Toonz at MIPCOM 2026: Taking Diverse Stories to Global Markets

MIPCOM 2026 brought together the global content industry in Cannes, creating opportunities for producers, distributors, broadcasters and streaming platforms to explore new projects and partnerships. For Toonz Media Group, the market was an opportunity to showcase a diverse slate of animation and feature content, strengthen industry relationships and explore new routes to international audiences. 

Representing Toonz at the market were Gulshan David, VP – Feature Films, and Anish Narayanankutty, Director – Content Distribution and Digital Media Networks. During their time at MIPCOM, they engaged with industry professionals and explored opportunities across international sales, distribution, co-productions, localisation and strategic partnerships. 

This year's slate reflected the breadth of Toonz's content portfolio, bringing together creator-led properties, family entertainment, Asian stories, anime, genre-driven storytelling and technology-led filmmaking. 

Leading the lineup was MechWest, a CG action-adventure series created by animation veteran Dave Gallagher and produced by AnimSchool Studios. With more than 11 million lifetime views, the property represents Toonz's focus on taking distinctive, independently developed IP to international markets. 

The feature slate included Tulipop: Magical Seasons, a 70-minute family feature from Icelandic studio Tulipop Studios, alongside A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, an adult animated horror anthology adapted from Ying Chang Compestine's book. Co-produced with Singapore-based Robot Playground Media, the latter draws on Chinese culinary traditions and Asian folklore, combining supernatural storytelling with a hybrid 2D and 3D animation approach. 

The lineup also featured The Taste of Water, a project co-produced with Tokyo-based Supersub LLC. Blending live-action footage captured across Japan with AI-assisted rotoscoping and 3D Gaussian Splatting, the project explores new creative possibilities in anime-inspired filmmaking through themes of memory, culture and human emotion. 

Representing Toonz's engagement with Japanese storytelling and localisation, Rokuro, an anime adventure co-produced with Japan's Planet Studios, was another key title in the slate. Through Toonz's Chotoonz TV platform, the series is being brought to Hindi-speaking audiences, demonstrating how localisation can help content connect with viewers in new markets. 

The slate was further strengthened by Big Foot & Carlos and Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk, adding to the range of family entertainment and feature animation presented to the international market. 

Beyond individual titles, Toonz's MIPCOM presence reflected a broader approach to content distribution. As audience viewing habits continue to evolve across broadcast, streaming, video-on-demand, YouTube, telecom platforms and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST), identifying the right platforms and partnerships for each property is increasingly important. 

For Gulshan and Anish, MIPCOM provided an opportunity to discuss these evolving market dynamics, explore potential collaborations and build relationships that could help take Toonz's content further. From creator-driven projects and international co-productions to technology-led storytelling and localisation, the conversations reflected the many possibilities available to animation and content businesses in a changing global marketplace. 

Every international opportunity is supported by the collective work of teams across creative development, production, sales, distribution, marketing and communications. As Toonz continues to engage with partners across territories, MIPCOM serves as another step in our ongoing effort to connect distinctive stories with audiences around the world. 

Toonz in the International Spotlight: Our MIPCOM Slate Makes Headlines

Our participation at MIPCOM 2026 also found a wider audience through coverage in leading animation and television trade publications. Animation Magazine, C21Media, Animation Xpress, TodoTV and Prensario featured Toonz Media Group's MIPCOM slate, bringing our projects and international ambitions to the attention of industry professionals across markets. 

The coverage highlighted the variety of content Toonz brought to Cannes, reflecting a slate that spans different genres, storytelling styles and audience segments. From imaginative children's entertainment to distinctive projects for older audiences, our lineup demonstrates the range of stories and creative collaborations that are part of Toonz's international offering. 

Among the projects drawing attention were MechWest, A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, The Taste of Water, Rokuro, Zoonicorn and Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk, alongside other titles in the slate. Each brings its own creative identity and audience proposition, contributing to a portfolio designed to connect with viewers across territories and platforms. 

Trade media plays an important role in the international content business. These publications help industry professionals discover new projects, follow developments across studios and understand the stories and partnerships shaping the market. Coverage in established industry outlets therefore extends the reach of our announcements beyond the event itself, giving our projects visibility among potential partners, buyers, distributors and other decision-makers. 

As Toonz continues to build relationships across the global content industry, this visibility helps strengthen awareness of our work and the breadth of our storytelling. More than a collection of titles, our MIPCOM slate represents the creativity, collaboration and commitment that go into taking Toonz stories to the world.  

Toonz at TIFFCOM 2026

Gulshan David, VP – Feature Films at Toonz Media Group, attended TIFFCOM 2026 in Tokyo, engaging with industry professionals and exploring opportunities for collaboration and co-production. Toonz’s A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts was selected for the Frontières Showcase at the Tokyo Gap Financing Market (TGFM), bringing international attention to the adult animated horror anthology. The showcase and industry meetings provided a platform to connect with potential partners and build conversations around the project’s next steps.