ISSUE 8 - JUNE 2025

Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025

We had a fantastic time at Annecy Animation Festival 2025! Thank you to everyone who made this year’s festival so unforgettable. Jon had lots of positive conversations with friends and partners and would like to give a special mention to Animation UK and Creative Wales for all their support!

From spectacular screenings to late-night ice creams by the lake, the festival delivered on its promise of incredible talent, new friendships, and non-stop inspiration. Annecy continues to set the global standard for the future of the animation industry!

We are honoured and super excited to announce that Cloth Cat Games is a successful recipient of the first Games Scale Up Fund for Wales! It comes at a crucial time for the studio as the team grows and we can't wait to share more of what we're up to! Our Creative Producer Ben Cawthorne will be at Develop: Brighton next month to share the good news and catch up on the industry outlook.

Arts & Business Cymru Awards 2025

We attended the Arts & Business Cymru Awards at ICC Wales last week with Lauren Orme, director of Cardiff Animation Festival. We’re very grateful to have been nominated and would like to offer a big congratulations to this year's winners! It was wonderful to meet and celebrate some of the many innovative creators that are reshaping the landscape of arts and culture in Wales.

Cloth Cat Academy

Are you an animator? Are you looking to upskill? Do you want to learn from the best? The Cloth Cat Academy Autumn term begins in September, so make sure to book your place today to guarantee a space on the course! Our Toon Boom and Moho animation tutors Dani Abram and Sean Francis will be back to share more of their industry-specific knowledge. Our Storyboarding tutor Ben Bowen will also be teaching his program here at Cloth Cat HQ in October. Full information on all of our upcoming courses is available on our website.

If you're interested in attending an Academy course, you can register your interest here. Be sure to check the support section on our website in order to check your eligibility for any bursary funding. Applicants living in Wales are eligible for a 50% discount!

Screen Skills, Media Cymru, Ymddiried and ReAct+ also offer a selection of funding opportunities if you meet their criteria. Please ensure that you have left enough time when applying for any external funding in order for your applications to be processed prior to the start of your course.

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Cardiff Animation Nights

Cardiff Animation Nights delighted us this month with a live online broadcast from their YouTube channel! We saw a really great selection of indie animated shorts from the international festival circuit. We're very much looking forward to next month's in-person edition of the event, which will take place at The Underdog on 31st July. See you there!