Self-taught Animator, Lorna Gibson, Selected as Collision Award Finalist with Mr Bear’s Picnic
Skwigly
Mr Bear’s Picnic, a handcrafted animation created by self-taught author, illustrator, and animator Lorna Gibson, has been named a finalist in the July 2025 Collision Film Awards. Narrated by Stephen Fry, the heartwarming short film continues Gibson’s signature blend of warmth, nostalgia, and kindness – hallmarks of her creative studio, Toots Design.
Lorna Gibson, Founder of Tootsdesign.co.uk. Sketching & needlefelted characters
The film is part of the beloved Mr Bear series, which began with Mr Bear’s Christmas – a story Gibson dreamed would be narrated by Stephen Fry. After reaching out to him, the dream became reality. That first film went on to be acquired by the BBC, and Fry has since narrated all her animations.
Mr Bear’s Picnic is a heartwarming story set in the corner of the forest. Mr Bear’s dearest friend, Mouse, feels a bit blue. As she slips out for a quiet walk by herself to clear her mind, Mr Bear is unsure where she’s gone and a little worried about his friend. He goes to find her and cheer her up with all her favourite things wrapped up in a picnic basket. This gently story reminds us of our power to brighten someone’s day, just by being there, just by being yourself, just by being a friend.
Collision Award Finalists are selected by the Collision Awards Jury, an international panel of experts across animation and motion design. Members include Sarah Cox (Executive Creative Director/Aardman), Marge Dean (Head of Skybound Animation Studio and President/Women in Animation), Ronnie del Carmen (Co-director & writer of Pixar’s Inside Out), Maureen Fan (Chief Executive Officer/Baobab Studios), Jinko Gotoh (Producer Finding Nemo), Jay Grandin (Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director/Giant Ant), Julie Lockhart (Co-Founder and President of Production/Locksmith Animation), Andrew Millstein (Co-Head/Annapurna Animation), Mike Moloney (Founder and Executive Creative Director/Art&Graft) Gilles Monteil (Animation Expert/Ubisoft) and Ramsey Naito (President/Paramount Animation and President/Nickelodeon Animation) amongst others.
“Lorna’s work has excelled in its category, standing out as one of the most creative, stylistic and exciting pieces of work from across the globe,” said Randeep Katari, General Manager of the Collision Awards. “This award is a testament to the skill and vision of its creators and entire team.”
Lorna, 42, from Tarporley in Cheshire, said: “It’s an honour to have Mr Bear’s Picnic recognised at the Collision Film Awards. I have always believed in the ripple effect of kindness and your power to brighten someone’s day with the simplest of things. Mr Bear’s Picnic very much celebrates this and I hope it will warm the hearts of those who watch it”
Mr Bear’s Picnic was enhanced by the work of Buckinghamshire composer Andrew Pickering who wrote and performed its soundtrack and local Cheshire lighting professional Daniel Beckett, each of whom agreed to support the project at no cost.