Cheyenne Curtis Wins OIAF Pitch THIS! 2026 With ‘King Baby Snail’

OTTAWA, Canada – Cheyenne Curtis has won the 2026 Pitch THIS! competition at the Ottawa International Animation Festival with King Baby Snail, an animated series concept that the final jury praised for its “clear vision, heart, charming visuals and unapologetic love of snails.”

Curtis pitched the project Thursday at The Animation Conference (TAC), OIAF’s industry event, alongside fellow finalist Gino Baldeon, whose tiny BIG adventure was named runner-up. The two advanced from a field of eight semifinalist projects, selected from more than 100 applications.

TAC’s pitching jury included Mike Barth of Jam Filled Entertainment, Lisa Cinelli of CBC, Tanya Green of Mainframe Studios, and Kirsten Hurd of TVOkids. When announcing the winner, Barth explained what he and his colleagues saw in the pitch:

So much potential there. I can’t wait to see that on YouTube. It has a clear vision, heart, charming visuals, so much great animation potential. It’s got a very solid story engine, you’ve created such a wonderful little sandbox that I know can create many, many different episodes.

Opting for charming brevity, Curtis accepted the award, saying:

I made it out of such pure love, so I’m really glad you all like it. Thank you so much.

In a follow-up release, she elaborated: “This project was really a love letter to my family, and to myself. I’m really thankful to the Pitch THIS! jury for selecting my project as the winning pitch and for connecting with my story.”

Curtis receives a prize package valued at CAD $11,300 ($8,000), including CAD $7,500 ($5,300) in cash, a Toon Boom Harmony Premium license and training, legal services, and passes to OIAF and TAC 2027.

Presented in partnership with the Canada Media Fund, Pitch THIS! pairs emerging Canadian creators with industry mentors before they present their series concepts to producers and other industry decision-makers.