The shortlist for the world's top international television animation competition, Cartoons On The Bay, was unveiled on Wednesday in Salerno, near Naples.
After months of viewing, organizers have whittled the hundreds of submissions from nations around the world down to just 40 from 13 countries.
Every imaginable variety of cartoon will be screened during the festival's four-day run, with viewers treated to dozens of different styles, cultural backgrounds and topics.
Anatane and the Children of Okura, a French production, is a classic action adventure set in an industrialized 23rd century, in which a boy sets out to rescue kids from being turned into machines.
The slightly vintage US cartoon, Squirrel Boy, now in its second series, is about the escapades of Andy Johnson and his pet and best friend, Rodney J Squirrel.
In contrast, the Canadian nominations include the adult cartoon, Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World, about four gay men and two lesbians. After the first series prompted a lawsuit from Lego for use of its figurines, the producers switched to animated versions of the characters.
The festival has traditionally been dominated by European and North American entrants but organizers are doing their best to remedy that.
This year's shortlist includes an educational animation from India, three offerings from Japan, a cartoon from South Korea and one from Malaysia.
The Japanese productions include Miyori In The Sacred Forest, in which a teenage girl discovers spiritual forest creatures and learns the importance of nature, and Hooray For Fizi! based on a popular British book about fish for younger kids.
The dark South Korean cartoon, Wanted, offers a metaphor for a tragic national event, while the Malaysian nomination, Mustang Mama, is the second series about a soccer-obsessed grandma and her grandson and pet cow.
Although just 40 animations have made the shortlist for the coveted Pulcinella prize, which is awarded in eight different categories, 176 cartoons from 24 countries will be screened over the four-day event.
The festival, which runs from April 10 to 13 this year, will also show the world premieres of feature-length animations and will be accompanied by a program of special events, including conferences and meetings with directors, writers and TV producers.
As the only event of its kind, Cartoons On The Bay traditionally attracts hundreds of representatives from around the world, drawn by the commercial potential of the animations.
