Hong Kong – Cartoon Network Asia’s SNAPTOONS (Short New Asia Pacific Cartoons), a pitch designed to identify the next generation of cartoon heroes, has announced three finalists from Singapore and the completion of two animated shorts from Malaysia.

Shortlisted finalists are chosen based on the originality and creativity of the concept while fulfilling the Cartoon Network criteria of being fun, funny and character driven.

The three Singapore shortlists are 101 Ways: The World by Sabreena Shanu; Maxine Starr Last Vanguard of the Zodiac by Kane Wheatley-Holder; and DNA – Definitely Not Animals by Dreamforest Animation. Production of shorts are expected to be completed by 2014. The completed shorts from Malaysia are Blox Brigade by Unizaru; and Ziro The Wizard…In Training by Tomato Animation. Both shorts, four and ten minutes long respectively, took a year to complete.

Kamil Othman, the Vice President for the Creative Multimedia Department at MDeC, said initiatives like SNAPTOONS provide an excellent opportunity for members of the local creative fraternities to convene and share their knowledge and insights with their regional and global counterparts. This will in turn inspire the birth and growth of new animation studios and talents who can lead Malaysia’s creative industry.

SNAPTOONS invites animation industry professionals, individual animators and animation studios to submit their pitches with the potential to see their ideas come to life alongside Cartoon Network’s lineup of iconic characters. Johnny Bravo for example, developed as a result of the SNAPTOONS initiative.