Toons boom across the Croisette this year, with colorful features opening Critics’ Week, closing Directors’ Fortnight, and appearing across nearly every section — further cementing Cannes’ status as a premier launchpad for animated cinema. Cannes’ position now feels secure, though its rise has been unusually fast. Earlier breakouts like “My Life as a Zucchini” (2016) “Mirai” (2018) and” I Lost My Body” (2019) ushered sophisticated international fare into awards conversations, even as programers