Since 2014, the Cartoon Club festival has established the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, an award designed to celebrate the talent, passion and commitment of those who have dedicated their lives to the world of animation and comics. Every year, the prize is awarded to great masters and professionals who, with their artistic vision and their inexhaustible creativity, have been able to leave a deep and lasting imprint on the cultural landscape and in the collective imagination, inspiring generations of authors and enthusiasts.
Every year, the Cartoon Club Festival awards the Lifetime Achievement Award for Animated Cinema to directors and authors who, with vision, passion and talent, have contributed decisively to the cultural and artistic development of animation.
This award celebrates those who have transformed animated language into a true art form, capable of telling the present and the past, exciting and stimulating reflection. Their works have crossed generations, styles and techniques, leaving a deep imprint on the collective imagination.
With this award, the Festival pays tribute to exemplary careers, who have been able to combine creativity, research and commitment, redefining the role of animation in the contemporary cultural landscape.
Thanks to these masters of animation, the world continues to watch, dream and think.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Animated Cinema 2025: Maurizio Forestieri
Maurizio Forestieri, born in Palermo and active in Rome, is one of the most influential protagonists of contemporary Italian animation. Internationally renowned director, animator and producer, he has transformed animation into a narrative tool capable of combining art, commitment and entertainment.
Founder in 1988 of the production company Graphilm Entertainment, he has signed series, feature films and short films that have marked the history of the sector. A collaborator of authors such as Enzo D’Alò and Guido Manuli, he has worked on iconic titles such as The Blue Arrow, The Seagull and the Cat and Aida of the Trees. With Totò Sapore and the Magical Story of Pizza (2003) he made his debut as a director of a feature film, followed by works that combine technical innovation and profound content, such as Cinderella – A Live Fairy Tale, Bu Buum, Hanukkah – The Festival of Lights and The Custody, up to the recent To Be (2025), focused on the theme of identity in the digital age.
His works have been presented in the most prestigious international festivals, including Cannes and Berlin, and welcomed in the halls of the MoMA in New York. From 2015 to 2019 he led ASIFA Italy and carries out teaching activities at schools and institutions of excellence. With his original style and constant civic commitment, Forestieri has contributed to redefining the language of animation, leaving a lasting mark on contemporary visual culture.