Cartoon Saloon

Overview

Cartoon Saloon is an independent Irish animation studio that has established itself as one of the most celebrated animation producers in the world. Founded in 1999 by Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey in Kilkenny, Ireland, the studio has produced five feature films and dozens of short films and television projects. Cartoon Saloon has received five Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature, making it one of the most nominated independent animation studios outside the major Hollywood animation labels.

The studio's work is defined by hand-drawn animation, Celtic and folk art aesthetics, and stories rooted in Irish and international cultural traditions. This approach positions Cartoon Saloon's films as a deliberate artistic counterpoint to the dominant computer-animated feature model.

History

Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey founded Cartoon Saloon in 1999 in Kilkenny, choosing to remain in Ireland rather than relocating to Dublin or larger international production centers. This decision reflected a commitment to supporting the development of a creative industry in a smaller Irish city.

The studio's debut feature, The Secret of Kells (2009), directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and introduced the studio's visual language: highly stylized 2D animation drawing on the imagery of illuminated manuscripts, Celtic knotwork, and Irish mythology. The film was produced in partnership with French and Belgian co-producers, establishing the European co-production model that Cartoon Saloon has used for all subsequent features.

Song of the Sea (2014), also directed by Moore, received a second Academy Award nomination. The film drew on Irish selkie mythology and continued the studio's exploration of Celtic folklore. The Breadwinner (2017), directed by Nora Twomey and co-produced with Angelina Jolie's Jolie Pas production company, was set in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and received a third nomination, demonstrating the studio's ability to handle subject matter beyond its Celtic roots.

Wolfwalkers (2020), co-directed by Moore and Ross Stewart, won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Animated Feature Film and received a fourth Academy Award nomination. My Father's Dragon (2022), directed by Twomey for Netflix, added a fifth nomination.

Production Model

Cartoon Saloon's European co-production model draws on Irish, French, Belgian, and other European film funding bodies including Screen Ireland, the CNC (France's national film center), and regional European funds. This financing structure allows the studio to produce features at budgets comparable to much larger animation facilities by combining multiple smaller public funding streams.

The studio's commitment to hand-drawn animation represents both an artistic choice and a practical one: traditional 2D animation can be produced at lower per-frame costs than comparable computer animation when executed efficiently.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Cartoon Saloon develops projects with directors who share the studio's commitment to hand-drawn animation and culturally rooted storytelling. The studio's European co-production expertise provides a model for independent animation producers seeking to assemble financing from multiple public sources. Screen Ireland's animation production funding is a primary resource for Irish animation producers.

For animators and animation directors, Cartoon Saloon's output demonstrates that independently produced hand-drawn animation can achieve the highest levels of critical recognition and global distribution.

See Also

For understanding how European animation co-production works, see Distribution Deals Explained. For technical animation context, use the Frame Rate Calculator.