TV Kids Summer Festival & Pre-Annecy Edition - June 2021

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JUNE 2021/TV KIDS SUMMER FESTIVAL & PRE-ANNECY EDITION

European Animation / Mattel’s Ynon Kreiz / TV Kids Pioneer Award: Nicole Keeb ZDFE.junior’s Arne Lohmann / WorldScreenings: Ánima

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CONTENTS

The Class of 2021

TOONED INTO EUROPE The European animation sector is buzzing with activity.

While this last year of lockdowns and protests has transformed us all in one shape or another, it does feel like it’s the kids’ business that has had to confront the biggest shifts.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids ©2021 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.com

Now I know that production, at least in animation, was able to move to remote work quickly, helping to ensure a steady supply of fresh content. But with kids stuck at home, the onus on content providers to educate and entertain was amplified. The huge gains in AVOD viewership among kids and families led to some quick rethinking of windowing strategies. And diversity has finally become more than a conversation piece— it’s a must-have now, rather than a nice-tohave. That’s a theme you’ll see throughout the virtual TV Kids Summer Festival this month. And I have to say, it’s been an absolute delight for us to organize virtual events this year for the resilient, close-knit kids’ content community. Friendships forged during multiple trips to Cannes or Annecy or Toulouse have endured, even as we’ve only seen each other over Zoom screens. What hasn’t changed is a fierce commitment to making sure that what’s on kids’ screens speaks to them, understands them, reflects their lives and, with any luck, helps them make better decisions as they become the leaders of tomorrow.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON KIDS’ PROGRAMMING

MATTEL’S YNON KREIZ The company’s chairman and CEO on its IP-led transformation strategy.

RISING TO THE OCCASION Arne Lohmann talks ZDF Enterprises’ strong kids’ slate.

WORLDSCREENINGS: ÁNIMA José C. García de Letona discusses the studio’s premium content offerings.

PIONEER AWARD ZDF’s Nicole Keeb, who is being honored for her contributions to the kids’ business, on her content wish lists.

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Aardman Interstellar Ella / Shaun the Sheep: A Flight Before Christmas / Lloyd of the Flies Aardman’s slate includes Interstellar Ella, Shaun the Sheep: A Flight Before Christmas and Lloyd of the Flies, each of which has its own unique comedy style. “In addition, each program has co-viewing potential,” says Alison Taylor, director of distribution and business development. “The Shaun the Sheep special is sure to bring families together this Christmas, Lloyd of the Flies is fully relatable to each and every family member, and Interstellar Ella will enable conversation between youngsters and their families.”

Interstellar Ella

“It’s the comedy that creates so much global appeal; who doesn’t want to be made to laugh?”

—Alison Taylor

Australian Children’s Television Foundation Hardball / Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors? / The Inbestigators The new releases from Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) for 2021 include a second season of the International Emmy-winning comedy/drama Hardball and the history-infused series Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors? Also, the mystery detective series The Inbestigators will be available in August for linear broadcasters internationally. “The values that underpin ACTF productions of inclusion, diversity, resilience, imagination, having fun and striving to be the best version of ourselves are proving to be universal,” says Roberta Di Vito, international sales manager.

The Inbestigators

“The ACTF brand and the content it supports are held in high regard worldwide.”

—Roberta Di Vito

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CAKE Kiri and Lou / Angry Birds Slingshot Stories / Total Dramarama CAKE’s Kiri and Lou follows the friendship between Kiri, a feisty little dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle and thoughtful creature, as they explore their feelings through laughter, song and outdoor adventure. Angry Birds Slingshot Stories features a behind-the-scenes look at Angry Birds games from an unexpected and comedic perspective.

The non-dialogue series “continues to travel around the world performing well across all demographics,” says Ed Galton, CEO. Total Dramarama ages down the original Total Drama characters into troublesome toddlers.

Kiri and Lou

“Kiri and Lou invites children to learn about empathy and how to get along.”

—Ed Galton

Dandelooo Mum Is Pouring Rain / Billy the Cowboy Hamster / The Upside Down River Dandelooo’s Mum Is Pouring Rain has been selected in the official competition at this year’s Annecy Festival. It features a “strong social issue subject that broadcasters around the world are touched by and will help children understand their parents better,” says Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, partner at Dandelooo. Billy the Cowboy Hamster is based on the successful books by Catharina Valckx. The serialized show The Upside Down River is based on the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award-winning novel by JeanClaude Mourlevat.

Billy the Cowboy Hamster

“We want these animations to be mesmerizing and memorable.”

—Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin

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eOne Family and Brands My Little Pony / Transformers: Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures / Power Rangers Dino Fury

Power Rangers Dino Fury

eOne Family and Brands is releasing a new My Little Pony animated feature film. “From the relatable and heartwarming storytelling to the showstopping music and absolutely stunning animation, we are taking My Little Pony to a whole new level,” says Monica Candiani, executive VP of content sales. The company is also gearing up to roll out the fourth and final chapter of Transformers: Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures. A second season of Power Rangers Dino Fury is coming in 2022.

“Our mission in entertainment is to use immersive storytelling to bring these brands to life for kids, fans and families.”

—Monica Candiani

Federation Kids & Family Presto! School of Magic / Around the World in 80 Days Presto! School of Magic is a new animated series produced by TeamTO in co-production with Belgian partners Panache Productions and La Compagnie Cinématographique and distributed

by Federation Kids & Family worldwide (outside of China). “Presto! School of Magic has global appeal on so many levels, but the standout element is magic, as this is a theme that has always fascinated kids all over the world (and probably always will),” says Monica Levy, head of sales.

Around the World in 80 Days marks Cottonwood Media’s first animated feature film production.

Presto! School of Magic

“We are so grateful to be in an industry that continues to grow both creatively and quantitatively, and we are touched to be able to work with such amazing partners.”

—Monica Levy

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Ana Pumpkin

France tv distribution Ana Pumpkin / Disco Dragon / Grosha & Mr B. Among the highlights from France tv distribution are the preschool series Ana Pumpkin and two shows for 6- to 9-year-olds: Disco Dragon and Grosha & Mr B. “These are original creations produced by very talented independent French producers,” says Michelle Palant, international sales manager. Ana Pumpkin follows the adventures of a mischievous 5-year-old. Disco Dragon teaches children to express their feelings through music. Grosha & Mr B. is a comedy/adventure series billed as a cop show for kids.

“France tv distribution is attending all the online markets and is always looking for new animated series.”

—Michelle Palant

Gaumont Stillwater / Bionic Max / Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles Gaumont’s Stillwater is a preschool show that focuses on mindfulness. “This show demonstrates, in a fun, whimsical way, that sometimes changing your perspective on a situation can really change your feelings,” says Terry Kalagian, executive VP of creative content, U.S. Bionic Max appeals to viewers wanting slapstick, high energy, funny stories. Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is packed with “kick-butt, comedy action complete with samurai moves, ninjas and yokai monsters,” Kalagian says.

“These shows have something for everyone.”

Stillwater

“All three of these shows have global appeal, and they appeal to the different phases of kids’ lives.”

—Terry Kalagian

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Guru Studio Big Blue / Pikwik Pack / True and the Rainbow Kingdom Big Blue is Guru Studio’s newest 2D comedyadventure series for kids of all ages. “The series drops young viewers deep into a wacky world of comic adventure while helping to redefine what a family means and how caring for one another is the most important thing of all,” says Jonathan Abraham, VP of sales and business development. Pikwik Pack has messages of working together and sharing joy with those in the community. True and the Rainbow Kingdom empowers children to be mindful, courageous and respectful of all living things.

Big Blue

“Guru’s roster of exciting new originals is continuing to grow.”

—Jonathan Abraham

Little Engine Moving Pictures Tiny and Tall / Starseeker / Happy Trails Among the titles currently in development at Little Engine Moving Pictures is Tiny and Tall, a preschool series that follows best buds who live in neighboring villages and encourage acceptance and understanding of others’ differences. The liveaction Starseeker takes viewers on interstellar adventures. Happy Trails “is a music-inspired series about song, music, dance, feelings, friendship and collaboration—international themes that transcend language and culture,” says Maria Kennedy, Little Engine’s owner and executive producer.

Tiny and Tall

“Little Engine is fueled by our motto: We think.

We can. We do.”

—Maria Kennedy

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Mattel Masters of the Universe / Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go / Barbie Musical Event Mattel is bringing back the classic Masters of the Universe with two animated series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation and the new animated adventure series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go introduces a new look and feel to Thomas & Friends content. “It is crafted to appeal to contemporary audiences’ sensibilities while maintaining Thomas’ core brand ethos,” says Fred Soulie, senior VP and general manager at Mattel Television. The company is also rolling out a new musical that features Barbie and her pals in NYC.

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go

“We are focused on engaging audiences through timely and compelling episodic television content and television movies based on our iconic franchises.”

—Fred Soulie

The Wee Littles

Mondo TV Group MeteoHeroes / The Wee Littles / Annie & Carola Mondo TV’s climate- and environment-focused MeteoHeroes tackles ecology issues and respect for nature through the adventures of six kids who can control weather phenomena. “The lineup of heroes is gender-equal, and each character comes from a different continent,” notes Luana Perrero, head of content sales. The preschool series The Wee Littles centers on a family of tiny forest creatures living in a big forest world, showing how life is different when you’re small. In the comedy Annie & Carola, a girl lacking social skills builds a robot clone that turns into her outgoing opposite.

“Demand for highquality entertainment has been a constant, especially in the past year, and Mondo TV has responded.”

—Luana Perrero

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PBS International Elinor Wonders Why / Molly of Denali / Arthur In each episode of PBS International’s Elinor Wonders Why, Elinor displays the powers of observation as well as a willingness to ask questions and investigate. Molly of Denali, meanwhile, follows an Alaska Native girl, her dog and pals on adventures. The show “is designed to help kids ages 4 to 8 develop knowledge and skills for interacting with informational texts through video content, interactive games and real-world activities,” says Joe Barrett, head of sales. Also in the company’s catalog is Arthur, based on the children’s books by Marc Brown.

Arthur

“We are excited to continue growing our catalog with the trusted content PBS KIDS creates for children around the world.”

—Joe Barrett

Portfolio Entertainment Where Oliver Fits & Where Oliver Fits: A Christmas Eve Tale / Hero Elementary / Do You Know?

Puzzle piece Oliver is the star of Portfolio Entertainment’s Where Oliver Fits and Where Oliver Fits: A Christmas Eve Tale. “While he knows exactly where he fits in at home, Oliver quickly learns that the world outside his family isn’t always so easy to figure out,” says Donnie MacIntyre, VP of sales and business development. Hero Elementary follows a group of kids mastering their abilities to become superheroes. There’s a fifth season of Do You Know? on offer.

Hero Elementary

“We celebrate diversity within our ranks and the broader industry, and we invite any artists or creators who share our values to reach out.”

—Donnie MacIntyre

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YoYo

Showlab YoYo / Miracle Tunes / Klincus There are two seasons available of the 3D CGI preschool show YoYo from Showlab that feature comedy and edutainment for little ones. Miracle Tunes is an animated/live-action hybrid series targeting girls 4 to 8, featuring “music, dancing and team spirit, with continuous positivity to be surrounded by—we believe these messages are more important today than any other time,” says Alfio Bastiancich, general manager of animation and youth programs. Klincus, Showlab’s latest IP, is billed as a “steampunk fantasy comedy” for kids 7 to 12 and families.

“Each of these shows has a different target age group and style of animation and production, allowing us to reach all broadcasters, buyers and OTT platforms.”

Superights

—Alfio Bastiancich

Hidden Waste

Anna & Friends / Percy’s Tiger Tales / Hidden Waste An upper preschool series, the Superights highlight Anna & Friends follows five friends and their fantastic adventures. “The unique CGI techniques simulating a handmade modeled clay world bring a wonderful, whimsical dimension to the series,” says Nathalie Pinguet, deputy managing director of sales and acquisitions. Preschool title Percy’s Tiger Tales, which has four specials currently in production, features friends exploring different imaginary worlds. Hidden Waste uses humor to show the unseen pollution in our daily lives that we’re often unaware of.

“Superights is constantly looking for premium content to enrich and diversify its catalog.”

—Nathalie Pinguet

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Winsing Animation

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Undersea Journey

Undersea Journey / GOGOBUS / Team S.T.E.A.M.!

The Winsing Animation highlight Undersea Journey aims to popularize scientific knowledge of the underwater environment. The preschool series GOGOBUS centers on a school bus named Gordon that can transform into different vehicle shapes. The upbeat series Team S.T.E.A.M.! sees a group of kids enjoy solving problems and sharing knowledge with one another. “Young people all around the globe will enjoy seeing themselves reflected in our diverse group of characters and cultural backgrounds,” says Ben Gu, CEO of Winsing Animation.

“We are expanding the company horizontally and geographically, and we’re looking for partners from all over the world to cater more to huge regional markets.”

—Ben Gu

Pan Tau

ZDF Enterprises Space Nova / Zoom—The White Dolphin / Pan Tau

Leading ZDF Enterprises’ slate is Zoom—The White Dolphin, which broke ratings records when season two premiered on TF1 in France and KiKA and ZDF in Germany, according to Arne Lohmann, VP ZDFE.junior. The new adaptation of the classic Pan Tau provides a co-viewing opportunity for kids and their caregivers. Among the main focuses of Space Nova are understanding Earth’s place in the universe and engaging kids with STEM. “As a result of homeschooling, we have encountered an increased request for programs with an educational background,” says Lohmann.

“Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, I still see the global kids’ industry as solid and going strong.”

—Arne Lohmann

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France tv distribution’s Super Caribou.

Tooned into

EUROPE

The European animation sector is buzzing with activity amid new content quotas on global SVODs and broadcasters’ continued commitment to telling locally resonant stories. By Mansha Daswani

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TV KIDS

W

ith HBO Max arriving in Europe this year and Disney+ aggressively looking to grow its reach in the region, all eyes will be on how these platforms, and others, comply with new content quotas that went into effect for the global SVODs this year. This new mandate will “favor the animation sector,” Marc du Pontavice, CEO of Xilam Animation (which is making Chip ‘n’ Dale for Disney+), told delegates at the TV Kids Festival this winter. “Animation is the ideal content that can serve the global needs of a platform. The industry in France is so strong. I think we are ideally placed to take advantage of that investment.”

Indeed, du Pontavice expects the French animation business to grow by 50 percent over the next three to five years.

FRENCH FLAIR Of course, it’s not just streamers investing in high-quality French animation. A healthy broadcast commissioning landscape has created a treasure trove of local commissions and co-pros that are selling well worldwide. Indeed, the most recent figures from the CNC saw French animation exports up 12.1 percent to €77.4 million ($94 million) in 2019. “It is a highly competitive market, but French studios create strong original content with good storytelling and amazing animation,” observes Michelle Palant, international sales manager at France tv distribution.

“With the help of kid-focused channels such as France 4 and Gulli (and all the other commissioners), many shows are being produced and the market remains dynamic.”

Palant reports that educational content, such as the company’s own A Day, A Fact, has been a key driver over the last year, a trend also observed by Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, a partner at

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Dandelooo’s Stinky Dog, a France Télévisions commission, has sold across Europe.

Dandelooo. “With the mosaic of ‘smaller’ VOD platforms, [there has been demand] in particular for edutainment programs that bring messages to children and entice parents to forge smarter screen time, thus allowing for more social-emotional learning, science, ecology, reading, cooking, kindness—a virtuous circle really,” she notes.

Arne Lohmann, VP ZDFE.junior at ZDF Enterprises, says that demand for animation from across Europe “has always been good, as the quality usually is outstanding. Animation also travels easier than live action, as even if the original language is not English, dubbing is not an issue. A lot of animation produced in Europe has global appeal and can work anywhere. However, we have seen an increase over the past years as more and more U.S. and global partners are looking for more regional and local content for their European markets, as well as international content for their home markets.”

The U.K. also remains a key provider of high-quality animated series to the global market. At Aardman, Alison Taylor, director of

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distribution and business development, has witnessed “a much greater focus on platforms and channels wanting to license existing brands in the past 12 Zoom—The White Dolphin is on offer from ZDF Enterprises. months, with a need for content that is available immediately as opposed to investing at such an early stage with new IP in the way of presales. Thankfully, there is now a renewed interest in presales on new IP, with many partners looking forward to series delivering in 2023.”

THE MONEY PUZZLE Taylor references the “big shift” in recent years “from a more traditional commissioning and financing structure with broadcasters to fully financed opportunities from the streaming platforms. It’s no secret that kids are watching more content online than ever before. This has meant that the public and commercial broadcasters have had to make big changes to their rights strategy, requiring more and more FVOD rights and, in some cases, longer holdbacks against the SVOD platforms, without always increasing their investment to reflect these additional rights. This can cause gaps in the finance plan, as multiplatform deals are often needed to fully finance productions, either by way of presales or at least as forecasted future income. Nevertheless, with commissioners being aware of the challenges concerning rights and financing, and the need to compete against the SVOD platforms, it does seem to have opened up more opportunities to enter into co-productions to help finance shows this way.”

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Aardman’s Lloyd of the Flies benefited from the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund.

Co-productions are more critical than ever, says Terry Kalagian, executive VP of creative content at Gaumont U.S. “It’s not easy finding the right combination of partners where everyone loves the core IP and agrees on the direction of the vision, but when you do, great creative can spring.”

Two- and three-way co-pros have been crucial to European animation projects for decades, Dandelooo’s Pétry Sirvin observes.

“It’s still necessary and remains a challenge for the series that are commissioned by local broadcasters, as they only finance 25 percent to 30 percent of a project.”

Government-backed subsidies and tax incentives also remain crucial to the animation sectors in several European markets.

“Depending on the country you are looking at in Europe, this can be a vital aspect of financing—without which some projects might never be realized,” says Lohmann at ZDF Enterprises.

Kalagian agrees, adding, “As mergers, channel closures and Covid-19 disrupted the market, being able to access tax credits and producer tax envelopes has been exceedingly helpful in

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keeping our qualified productions going without any shutdowns. The French government has been incredibly supportive of the animation industry.”

Government assistance is increasingly important for the animation sector in the U.K., Aardman’s Taylor notes, Gulli commissioned Bionic Max from Gaumont. now that Brexit has cut off access to the valuable Creative Europe MEDIA program. “The creation of the BFI Young Audiences Content Fund was a welcome initiative and fresh opportunity for animation studios in the U.K.,” she says.

Distributors have also become much more creative in their windowing strategies as broadcasters seek more digital rights while the global streamers generally want all rights. “When there is a global prebuy, often the nonlinear rights are blocked and that limits the sales in many countries such as the Nordics, where it became essential for broadcasters to get rights for their digital platforms,” says France tv distribution’s Palant. “But when there is no such global prebuy, we try to adjust so that everyone gets the rights they need for a proper broadcast, whether linear or digital.”

Pétry Sirvin says the strategy at Dandelooo “is to keep the linear holdbacks against digital as short as possible. For the moment, we are still benefiting from the tail end of an era in which the buyers accept non-exclusivity to obtain a great series. So, our goal is to have our shows in as many countries as possible, to be watched by as many eyeballs as possible to become a new brand.”

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Ynon Kreiz Mattel

A

s chairman and CEO, Ynon Kreiz has led a transformation at Mattel, putting in place an IP-focused strategy to unlock the full value of the company’s treasure trove of beloved brands.

The plan is paying off. Net sales in the first quarter of 2021 were up 47 percent, the highest quarterly growth in more than 25 years.

Kreiz is also extending the connections fans, young and old, have with Mattel brands through a hefty slate of movies and TV series. As he tells TV Kids, Mattel products, fueled by innovation and cultural relevance, are resonating with consumers.

By Anna Carugati TV KIDS: How is Mattel’s e-commerce business performing?

KREIZ: Retail and e-commerce are very important parts of our transformation strategy. Covid-19 brought about a big shift in how consumers shop, with the acceleration of online retail and e-commerce by two, three, maybe even five years, depending on the market. We pivoted the company and were able to respond to changes in consumer shopping habits. In the first quarter, our e-commerce retail sales grew by 58 percent, year-over-year. Leading that was American Girl, which saw 73 percent growth in online direct-to-consumer sales.

That speaks to the execution of our strategy to build that brand, but as a whole represents how Mattel approaches its relationship with consumers through the shopping experience and engaging with consumers in ways that strengthen and broaden what we do in brick-and-mortar stores.

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TV KIDS: Tell us about Mattel Films and Mattel Television.

KREIZ: We own one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. In addition to the significant value we are creating on the toy side of the company—our core business—our strategy is designed to commercialize our brands in highly accretive business verticals that are directly adjacent to the toy industry and capture the full value of our IP. Two of those verticals are Mattel Films and Mattel Television. The mandate Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday for both divisions is very has been a hit on Netflix. clear: creating great quality content that people want to watch. This is not designed just to sell more toys. It is about making great content that will engage people at an additional level to what we do as a toy company.

We announced Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, a live-action motion picture with Universal Pictures and Vin Diesel. The model is about working with the best talent and partnering with the right studio on each project. The movies that we now have in development are [based on] Barney, Major Matt Mason,

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Magic 8-Ball, View-Master, American Girl, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, and, of course, Barbie.

This will be a big year for Mattel Television. We have 17 shows in production and more than 25 projects in development. We just announced Barbie Fashion Battle. We’re also developing UNO and Whac-A-Mole game shows. It’s important to talk about the Barbie television movie Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday, which had a very strong launch on Netflix in the U.S.

“We own one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world.”

and was ranked as the number five movie on the platform across all movies, not just for children. And this follows the success of last year’s Barbie Princess Adventure. Two new Masters of the Universe television series with Netflix will premiere this year. Monster High has a very strong inclusive message of belonging [and] will be another great content offering from Mattel Television in partnership with Nickelodeon [with] a television movie and an animated TV series. We’re continuing to develop additional products, such as shows for Fireman Sam, Polly Pocket and more.

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ZDFE’s The Muscleteers.

Rising to the Occasion

Arne Lohmann shares what sets ZDF Enterprises’ kids’ and youth titles a cut above the competition. By Chelsea Regan

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rom live-action titles like Heirs of the Night, The Athena and Pan Tau to animated series such as The Muscleteers, Coconut, the Little Dragon, Space Nova and Zoom—The White Dolphin, ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) remains a prolific provider of kids’ and youth titles for the global market.

“Our series all meet the requirements clients are asking for,” says Arne Lohmann, VP ZDFE.junior, ZDF Enterprises. “Our entire catalog consists of high-quality programs for children that have often been produced in co-production with esteemed and

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experienced international partners. Thus, they transport messages that are understood and valued all around the globe.”

According to Lohmann, the programs most in-demand at present are live-action series aimed at a co-viewing audience

“There is a bigger demand for kids’ content, especially as the streamers are focusing on it to maintain their subscribers.” —Arne Lohmann and animated titles targeted at kids 6 to 10. “ZDF Enterprises’ junior department has been able to boost its production slate to meet this demand with a handful of new high-class commissions in live action and animation,” says Lohmann, mentioning Grisù with Toon2Tango and Mondo TV France and Alea Aquarius with Red Balloon Film. ZDFE is also working on the new surf series Surviving Summer with Werner Film Productions and Theodosia.

Lohmann believes that the global kids’ content industry is in as positive a position as ever. “There is a bigger demand for kids’ content, especially as the streamers are focusing on it in order to maintain their subscribers,” he says. “The big question is what kind of programs does the audience want after the pandemic? Will it be pure escapism with engaging into fantasy worlds? Or do we need to commission further educational programming and real-life scenarios? Perhaps a mixture of both, like in our series Zoom—The White Dolphin.”

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Ánima’s Brave Bunnies.

Quest for the Best José C. García de Letona talks about the quest for premium content.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

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ith 19 years of creating and innovating in the animation landscape, Ánima has solidified its place as a leading studio in Latin America and a global player in the kids’ and family entertainment industry. “In terms of what we’ve done, not just quantity-wise but quality-wise—and attached to that, the scope of our projects and partners—I would dare to say that we’re positioned to be the number one LatAm content provider for kids’ and family animation,” says José C. García de Letona, founding partner and COO of Ánima.

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“We’ve done 22 films, all of them theatrically released in many countries around the world,” he adds. “Part of our focus is to each day become more global as a company and to bring unique content to audiences all over the world. On top of that, we’ve done almost 600 TV episodes. We’re very selective about the projects we do.”

The aim, he says, is to do as much premium content as possible.

“We’re positioned to be the number one LatAm content provider for kids’ and family animation.” —José C. García de Letona Alongside its films and series, Ánima has a strong digital business through its YouTube presence. “That’s a big part of our strategy,” he says. “Nowadays, our channels have upwards of 24 million subscribers all included. We aim to grow that significantly.”

This emphasis on premium content is one of the key assets that sets Ánima apart. “We try to grow every day and make even better content; we want to have the best possible content at the premium level in everything that we do,” says García de Letona. “Our operational footprint helps us a lot. Having offices in Mexico, Madrid, the Canary Islands and Buenos Aires gives us the sensibility of a full LatAm and Spanish operation that allows us to reach talent all over the region; so, we’re not just confined to one territory or country.

We always reach out to the best talent wherever they may be, even if it’s not countries or regions where we have actual operations.”

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TV KIDS PIONEER AWARD

Nicole Keeb ZDF

or more than two decades, Nicole Keeb has been a driving force in setting the standard for ZDF’s children’s programming. She spent nine years as commissioning editor for acquisitions and co-productions in the children and youth department at the German public channel before assuming her current role as head of international co-productions, development and acquisitions in 2006.

For her role in bringing to the screen shows that are not just entertaining for young ones but also have educational value, Keeb is being honored with the TV Kids Pioneer Award, presented as part of the TV Kids Summer Festival. She tells TV Kids about what’s guiding her acquisition and co-production strategies today.

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By Kristin TV KIDS: Tell me about the vital role that kids’ programming Brzoznowski

plays on ZDF. KEEB: We are transmitting every week during the weekends, Saturday and Sunday mornings, for a total of eight hours.

Saturday morning, it starts at 5:30 a.m. and goes until 10:30 a.m.

On Sunday, we transmit from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ZDF. And on

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KiKA each day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. KiKA is a joint venture of ARD and ZDF, so we are family. ZDF is obliged to deliver about 35 percent of —David Michel, Cottonwood Media KiKA’s programming. On ZDF itself, we have a children’s brand as well, ZDFtivi, which works like a channel within a channel. We entertain but also inform because we are public television and rely on public funds, so we feel we have to tackle special issues and topics; that’s our task and what we love to do.

Linear TV on ZDF and ZDF is a partner on Cottonwood’s Find Me in Paris.

KiKA is still very important; the audience really appreciates it, and the numbers show that.

We are scheduling for younger children on the weekends and then get slightly older through the morning.

“Nicole spearheaded and trusted us with a major international coproduction: Find Me in Paris. The show could not have happened without her and ZDF.”

TV KIDS: What are some of the qualities you look for when buying shows?

KEEB: We are looking for high-profile shows in live action and animation—warmhearted, well-told stories with threedimensional characters and fresh and funny designs in terms of animation. At the moment, our preschool shelves are quite well packed, but of course, if something is outstanding, we are happy to be part of it anyway. We really appreciate programs for the

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“Nicole’s superpower is her ability to identify, create and deliver quality content to ZDF’s youngest viewers as well as kids around the world.”

—Nicolas Atlan, Gaumont, U.S. whole family; we want kids, parents and grandparents in front of the screen. The topics should show diversity, [as should the programs’] cast and crew.

The formats are flexible—7-minutes, 11-minutes or 24-minutes— as well as specials and movies. It really depends on the project.

Having a certain number of episodes helps to create awareness for the program.

Gaumont’s Belle and Sebastian is part of the ZDF lineup.

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TV KIDS: What makes ZDF a valuable co-production partner, and what are some of the —Jonathan M. Shiff recent or upcoming co-pros you can share with us?

KEEB: We not only invest in co-productions, but most importantly, we are giving our editorial input. I see my role as somebody who finds ideas, books, topics and themes that would work perfectly for ZDF and then find the international partners to realize those shows or topics H2O: Just Add Water is among the shows from and also bring together Jonathan M. Shiff that ZDF has partnered on.

German and international partners. This happens very often with the support of ZDF Enterprises, which helps us to make an impact on the market.

It’s helpful to realize those special series and programs in close connection with bigger and smaller European channels like the BBC and Sky in the U.K., France Télévisions, TF1, Rai Ragazzi and others, but also Disney, Netflix, ViacomCBS, HBO Max and Hulu, with whom we are working as well sometimes. We are open to discussions with everybody.

The results of those connections and long-term partnerships are about 80 projects per year, on different levels; some are acquisitions, some are co-productions, some are prebought or developed from scratch together. I’d like to mention, in live action, the second season of The Bureau of Magical Things

“Nicole’s knowledge of the audience along with her sense of tone, humor and drama is incredible.”

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“Nicole Keeb is so delightful and professional to work with.”

—Alfio Bastiancich, Showlab from Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, Find Me in Paris and Theodosia with Cottonwood Media, Silverpoint with Zodiak Kids ZDF is working with Showlab and Mia and me (an animation on the animated series Klincus. hybrid) with Studio 100. In animation, there’s Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood and Pinocchio & The Enchanted Village with ON kids & family; Tobie Lolness with Tant Mieux Prod; Grisù with Mondo TV; Klincus with Showlab; Pip and Posy, Zog and all his sisters and brothers like The Gruffalo with Magic Light Pictures; and Zoom—The White Dolphin from Marzipan Films.

TV KIDS: What’s on your current wish list?

KEEB: Since we are so successful with our program selection, we would like to stick to the same strategy. We want to continue to develop shows out of heroes and legends, modern adaptations, free interpretations of big names. One current example is The Three Musketeers, featuring three girls. We’d like to do another big hit series with the BBC. We worked together so successfully on Wolfblood and The Worst Witch, it would be great to find another title that could work for both channels again. Of course, we always hope to continue our fruitful cooperations with our Australian friends and colleagues Jonathan M. Shiff, the ABC, Joanna Werner and Suzanne Ryan, just to name a few.

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w e N r u O Visit

d n u o r g y a Pl b u H r e i m e r The P a i d e M ’ s d i for K s w e N

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