# Cartoon Saloon

Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers. Their works have received five Academy Award nominations, their first four feature length works all received nominations for Best Animated Feature and one for Best Animated Short Film (Late Afternoon). The company also developed the cartoon series Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango and Vikingskool. As of 2020, the studio employs 300 animators.

## History

Cartoon Saloon was established in Kilkenny during 1999 by Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, and Paul Young. The three were all alumni of the Ballyfermot College of Further Education’s animation degree course. Cartoon Saloon began working on a trailer for its first feature film, The Secret of Kells, that same year. However, the film did not enter full production until 2005; the company animated corporate work such as advertisements as they searched for funding. Meanwhile the studio of 12 animators relied on commercial and corporate work including web-site design and CD ROM production with Paul Young focusing on illustration whilst Tomm Moore undertook the animation.
Both The Secret of Kells and the studio’s second feature Song of the Sea were inspired by The Thief and the Cobbler and Mulan while the founders were in university. Tomm Moore, the director of both films, said "Some friends in college and I were inspired by Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler and the Disney movie Mulan, which took indigenous traditional art as the starting point for a beautiful style of 2D animation. I felt that something similar could be done with Irish art." A 2001 meeting with Les Armateurs proved instrumental in the effort to secure funding for The Secret of Kells, and the company helped in the production of the final film.
The success and Oscar nomination of the film in 2009 led to major offers for Cartoon Saloon, but the studio chose to remain independent. This led to a difficult time financially for the company for a few years with the partners having to take out personal loans to keep the studio afloat.
As of 2021, Cartoon Saloon is in production of its TV series, Vikingskool and Nora Twomey's second feature for Netflix, My Father's Dragon.

## Services

The studio provides animation, illustration and design services for clients ranging from Disney to BBC to Cartoon Network.
Cartoon Saloon also provided the graphics for the successful Emperor of the Irish exhibition at Trinity College Dublin, in 2014.

## Filmography
### Feature films
#### Released

| Title | Release date | Budget | Gross | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
| The Secret of Kells | 3 March 2009 19 March 2010 (US) | $8 million | $3.5 million | 90% | 81 |
| Song of the Sea | 19 December 2014 (US) 10 July 2015 (UK & Ireland) | $7.5 million | $4.4 million | 99% | 85 |
| The Breadwinner | 17 November 2017 (US) 25 May 2018 (UK & Ireland) | $10 million | $4.4 million | 95% | 78 |
| Wolfwalkers | 30 October 2020 (UK Limited) 13 November 2020 (US Limited) 4 December 2020 (Ireland Limited) 11 December 2020 (Apple TV+) | €10 million | $1.3 million | 99% | 87 |
| My Father's Dragon | 4 November 2022 (UK US and Ireland Limited) 11 November 2022 (Netflix) | TBA | TBA | 87% | 73% |
| Puffin Rock and the New Friends | 14 July 2023 (Ireland Limited) 11 August 2023 (UK Limited) 16 April 2024 | TBA | $51K | 100% | TBA |

#### Upcoming

| Title | Release | Ref. |
| Julián | 2025 | |

#### Cancelled

| Title | Note |
| Skunk Fu! | Based on the TV series of the same name. |

### Short films

| # | Title | Release date |
| 1 | From Darkness | 13 July 2002 (2002-07-13) |
| 2 | Cúilín Dualach | 16 October 2004 (2004-10-16) |
| 3 | Old Fangs | 1 July 2009 (2009-07-01) |
| 4 | Somewhere Down the Line | 12 July 2014 (2014-07-12) |
| 5 | The Ledge End of Phil: From Accounting | 15 November 2014 (2014-11-15) |
| 6 | Late Afternoon | 2018 (2018) |
| 7 | There's a Monster In My Kitchen | 22 October 2020 (2020-10-22) |
| 8 | Star Wars: Visions: Screecher's Reach | 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) |

### Television series
#### Produced

| # | Title | Premiere date | End date | Network |
| 1 | Skunk Fu! | 2007 | 2008 | CBBC |
| 2 | Anam an Amhráin | 2009 | 2010 | TG4 |
| 3 | Puffin Rock | 2015 | 2016 | RTÉjr/Nick Jr./Netflix |
| 4 | Cúl an Tí | 2018 | 2018 | TG4 |
| 5 | Dorg Van Dango | 2020 | 2021 | RTÉ Nickelodeon/Family Channel, co-produced with WildBrain |
| 6 | Vikingskool | 2022 | present | Disney EMEA (Disney+), France Televisions, NRK, RTE |
| 7 | Silly Sundays | 2023 | present | RTÉjr/Cartoon Network |

#### Upcoming

| # | Title | Premiere date | End date | Network |
| 8 | Ellie the Ace | TBA | | TBA |
| 9 | Untitled Cartoon Saloon series | TBA | | Apple TV+ |

#### Rejected

| Title | Note |
| Eddie of the Realms Eternal | Pitched to Amazon |
| The World According to Winnie the Pooh | Pitched to Disney Television Animation Based on the Winnie the Pooh franchise. |

### Cooperative works
#### Lighthouse Studios

Lighthouse Studios was founded in 2017 by this studio and Mercury Filmworks.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie | Co-production | |
| 2019 | The Bug Diaries | Co-production | |
| 2021 | Little Ellen | Co-production | |
| 2022 | The Cuphead Show! | Co-production | |
| 2022 | The Bob's Burgers Movie | Co-production | With Bento Box, Golden Wolf, and Tonic DNA, among others |
| 2022 | El Deafo | Co-production | |
| 2023 | Rick and Morty (season 7) | Co-production | For 5 episodes, with Williams Street and Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!, among others |

#### Other

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Santa's Apprentice | Co-production | Animation production by Gaumont Alphanim |
| 2011 | Top Cat: The Movie | Co-production | Animation production by Ánima Estudios, as well as Illusion Studios |
| 2012 | Moon Man | Co-production | Animation production by Schesch Filmkreation |
| 2014 | The Prophet | Segment (On Love) | Animation production by Ventanarosa |
| 2021 | Belle | Background work | Animation production by Studio Chizu |

## Awards and nominations
### The Secret of Kells
#### Wins

* 2008: Directors Finders Award at the Directors Finders Series in Ireland
* 2009: Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
* 2009: Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
* 2009: Roy E. Disney Award at Seattle's 2D Or Not 2D Film Festival
* 2009: Grand Prize at the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival
* 2009: Audience Award at the 9th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival; Kecskemét City Prize at the 6th Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV Specials
* 2010: Nominated for Best Animation award at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards
* 2010: European Animated Feature Award at the British Animation Awards

#### Nominations

* 2009: Grand Prix Award for Best Film in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
* 2009: Best Animated Film at the 22nd European Film Awards
* 2009: Best Animated Feature at the 37th Annie Awards
* 2010: Best Film at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards
* 2010: Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards

### Song of the Sea

| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Results |
| 2014 | Festival International des Voix du Cinéma d'Animation (Port Leucate, France) | Prix Spécial du Jury | Song of the Sea | Won |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Best Animated Feature | Tomm Moore, Paul Young | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Tomm Moore, Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson, Rosa Ballester Cabo | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Tomm Moore | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Music in a Feature Production | Bruno Coulais & Kíla | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Adrien Merigeau | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Will Collins | Nominated |
| 2015 | 42nd Annual Annie Awards | Editorial in an Animated Feature Production | Darragh Byrne | Nominated |
| 2015 | 19th Satellite Awards | Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature | Song of the Sea | Won |
| 2015 | 40th César Awards | Best Animated Feature Film | Song of the Sea | Nominated |
| 2015 | 87th Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Tomm Moore and Paul Young | Nominated |
| 2015 | 12th Irish Film & Television Awards | Best Film | Song of the Sea | Won |
| 2015 | 12th Irish Film & Television Awards | Best Film Script | Will Collins | Nominated |
| 2015 | 28th European Film Awards | Best Animated Feature Film | Song of the Sea | Won |
| 2016 | 6th Magritte Awards | Best Foreign Film in Coproduction | Song of the Sea | Nominated |
| 2016 | 21st Empire Awards | Best Animated Film | Song of the Sea | Nominated |
| 2017 | 2nd Irish Animation Awards | Best Irish Feature Film or Special | Song of the Sea | Won |

### The Breadwinner

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result |
| Academy Awards | 4 March 2018 | Best Animated Feature | Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Best Animated Feature — Independent | The Breadwinner | Won |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Reza Riahi, Louise Bagnall, Alice Dieudonné | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Nora Twomey | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Music in an Animated Feature Production | Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Ciaran Duffy, Julien Regnard, Daby Zainab Faidhi | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production | Julien Regnard | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production | Saara Chaudry | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production | Laara Sadiq | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Anita Doron | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 3 February 2018 | Editorial in an Animated Feature Production | Darragh Byrne | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Picture | Andrew Rosen, Anthony Leo, Paul Young, Tomm Moore, Stéphan Roelants | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Anita Doron | Won |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Editing | Darragh Byrne | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Sound Editing | Nelson Ferreira, John Elliot, J. R. Fountain, Dashen Naidoo, Tyler Whitham | Won |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Original Score | Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna | Won |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 11 March 2018 | Best Original Song | "The Crown Sleeps", Qais Essar and Joshua Hill | Won |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 11 January 2018 | Best Animated Feature | The Breadwinner | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 7 January 2018 | Best Animated Feature Film | The Breadwinner | Nominated |
| Golden Tomato Awards | 3 January 2018 | Best Animated Movie 2017 | The Breadwinner | 4th Place |
| Irish Animation Awards | 23 March 2019 | Best Irish Feature Film or Special | The Breadwinner | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 13 January 2018 | Best Animated Film | The Breadwinner | Won |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 8 December 2017 | Best Animated Feature | The Breadwinner | Nominated |

### Wolfwalkers

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | 25 April 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants | Nominated |
| AFI Fest | 23 October 2020 | Narrative Feature | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Won |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 4 January 2021 | Best Animated Feature Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 4 January 2021 | Best Animated Female | Eva Whittaker | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 4 January 2021 | Best Animated Female | Honor Kneafsey | Nominated |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | 17 April 2021 | Best Edited Animated Feature Film | Darragh Byrne, Richie Cody, Darren Holmes, ACE | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Animated Feature – Independent | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best FX for Feature | Kim Kelly, Leena Lecklin, Frédéric Plumey, Almu Redondo and Nicole Storck | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Character Animation - Feature | Emmanuel Asquier-Brassart | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Character Design - Feature | Federico Pirovano | Won |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Direction - Feature | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Won |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Music - Feature | Bruno Coulais and Kíla | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Production Design - Feature | María Pareja, Ross Stewart and Tomm Moore | Won |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Storyboarding - Feature | Guillaume Lorin | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Voice Acting - Feature | Eva Whittaker | Won |
| Annie Awards | 16 April 2021 | Best Writing - Feature | Will Collins | Nominated |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | 10 April 2021 | Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Film | Ross Stewart, Tomm Moore and Maria Pareja | Nominated |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | 19 March 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | 13 December 2020 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Runner-up |
| BAFTA's Children & Young People Awards | 27 November 2022 | Best Feature Film | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart and Paul Young | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | 11 April 2021 | Best Animated Film | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart and Paul Young | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 21 December 2020 | Best Animated Film | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Nora Twomey and Paul Young | Won |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | 10 January 2021 | Best Animated Movie | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | 10 January 2021 | Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie | Honor Kneafsey | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | 10 January 2021 | Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie | Eva Whittaker | Nominated |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | 10 February 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Runner-up |
| Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | 8 March 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Dorian Awards | 18 April 2021 | Most Visually Striking Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards | 18 December 2020 | Best Irish Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| European Film Awards | 1 December 2021 | Young Audience Award | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 1 December 2021 | Best Animated Feature Film | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | 21 December 2020 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Runner-up |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 12 March 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 28 February 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Golden Rooster Awards | 30 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Gotham Awards | 11 January 2021 | Audience Award | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Gotham Awards | 11 January 2021 | Best International Feature | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young, Nora Twomey and Stéphan Roelants | Nominated |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | 5 March 2021 | Best Animated or VFX Performance | Honor Kneafsey | Nominated |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | 5 March 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 27 January 2021 | Best Original Score in an Animated Film | Bruno Coulais | Nominated |
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | 18 January 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | 14 December 2020 | Best International Feature | Wolfwalkers | 7th place |
| International Cinephile Society Awards | 20 February 2021 | Best Animated Film | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Nominated |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | 18 February 2021 | Best Original Score for an Animated Film | Bruno Coulais | Won |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Animation Sequence | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Art Direction and Design | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Editing | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Irish Feature or Special | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Music | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Sound Design | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Irish Animation Awards | 21 May 2021 | Best Storyboarding | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Irish Film & Television Awards | 4 July 2021 | Best Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Irish Film & Television Awards | 4 July 2021 | Best Film Director | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Nominated |
| Irish Film & Television Awards | 4 July 2021 | Best Film Script | Will Collins | Nominated |
| London Critics Circle Film Awards | 7 February 2021 | Technical Achievement Award | Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart | Nominated |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | 20 December 2020 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards | 16 April 2021 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Animation | Sebastien Marquilly, Bruno Seznec, Christian Seznec, Baptiste Bouche, Felix Davin, Alexandre Fleurant, Axel Steichen, Stéphane Werner, Anne-Lyse Haddak and Florian Fabre | Nominated |
| National Board of Review | 26 January 2021 | Top 10 Independent Films | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | 18 December 2020 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | 25 January 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | 24 March 2021 | Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures | Paul Young, Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore, and Stéphan Roelants | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | 11 January 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | 18 January 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 15 February 2021 | Best Animated or Mixed Media Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | 15 February 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | 17 January 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | 7 February 2021 | Best Animated Film | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Ursa Major Awards | 2 May 2021 | Best Motion Picture | Wolfwalkers | Won |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | 8 February 2021 | Best Animated Feature | Wolfwalkers | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | 8 February 2021 | Best Voice Performance | Honor Kneafsey | Nominated |
| Women Film Critics Circle Awards | 7 March 2021 | Best Animated Female | Eva Whittaker | Runner-up |
| Women Film Critics Circle Awards | 7 March 2021 | Best Animated Female | Honor Kneafsey | Nominated |

### My Father's Dragon

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Animation is Film Festival | 22 October 2022 | Special Jury Prize Award | My Father's Dragon | Won |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 16 November 2022 | Best Original Song in an Animated Film | Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna, Frank Danna, Nora Twomey, Meg LeFauve ("Lift Your Wings") | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 25 February 2023 | Best Animated Feature – Independent | My Father's Dragon | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 25 February 2023 | Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production | Nora Twomey | Nominated |

### Late Afternoon

* Nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
* IFTA Award for Best Animated Short Film
* Best Animated Short Film, Baku International Animation Festival

### Puffin Rock

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Kidscreen Awards | 9 February 2016 | Best New Series, preschool | | Won |
| Kidscreen Awards | 9 February 2016 | Best Animated Series, preschool | | Won |
| Annie Awards | 4 February 2017 | Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children | Puffin Rock - The First Snow - Episode: 59 | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 4 February 2017 | Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Lily Bernard for The First Snow - Episode: 59 | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | 4 February 2017 | Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Davey Moore for The First Snow - Episode: 59 | Nominated |
| International Emmy Kids Awards | 10 April 2018 | Best preschool program | | Nominated |