com Claudia Mazzola. And it fully embodies – as Rai president Marinella Soldi says in a message – “the spirit of public service. The 2024-2028 service contract puts young people at the center and the aim of Cartoons is precisely to speak to young people, promote young audiovisual production, encourage new languages in the audiovisual sector. And animation is a free and innovative language by nature, very dear to young people for its possibilities of expressive freedom” he adds. The poster of the 28th edition is entrusted to the illustrator and designer Silvia Ziche and her character Lucrezia while that of the Kids version is entrusted to the cartoonist and YouTuber Sio. Over three hundred works in competition from almost fifty countries (with over one hundred guests including directors, producers, artists and managers from the world of animation) while sport will be the theme of the year to celebrate the upcoming Olympics and Spain, the host nation , will be the protagonist in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes. Among the hits on the programme, concerts by Antonella Ruggiero, Emanuela Pacotto and the Ensemble of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory. Finally, the national preview for the film The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley, winner of five César awards. The mascots of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Tina and Milo will also be present at the Festival. “This – explains director Genovesi – is one of the best editions of Cartoons that we have ever offered to the public and professionals. It reminds me of the times in Rapallo when Don Bluth and Yoshiyuki Tomino came. And this thanks to the work of the staff and all my collaborators and consultants. Like when you go to a concert and see a person with a baton in his hand, those who make the music are the musicians. It is a festival born from Rai Com but this year, even more than other years, it involves the entire Rai group: Rai Kids, RaiPlay, Rai Radio Kids, Radio2 given that this year we have the honor of hosting the live broadcast of Il Ruggito del Coniglio in Piazza della Rinascita with Marco Presta and Antonello Dose of whom I am a big fan and for to whom I thank Simona Sala, director of Radio2. And for the first time Rai Libri will also be present with a dedicated space and the presentation of the new Grendizer from A to U by Marco Pellitteri. We will also have a village like in the days of Rapallo which brings us closer also at large sector festivals such as Lucca Comics of which we are partners”. “At the festival we are proud to represent not only Rai but the entire Italian animation because we work with all the independent producers and all the animation studios in our country” explains Luca Milano of Rai Kids. “For some years we have been curating this special section of the festival with great enthusiasm and this year we are hosting 100 contents. Cartoons we try to illuminate it on our platform but the platform is also illuminated by Cartoons” says Elena Capparelli, director of RaiPlay and Digital. “The Cartoons on the Bay project in Abruzzo continues and will continue because we are renewing the contract with Rai to host the event in Pescara and L’Aquila also in the next three years” announces the president of the Abruzzo region, Marco Marsilio.
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