‘Oink’ Director Mascha Halberstad, ‘No Dogs Or Italians Allowed’ Co-Producers Score Cartoon Movie Awards

Cartoon Movie 2023 wrapped up on Thursday, with the Bordeaux-based event handing out its latest honors, which are called the Cartoon Tributes.

Winners for the three categories – European animation producer, director, and distributor/sales agent of the year – were picked by polling the 876 attendees at this year’s event.

Seven production companies split the producer of the year honor for their collaboration on Alain Ughetto’s European Film Award animated feature winner No Dogs or Italians Allowed. The stop-motion film was co-produced by Les Films du Tambour de Soie, Vivement Lundi!, and Foliascope in France; Graffiti Film in Italy; Nadasdy Film in Switzerland; Ocidental Filmes in Portugal; and  Lux Fugit Film in Belgium.

Already an important figure at this year’s Cartoon Movie, where her next film Fox and Hare Save the Forest was pitched, Mascha Halberstad was recognized as Cartoon’s director of the year. Halberstad’s debut feature Oink opened the 2022 Berlinale’s Generation K+ section and was nominated for best European feature at the European Film Awards.

And Paris-based KMBO, the French distributor of animated films such as The Amazing Maurice, Moonbound, and Mavka: The Forest Song, was singled out as the year’s top distributor.

2023 Cartoon Movie Tribute Awards

Producer of the Year

• Les Films du Tambour de Soie, Vivement Lundi!, and Foliascope (France); Graffiti Film (Italy), Nadasdy Film (Switzerland), Ocidental Filmes (Portugal), and Lux Fugit Film (Belgium) for No Dogs or Italians Allowed

Director of the Year

• Mascha Halberstad for Oink (Netherlands)

Distributor of the Year

• KMBO (France)