ATF x TTB Animation Lab & Pitch 2026

press release

The leading programme for Asian-European co-productions TIES THAT BIND is very proud to renew the partnership with Asia's leading entertainment content market Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and to announce the call for entries for its lab, tailored specifically to the needs of the animation industry.

After the successful 2025 edition, TIES THAT BIND and Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) are joining forces yet again for the ATF x TTB Animation Lab & Pitch 2026. This initiative will bring together producers with projects from Asia and Europe with the potential and desire to explore new financing and co-production opportunities, new markets, and new audiences in both continents. 

What is TTB x ATF Animation Lab?

The Animation Lab brings together selected producers with animation projects from Asia and Europe and offers an insight into the animation markets, financing and co-production possibilities in both continents.

Five intensive days of onsite workshops and networking activities with renowned industry decision-makers take place during the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) in Singapore in December. The programme is designed to prepare participants for the international market launch of their projects and culminates in the ATF x TTB Animation Pitch, where they present their projects to leading industry professionals.

Target Group

We will select 8—10 selected animation projects (4—5 each from APAC Asia-Pacific countries and Europe). Accepted formats include feature-length animated films, as well as TV formats (series or mini-series) and short films in development or financing stage. Preference will be given to projects with great creative potential, exciting visuals, interest and potential for co-production, and potential for travel across borders and continents. The program is not open to pre-school content. Preference will be given to animated films for youth, families, and adults.  

Programme

A 5-day onsite programme will take place at ATF will take place November 30 — December 4, 2026 in Singapore.

Throughout the programme, participants will:

• Gain insights into funding opportunities between Europe and Asia.
• Receive feedback on their financing plans and co-production strategies.
• Understand how to prepare and structure a project package for the international market.
• Refine the preparation and delivery of a quality pitch.
• Participate in hands-on sessions led by key industry decision-makers.
• Network with fellow attendees and international industry professionals.
• Present their projects at the ATF x TTB Animation Pitch.
• Join in the curated matchmaking session with Asian / European experts / decision-makers

Condition of participation

• The deadline is September 21th, 2026.
• There is no submission fee.
• There is no participation fee.
• All selected participants should cover their travel and accommodation to Singapore during the ATF market.

Talks are ongoing with European and Asian national/regional funds and promotion agencies in order to fully cover the costs of the participants from the respective countries/regions. Please contact us for further information.

Selected projects will receive up to 2 all-access passes to ATF.

The selection will be made by a selection committee and will be announced by late October.

Thanks to the support of Animation Ireland, Estonian Film Institute, FDCP – Film Development Council of the Philippines, New Zealand Film Commission, and the Norwegian Film Institute, producers from these partner countries will have access to partial or full scholarships.

Selection procedure

We aim to be transparent and unbiased in our selection process. EAVE TTB is keen to ensure the widest possible participation in our programmes and has a strong focus on securing as diverse a selection of people and projects as possible.  Diversity is viewed as a primary focus, not only with regards to nationality, geographic spread, race, age and gender, but also type of projects, experience and background. Our experience is, that the richer the pool of people and projects, the richer the overall experience of the participants and the more dynamic the group, the mutual learning exchange and inspiration.

ATFxTTB Animation Lab & Pitch is open to applicants from all over Europe*, i.e. all countries eligible for Creative Europe - MEDIA support and from the APAC countries in Asia*.
The selected participants need to be animation producers in their respective countries and continents, possessing a solid understanding of development, funding and distribution systems within their own territories and regions. They should aspire to work on an international scale and to create long-term relationships between Europe and Asia.

Producers are required to submit a project for consideration. Projects should be short films, feature films or TV formats (series or mini-series) at development or financing stage.

The selection is based on the assessment of the applicants’ and their company’s track record and the level of professional background and suitability of the project for the lab.

The selection committee also takes into account the following two criteria:

• the extent to which the applicant will benefit from her/his experience at ATFxTTB;
• the extent to which the applicant’s presence will be beneficial to the rest of the group/the other participants.

The selection committee is made by approx. 3 professionals coming from Europe and 3 professionals coming from Asia.

The selection process will be carried out in 2 phases:

• In the first phase, the selection committee will evaluate each of the applications received. They will separately assess their evaluation according to structured criteria in order to create a shortlist of projects.
• The final selection is conducted by the ATFxTTB Coordinator and the ATFxTTB Curator: in a joint call they will review and discuss the shortlisted projects to shape the final group of participants.

The final selection decision is commented upon and approved by the EAVE and FVG board.

The final decision will be taken 1 month before the session, after which participants will be notified and required to confirm their attendance within one week.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

ATF x TTB is organised by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, EAVE and ATF. It is supported by the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit organization that seeks to unify film producers from the region.

For more information please contact: Animation Lab Manager – Alessandra Pastore

www.eave.org, www.tiesthatbind.eu

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European countries/regions eligible

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_geoscheme_for_Europe

 

APAC countries/regions eligible

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_geoscheme_for_Asia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_geoscheme_for_Oceania

Please contact RX Global – atf.conference@rxglobal.com – to enquire about the countries/regions currently listed in compliance with the Economic & Trade Sanctions Policy

Page published 17 July 2026. Updated 28 July 2026.