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October 2022 www.mipjunior.com
Michel Filzi MANAGEMENT TEAM
Entertainment Division DirectorMIPTV & MIPCOM Director: Lucy Smith; TV Division Sales Director: Geraud de Lacombe; SVP Sales & Business Development: Robert Marking; Director UK Sales: Vanessa Van Santen Smith; Marketing Director: Debora Atala; Conference Director: Tania Dugaro EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief: Julian Newby; Deputy Editor: Debbie Lincoln; Contributors: Andy Fry, Juliana Koranteng; Editorial Management: Boutique Editions; Graphic Studio: studioA Design; Graphic Designers: Sunnie Newby, Harriet Palmer PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
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BBC Studios is MIPCOM CANNES’
inaugural Studio Of Distinction. Its recently appointed managing director, Kids & Family, Cecilia Persson, is giving this year’s MIPJunior Keynote
IN DECEMBER 2021, the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios hired WarnerMedia EMEA vice-pres ident Cecilia Persson to head up a newly expanded kids division, absorbing what used to be a standalone children’s operation within the BBC itself. Nine months into this influential role, Persson will deliver a keynote to delegates at
MIPJunior.
Speaking to the MIPJunior Pre view magazine on the eve of the event, Persson, whose new title is managing director, BBC Studios Kids & Family, said the division “is a brand new, all-in-one global kids and family content power house. Passionate about creativity and quality, we are committed to
creating the very best for toddlers to teens. We are home to some of the most exciting and successful global franchises, such as Blue Peter, Bluey, Go Jetters, Hey Dug gee, JoJo & Gran Gran, My Mum Tracy Beaker, Sarah & Duck and Something Special.”
In terms of her key message to MIPJunior delegates, Persson said the new division will enable more scope for partnerships and international opportunities. “We are open for business,” she said, “with the potential to create work for a wide range of customers. We aim to be a major global force in children’s content that will deliv
er outstanding productions, such as our new bridge animation Su pertato which we are bringing to the market at Cannes. A co-pro duction with Tencent for the first time, it premieres on CBeebies this autumn.”
During her keynote, Persson will go into more detail on the recent restructure, “which aligns our selves with the rest of BBC Stu dios and provides us with a foun dation for future growth. We now follow their one portfolio ethos. We have one slate, one team and one budget, bringing us and all of our content together under one set of shared goals.”
Persson acknowledged that her new role is “incredibly daunting and a big responsibility” but she is excited by the challenge and the opportunities for growth: “The BBC is probably the most wellknown broadcaster in the world; millions of children around the globe will have seen BBC content, so it’s not lost on me how fortu nate I am to be representing the kids’ production and commercial division both on a local and global level in this new chapter.”
In the new structure, Persson will continue to work closely with BBC commissioners to de liver home-grown content “but in parallel we will be taking a hard look at our content strategy and considering how we place the best content on the right platforms. With today’s over whelming amount of choice, we need to ensure that we position our shows in the most appropri ate place for the target audience, which is why I am introducing a team focused on content strat egy. Our aim for the division is to grow and own more IP, forge creative partnerships with tal ent, producers and brands, and
create the best content for the youngest audiences (and fami lies). In order to deliver this, we need to seek out the talent, both on- and off-screen.”
Persson’s career in kids coincides with some paradigm shifts both in how kids’ audiences consume content — and how they are repre sented. On platform agnosticism, she said: “We know that children are prone to watch shows and not channels and have less loyalty to a particular network or channel. Our plans also need to factor in the difference between the age groups. Pre-schoolers want ubiquitous content. They want to be able to watch Hey Duggee, Bluey and JoJo & Gran Gran on the TV, tablet and phone anytime, anywhere. Older children love to discover and share shows. We want to make it easy for them to do that.”
As for the issue of diversity and inclusion, Persson said she is “seeking fresh ideas and new and diverse voices”. She added: “Diversity has been at the core of BBC children’s content for dec ades, but there is always room for improvement. Our produc tion JoJo & Gran Gran — the first
British pre-school animation and mixed-media series following and celebrating the lives of Black families in Britain — recently won the Kidscreen Best Mixed Media award and we are proud of It’s Time For A Voyage, celebrating Black History Month. We want accurately to reflect and con nect with all children, whether through live action or animation, and welcome the opportunity to talk to new voices who can help achieve this.”
While the primary focus of Pers son’s role is kids, her title also includes the all-important word family. On this, she said: “We want to create shows that bring the family together to provide shared moments of joy and last ing memories. We noticed that during the pandemic parents discovered children’s tele vision by watching it with their children. Programmes like JoJo & Gran Gran show the huge relationship that grandparents can play in children’s lives.”
“Like everyone I speak to I am really looking forward to Cannes this year. Having been in this post since January, I cannot wait to connect with the community again to share our news and plans. I look forward to being able to connect in person, in one place and swap
JW MARRIOTT GRAND THEATRE
IN THIS series of five MIPJunior sessions, a key content executive shares programming, acquisition and commissioning strate gies over 30 minutes.
The excutives are Rick Clod felter and Christina Jang of Disney Branded Television, US (Saturday, 11.15); Luca Milano of RAI, Italy (Satur day, 17.00); Maud Branly of M6/Gulli, France (Sunday, 09.45); and Lucy Murphy of Sky, UK (Sunday, 14.15). There is an opportunity to meet the speakers at the end of each session.
The MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening is Sinking Ship Entertainment’s Phoenix Rise, a BBC-commissioned drama about how schoolkids who have been marginalised can learn to find their rightful place in the world
PRODUCED by Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment and BBC Stu dios Kids & Family Productions, Phoenix Rise is a new drama se ries that centres around a group of young people who have temporar ily lost their way. Set in a school in the West Midlands in the UK, it fol lows a diverse group of teens who are taking their first tentative steps back into mainstream education af ter being excluded from school.
The six misfits set out to show that sometimes being an outsider means belonging to the best club of all, as their unlikely friendships bond them and make them deter mined not to be left by their con temporaries. Each episode follows one of the characters as the opti mism and fun of teenage life is set against the challenges they face in and out of the classroom.
Sinking Ship’s head of sales, Kate Sanagan, said Phoenix Rise is “an
excellent example of a localised story with universal themes and we know the authenticity of the characters’ experiences will reso nate with kids all over the world.”
Created by Matt Evans, writer
according to the BBC. The young actors with starring roles are Alex Draper (as Billy), Orla McDonagh (as Rihanna), Luca Alves (as Darcy), Lauren Co rah (as Summer), Tara Webb (as Rani), Krish Bassi (as Khaled) and Imogen Baker (as Leila).
Former EastEnders actor Paul Nicholls takes the role of Carl — the father of 15-year-old Billy and 11-year-old Rihanna — who failed to return from a truck driving job in Europe, leaving the two chil dren at home alone.
Filming for the 20 half-hour ep isode series began in June of this year and is taking place in and around the UK city of Coventry.
on long-running BBC soap Eas tenders, and Perrie Balthazar, writer on long-running ITV soap Coronation Street, Phoenix Rise “celebrates the outsider with irrev erent humour and smart, offbeat characters. It is unconventional, unapologetic and unforgettable”,
Commissioned by Sarah Muller, head of BBC Children’s Commis sioning and Acquisitions, each of the 20 episodes lasts 30 minutes and are targeted at an audience of 10 years and older.
MIPJUNIOR
“Phoenix Rise is unconventional, unapologetic and unforgettable”
ALL MIPJunior delegates are wel come to the Opening Night Party, held this year in partnership with NBCUniversal (NBCU) Kids & Family and themed around one of its latest properties, Abominable. “Since our acquisition of Dream Works Animation, the Kids & Fam ily space has been a huge priority for us and we’re proud to have many new shows with all rights available globally,” Belinda Menendez, presi dent & chief revenue officer, NBCU niversal Global Distribution, said. “This Abominable themed opening night party at MIPJunior is a great opportunity to showcase that con tent to buyers around the world.” Abominable And The Invisible City is a comedy adventure that contin ues the fun of the feature film as Yi, Peng, Jin, and Everest discover a se cret world of magical creatures liv ing hidden among humans and ded icate themselves to helping these creatures. “The series will follow Yi, Peng, Jin and Everest as they find their place in the world. Since com
ing into contact with Everest and his magical yeti powers, the kids are now able to see all of the other fantastical creatures that secretly inhabit their city,” Menendez said. “The show’s message of inclusivity and compassion for those who are different will come to the forefront as the kids help these new and unu sual creatures co-exist with humans in our modern world.”
She added: “Like the film, the pri mary target audience is six- to 11-year-olds, but filled with heart and humour, this series will have broad appeal.”
Elsewhere at MIPCOM CANNES, NBCU has a range of content availa ble — including Universal Studio Group productions Vampire Acade my, The Calling, Quantum Leap, A Friend Of The Family and
Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin; and A Town Called Malice, produced by Sky Studios. Alongside Abominable And The Invisible City, kids programming includes Megamind’s Guide To De fending Your City and The Croods:
Family Tree. “We also have unscript ed series such as Real Girlfriends In Paris, Below Deck Down Under and Living With A Serial Killer, in addi tion to Telemundo titles including El Senor De Los Cielos, La Mujer De Mi Vida, El Conde: Amor Y Honor, and more,” Menendez said.
Belinda Menendez
The company’s film slate includes Jurassic World Dominion, Op penheimer, Nope, Minions: The Rise Of Gru and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. “We will also be showcasing some stellar feature documentaries including Moon age Daydream, which illuminates the life and genius of David Bow ie; The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck, which is based on the best-selling book; and McEnroe, the definitive biopic of one of the most explosive and compelling tennis players of all time.”
“MIPCOM CANNES has always been a great market for us, and we’re excited to return. I’m most looking forward to getting to spend time with our valued partners“
BUYERS from around the world will be treated to a special MIP Junior Industry Showcase fea turing SeaBelievers, a 52 x 11 mins CGI animation series that opens up “a whole new genre of eco-tainment”, according to Do rian Buehr, head of global distri bution, Studio 100 Media. Three episodes of the pioneering show will be available to view at MIPJunior, with full delivery aimed at 2023. “Each episode leads kids on an eco-adventure,” Buehr says. “Whether in the sea or on shore, the SeaBelievers characters with their distinct seaweed hair, seashell noses, sea-colored eyes and webbed hands and feet, solve problems and take action around key envi ronmental issues.”
The show is aimed at children
aged four to seven, Buehr says, but can be entertaining for all the family. “The show is informative and realistic about real-life issues affecting our ocean. It encour ages kids to make a difference — because they can. But it all takes place in an entertaining way with original tunes to sing and dance along to.”
Studio 100 is in charge of distri bution and L&M rights and the show itself is the brainchild of Brien Arone, founder & SeaEO of an organisation called SeaBe lievers. “SeaBelievers is part of ‘1% for the Planet’,” Buehr says, “an organisation that was found ed to prevent greenwashing, cer tify reputable giving and provide accountability.
Brien has created this show having those
eco-issues on his mind.”
Buehr says MIPJunior is “a per fect place to promote this show, as well as all our other shows, since broadcasters from all around the world meet here. Our aim is to find partners
who share the creator’s and our vision of inspiring kids to care about the environment. We see a clear appreciation from buyers around the world for this topic and we want to build SeaBeliev ers into a big brand together.”
Arriving on the Riviera for MI PCOM is also a pleasant expe rience for an exec located in
Northern Europe, Buehr says.
“Coming from Germany, MI PCOM CANNES is usually a guarantee for the last bit of sun shine before heading into a cold winter. So, palm trees combined with delicious French food are some of my favourite things about
“Cannes is usually a guarantee for the last bit of sunshine before
‘
EUROPEAN content studio Beta Film is hosting its first-ever Kids & Family Showcase for buyers at MIPJunior
BETA FILM will present more than 80 hours of international content across a range of genres and subjects.
Beta head of kids and family Clau dia Schmitt told the MIPJunior Preview magazine: “Our division is still a boutique business with in Beta, but it has now reached a scale where it merits a dedicated event for our buyers.”
Schmitt says Beta’s kids & family content sits in a distinctive crea tive niche: “Our watchwords are moving, meaningful and magical. We want to support children go ing through difficult times, but also challenge them in a sensitive way.”
A good example of Beta’s ethos, is Saving The Fucking Planet, a 6 x 35-mins story about an un employed climate change sceptic
and a Sami environmentalist who meet and fall in love. “Their rela tionship is put to the test when they find they are on opposite sides of a conflict over a copper mine.”
Also headlining is Rumors, a 30 x 12 mins series that Schmitt de
scribes as a follow-up to NRK Norway’s breakout hit series Skam. “Rumors is another great show, produced by Mothership from NRK. Aimed at teenagers, it focuses on the secrets and emo tions of a group of 10th graders.”
In animation, the Showcase will feature a series called Postman From Space and an animated feature entitled Journey To Your land. In the latter, 10-year-old
This is Claudia Schmitt’s first time back in Cannes after a COVID-enforced absence.
what is she looking forward to?
Riki embarks on a mission to save a universe from certain doom. Beta has placed an increasing emphasis on “co-developments”, Schmitt says, “where we work with producers to give shows the best chance of international success. One of these is Green Girl, about a teenager who wants to save the planet by educating people to take care of the envi ronment. One way she does this is through the ‘wood wide web’.” Other co-developments under line the slate’s “magical” dimen sion: “In Finstersteins (8 x 45 mins) 16-year-old Fred brings the royal Finsterstein family back to life after they had spent 400 years turned to stone by a spell. There’s also Ten (13 x 30 mins), about 10 teens on an is land with magical powers.
MIPJUNIOR INDUSTRY
“The people. It will be great to network with friends and colleagues”
AN ACTION-packed MIPJunior conference programme will kick off with a thought-provoking presentation by Avril Blondelot, head of content insight, Glance. Speaking to the MIPJunior Pre view, Blondelot identified two overarching trends. “Firstly, co-viewing strategies continue to be developed by kids’ channels. Gulli in France, for example, has been reviewing its prime time strategy, broadcasting fam ily programmes since January. Secondly, streaming platforms are developing kids content to attract family subscriptions. A good illustration is AppleTV+ and its recent announcement re garding children’s animation.”
Drilling down, Blondelot says the kids sector is exhibiting similar behaviour to other TV sectors in terms of reliance on established IP. “Strong brands like Paw Pa trol, Peppa Pig and PJMasks continue to perform well, and well-known characters are mov ing into new areas. Oggy Oggy & Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years are extensions into preschool. At the same time, reboot ed IP has reached kids animation with The Smurfs and Mumfie starting well.” Blondelot adds that there is “still room for original IP like Gus The Itsy Bitsy Knight or Pip And Posy. There is also interest in ed ucational animated series. Cbee
bies just launched Colourblock, the third ‘block’ series after Al phablock and Numberblock.” Animation remains a top priority, “but TV channels still buy new live-action; for example Clan, which launched the Australian series Hardball in January or Italian channel RAI which devel oped docu-reality series Voglio Essere Un Mago.” Blondelot says broadcasters and brand owners are also turning to audio to expand their audi ence and develop their brands. “Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney and Mattel have all done this, while Moonbug made a deal with Spotify for podcasts including Cocomelon Story.”
SUCCESSES ACROSS THE GLOBE
JW MARRIOT GRAND THEATRE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 09.15
WILDBRAIN’s IP 360 strategy has been in place for over two years now and at MIPJunior the company presents a case study that will focus on its 360º ap proach to monetising kids’ brands globally in the digital world.
WildBrain chief operating of ficer Deirdre Brennan plays a key role in driving WildBrain’s content strategy, overseeing the company’s global distribution and AVOD business, as well as its family-branded broadcast chan nels in Canada.
“We so often discuss the challenge of visibility, but there are more opportunities to build meaningful connections with younger audi
ences than ever before,” Brennan said, a long-standing member of the MIPJunior Advisory Board. “If we focus on really engaging with audiences through content, not just promoting to them, it always comes back to authentic story telling and characters that gener ate an emotional response. What has changed is how we achieve this, which is as varied now as the formats and production budgets that are a part of the kids’ indus try today.” She adds: “Creativity can take many forms, but content strategies can no longer work in isolation from an understanding of distribution. The demographic boxes we used to classify our pro
jects in the past are also evolving, as our insight into audience be haviour deepens.”
Brennan says that viewing hab its changed during COVID, with share, entertaining content a crucial part of dealing with lock downs, social distancing and other enforced behaviours. “We may be emerging from a global pandemic, but we’re still seeing the impact of that event on viewing choices, whether that means enjoying a fami ly experience together on a large screen, or solo on mo bile devices, or even in the metaverse,” she said. “One thing we do know, the need to be entertained and in spired is more important than ever. The one trend I’m seeing across all formats
— unscripted, drama, comedy, live action, animated, virtual or real — is positivity. Joyful mo ments, are exactly what families need right now.”
WILDBRAIN IP 360
JW MARRIOTT GRAND THEATRE, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 17.45
KidsKnowBest, will take a look at “which trends have emerged and which are here to stay, plus a little look into the future”. Robinson picks out several key areas as the focal point of his ses sion: “One is the growth of Tik Tok as a content and discovery platform, perhaps even overtak ing Google and YouTube. Anoth er is gaming as a social space to hang out with mates and, per haps more importantly, those with similar interests or hobbies all over the world.” According to Robinson, kids have picked up on the fact that we are living in an uncertain world — with the current war in Ukraine contributing to their fears. Against that backdrop, however, he says kids are de manding a positive response from platform and content crea tors. “Young people see the value of community and empathy both in social spaces and driving con tent choices. They show a desire to move away from characters that demonstrate elitism — or digital metrics that prompt the need for validation.”
STANDING out in the kids con tent universe has never been tougher — with TV, gaming, so cial and many other platforms fighting to win the attention of young audiences. But MIP Junior delegates will be guid ed through this media maze in a session titled Platform Dive – Distribution And Marketing Insights For Brands And IP, led by Adam Woodgate, senior vice-president, media insights, at Dubit.
“My goal is to use our Dubit Trends data to help inform content creators and IP own ers about the right mix of plat forms and formats to maximise audience reach and revenues,” Woodgate says.
smartphones and PC/laptops. Roblox continues to grow its audiences. Fortnite Creative will add another metaverse platform to those available to kids, in addition to Sandbox, Core and others.”
MIPJUNIOR promises a broad range of conferences and ses sions designed to help delegates get to grips with the fast-chang ing kids market.
In one intriguing session titled New Kids On The Block – 2022, 23 And Beyond, Peter Robinson, chief strategy officer at agency
Interestingly, Robinson has picked up on concerns about brands among young audiences. “They worry that that their gam ing and social spaces will be tak en over by content makers and brands who aren’t authentical ly building community spaces, but just using it as promotional space. They still want sandbox content made by peers.”
“We all know there is more content than ever. But how does a new brand break through in a media landscape that’s more fragmented than ever? For an audience brought up on interaction, how does video compete with immersive experiences? What tactics can convince an audience that is increasingly consuming ‘snack able’, short-form content that your production is worth in vesting time in?”
At MIPTV this year, Dubit — a global digital agency focused on children, teens and fami lies — took delegates on a jour ney into the metaverse. A few months on, Woodgate stresses that this futuristic concept is gathering momentum. “The metaverse platforms are here and growing. Children and teens are spending more time playing games on tablets,
How to be heard in a fragmented market
NEW
“Cannes is the best place for meetings. Because we aren’t selling content, the show feels very relaxed. But that relaxed nature has actually led to some worthwhile relationships”
Peter Robinson
“I love the energy of the market. Cannes seems to capture that energy and excitement in a unique way; a way I don’t experience at other media conferences”
Adam Woodgate
WITH rising production costs and downward pressure on broadcaster budgets, there’s never been a more crucial time for kids producers and distribu tors to get to grips with interna tional co-production.
During a MIPJunior session, panelists will explain what co-producers are asking for and what options are available de pending on platforms, territo ries and genre. Panelists include Billy Mac queen, co-founder of Darrall Macqueen — a prolific indie that produces content for a range of streamers and broadcasters. Credits include the reboot of iconic pre-school series Teletub bies. “Next up for children’s and family producers is to acquire co-production partnerships, ei
ther creative or financial, if they want to be part of the global TV future,” Macqueen said. Offering delegates insights from the distribution sector is Domi nic Gardiner, founder and CEO of Jetpack Distribution. He said: “Co-production continues to be one of the essential pillars for kids production and financing for commercial and public plat forms. Global streamers are re questing more rights these days and the cost of production is be ing driven higher, making it hard for single-territory producers to finance an entire series. The streamer/studio model can en sure the financing and produc tion is quicker and simpler, but at the expense of ownership for local producers. However, if producers decide to forge on
PRODUCING TV content for kids is not just about entertaining them — it’s also about enabling them to find their place in the world and empathise with those around them, irre spective of differences.
In MIPJunior session It’s All About Authentic
ity, three leading kids executives explore how content creators and platforms can integrate authentic values and ideals, as well as relat able and aspirational characters, into their shows.
Gary Milne, head of content, Banijay Kids and Family, says there is no reason why a kids show shouldn’t be able to both enter tain and deliver critical messages around diversity, difference, em pathy and caring. “I believe that
together, they can increase their stakes in the IP and leverage better deals with the platforms as a co-production.” Gardiner added: “There is al ways going to be a trade off or compromise along the way and that is why co-productions are notoriously tricky. At the heart of every show is the creative vision and it’s essential that all partners have the same vision and expect the same outcomes.” Also on the panel, Cyma Zarghami, founder and CEO of New York Mimo Studios, spe cialist in kids and family con tent.
– WHAT’S NEW FOR AUTUMN 2022 AND BEYOND
JW MARRIOT GRAND THEATRE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 10.00
the focus should always be on the characters and their stories, with dif ference, diversity and empathy inte grated, to help us build powerful nar ratives in which prosocial messaging can be a strength, not an obstacle.”
Getting those messages right is often about making sure the team behind the camera has the right mix: “Ensuring a diversity of voices off-screen helps to bring authentic representation on-screen, so it is essential that we, as an industry, at tract, nurture and invest in a broad make-up of talent. We acknowl edge that it is impossible always to have every voice represented, but certain stories belong to certain people and they need to be in the room when these are being told.” Milne stressed that the job being
done in the kids sphere can influ ence the entire TV industry — and mainstream audiences: “It’s often said that we learn prejudice, so as producers, we need to foster an inclusive community on-screen, where positive values are shared, in the hope that they are then lived through adulthood. Kids content can be incredibly powerful in shaping the next generation of de cision makers.”
Sharing the MIPJunior stage with Milne will be Orion Ross, vice-president, animation, Disney EMEA; and Telidja Klai, content manager at VRT Ketnet.
IT’S ALL ABOUT AUTHENCITY!
JW MARRIOTT GRAND THEATRE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 16.15
ALWAYS a highlight of MIPJunior, the Project Pitch is a unique pitching competition that identifies new content aimed at young people with the greatest potential for commissioning and roll-out across platforms. Targeted at creators and producers seeking financing for projects in development, the competition offers visibility in front of a jury of leading decision-makers.
This year there are pitches in two categories: Kids, and Tweens and Teens.
THE KIDS section of the MIP Junior Project Pitch has four dis tinguished jurors who illustrate just how much this dynamic sec tor has evolved in recent years. Their job will be to identify ideas with potential for commissioning and roll-out across platforms.
Brenda Bisner, CCO of Kidoo dle.TV is at the forefront of the streaming revolution in children’s television. Having launched the platform in 2014, Bisner greenlit Kidoodle’s first slate of originals in 2020. Julien Borde is managing director and chief content officer of Mediawan Kids & Family. Hav ing previously worked at France Televisions and WarnerMedia, Borde joined the fast-growing Mediawan studio in 2020 to over
see its ambitious expansion into the kids market.
The third juror is Christopher Keenan, senior vice-president and executive producer, Mattel Inc. He said: “One of the most valuable aspects of MIPCOM and MIPJunior is the opportunity for producers and distributors like Mattel Television to meet content creators from around the world — and the Kids’ Pitch is fantastic in that it gives creators exposure and access to companies and in dividuals that they may not oth erwise meet. It’s truly one of the highlights of the market for me.”
He added: “I am always on the lookout for exceptional talent and for pitches that showcase a new or unexpected way to tell compel
ling stories. What helps a project stand out in competition like this is a unique voice or a surprising execution. No one has ever made it big by imitation.”
The Mattel high-flier said it’s a fascinating time for kids’ content: “There is more being produced than ever before and the content itself varies dramatically in style, length, format, execution and genre. It’s a great time to be a cre ator — and a kid!”
With Bisner, Borde and Keenan on the Kids jury is WarnerMe dia APAC head of acquisitions & co-productions Melissa Lim.
MIPJUNIOR PROJECT PITCH:
OCTOBER 15, 15.45
Christopher Keenan
“There is so much I love about Cannes and having visited nearly 50 times, I never tire of its charm, glamour and history. Simply walking the Croisette and running into friends old and new is probably what I look forward to most...”
’Brenda Bisner Melissa Lim Julien Borde
JUDGING the Tweens and Teens category for the first time is Amy Takahara, director kids co-productions & acquisitions, Netflix. “Initiatives like this one are valuable forums for crea tors,” she said. “They know their projects are being reviewed by experienced executives and the feedback they receive can be very valuable.”
Takahara is looking for “real ly good, fresh and compelling stories. We see a lot of pitches that are good but are missing that X-factor… that something special. Now is a particularly challenging time for tweens and teens content, because it is com peting against high-profile dra
mas — Stranger Things, for ex ample,” she said. “So teens’ and tweens’ entertainment needs to be able to compete at that level before the audience moves on to edgier, older skewing content.”
Joining Takahara on the jury is Sarah Muller, head of commis sioning & acquisitions, at the BBC. Muller said: “I always en joy being part of pitch sessions because it’s such a great way to hear new ideas and meet new creatives. Platforms like this are enormously valuable as they provide opportunities for crea tors, such as relationship build ing and learning discipline in pitching.”
Muller is looking for strong sto
rytelling, well-developed char acters “but also relatability and warmth”. In terms of the stand ard of tweens and teens content on the market at the moment, she said that generally it is “ex cellent — however, I would say there should be no difference in the quality and experience of drama for younger and older audiences. The young are highly sophisticated and have a wealth of choice, so production values should be as high as possible.” With Takahara and Muller on the Tweens and Teens jury are Claire Heinrich, deputy head of children & youth and head of ac quisitions at France Televisions, and Brandon Relph, CEO, Nile.
Sarah Muller
“Cannes is like a home-fromhome for so many of us and it will be lovely to see friends from around the world in person, sometimes for the first time in two years! Also, I love to walk along the Croisette to meetings and watch the sea sparkling — it’s probably the best walk to work in the world”Amy Takahara Brandon Relph Claire Heinrich
MIPJUNIOR PROJECT
TWEENS AND TEENS JW MARRIOT GRAND THEATRE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 14.45
and Mort
PRODUCED by Windmill Pictures for ABC Kids and distributed by ABC Commercial, brand new preschool series Beep And Mort is worthy of international attention not just because its new, but also because it is essentially analogue. In a world where so much of the content targeted at children is computer-generated, Beep And Mort is a puppet show. Based on Windmill Theatre Company’s award-winning theatre show, Beep, the series tells the story of two best friends from different worlds, solving their daily prob lems through invention, play and adventure. Beep And Mort ex plores the ways the organic and the technological can work to gether and, at its heart, is a series about empathy, community, and the enduring value of friendship. Director Rosemary Myers said that Windmill has drawn on its theatrical roots and also integrat ed new technologies, resulting in
“a contemporary hybrid form of puppetry that blends hand and rod puppets with post-animated ob ject puppets. In a screen landscape dominated by animation, we want to create a textured, built world that children feel they can almost step into and walk around in.” The TV show’s life began when ABC head of children’s Libbie Doherty saw a one-page pitch from pro ducer Kaye Weeks. “I just fell in love with the two characters. And then knowing the quality of the work that they do, we just went on the journey together to devel op it into a TV series,” Doherty said. “We didn’t have anything that looked like that at the time. Everything has gone very highend 3D, all with a very same kind of look. I was very attracted by the effect of the mix of puppetry and technology, but people kept saying that we should use current meth ods. I kept saying to people ‘But this is what they do’. So I’m so glad
MIPJunior delegates are invited to join ABC Kids executives and creatives from Windmill Pictures to celebrate the launch of ABC’s new flagship programme Beep And Mort
that we stuck to our guns, because we have an incredible show that people are going to love.”
MIPJunior is Beep And Mort’s first international outing and it launches on ABC Kids in Austral ia at the same time. “We have had great response from the testing we’ve done so far with the show,” Doherty said. “It’s really interest
ing because when you look at the creative itself, it looks quite young. Which is wonderful because it’s always good to have a show that hits the pre-school sweet spot. But we’ve found is that eight, nine and 10-year-olds are also enjoying it. So we think it’s going to have a much broader appeal than we originally intended.” She added: “It’s a really humorous show which is probably one of the more surprising things about it — because it’s so adora ble and sometimes these shows just feel cute — but it’s also really funny and has fantastic music. So I think it will surprise people.” A mixed-media series, Beep And Mort is produced by Windmill Pictures and distributed by ABC Commercial for ABC Kids, with funding from the South Australian Film Corporation.
Libbie Doherty
“I was very attracted by the effect of the mix of puppetry and technology”
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A HIGH-powered panel of kids executives and a city financier will take the stage at MIPJun ior to explore innovative ways to build a children’s TV budget. Speaking to the MIPJunior Preview, Ken Faier of Epic Story Media said the invest ment landscape in kids con tent is very dynamic right now. “Streaming, AVOD growth and platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft have really driven significant changes to viewing patterns. This directly impacts budgets for content and in creases the need to find mul tiple partners to raise enough capital for launching new IP. We have mined various types of strategic partners who are interested in participating in properties. This can include co-productions, but we are also working with toy companies, location-based entertainment companies, book partners, private equity and channel platforms.”
In terms of trying to convince partners to get involved, Faier said: “Generally, the plan has al ways been about 360 IP which can generate interest from fi nanciers. Hot buttons include engagement and also fandom around brands with which kids and families want to go deeper.
Play patterns and gaming fea ture heavily in our properties. Ultimately, companies want to see how they can benefit from the engagement a brand has and how they can bring an audience to their own offering.”
Also on the panel is Serious Kids’ Genevieve Dexter who added: “Putting aside one-stop fully funded models, financing a programme has always been a bespoke process and I can’t say I have ever managed to achieve a blueprint. Most series I have produced have completely dif ferent finance plans and involve many moving parts. To illus trate, we are just completing Best & Bester for Nickelodeon, YLE and Corus and it is the first ever UK/Finland/Canadian co-production.”
In terms of persuading new partners to get involved, Dex ter said: “There is an increase in equity-backed finance for established IP. The triggers for this are brand recognition, an exceptional broadcast platform, demonstrable route to market, an established revenue stream or a new-tech/golden bullet built into the business plan.”
The panel is rounded out by Judith Chan, executive direc tor at Coutts Bank, and P Jay
akumar, CEO of Indian pow erhouse Toonz Media Group. Delegates will be able to gain valuable insights from the Toonz CEO who has overseen rapid international growth and expansion into digital media. In addition to its animation production output, Toonz now has a wide array of channels and a burgeoning NFT business.
“Most series I have produced have completely different finance plans”Judith Chan Ken Faier
P Jayakumar
IN THE MipJunior Session Indi an Animation & VFX – Forging A Global Destiny, an expert panel is to discuss the sub-continent’s ani mation and VFX industries, which are enjoying a boom right now. “Service work for domestic kids channels and for Hollywood and European clients has for long been a staple of Indian studios. And that work contin ues even as some of them are working hard on creating glob ally relevant original IP and se ries,” session moderator, editor in chief, Indiantelevision.com Anil Wanvari, said. “Meanwhile, broadcasters and OTTs continue to acquire anima tion content locally and globally.”
Under the information and broad casting ministry, the Indian gov ernment has put in place measures to encourage the big animation companies from around the world to set up base in India, as well kickstart co-productions and collabo
rations between India and interna tional studios.
This panel discussion between various stakeholders from in dustry and government, offers “an insight into how India has established itself in the business
of creation and creativity, what kids content buyers are looking for, how much easier co-produc tions have become now and how the country is working on build ing and fine-tuning its creative muscle to make a further global impact in animation and VFX”, Wanvari said.
Panelists include Manoj Mishra, CEO, Powerkids Entertainment; Soumitra Ranade, chairman, cre ative director PaperBoat Design Studios; Milind Shinde, founder & CEO, 88 Pictures; Neerja Se khar and Apurva Chandra, addi tional secretary and secretary, re spectively, of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; and Anu Sikka, content head, kids cluster, Viacom18.
INDIAN ANIMATION & VFX –FORGING A GLOBAL DESTINY JW MARRIOTT GRAND THEATRE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 09.00
AMONG the highlights from ZDF Studios’ Cannes roster are: Grisu (52 x 12 mins), about a little dragon who dreams of becoming a firefight er; Tortle (26 x 24 mins), about a group of animals living on an island in a lake who, when they are caught seeking food and shelter in rubbish bins, gardens and garages, regular ly come into conflict with the lo cal residents; Mimo & Leva - Back To The Bronze Age (26 x 7 mins), featuring the adventures of kids in a Bronze Age village; live-action series Theodosia (26 x 26 mins), about the smart daughter of two Egyptologists; School Of Roars (104 x 7 mins), set in a monster school; Zoom – The White Dolphin (104 x 12 mins); Space Nova (26 x 24 mins);and live-action superhero story Hoodie (156 × 11 mins).
PROGRAMMING on the Cannes roster for Banijay includes: The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, an animation about a surfer boy who moves with his family and has to get used to life in the Arctic Circle, where he and his cousin befriend a yeti; Silverpoint, a live-action, sci-fi ad venture series, about four kids at a remote adventure camp; Corpse Talk, an animated, comedy-led chat show, voiced by Joe Sugg, that showcases historical figures; and pre-school series Mumfie, about an optimistic young elephant and his friends.
Silverpoint (Banijay)
BARBIE ‘Brooklyn’ Roberts, Barbie ‘Malibu’ Roberts, and her sisters Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea are on an underwater adventure as they transform into mermaids to help save the world of Pacifica in Barbie: Mermaid Power (1 x 60 mins). Further shows from Mattel in clude: Barbie: It Takes Two (26 x 22 mins), a new series that follows two Barbies as they spend a year at a performing arts high school in NYC, set out to record a music demo, take odd jobs to fund their dreams, explore the Big Apple and travel back to Malibu to visit family and friends; new series Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (52 x 11 mins); Thomas & Friends: The Mys tery Of Lookout Mountain (1 x 60 mins); and He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (26 x 22 mins).
IMPS handles the worldwide rights of the Smurfs characters and content. Priorities for Cannes include three seasons of 3D CGI se ries The Smurfs, presenting original stories with classic characters, alongside new, more complex personalities and quick-fire dialogue, all against the backdrop of the same joyful anarchy. The company also brings nine remastered seasons of the original 2D series in The Smurfs, The Classic Series.
SINKING Ship Entertainment brings series Phoenix Rise (20 x 30 mins) to Cannes. Pro duced by BBC Kids & Family, the new irreverent school dra ma series, which champions the underdog, follows six stu dents who form an unbreak able bond as they navigate the trials and tribulations of school life. The series is aimed at the over-10s and stars Alex Draper, Luca Alves, Lauren Corah, Tara Webb, Krish Bassi and Imogen Baker.
PARIS-based Method Anima tion brings its new project in development to Cannes. Karters (52 x 11 mins), targeted at fourto eight-year-olds, is a 3D CGI series featuring five kids who zoom through awesome adven tures to rescue magical Unipets and save the kingdom. Accord ing to legend magical unicorns roamed this kingdom many years ago, serving as mounts for valiant knights.
PRIME Entertainment Group returns to Cannes with a new ani mated fantasy series for seven- to 11-year-olds, Runes (26 x 22 mins). The story follows 12-yearold William, heir to the throne of Normandy. After the death of his father, William seeks refuge in the village of Baligan, incognito as a peasant boy called Hugo. After stumbling upon a cave, he discovers ancient runes that unleash a myste rious magic and the terrible threat of Loki, God of chaos. The series is produced by Paris-based Prime’s sister company, Les Amateurs.
AT CANNES, French anima tion producer and distributor Dandelooo is offering comedy series Our Piggy (52 x 2 mins). Based on the book by Jaromir Plachy, the 2D pre-school se ries is from Czech producer Bionaut. Small, curious and playful, Piggy is discovering and learning about the things around him — a box becomes a tractor or a pillow becomes a bee. Other titles on the roster include: four series of hybrid pre-school series The Tree house Stories; Stinky Dog (52 x 11 mins); and Billy The Cowboy Hamster (52 x 11 mins). New productions under way include The Upside Down River (8 x 26 mins), based on the novel by Jean Claude Mourlevat, and an original project to encourage yoga for pre-schoolers.
Karters (Method Animation)
The Smurfs, Season 1 (IMPS)
Barbie:Mermaid Power (Mattel)
Our Piggy (Dandelooo)
PARIS-based Cottonwood Media, in co-production with Opera de Paris, Hulu, ZDF, ZDF Studios, and France Televisions, are in produc tion on tween series Spell bound (26 x 30 mins). The series follows a 15-year-old girl who relocates from US to France to study at the Par is Opera Ballet School, but things turn upside down when she discovers a book of spells in her aunt’s apoth ecary and unknowingly casts the antidote to a protection spell that has been hiding her identity since she was a little girl — summoning her nem esis. The series combines ballet, magic and witchcraft, with diversity and inclusivity at the heart of the produc tion. Federation Kids & Fam ily and ZDF Studios to han dle global distribution.
JETPACK Distribution, from the UK, has acquired the worldwide rights (excluding the UK) for Mimi’s World (40 x 11 mins) from Adastra Development. The blended live-action and animation series launched on Milkshake (Channel 5) in the UK in May. Mimi, takes care of a group of diverse kids in her top-floor urban apartment. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of fascinating things she’s collected from her trav els and has a great view over a gorgeous aspirational eco-city, offer ing kids a window on a wider world.
THE PREHISTORIC characters in Vegesaurs (20 x 5 mins) make their debut at Cannes. Produced by independent Australian producer Cheeky Little in association with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), France TV and Studio 100, the CGI animated series is targeted at upper pre-schoolers. The German distributor also offers the fourth season of Mia And Me (26 x 23 mins) and the second season of CGI series 100% Wolf – The Book Of Hath (26 x 22 mins).
CANADA’s Distribution360 is launching two new comedy series at Cannes. Overlord And The Underwoods (20 x 30 mins), from mar blemedia, follows the second-most-wanted Overlord in the galaxy who snitches on his boss, the evil Mega-Lord Supreme, and is placed in witness protection with his distant cousins, the Underwoods. They all learn about treasuring the value of family and diversity, and the importance of true friendship and understanding. Lady Ada’s Secret Society (9 x 9 mins/1 x 80 mins) follows Ava, Tina, Rebelle and Frances at their traditional boarding school where computers and smartphones are banned. The girls rebel by executing clever pranks, using technology they either invent or hack, while staying one step ahead of the school’s head teacher.
SERIOUS Kids premieres two shows at Cannes. The Sound Collector (60 x 5 mins), for CiTV and RAI from Eagle vs Bat, animat ed by Mackinnon & Saun ders, is a stop-motion/ live-action pre-school series following adven tures through the ears of a hearing-impaired char acter who loves to record the sounds of nature. The second title from the UK’s Serious Kids is Flix, an an imated series for five- to seven-year-olds from Pic tor Productions and Eye Present for RTE. Flix is a pug dog growing up in a cat family, he is bilingual and loves climbing trees as much as swimming and fish as much as sausages.
Lady Ada’s Secret Society (Distribution360) Vegesaurs (Studio 100 Media) Spellbound (Cottonwood Media) The Sound Collector (Serious Kids)MUTANTS, (50 & 45 x 22 mins), original French title, Les Mu tants, is a fantasy series aimed at eight- to 10-year-olds. In a village three young people make a strange discovery, an aban doned barn hiding a family of mutants who are human-like beings struggling with horrible animal-like growths appearing on their skin. They are actually members of a local family who had mysteriously gone missing a year earlier. The youngsters are determined to do everything in their power to keep the mutants’ secret and unravel the mystery of their transformation.
FRED Media is launching Smashdown: Search For The G.O.A.T. (100 x 30 mins) at Cannes. In each episode, two A-listers from any point in history compete in a series of mental and physical challenges to see who is the Greatest Of All Time, from explorers and artists to scientists and politicians. Matches include Einstein vs Leonardo da Vinci, Justin Bieber vs Mozart, Cleopatra vs Joan of Arc, Coco Channel vs Gianni Versace, Shakespeare vs JK Rowling and Sylvia Earle vs Dian Fossey. The series imagines showdowns with characters across two-hundred thousand years of history.
Ashlee Lollback, host of Smashdown: Search For The G.O.A.T. (Fred Media)
Of Bimi Boo And Friends (52 x 5 mins) is from preschool educational app spe cialist Bimi Boo Kids. The 3D animation series, aimed at two- to six-year-olds, fol lows easily-excited puppy Bimi Boo who explores the world with his friends. Bimi Boo’s adventures touch dance, astronomy, aerody namics, the environment, art, physics and biology, as well as important les sons about friendship and kindness. The first 10 epi sodes are available on Ama zon Prime and Apple TV.
COMICCITY’s new 2D preschool series Joodyssey (26 x 12 mins) features a variety of story adventures, with different endings that depend on Joody’s choices set within the world’s best fairytales. It aims to help children understand the origi nal story in a fun way. The Ko rean company also brings DWJ (Dancing With Joody), which helps young children to enjoy dancing and get help with the difficult moves, so that learning to dance becomes enjoyable.
Joodyssey (Comiccity)
KOREAN company Mostapes brings Dinosally to Cannes. The series features a young pink dinosaur named Sally and her friends Blambi and Tibo. They are super excited to try out their best ideas and have adventures in Dino Town, whether at Dino School or out on a field trip. When things get difficult sometimes, Sally and her friends figure out a solution that ends up being even better.
AT CANNES, Beyond Rights is launching two series of Makeaway Takeaway (26 x 30 mins), a comedy art and craft show, which sees the presenter, comedian Bec Hill, fulfil the wishes of young customers by delivering art to their doors, with unique makes, top tips and inspi rational art ideas. Beyond Rights is also launching pre-school series
Olga Da Polga for pre-sale. Created by Michael Bond (Paddington Bear), Olga Da Polga is a loveable and high ly imaginative guinea pig who loves telling tales. Mixing live-action with talking animals and animation, this new series — produced by Marame dia — also features tortoise Graham, hedgehog Fangio and Noel the cat, alongside the Sawdust Family.
BELFAST, Northern Ireland-based Sixteen South Rights spotlights in-development series Spaghetti Sisters (52 x 11 mins) at Cannes. Aimed at children aged seven and over, it features the adventures of sisters Fiona and Flavia Fusilli who are doing everything they can to try and make their family pasta restaurant a roaring success. The family decides to launch a new delivery service. Armed with a to mato puree-powered golf cart and delivering any pasta, to any place, the girls never know what kind of adventure awaits them.
BASED on books by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, the new slapstick anima tion Supertato (52 x 7 mins) follows the adventures of the world’s greatest pota to superhero, as he and his fruit and vegetable pals do everything they can to try and stop Evil Pea who is determined to take over the supermarket. Premiering on CBeebies in the UK and BBC iPlayer, Supertato is a BBC Studios Kids & Family and Tencent Video co-pro duction with animation provided by Blue Zoo and Plug-In Media.
PARIS-based Superights presents its newly acquired series Go! Go! Cory Carson (63 x 7 mins + 16 x 3.5 mins + 3 x 22 mins specials — Christmas, Halloween and Summer — + 1 x 42 mins mini-mov ie), at Cannes. Based on VTech’s Go! Go! Smart Wheels toy line, this CGI-animated series follows the adventures of Cory Carson, a little orange car, who learns to make his way through childhood with the help of his family and friends.
TOPPING the priority list for Montreal-based Trio Or ange International is live-ac tion/2D animation series Leg ends Keepers (13 x 22 mins), aimed at six- to eight-yearolds. The series explores the tales that through the ages, across legends and stories, in digenous people have taught future generations wisdom, values and life lessons. Leg ends Keepers also hopes to keep the oral tradition alive.
THE RIVERBANK adventures of Mole, Toad, Ratty and Badger are brought to life for a new generation in new CG animated series Toad & Friends (52 x 11 mins), based on the British classic novel The Wind In The Willows, and brought to Cannes by the UK’s Hoho Entertain ment. The beloved charac ters remain and are joined by some lively females, includ ing fearless Hedge, scheming Tinker, well-meaning Her on and mischievous Adder. Toad & Friends is produced by Hoho Entertainment and animated by Wild Child An imation.
ANIMACARS (52 x 11 mins/3D/CGI), brought to Cannes by Paris-based Amuse Animation, is aimed at upper pre-schoolers and features the rescue team from Ani maCity. The five AnimaCars are half-vehicle, half-animal hybrids ready to step into any emergency, whether a bridge needs repairing or a thief needs catching.
Go! Go! Cory Carson (Superights) Spaghetti Sisters (Sixteen South Rights) Legends Keepers (Trio Orange International) Supertato (BBC Studios Kids & Family Division)BARCELONA-based Motion Pictures brings the third season of Turbozaurs to the international market. Aimed at fourto seven-year-olds, the series features dinosaurs that transform into machines. The company also brings the third season of pre-school series MyaGo. Motion Pic tures is also highlighting its new project in development, Angus And Monsters, about two friends who go on adventures with five monsters that were expelled from a mysterious book by Dr Brot.
FUTURUMKIDS’ priorities for Cannes include Charlie’s Ark (52 x 11 mins), on which production is under way. It tells the story of fiveyear-old Charlie and the ark-shaped toy box in which he keeps his toy animals. But these are not just toys; they all come to life, and to gether they have magical adventures. Longer-term plans will include licensing and merchandising. Other titles under the spotlight include Paddles, which is already broadcasting in a number of territories; and Ling-Ling, which is in pre-production.
STUDIOCANAL is launching
Smarty Pants (52 x 11 mins) at Cannes, adapted from the French comic La Vie En Slip, which follows three friends who are determined to do what ever it takes to become cool. At tempting one mission each day, with limited success, they try flirting with girls, becoming vid eo-game champions and put ting together a rock band. The series aims to encourage the three heroes to accept them selves the way they are.
MESE, from Korea, brings new pre-school animation Camem & Bert’s Food Truck (52 x 5.30 mins) to Cannes. Camem and Bert are two cat siblings who cook dishes for their forest friends. They often use the dishes to solve problems with the help of Grand ma’s magic cookbook which flips open by itself as they ask ‘What dish shall we make today?’. The book always seems to know the right dish to cook at the righht time.
THE SLATE for Cana da’s HG Distribution in cludes: animation Super Plex (52 x 1 min), about a determined cucumber that dreams of being a superhe ro; The World Of … (10 x 6 mins), offering portraits of children of different back grounds presenting their passions, pets or any oth er small treasures; and the second season of live-ac tion fantasy series 422 (25 x 30 mins in total), in which five teenagers jump head first into a parallel uni verse, searching for treasure with exceptional powers.
Camem & Bert’s Food Truck (Mese)
Charlie’s Ark (FuturumKids)
The World Of …(HG Distribution)
Robot (Young Toys)
ROBOT heroes Tobot X, Y and Z return in Tobot, the animation series from Ko rean company Young Toys. The robots, along with their pilots Ryan, Kory and Dy lan, work together to protect Daedo City from villains.
Smarty Pants (Studiocanal)
Turbozaurs (Motion Pictures Entertainment)
DEVISTERS, the Korea-based developer of gaming franchise Cookie Run, has begun produc tion on the first season of Cook ie Run: The Animated Series (working title/26 x 22 mins). The series is based on the Cookie Run game lore revolving around the daily lives and action-filled adventures of three main char acters — GingerBrave Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie — living in a tiny kingdom. The Cookie Run mobile games have been downloaded over 180 mil lion times worldwide.
MAGIC Lilly is an animated series based on the successful German book series Hexe Lilli and animation Lilly The Witch, brought to Cannes by Barcelona-based DeAPlaneta. This new semi-serialised version seeks to create a contemporary, binge-worthy comedy set in today’s world that entertains six- to nine-year-olds. The stories follow a 12-year-old girl who receives the gift of a book of magic spells. With the help of an enchanted dragon and her own Samurai protector, Lilly travels through time and space, gaining confidence, making new friends and uncovering family secrets.
TV ON Producciones brings Sex Symbols (26 x 7 mins) to Cannes, a se ries about sexuality aimed at pre-teens. Carla, Mia, Max and Hugo are about to become teenagers and their first questions about their sexuality and love, physical changes and other doubts are surfacing. The topics are dealt with in a fun, entertaining, natural and educational way. Other titles from Valencia, Spain-based TV On Producciones include: Critical Line (13 x 5 mins), about a castaway who lives alone on a desert island and receives a message in each episode, whether in a bottle, from a visitor on a ship, something falling from the sky, a character from the sea or the blow of a coconut that falls on his head, all good excuses to start a story; and Firsts (13 x 11 mins), an anthology animated series for kids over seven and their families, telling stories of 13 extraordinary women and their journeys to becoming ‘firsts’.
SEOUL-based Anyzac brings a new se ries to Cannes. iN:APP is set in a digi tal command centre for smart phones, where characters Jackie and Robin work to keep the apps working correct ly and the digital world safe, 24 hours a day.
THE PINKFONG Company, creators of Baby Shark, pre sents a new 3D animation se ries, Bebefinn (100 x 3 mins). Finn is a curious, 20-month-old baby who loves Baby Shark and spending time with his family, especially his two older siblings, Bora and Brody. While sing ing and dancing along to songs written by the creators of Baby Shark Dance, children can learn healthy habits, social skills and problem-solving abilities. Bebe finn has already acquired one million YouTube subscribers and 550,000 Tik Tok followers in three months since its launch.
CO-PRODUCED by Big Bang Box, TVE, KD Group, 3Doubles, Antaviana Films and Sonnos, pre-school series Momonsters (52 x 7 mins) made its debut on Clan TVE, the Spanish children’s programming channel, and is brought to Cannes by Big Bang Box. The two seasons of Momonsters follow the adventures of five little monsters, Haha, Hehe, Hihi, Hoho and Huhu, who want to become best friends with the children they meet. So they learn how to play games and do activities that children love. Devel opment on a Momonsters movie and a third season has begun, for a 2023 and 2024 delivery.
SUPER Sema is an African animated kids’ superhero franchise from Lon don- and Nairobi-based female-led studio, Kukua. Super Sema follows the STEAM-fuelled adventures of a brave 10-year-old girl, Sema, and her twin brother MB as they protect their African village from the villainous Tobor and his bungling robot army. Sema learns that with determination, creativity and a helping hand from science and technology, anything is possible. The series is executive pro duced by actor Lupita Nyong’o, writ ten by Claudia Lloyd and brought to Cannes by London-based Cake En tertainment.
LOOLOO Kids, the second mostviewed animation channel on YouTube, is now represented by PGS Entertainment. The fran chise is popular among toddlers and pre-schoolers, with over 71 million subscribers and a combi nation of 41 billion views. Availa ble content includes Johny Johny Yes Papa (52 x 11 mins).
AT Cannes SPAIN’s B•wa ter Animation Studios is highlighting a spin-off se ries from book franchise John Sinclair: Ghost Hunt er. Johnny Sinclair (26 x 23 mins), aimed at six- to 11-year-olds, features a boy who can see ghosts. Guided by a magical talking skull, the young man and his best friends hunt spooky crea tures while trying to sur vive the worst place of all — school.
THE ADVENTURES Of Mansour: Age Of A.I. (52 x 11 mins), for six- to 12-year-olds, follows a gifted boy and his friends in a fictional Middle Eastern world, Salam City. In the series Mansour wrangles with a mischievous artificial intelligence known as Blink. The show incorporates themes including AI, climate change and the future of work. The first and second
seasons are due in 2023, and the third and fourth are now in development. Another project from the Abu Dhabi-based company is Time Will Tell (1 x 90 mins), a CG feature film featuring time travel. Also set in a futuristic Salam City, it fol lows Mansour’s attempt to save his grandmother from the past, when she went missing.
KARATE Sheep (78 x 7 mins), a mix of CG, 2D and stop-motion, is a non-verbal slapstick series that follows Trico, an enthusiastic sheep who loves to share new objects and ideas with the rest of the flock. This can cause upset in the mountain pas tures, which inevitably has to be sorted out by
Wanda, a tough ewe with the job of keeping the sheep safe. This is not easy, especially when Wolf is always lurking. The target audience is six- to nine-year-olds, it is produced and distributed by France’s Xilam Animation and is due for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023.
A PRIORITY at Cannes for Canada’s Sphere Me dia is Riley Rocket (30 x 11 mins), an action-packed, music-filled comedy about Riley and her band, Mega blast, who gain supersonic powers when the volume is cranked up during a jam session. Now they are se cret superheroes who use the power of music to save their home town of Green ville from mischievous vil lains. Riley’s wheelchair, Alex’s skateboard, Theo’s bike and their musical in struments all transform when the band members become superheroes.
JAPANESE animation specialist Gorilla brings pre-school series
The Top Loft (26 x 7 mins) to Cannes. The series follows three characters who wander into a land filled with monsters — Kaiju. At first they are frightened, but they learn to stick together and make friends while facing the challenges and joy of adventure.
PROGRAMMING from Beta’s growing kids and family line-up includes: Rumors (30 x 12 mins), a series about a year filled with secrets, gossip for 10th graders, when bullying victim Erik moves to an island; Journey To Yourland (1 x 85 mins), an ani mated film about Riki and his mother, who move to a dreary new neighbourhood. SOS signals from a mysterious shining stone prompt the imaginative 10-year-old to embark on a mission to save a fantastic universe; and the story of two star-crossed lov ers on opposite sides of climate crisis opinion, Saving The Fuck ing Planet (6 x 35 mins).
CYBER Group Studios is com ing to Cannes with the sec ond season of Zak Jinks (52 x 13 mins), produced by Label Anim, based on a comic strip and featuring eight-year-old Zak and his friends who al ways end up in mischief. Cy ber is also presenting 50/50 Heroes, commissioned by France Televisions and The Walt Disney Company (Ger many, Eastern Europe); and The Case (1 x 40 mins), a mul ti-award winning animation produced by Graphilm Enter tainment and distributed by Cyber Group Studios.
PRODUCER and distributor Trace Studios is based in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Par is. The company brings a slate that includes Noah De Coco (10 x 10 mins), which follows the characters on a journey through time to the heart of African ancestral civilisations. The Congolese animation is a co-production between Trace Studios and Inrise, a new producer based in the Dem ocratic Republic of Congo. Another priority is the sec ond season of Kenda (15 x 5 mins), which follows a group of friends in stories with an emphasis on human values, the importance of history and the pursuit of happiness.
UPCOMING series UPA Next (8 x 50 mins) continues the story of Carmen Arranz’s per forming arts school, which featured in One Step Forward. More than 15 years have passed and Robert returns from the US with the idea of creating a great musical, to be premiered on the Gran Vía in Madrid. Together with Silvia and Lola and other teachers, he supervises the entrance of a new generation of students, dancers, singers and composers, who will take part in the new project.
PRODUCER and distributor Mondo TV highlights One Love (26 x 7 mins) in Cannes, a 2D animated series co-produced by Mondo TV and T-Rex Digimation, based on One Love Musical Shorts (10 x 3 mins), a series of animated short films commis sioned by RAI Kids. The series is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2023. The show takes place on One Love planet where best friends Amo and Ama, and the rest of the Baby-Hugs, jump from one adventure to the next. When the Baby-Hugs touch each other, they exchange skin colours. One Love `(Mondo TV)
TARGETED at six- to 10-year-olds Next Lev el: Odyssey (26 x 22 mins) begins when Kiran, while playing a videogame, falls through a portal into the world of mythology with gods, goddesses and fantastical creatures, where he is mistaken for a warrior. His mission is to save the legendary Greek King Odysseus with the help of the goddess Leuki. Kiran discovers that being a hero takes more than physical strength and that life back home with his workaholic ar cheologist father wasn’t so bad after all. The se ries is brought to Cannes by France’s TeamTO.
UPA Next (Atresmedia Television)
Noah De Coco (Trace Studios)
ON THE kids’ slate for Canada’s Attraction Dis tribution are: V For Vesta (12 x 13 mins), about an eight-year-old girl and her chaotic family; The Little Anna (10 x 45 mins), a European take on the Canadian classic Anne Of Green Gables; Swop (12 x 10 mins), about three friends who discover an abandoned washing machine that
seems to possess mysterious powers; Christmas story Vinski And The Invisibility Powder (1 x 84 mins); Felix And The Treasure Of Morgaa (1 x 84 mins); tween drama Jenny (60 x 13 mins); teen drama Sparks (30 x 20); and slapstick ani mation from the Czech Republic, Pat & Mat (52 x 8mins/26 x 5 mins).
THE SMEDS And The Smoos (1 x 30 mins), brought to Cannes by the UK’s Magic Light Pictures, is a heart-warming animation about overcoming divi sions. The red Smeds and the blue Smoos are enemies on their far-off planet, so when young Smed Janet be comes friends with Bill, a young Smoo, their families immediately try to stop it. But Janet and Bill meet up and fall in love, then escape in the Smeds’ red rock et to explore the universe. The film premieres on the UK’s BBC One this Christmas.
MONTREAL-based Syon Me dia highlights new animated series in development: Cave man Bill (52 x 11 mins), set in prehistoric times, is aimed at seven-year-olds and over; The Enchanted World Of Emil ily (26 x 11 mins), about an apprentice witch; and two French productions — All In One Production, aimed at four- to seven-year-olds and Eugenie And The Myster ies Of Paris (13 x 26 mins).
APC KIDS brings brand-new preschool 2D animated series Sheep’s Hotel (104 x 5 mins) to Cannes. Co-produced by Moldova-based Metrafilms and Canada-based Lakeside, Sheep’s Hotel follows a close-knit family of sheep that runs a small hotel for guests and their kids. The series is set to de liver season one in 2023. APC Kids holds worldwide distribution rights to the series outside of CIS, China and India.
WOOLLY Woolly (52 x 11 mins), a co-production from PVP Media (Canada) and Normaal (France), is a stopmotion-style CGI series aimed at four- to six-yearolds. Woolly Woolly is a tight ly-knit community of forest gnomes whose day-to-day is tinged with wacky obstacles and frenemies. The compa ny also brings 4 Days Before Christmas (4 x 22 mins/1 x 88 mins), about how Santa bumps his head and begins to believe that he’s Superklaus.
The Enchanted World Of Emilily (Syon Media)
The Smeds And The Smoos (Magic Light Pictures)
Pat & Mat (Attraction Distribution)
Sheep’s Hotel (APC Kids)
