Young Horizons Industry

23/09/2026

PANEL AT YOUNG HORIZONS INDUSTRY 2026: Creative Expertise: Building IP with Heart co-hosted by Creative Europe Desk Poland

Original IP with genuine heart and soul is the best way to build lasting recognition that truly resonates with young audiences. Especially now, in a crowded marketplace where fandom is more critical than simple attention.

During this panel, our experts will share how to balance artistic integrity with multi-platform reach – from hand-crafted animation and publishing-first properties to immersive transmedia universes.

panellists: Janine Weigold, Independent Strategic Consultant, Weigoldmedia (Germany), Veslemøy Ruud Zwart, Producer & Writer, Zwart Arbeid (Norway), Simona Krasauskienė, Children’s IP & Licensing Strategist & CEO, NJ WORLD (Lithuania)

moderation: David Kleeman, SVP of Global Trends, Dubit (USA)

HOW TO JOIN US?

There are two options:

1) NEW: Conference Day Pass, a one day ticket which enables you to take part in the first day of the forum. This option is designed for people who are interested only in panels (including this panel) and case studies which are happening on 28 September. The Conference Day Pass will be available to buy on site in Kinoteka on 28 September.

2) Accreditation for a full 3-day event is open.

Details on our website.
Check our instagram for more updates about the conference part.

Nora Twomey’s presence is possible thanks to the support of Culture Ireland.

21/09/2026

Awards at YHI 2026

We are happy to welcome and welcome back production and postproduction studios and film markets whose aim is to support quality films and series for kids and youth.

For the first time the Best Pitch Award is sponsored by the Polish Film Institute and will be presented by Kamila Dorbach, director of the Polish Film Institute.

🏆Best Pitch Award
Sponsored by the Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej
PLN 15,000 cash award for the best pitching
This award will be given to the project that receives the most votes in the public poll.

🏆Documentary Feature Film Studios / Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (WFDiF) Award
€12,000 for the in-kind award in the form of a co-production contribution covering post-production services

🏆Wroclaw Feature Film Studio / Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych we Wrocławiu (WFF) Award
€10,000 for the in-kind award

🏆ATM Virtual Award
€21,000 for the in-kind award which consists of one day of shooting on an LED stage, preceded by one day of prelighting for the production of a selected film

🏆Aeroplan Studios Award
€5000 for the in-kind sound post-production services

🏆No Problemo Music Award
A free music licence for songs from the Audio Network’s library for their production and its promotional materials without restrictions on time, territory, or fields of use

🏆DeAPlaneta Award
€1000 cash prize and co-production opportunity

🏆m:brane Award
Direct access to the official selection at m:brane 2027

Find out the full list of projects presented at the Young Horizons Industry on the event’s website. The forum will take place from 28 to 30 September in Warsaw. Stay curious!

18/09/2026

Meet Young Experts at YHI!👋👋

We are excited to welcome 12 students aged 12-18 who one day may become filmmakers or film professionals themselves.

Read more about our Young Experts and the idea behind it: https://industry.younghorizons.pl/news/young-experts-in-2026-coming-from-estonia-italy-and-poland/

A big thank you to our partners: Just Film Industry Days, Moscerine Film Festival - MFF, Liceum Filmowe i Kreacji Gier Wideo.

15/09/2026

Before we will announce this year Young Experts, let's listen to young people from Estonia who shared their feedback and perspective with producers and were helping them to polish their projects last year!

14/09/2026

The guest list is now available on the Young Horizons Industry website. Check who is coming to the Young Horizons Industry this year!🩷

If you want to join us, please head to Accreditation page. Regular passes are accessible until 14 September (end of the day). To take advantage of the lower price, please create an account, request an accreditation and fill out the form by the end of today.

11/09/2026

2026 marks 10 years of Young Horizons Industry.🎊 We are honoured to celebrate this milestone together with SPPA – Polish Animation Producers Association – and PISF – Polish Film Institute.

SPPA – Polish Animation Producers Association:

"We are delighted to bring Polish Animation into the spotlight at Young Horizons Industry 2026. Polish Animation is thriving, with particularly strong potential in children's content, where talented creators and producers are developing ambitious projects for audiences at home and around the world. We are proud to strengthen its presence at YHI 2026 and connect Polish talent with international partners. May this Spotlight be a prelude to next year's celebration of 80 Years of Polish Animation – a remarkable anniversary we invite you all to celebrate with us!"

Spotlight on Polish Animation programme includes:

🤝Co-Production Meetings with Polish producers
🍿Exclusive Sneak Peek of the Upcoming Polish Productions: "Endover Groove", prod. GS Animation / Grupa Smacznego, "Freddie Little Chopin", prod. Letko, "Kitty The Great", prod. Animoon, "Paddy", prod. EGoFILM
🎤Close-Up Talk: Navigating the Distribution Maze – How to Manage Animated Series Distribution with Giovanna Bo, CCO, Executive Producer, Doghead Animation (Italy); Andrew Kavanagh, CEO, Kavaleer Productions (Ireland); and Robert Jaszczurowski, Producer and Co-founder, GS Animation / Grupa Smacznego, Poland, and Zofia Ścisłowska, Producer, Laniakea Pictures, Poland
🥂Welcome Cocktail

Among Polish studios that will be present at the forum there are: Anima-Pol, Animoon, Animwood, Krakow Animation Center, EGo FILM, Grupa Smacznego / GS Animation, Laniakea Pictures, Letko, WJTeam.

More: https://industry.younghorizons.pl/news/spotlight-on-polish-animation-at-young-horizons-industry/....................................

🧑The guest list is now available on the Young Horizons Industry website.

🎫If you want to join us, please head to Accreditation. Regular passes are accessible until 14 September.

💻The Young Horizons Industry platform and one-to-one meeting tool will open on 15 September.

08/09/2026

👀Consultants’ Tables at YHI 2026

Meet our experts and areas of consultations:

🧚‍♂️IP Development: Tim Biedert, Development, Creative & Executive Producer, Germany
🧙‍♀️Content and Strategy: Janine Weigold, Independent Strategic Consultant, Weigoldmedia, Germany
🍿Audience Awareness: Oscar Albertsen, Senior Consultant, Will & Agency / PUBLIKUM, Denmark
💰Financing – Eurimages: Sergio García de Leániz, Project Manager and Promotion Programme Manager, Eurimages, France
💰Financing – Polish Film Institute: Alicja Ścibiorek, Senior International Co-Production Specialist, Polish Film Institute, Poland; Blanka Kotlińska, Senior Animation Specialist, Polish Film Institute, Poland
👩‍💻Script: Catherine Williams, Screenwriter, Script Consultant, Nice Scripty Person, UK

Consultants' Tables at Young Horizons Industry is a great chance to discuss your project, its international potential, and get some expertise from our experts.

Registration for consultations open on 15 September. Head to our website to read more about our experts and what to expect from each consultation (see: programme) and get your accreditation.

07/09/2026

🎉Young Horizons Industry świętuje 10. edycję!

Już 28–30 września 2026 w Warszawie spotkają się twórcy, producenci i eksperci z Polski i zagranicy, by rozmawiać o przyszłości kina i seriali dla dzieci i młodzieży, rozwijać projekty i szukać międzynarodowych partnerów.

Tegoroczne hasło konferencji to „Creators Choices – Thinking Ahead”. W programie m.in. trendy na rynku, przyszłość IP dla młodych odbiorców, case studies, networking i indywidualne konsultacje z ekspertami.

🎯 Podczas forum zostanie zaprezentowanych 40 projektów. Na najlepszy pitching czeka nagroda w wysokości 15 000 zł ufundowana przez Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej.

Szczególnym punktem tegorocznej edycji będzie Spotlight on Polish Animation – program poświęcony polskiej animacji, realizowany we współpracy z SPPA – Stowarzyszeniem Producentów Polskiej Animacji. W programie m.in. spotkania koprodukcyjne, prezentacje polskich projektów oraz rozmowa o dystrybucji seriali animowanych.

🤝 Young Horizons Industry to dziś największe w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej forum w całości poświęcone produkcji filmów dla dzieci i młodzieży. Co roku wydarzenie gromadzi ponad 300 przedstawicieli branży.

🔗 Akredytacje są już dostępne na stronie Young Horizons Industry.

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

Last speaker for YHI conference confirmed.☀️ Please welcome Nora Twomey, partner and co-creative lead in Cartoon Saloon.🍀

Nora will take part in the panel „Creative Expertise: Building IP with Heart” along previously announced speakers: Janine Weigold (Weigoldmedia), Veslemøy Ruud Zwart (Zwart Arbeid), Simona Krasauskienė (NJ WORLD).

In this conversation moderated by David Kleeman (Dubit) our speakers will talk about the importance of building a fandom as well as how to balance artistic integrity with multi-platform reach.

This panel is part of the conference day at the Young Horizons Industry. Browse the full programme on our website!💻

🍿Fancy watching some of the titles from Cartoon Saloon? – check newly revealed TAURON Młode Horyzonty / Young Horizons IFF programme where you will find a special section „The Secrets of Cartoon Saloon”.

Nora’s presence is possible thanks to the support of Culture Ireland.