Entin Liu (Image: Amuse Animation)

Chief Revenue Officer, Jiella Esmat, Amuse Animation commented:

China is an instrumental part of our expansion plan as we prepare to scale the company outside of YouTube and move into full 360 IP exploitation.  We’re building on our existing success in this uniquely dynamic market and are looking forward to brokering co-productions and long-term animation alliances between our partners in the East and the West.

As Head of APAC reporting to Esmat, Liu will be responsible for managing local distribution and co-production relationships, and developing consumer product opportunities throughout the region.  

I am delighted to become the latest member of Amuse Animation’s growing team, and to be part of such a forward-thinking studio. Having a presence in the region will help bring more opportunities to the company while continuing to deliver a steady stream of great preschool content to our partners and future clients.

-Entin Liu

Prior to joining the company, Entin distributed content regionally for Fifth Season, Nickelodeon/Viacom, Regency, and Paramount; facilitated co-productions for Fox, Insight TV and Tencent; and managed licensing for Aniplex (Demon Slayer), Planet Junior (Milo), and ADK (Yu-Gi-Oh!). She also worked as Director, International Distribution and Licensing at the Fox Networks Group.

Amuse Animation has a number of long-term successful partnerships in the region, including in China where it was awarded Best Cooperation Partner and Best Content Creators at the Tencent Video Digital Content Creators Summit in 2021. The new office in China is intended to build on these mutual relationships throughout the entire APAC region and will serve as an extension of the company’s existing business activities in Paris, Gran Canaria and London.

In October 2022, Jiella Esmat, former Senior Director of Distribution and Content Partnerships for Moonbug, joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer. Based in London, Esmat’s remit is to drive the group’s core business streams focusing on the 360 exploitation of digital-first preschool properties, as well as to develop co-production partnerships and 2D/3D animation production servicing for third parties looking to combine premium animation with Amuse’s efficient and cost-effective, digital-first production workflow.

Amuse Animation’s other regional offices are based in France and the Canaries.

Amuse Studios & Amuse Apps based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the heart of the company’s production activity, is a service studio as well as an original content creator. The group’s creative and production hub specializes in 2D & 3D animated content, entertaining and educational preschool series, audio content, and gaming apps. Their location in Las Palmas provides access to unique financial incentives offered by the Canary Islands (up to 54% for international productions) making it an ideal partner for production service work.

Amuse Animation Paris was where the company’s original preschool animated properties were developed, starting in 2016 when it launched its first series on YouTube. Today development is carried out at Amuse Studios in the Canaries, while the Paris team manages distribution, co-productions, and L&M for the group.

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Clément has worked in the animation industry since 2004 at some of the top studios in France including Disney France and Studio Redfrog, among others. At Disney France, he spent 11 years as Program Development Manager and Editorial Advisor, overseeing over 60 animated and live-action series. At Studio Redfrog, he managed development from 2019 to 2023, notably on the series Smarty Pants, a 52 12-minute animated comedy for Canal +, ITV and Cartoon Network Italia, winner of the Best Animated Series for 7-9 year olds at the 2023 Luchon Festival.

Bonnie Lener, Producer, Millimages, commented:

We are delighted to add such a qualified and talented new member to our team. Clément is experienced in developing older-skewing series; his arrival consolidates our new editorial strategy which aims to keep on developing preschool projects but also to expand our content to target both kids and adults.

Clément le Strat added:

It is a very exciting opportunity to join one of the most iconic and ground-breaking independent studios in France. I am very much looking forward to working with Millimages’ creative talent and helping to expand the scope of their amazing catalogue.

Bonnie Lener and Clément Le Strat will be attending the Annecy Animation Festival in June 2023 (stand E20), to present a 3rd season and 2nd feature film of the classic Lascars property, an exclusive spin-off of the global hit Molang; and a comedy series for 6-9 year-olds, Camp Farmcreek.

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Image: Kunda Kids (via ASTRSK)

Kunda Kids, the award-winning children’s media publisher and creative studio, today announces the launch of the Kunda & Friends YouTube series, the company’s flagship animation series, premiering on May 29th at The Cineworld Cinema at The O2 in Greenwich, London. This launch comes a few months after the company closed its $700k pre-seed funding round, led by Zrosk Investment Management with participation from Voltron Capital, Argentil Capital, HoaQ, Kaleo Ventures, together with angel investors Abi Ajayi, Adetayo Bamiduro of MAX, and Benjamin Fernandes, CEO of Nala Money. The funds will be utilized to further build out the Kunda Kids mobile app and continue working with creative talent from across the African diaspora.

Black and multi-racial characters are among the least commonly shown groups in children’s media (1.9% and 0.6% respectively), according to a 2022 study by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Kunda Kids exists to transform children’s content and programming about Africa for the next generation. By showcasing various elements of African history and culture in creative, fun and simple formats for kids, parents and educators can raise children to be global citizens with an understanding and appreciation for other cultures from around the world.

Kunda & Friends is a music-led 3D animation for children set in an African landscape. Kunda, a four-year-old boy of mixed African heritage, takes viewers on his adventures exploring the world around him with his friends Sana, a girl of mixed African and Indian heritage, Fela, a boy from Nigeria, as well as Leo the lion and Ella the elephant. The Kunda & Friends soundtrack music takes inspiration from African culture, with influences from genres like Afrobeats and Amapiano made popular by Grammy award-winning artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and more recently, singers like Burna Boy and WizKid. The series’ storyline is anchored on friendship and imparts prosocial life lessons, providing parents and educators with an opportunity to teach and play with their children as they watch together.

I am thrilled to announce the successful closing of our pre-seed round, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the inspiring investors who share our vision. This milestone allows us to launch Kunda & Friends and invest in the exceptional creative talent across Africa. We are committed to bringing forth a new generation of African storytellers, and together, we will change the narrative.

-Oladele Olafuyi (Creator, Kunda & Friends)

Our children deserve to learn more about Africa’s rich and diverse heritage, and it is our ambition to provide quality stories in various formats to children around the world. It is essential for children to see themselves and others represented in world-class stories and content. By nurturing a sense of pride and belonging, we empower them to grow up as confident, culturally-aware individuals who will shape the future.

-Louisa Olafuyi (Creator, Kunda & Friends)

A core pillar of Kunda Kids’ mission is to create more opportunities for African talent in publishing and production. The company is committed to working with animators, artists, writers, producers and business leaders from diverse backgrounds. Raymond Malinga, Director of Kunda & Friends, co-founder of Creatures Animation Studio and former Disney Producer, shared:

Kunda & Friends is an opportunity to impact not only the younger generation of kids from all over the world but to impact the lives of artists longing to work on larger scale productions.

The first four episodes of Kunda & Friends will be available on Monday, May 29th, with subsequent episodes to be released in the weeks following.

To learn more about Kunda & Friends, visit kundakids.com

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Unstable (Pink Parrot Media, image via DDA)

The film has also sold to Volga (CIS and Baltics), Mis Label (Scandinavia), Pro Films (Bulgaria), Idea Films (Romania), Flins y Piniculas (Spain), NOS Lusomundo (Portugal), Monolith (Poland), Front Row (Middle East), Blitz (Former Yugoslavia) and Adastra Cinema (Ukraine and Baltics).

Unstable is directed by Benoit Godbout (Racetime, The Bottanix), and co-written by David Freedman and Gareth Edwards. The film is currently closing financing and will be produced by Marie Claude Beauchamp from Carpediem Film & TV (Snowtime, Racetime, Butterfly Tale) and Andrew Baker from Cantilever Media (The Amazing Maurice).

Unstable pranced into our hearts from the first pitch, and we are aren’t surprised this special project has found a collection of fantastic international distributors. With charm, humour, and unforgettable characters we know families will love, we’re delighted that Bravo and Luna will be getting a global audience.

-Tania Pinto Da Cunha (Partner / Vice-President and Head of International Sales & Acquisitions at Pink Parrot Media)

Viva Pictures is thrilled to be a part of the Unstable production and is looking forward to releasing the film in the U.S. on over 3,000 screens in February 2026. We are confident Unstable will be a big hit with theatergoers.

-Victor Elizalde (President, Viva)

Unstable follows Bravo – a proud police horse who is convinced that he and his rider, Sergeant Braque, have solved many theft cases. But when the Queen’s crown is stolen, the horse realizes that his rider (with the complicity of his wife) is replacing all the jewels brought to the authorities for years by copies! Betrayed, Bravo flees with the crown and hides at Luna’s house. Spotting an opportunity, Luna – who has longed to participate in a dressage competition – extravagantly disguises Bravo and renames him Mr. Princess Lady Boots. Bravo realises this disguise allows him to right the wrongs of his former rider incognito – but his fervour almost goes too far and he has to take the reins in a dramatic bid to rescue his new friend.

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The film is adapted from the hugely successful picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, and marks the 11^th animated special of their work produced by Magic Light Pictures for the BBC.

Image via Faber & Bishopp

The film stars Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) as Fred, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísú (Gangs of London) as Tabby, Cariad Lloyd(Peep Show) as Prunella, Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It) as Pat, Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the narrator, and Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes) as Sock. Animation services are provided by Red Star Studio.

The film follows Fred, a busker, and his cat Tabby McTat who enjoy a contented life singing on the streets of London to delighted audiences. One day when chasing a thief, Fred falls and breaks his leg and is whisked away in an ambulance.  What will become of the busker’s cat left alone on the city streets?

This is a special year for Julia and Axel. 2023 marks the 30^th year of their creative partnership.

Author, Julia Donaldson commented:

I used to love busking with my husband Malcolm when we were living in Bristol, and also in Paris. We also both love cats – in fact – we’ve just acquired two new kittens named Tabitha and McTat. So, this story is really close to my heart and combines two of my passions: singing, and cats!

Producer, Barney Goodland said:

Julia and Axel’s book is a beautiful, heart-warming story that we’re delighted to be adapting for BBC viewers this Christmas. The friendship between Fred and Tabby is a truly special one and the film explores how their relationship changes unexpectedly as their lives move forward, and ultimately, how they learn to embrace that change.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama said:

Magic Light’s hugely entertaining adaptations of Julia and Axel’s works have been delighting families and viewers of all ages for over a decade now. I know that Tabby is a character loved by many, so I could not be happier that he’ll be brought to life this Christmas on BBC One and iPlayer.

Tabby McTat is directed by Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman (Superworm); written by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang; and produced by Barney Goodland and Michael Rose of Magic Light Pictures. The film was acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer and Nawfal Faizullah, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor.

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Established and under the direction of Mevelyn Noriega who will serve as CEO, Wonderworld.Fun aims to push the boundaries of storytelling and animation technology.

Operating out of Los Angeles, the new company will work in partnership with Deepak Nayar’s production company Kintop Pictures, VFX and animation studio ReDefine (part of the DNEG Group), and Namit Malhotra’s production company Prime Focus Studios, to create, produce, and distribute innovative, high-quality animated content for a global inclusive audience. Wonderworld.Fun will also seek to produce and distribute third-party developed and owned IPs with strong international appeal.

Funded by Kintop Pictures and Prime Focus Studios, Wonderworld.Fun will unveil three new shows that reflect a fresh and dynamic approach to the art of animation. Targeted at Kids and Family the original comedy, action-adventure series all underpin the company’s vision and commitment to excellence in animation. All three shows are currently in production with animation and production studios Number9VFX, Number 9 Greece and ReDefine Originals.

Mevelyn Noriega (image courtesy of DP:PR)

With more than 30 years of experience and an extensive career in theatrical and TV distribution, Mevelyn has amassed considerable knowledge and skills in the complexities of global distribution and production, coupled with extensive experience in financing and development. She worked for many years for multi-award-winning animation studio Splash Entertainment, departing the company as President of Distribution. Prior to that, Mevelyn worked with Mark Damon’s Vision Pictures and then at Kushner Locke as Vice President of Sales Administration in the film sector.

Commenting on the company’s launch Mevelyn Noriega, CEO said:

Our mission is to create animation that is representative of everyone. We want to tell stories that reflect the diversity of our world and that celebrate the richness of different cultures, music and backgrounds. Animation is an incredibly powerful art form, and we believe that it has the ability to bring people together. We are excited to harness that power and look forward to also furthering our collaborations and friendships with creatives and executives through this new production and distribution company, Wonderworld.Fun.

Commenting on the partnership, Deepak Nayar, Kintop Pictures added:

This venture marks an exciting new chapter for us all and I am thrilled to be a part of this strategic partnership. Animation is a great medium for creativity and storytelling and with Mevelyn at the helm, WonderWorld.Fun will be a dynamic and innovative force in children’s entertainment offering exceptional content which will travel the world.

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Image via Blue Zoo

London-based animation studio, Blue Zoo Animation Studio, has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, that will be used to support the development of their new real-time tool “MoPo”. Mopo allows animation artists to use immersive VR technology to rapidly create characterful 3D animated content for platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

Blue Zoo is a multi-BAFTA and Emmy-winning, B Corp certified, production company that has grown to become one of the UK’s leading & largest animation studios. The studio’s vision is to build an animation studio with heart, through creating positively impactful content that the team is proud of creating.

Image via Blue Zoo

Image via Blue Zoo

With this accelerated performance, MoPo can be used for prototyping new shows, creating animatics, or producing finished animation for quick turnover platforms such as YouTube or Tik Tok. Animating a 30 second scene, which used to take up to several days, can now be accomplished in minutes.

Using Unreal Engine 5 for this enables not just the animation to be extremely fast, but the post-production process too. Taking advantage of the sequencer in Unreal Engine, in-camera post-processing effects, and fast rendering means that finished frames can be output directly from Unreal, with no compositing step needed. Artists are also able to take advantage of Unreal’s real-time physics and dynamics, meaning characters and props react to and affect the world around them as the performance is created, rather than having to rely on expensive simulations after the fact.

Keeping everything in one software package and reducing the number of production steps means a much smaller team can create the same quality content faster and more cost effectively.

Head of Real-Time at Blue-Zoo, Phil Stewart, says:

We’re very proud and excited to have been selected as Epic MegaGrants recipients by Epic Games. The team has been working very hard to create MoPo, which will allow us to produce animated content faster than we ever have before, and also lets us harness the power of Unreal Engine to speed our workflow up even further. We have completed several pilots using MoPo already – including “Silly Duck” launched on the studio’s “Little Zoo” YouTube channel in December 2022 – and our animators are loving the hand-made, spontaneous feel of the animation they are producing. Also, being able to take advantage of Unreal’s dynamics and real-time simulation we can get a real charm and physicality to the content produced.

For more information visit www.madewithmopo.com

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Hungry Bear Tales To The Pole! (Bionaut/Dandelooo – image courtesy of Dandelooo)

The deal gives Dandelooo exclusive worldwide television and theatrical distribution rights to the 2D Christmas Special directed by Katerina Karhankova.  Loosely based on the books by Zbynek Cernik, Hungry Bear Tales To The Pole! is created by Katerina Karhankova and Alexandra Majova and targeted at kids aged 4- to 7-year-olds.  The Christmas Special with its soft ecology twist follows the great adventures of two very hungry friends Ned and Mishka as they learn not to be afraid to go out into the world and make new friends.

The new story Hungry Bear Tales To The Pole! adds to the popular and successful 26 x 7-minute series and brand about two bears who share a cozy house in the forest.  One of them is big – Ned, the other one is tiny – Mishka and they are constantly hungry.  Most of their adventures revolve around different ways to get something delicious to eat with as little effort as possible, and they are willing to take considerable risks.  Their plans do not always go the way they imagined but their little adventures always have a happy ending.

Ned and Mishka get an invitation from their friend Mrs Polar Bear attend a spectacular festival of polar popsicles.  Now that’s an invitation you can’t refuse!  They’ve never had popsicles before and visiting a friend is always a good idea.  They can’t wait, but the problem is, they’re not quite sure where the pole is.  But Ned has read that it’s somewhere on the bottom of the globe, so they’ll just keep going down until they reach the pole. On their journey across continents, mountains, jungles, and coral islands they meet new animal friends, who they help out of tough spots.  Eventually, utterly exhausted the bears finally find themselves at the Pole, and soon realize that they’re at the wrong one!  The South Pole unfortunately!  It’s time to ask for some help and luckily their newfound friends are going to lend a hand.  And finally, they arrive,  and the celebration of popsicles can finally begin in earnest!  Welcome to the greatest polar popsicle festival ever!

Hungry Bear Tales To The Pole! has already been pre-sold to broadcasters France Télévisions, Arte Editions, DR (Denmark) and RTVS (Slovenia), STOD2 (Iceland) and YLE (Finland), with Gébéka Films releasing the Special in cinemas during Christmas 2024.

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Under the agreement, WildBrain will acquire full ownership of House of Cool. Closing consideration for the acquisition will consist of $15.5 million, with $10.25 million through the issuance of 4,479,406 WildBrain shares (the “Share Consideration”) and $5.25 million in cash (less any debt existing on closing and subject to customary working capital adjustments and holdbacks). Additionally, there is an earn-out of up to $6 million based on collection of tax credits earned up to closing.

WildBrain to acquire House of Cool – L to R – Wes Lui, Josh Scherba, Ricardo Curtis (Image courtesy of DDA)

Toronto-based House of Cool is a highly regarded industry leader in pre-production, an essential early planning stage in the life of a feature or series during which the story is developed and creative choices are made to establish the look, feel, style and pacing of a project, creating the blueprint for the launch of full production. Bringing their deep experience and creative expertise, House of Cool executives and co-founders, Wes Lui and Ricardo Curtis, will be joining the WildBrain Studios senior management team in the newly created roles of Co-General Managers of House of Cool, reporting to Josh Scherba, President of WildBrain, who heads up the Company’s content and studio business.

Josh Scherba stated:

This acquisition is an investment in creative excellence. House of Cool is recognized as one of the very best pre-production companies in the global animation industry. We’re delighted to welcome Wes, Ricardo and their team on board at WildBrain, a combination of talent that will immediately broaden and deepen our collective creative strengths. Their expertise is highly complementary to our existing business, expanding and enhancing our pre-production capabilities, not only for WildBrain’s proprietary content but also for third-party projects. The acquisition also establishes a new entry point for IP owners to engage with WildBrain’s 360-degree offering across production, distribution and consumer products licensing.

Wes Lui said:

House of Cool’s mission is simple: bring audiences together through the artful telling of unique stories. WildBrain shares our enthusiasm for storytelling, and from the moment they first approached us, we were ecstatic about combining forces and leveraging their 360-degree approach and our expertise in story and preproduction to develop, produce and distribute premium content. We will also further be able to offer more top-level creative services for all our clients.

Ricardo Curtis added:

As a fiercely independent operator for the last two decades, it would require something special for House of Cool to join another studio. WildBrain is that special. WildBrain has industry-leading expertise in production, distribution and licensing, and its reach on multiple platforms greatly expands our ability and scope to connect with audiences. Mixed with their deep catalogue of properties—many I grew up with—hitching House of Cool’s wagon to WildBrain allows us to collaborate in previously unavailable ways on the premium content we are known for.

Collaborating closely with WildBrain’s award-winning animation studio in Vancouver, House of Cool will maintain operations at its Toronto facility, where their team of pre-production experts will be joining the Company. Adding House of Cool more than doubles WildBrain’s pre-production capacity, building on its existing pre-production team of approximately 80 based in Vancouver. The House of Cool brand, which is widely recognized and respected in the animation industry, will be maintained as a distinct identity under the WildBrain banner.

Founded in 2004, House of Cool has worked with top studios, platforms and IP owners across the industry on some of today’s most recognizable animated features and series for kids and families as well as other demographics. They have worked on over 20 theatrical films, which have grossed over US $6.23 billion of box office receipts, providing a variety of pre-production services, including storyboarding; conceptual and visual development; character, environment and prop design; and the creation of animatic test videos. Notable past feature projects include Despicable Me for Illumination; The Angry Birds franchise for Rovio and Sony Pictures Animation; and The Peanuts Movie, Ferdinand, and the Ice Age and Rio franchises for 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Notable series include What if…? for Marvel Studios; Gravity Falls for Disney; Maya and the Three, The Magician’s Elephant, Trollhunters, and Dragons: Race to the Edge for Dreamworks and Netflix; and Pretzel and the Puppies for HarperCollins Productions and Apple TV+.

The transaction is expected to close in the Company’s fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, subject to conditions to closing. The Share Consideration will be subject to the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and to a 12-month lock-up agreement.

WildBrain reaffirms its Fiscal 2023 guidance for revenue of approximately $525 million to $575 million and adjusted EBITDA between $95 million to $105 million.

All figures CAD unless otherwise noted.

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A+C Studios

April sees UK based animation house A+C Studios launch their roster with eight signings. From across the globe, an array of award-winning and emerging talent have signed to the independent studio. Collaboratively showcasing a variety of styles, the new directors are an eclectic mix of backgrounds and experiences.

The new roster includes Ida Mellum, Mai Vu, Lina Kalcheva, and Antonin Niclass, all prestigious National Films and Television School alumni. They represent the cream of the crop in emerging talent, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative techniques to the table along with Vida Vega, whose ethereal and illustrative animation style is unmatched, and Zarina Tucker, a skilled product animator with an eye for colour and play. Luiz Stockler offers a unique blend of charming hand-drawn and digital animation techniques, while Jess Deacon is a master of stop-motion animation and paper engineering.

The team has already worked with top clients such as BBC, Prada, Ben & Jerry’s and Dyson, to name a few. Visit the website for more information, and keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more from our new directors.

We’re thrilled to have these talented individuals joining our team. We have a strong commitment to nurturing new talent, and these new directors represent some of the best emerging talents in the industry. We’re excited to see what they will bring to our projects.

-Dan Richards (founder and director, A+C Studios)

Founded in 2007, A+C Studios has grown from its launch in founder, Dan Richards garage to a custom fitted space that holds three animation production studios, a model-making workshop, a motion design studio, an edit suite and production office. The expansion of A+C Studios roster solidifies its position in the animation industry.

Mai Vu

Hailing from Sai Gon, Vietnam, Mai is an animator and animation director with a passion for stop-motion animation. She began her journey in 2010, creating short films using stop-motion technique, and progressed to writing, animating, and directing in the beloved stop-motion series, Say Hi To Pencil, which ran from 2012 to 2019. Mai has worked on a range of commercials for high-profile clients such as Vietnam Airline, Perfetti Van Melle, Clé de Peau, Pepsi, Forbes. She has a Master’s degree in Directing Animation from the National Film and Television School, her most recent achievement is the screening of her film ‘Spring Roll Dream’ at the prestigious La CineF, Cannes Film Festival 2022.

Ida Melum

Ida is an EE BAFTA & BIFA nominated, nad an Annie and RTS awarded animation director based in Sweden. After receiving her acting diploma in Norway, Ida earned her BA in Animation at Middlesex University, London. She worked as a stop motion animator on films such as the BAFTA winning “Poles Apart”, and “Facing It”, before deciding to get her master’s degree in Directing Animation at the National Film and Television School. During her time at the NFTS, she made films such as “Shopped” and “Ovary-Acting” and has just finished her award-winning BAFTA-nominated graduation film; “Night of the Living Dread”. Ida recently finished working on “Attenborough’s Wonder of Song”, a nature documentary for the BBC, and a festival trailer for Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2022.

Vida Vega

An award-winning 2D Animation Director and Illustrator, Vida works with bold, painterly textures and a strong sense of the traditional craft. Combining digital with analogue paper techniques to make fashion illustrations and expressive drawings.Vida loves to create stories from quiet observed intimate moments; tiny fragments that surprise by revealing more than they initially suggest. In 2012 she won a British Animation Award for Best 2D Commercial, a Silver Shark at Kinsale, Bronze at the London International Awards and several Cannes Lions nominations for ?, she was also a finalist for SHOTS Young Director Award. Clients include: How To Spend It, Superior Interior Italy, Graff Diamonds, Disney UK, Prada, HD Buttercup, Milka, Tempo Tissues, Digital Arts Magazine. Golden Wolf, Passion Pictures, The Mill, Tandem Films, Th1ng, JWT, Publicis

Jess Deacon

Director, Paper Engineer and Stop Motion Animator, Jess’s short film ‘Revolution’ won the PDN Photo Annual Award for Animation and was officially selected for several international animation and film festivals including: London International Animation Festival, Fantoche International Animation Festival, Melbourne International Animation Festival, New Zealand International Film Festival and Washington DC Environmental Film Festival.

Antonin Niclass

Antonin is a swiss-french director and animator who graduated from the prestigious National Film and Television School in London with his film ‘Do Not Feed The Pigeons’ winning numerous international awards including a BAFTA for best short animation. Antonin handcrafts tactile stop-motion pieces, combining shabby chic animation craft with a tender sense of humour that leads audiences to experience known places from a new perspective. Using animation to depict the small things of everyday life, he brings both rawness and poetry to his work. Antonin likes to show human connections or relationships often without using any words at all. Whether it’s a bittersweet taste or emotional storytelling, his films incorporate clever tricks and techniques to capture the audience.

Luiz Stockler

An award-winning Brazilian-British Animation Director, Animator, Illustrator and Filmmaker working and living between London and Bucharest. Luiz is a graduate of The University of Wales, Newport and The Royal College of Art. His style is minimalistic, playful and character driven, which drives home both simple and complex ideas. Luiz’s work has been recognised by the Royal Television Society, Vimeo Staff Picks and the Adobe Design Achievement Awards and his short films have been screened and awarded in festivals around the world.

Zarina Tucker

Zarina brings a wealth of experience and talent as a product stop-motion animator. With an impressive portfolio of work for brands such as Esquire, Naturya, Happy Socks, and Honest Burger, Zarina has proven herself to be a master of bringing products to life through the art of stop-motion animation. Her attention to detail, creative vision, and technical expertise is unmatched.

Lina Kalcheva

Originally from Bulgaria, currently based in England, and a recent graduate from the UK’s National Film and Television School, Lina is an award-winning animation director. Coming from a painting background, she has studied Fine Art, Theatre, Film and Animation, Lina works in 2D, multiplane, stop-motion and in-between; using combinations of drawing, painting, clay and found natural materials. Her films are inspired by mythology, nature, the occult, identity and human relationships. Her National Film and Television School graduation film ‘Other Half’ premiered in Cannes Festival’s Cinéfondation selection and has screened in over 60 film festivals, including Chicago IFF, Rhode Island FF, Hollyshorts and Interfilm Berlin, winning 13 awards, notably the Anima’t Award for Best Short Animation at the Oscar-qualifying Sitges Film Festival. As well as receiving 20 other nominations among which the British Animation Awards, the Melies d’Argent and the MPSE Golden Reel Awards. Lina is currently co-directing the short VR game Tea is Served and is finishing development on her next short animation Dawn Chorus.

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(Image courtesy of Blue Zoo)

Multi-BAFTA-winning, B Corp-certified London animation studio, Blue Zoo, announced the appointment of Nicky Flemming as Executive Producer for the Shortform and Advertising department.

Nicky will work alongside the Head of the Shortform, Damian Hook, to develop the client-relationship strategy towards brands and agencies and share the best that Blue Zoo’s world-class talent has to offer.

Blue Zoo’s clients include Meta, Glenfiddich, Supercell, Clarks, BBC Sports, LEGO, Playmobil and more. The team is also responsible for Blue Zoo’s innovative shorts program, which works to bring opportunities to first-time directors and experiment with pioneering animation software and technology.

Nicky has worked in the UK advertising industry for twenty years working in roles from New Business to MD in some of London’s top production companies including; Another Film Company, Outsider, Merman and Archer’s Mark.

Nicky Flemming (Image courtesy of Blue Zoo)

Nicky also brings a background in production having worked in features as a Production Coordinator and in short films as a Producer. Furthermore, she has judged the New York Advertising Awards, the AICP awards, and the shots awards in London.

Speaking about her appointment, Nicky says:

I am thrilled to bring my experience to the team at Blue Zoo. I am hugely fortunate to count many of the top industry leaders as my close friends, who I am excited to introduce to my new team. I see my job as connecting and introducing talent to one another, which I look forward to doing in 2023.

Head of Shortform, Damian Hook, added:

We are delighted that Nicky is joining the team. The studio is extremely proud of the Shortform team’s work and our roster of talent, so we are delighted that Nicky’s expertise can bring in an exciting new era for the department. We’re looking forward to delivering even more joyful and imaginative work to the advertising world and strengthening Blue Zoo’s reputation further.

See more of the work of Blue Zoo at blue-zoo.co.uk

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Joe Della Rosa (©2023 Aniventure LTD. All Rights Reserved)

Aniventure, a leading producer of animated content, today announced the appointment of Joe Della Rosa as its Chief Commercial Officer. LA based Della Rosa will be responsible for overseeing the functions of sales and the implementation of its long and short-term commercial strategy, including identifying creative and business opportunities for Aniventure and its partners.

Adam Nagle, Aniventure’s founding CEO said:

Our business has built deep relationships over the past decade with filmmakers, talent, facilities, funders and distributors that has seen our output grow and grow. As one of the most respected experts in our field, Joe’s addition to our team will allow us to build on these relationships and explore new opportunities. He will be a key player in shaping our future.

Joe joins Aniventure from leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) where he worked for more than a decade and was recognised as a specialist in animation within the Media Finance Group. Della Rosa represented animation studios and content from around the world including multiple Academy Award nominated Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers), Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10.5, and Jeremy Zag’s upcoming feature Ladybug & Cat Noir based on Zag’s Miraculous Ladybug franchise.

This is an extremely exciting time to be joining Aniventure given the company’s established market position in the animation industry. Aniventure has an unprecedented opportunity to build on their solid foundation and to help the best filmmakers find new and innovative ways to tell their stories in a media landscape that is changing everyday.  I look forward to being part of the Aniventure team creating a great home for the best creative talent and building new characters and stories that families can enjoy around the world.

-Joe Della Rosa

Aniventure has a production deal with Cinesite who have animated all of the company’s feature films, the first two being, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure directed by Dave Rosenbaum (Minions) and Eamonn Butler (Avengers: Endgame), and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King). These features have reached wide international audiences via Netflix & Paramount Pictures. Their third film Hitpig!, from Pulitzer Prize-winner Berkeley Breathed will be completed later this year and it’s fourth film Animal Farm based on George Orwell’s masterpiece is currently in production under the direction of Andy Serkis (Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle).

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Xilam has developed an extensive digital and social media campaign to build awareness for the Netflix launch. As part of the activity, Xilam has created a Karate Sheep YouTube channel, which features episodes, compilations and shorts and has achieved nearly 500k views since launching in January. Alongside this, a dedicated TikTok account has generated 3M views and a branded Karate Sheep filter is now available for use on the platform. On TikTok, over 25% of the Karate Sheep audience is from the U.S. market. Xilam is also developing a Karate Sheep gaming app for launch later this year.

Created by Xilam Animation’s Hugo Gittard (Zig & Sharko, Mr Magoo) Karate Sheep (formerly Trico) targets kids aged 6-9 years and follows Trico – an enthusiastic sheep who loves to share new objects and ideas with the rest of the flock. This causes ruckus in the mountain pastures, which inevitably ends up at Wanda’s expense, a tough ewe whose job is to keep the sheep safe. No small feat, especially when Wolf is always lurking, waiting to make the most of this newfound chaos. The series premiered on Super RTL in late 2022.

Karate Sheep (Xilam Animation, image courtesy of DDA)

Slapstick comedies are a core part of our company’s legacy and DNA, so we’re excited to be collaborating with Netflix to bring another series in this genre to international audiences. Karate Sheep is a unique blend of themes – there’s friendship, teamwork and accepting the differences of others, but there’s also martial arts, plenty of humour and a celebration of nature in the mix too. The response and engagement for our Karate Sheep digital campaign has been really positive, so we can’t wait to now see the response from families around the world.

-Marc du Pontavice (Founder and CEO, Xilam Animation)

Xilam holds second-window global linear TV distribution and merchandising rights for Karate Sheep.

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The second film inspired by the famous comic book character and his world, created by Derib & Job (5 million copies sold to date) is initiated by Ellipse Animation. It is coproduced with Belvision in Belgium and written and directed by Xavier Giacometti, as was the previous film.

Concept art of Yakari 2. Based on the comic book YAKARI by Derib & Job.- LE LOMBARD © Dargaud Media – Belvision

The very promising success of Yakari, a Spectacular Journey during the summer of 2020 encouraged us take on a new project, to continue this exciting adventure. Despite the film being released during the pandemic, the film had 350,000 entries in French cinemas and had a good start in Germany, with over 150,000 entries in just three days, until the theatres had to close. Yakari was the second most exported French animated feature in 2021.

Cartoon Movie’s choice to have Yakari 2 among the pitches of the year, and the nomination of the film for the Eurimages Coproduction Development prize, are our first totems. We are very happy that their positive energy is boosting our new feature.

-Caroline Audebert (Managing Director, Ellipse Animation)

In the first film we paid tribute to Derib’s style in the comic book. Even though the animation is 3D, the film kept a 2D appearance. For this new film I wanted a radical change, a new, deeper and more international dimension. We have abandoned the outlines and flat colours for something with more volume, much more texture, and most of the backgrounds will be made in 3D. There will also be the work of a real cinematographer on the depth, the lenses and integration.

-Xavier Giacometti

The film will be made in France, at Ellipse Studio Angoulême and in Belgium, at DreamWall.

Yakari’s friend Buffalo Seed is injured by a herd of buffaloes and falls into a deep sleep which threatens to take him into the world of dreams. Rainbow reveals her talents as a shaman to keep him conscious, while Yakari and Little Thunder go off in search of the only being capable of bringing him back to life: his totem, the fantastic and dangerous buffalo Thathanka!

More information on this year’s Cartoon Movie at cartoon-media.eu/movie

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Broadcast on the channel’s Discover & Do zone in a weekday morning slot, the captivating series will also stream on BBC iPlayer.

This extraordinary new show aimed at preschoolers is produced by independent Australian studio Cheeky Little Media in association with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), France TV and Studio 100. Season 2 with 20 more episodes is currently in production and set for delivery in the summer of 2023.

Vegesaurs made an excellent debut on ABC Australia in May 2022, averaging more than one million viewers per episode and ranging among the Top 5 children’s programs in Australia. The show premiered in Europe on France TV in October 2022, and further international broadcasters on board for this fun and entertaining series include SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), LTV (Latvia), MTVA (Hungary), Knowledge TV and Radio Canada (Canada).

In addition, Studio 100 Media has already launched several social media channels to support the brand’s awareness and is continuously adding fresh content on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

In July 2023, master publisher Macmillan Children‘s Books will set its book program in motion, led by picture books that bring the series’ characters to life on the printed page, followed by story board books in the autumn.

To establish an extensive UK licensing program, Studio 100 Media appointed the renowned and award-winning agency BWI (Brands With Influence) last autumn. BWI is already in promising negotiations with a range of licensees covering various categories for this innovative brand.

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The new division dedicated to motion design from the BAFTA, Emmy and Cannes Grand Prix-winning global creative company, Nexus Studios, draws on the company’s core values, such as high-quality creative and premium experimentation, while also embarking on a mission to produce disruptive design-first campaigns for brands.

Spearheaded by Creative Director, Harry Butt, Nexus Design Studio aims to respond to client needs with agile and thoughtful creative solutions. Services include crafting typographic-led motion design, CG product films and bespoke motion brand identities.

Harry brings with him an extensive multi-discipline portfolio. Described as a “Jack of all trades and master of them too” by It’s Nice That, his aesthetic is informed by hypnotic motion, clean silhouettes, and colourful design. His exploration across technique with digital and animation tools has resulted in a body of work that is simultaneously experimental and satisfying. Previous clients include Nike, Boiler Room, Sony Music, Instagram and Chloé.

Nexus Design Studio is an exciting creative offering that offers a new way for us to work with our clients, in parallel to our world-class roster of directors. Increasingly we’ve seen demand from our clients to work with us in a creative director-led way and with design as the solution. Many of our clients seek greater long-term partnerships and a deeper understanding of their unique day-to-day needs. Nexus Design Studio now formalises that process. Harry brings his unique vision and leadership to this new team and an ability to collaborate with the incredible talent at Nexus. We think this is an apt and timely addition to how we can work with our clients.

-Chris O’Reilly (Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Nexus Studios)

After running my own small animation studio and having the time to experiment over the years, I’m excited to use the well-oiled machine of Nexus Studios to facilitate the weird ideas, the sleek slick motion design, the off-kilter 3D spots – in a quick, agile, responsive manner. Placed here with the raw talent of the studio at our fingertips it all feels a bit like cheating.

-Harry Butt (Creative Director, Nexus Design Studio)

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The Super Heroes of Nature (Dandelooo/Moonworks/Amopix – image via DDPR)

The deal gives Dandelooo exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the series targeted at kids aged 4 to 10 and families.

Written by Charlotte Schmidt, Emmanuelle Pouydebat and Nicolas Bazeille, The Super Heroes of Nature (30 x 3’) is co-produced by Moonworks Productions and Amopix Studios.  Using playful metaphors and references to popular culture, the hybrid series takes a poetic and often humorous look at biodiversity.  It offers a playful introduction to biology and each episode is built around an animal or an organism and its environment, approaching a particular biological notion such as animal intelligence, social behaviours, reproduction, and the roles of the cells or the immune system.  By relying on accessible scientific information and sometimes surprising and unpublished discoveries made by international researchers, the series aims to foster understanding and contribute to changing the way we look at life.

The natural and tiny biology world is full of creatures with extraordinary powers.  Discovering them takes us on a fascinating, poetic, and hilarious journey where science often goes beyond fiction.  The Super Heroes of Nature uses humour to share and make accessible the wonderful and formidable inventiveness of nature, and the importance of preserving it and making it accessible.

Set for delivery in December 2023, The Super Heroes of Nature has already been pre-sold to TV5 Monde, RTS, Télé-Québec, Arte Editions, Universcience, Le Vaisseau and Noozy.

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Production of the next 26 episodes of Happy the Hoglet is planned to start in late 2024 and Paper Owl Films will be heading to Kidscreen Summit later this month to meet with international partners also interested in investing in the show.

Happy the Hoglet (Paper Owl Films – image courtesy of Highlight)

Happy the Hoglet follows a baby hedgehog’s adventures with his friends as they explore their feelings. Each episode focuses on an adventure during which Happy learns to understand emotions from feeling excited to ‘hangry’ or feeling like he just needs a quiet minute.

The show helps its young audience overcome negative feelings and make the most of positive ones.

Reaction to the first series has been overwhelmingly positive. Pre-schoolers laugh out loud while watching the show and collaborate to identify the emotions on-screen. A constructive response from educators shows there is opportunity for follow-up activities with the characters from Happy in the classroom.

Aardman is the distributor for series one and series two of Happy the Hoglet.

Toddlers need to learn emotional resilience earlier than ever given the world they are set to grow up in. The reaction to the first series of Happy has been huge so we are thrilled to be bringing the show to Kidscreen Summit later this month.

-Grainne McGuinness (Creative Director, Paper Owl Films)

We’re extremely delighted with the performance of Happy across our platforms. It’s a beautiful, engaging and well-written show, and our young audience have responded really well to it.

-Darren Nartey (Acquisitions Manager, ITV)

Happy the Hoglet and his wonderful bunch of friends reassure RTÉjr viewers that no matter how grumpy, sad or cross we are, we can work through it together. I am really excited about Happy the Hoglet on RTÉjr. Everyone could do with some Happy right now!

-Suzanne Kelly (Head of Children’s Content, RTÉ)

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