It’s 1996. Rai begins to give visibility to Italian animation, which until then had no dedicated platform. Under the artistic direction of animation expert Alfio Bastiancich, the festival evolves into an international event with a strong focus on television animation.
Since 2009, under the direction of Roberto Genovesi, the festival has expanded its scope to include new media, video games, comics, social media, cosplayers, and mass phenomena related to visual arts and entertainment. Cartoons on the Bay is structured into multiple programs: Professional, Schools, Cinema, and Public.
The festival is renowned for the Pulcinella Awards, among Europe’s most prestigious animation prizes, presented annually in different competition categories.
Each year, Cartoons on the Bay attracts participants from 50 countries, featuring 8 categories and 500 works, including TV series, short films, feature films, and video games.
The Artistic Direction assigns the Pulcinella Career Award, Studio of the Year Award, Special Pulcinella Awards for outstanding industry figures, and the UNICEF Award for Best Socially Engaged Production. The festival also hosts the Giuseppe Laganà Award, in collaboration with Asifa Italia and Cartoon Italia, recognizing under-30 creators.
Additionally, the festival offers the hosting territory a rich program of high-level cultural initiatives, all free and open to the public.
