With projects from a record 22 countries, this year’s edition of Cartoon Forum definitely has a new-kid-in-class type of international vibe. But based on some of the pitches to emerge from the forum’s first day, the newbies are stepping up with aplomb.

Poland’s Animoon, in its first-ever Cartoon Forum pitch, presented a sweet, heartfelt preschool project entitled Toru Super Fox, while perhaps the day’s biggest buzz was saved for Manivald and the Absinthe Rabbits, a YA series from Estonia’s Animatsioonistuudio and Croatia’s Adriatic Animation. The project’s darkly comedic and empathetic look at closeted LGBTQ anthropomorphic animals was completely original and refreshing, but not exactly for the core-kid demo.

Kids projects from Ireland, the Forum’s inaugural spotlight country, also made an impact including the gloriously imaginative Snoozeville (pictured) from Ireland’s JAM Media. The story of goofy 10-year-old Kip, easygoing memory foam pillow, Pillow (naturally), and excitable, always-on-time alarm clock, Tick, earned praise from Nickelodeon’s Alexi Wheeler, who also has his eye on The Day Trippers from UK-based Baby Cow Animation.

As day two rolls on, broadcasters and forum first-timers from the SVOD world—including Netflix, Sky Kids and Toon Goggles—may have already found their next big hit…stay tuned.