Industry

Gao Shan Pictures has received the inaugural Ecoprod Cartoon Tribute, presented during Cartoon Forum 2026 in Toulouse, recognising the French animation studio and production company’s commitment to sustainability across its operations, production methods and storytelling.
The Cartoon Tribute awards recognise key players in European animation, with this year’s event also marking the launch of a new Sustainability Award. For the first edition of the Ecoprod Cartoon Tribute, Gao Shan Pictures was recognised for its work across three areas: studio operations, production methods and editorial choices.

Since 2022, the studio has structured its sustainability strategy around these three pillars, involving its entire team in practical measures ranging from sustainability onboarding and remote working to carpooling, soft mobility, local recruitment and reduced business travel. Founded in 2014, Gao Shan Pictures operates across La Réunion, Angoulême, Annecy and Mauritius, working in both 2D and 3D animation. With 30 percent of its team originating from La Réunion, the company has also invested in developing local talent through the creation of RUBIKA Réunion in 2024, establishing an education-to-employment pathway for talent from the Indian Ocean region.

The studio has also introduced measures aimed at reducing energy and resource consumption in its day-to-day operations. These include limiting air conditioning and digital use, shutting down equipment when not in use, waste sorting, reducing single-use packaging, using second-hand furniture and providing vegetarian catering. Technology and production processes form another part of Gao Shan Pictures' sustainability strategy. For Into the Wonderwoods, the studio developed a real-time production pipeline using Unreal Engine and GPU technology, reducing image rendering times from one to two hours to around ten minutes, with an estimated 80 percent reduction in rendering electricity.