Meta Media Entertainment has secured a raft of new broadcaster and platform pick-ups for award-winning series Animanimals. The London-based distributor specializes in quality children’s animation and handles worldwide distribution for the series, produced by Stuttgart, Germany’s Studio Film Bilder.
Partners herding up Animanimals include KiKA/SWR (Germany), iQIYI (China), TATA Sky (India), PTS (Taiwan), SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), Jim Jam (EMEA, Russia), Discovery Kids (MENA), Hopster, Tele-Quebec and Knowledge Network (Canada), and TV New Zealand. Additional sales are in negotiation.
Each episode of the (26 x 4′) non-dialogue family series features a different animal facing an absurd adventure, with a a surprise ending. The comical cartoons have won a whopping 20 prizes around the world, including the Audience Award at the New York Children’s Film Festival for two consecutive years (for “Zebra” and “Octopus”), and Best Film for Young Children at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival (for “Zebra”). The “Penguin” short has just been selected for the official competition at the Berlinale Generation section (Feb. 15-25); 10 Animanimals films will screen at the NYICFF in February.
Julia Ocker, award-winning animator and creator of Animanimals, says, “The open structure of the series enables me to include just about any idea – however crazy – as long as it is funny enough.”
Animanimals is produced by creatively-driven Studio Film Bilder, which has also earned many awards over its 28-year history. The series is co-produced by leading German children’s channel KiKA and regional broadcaster SWR.
“All stories are driven by director Julia Ocker’s engaging sense of humor,” notes Studio Film Bilder founder Thomas Meyer-Hermann. “There is laughter and empathy throughout the story, and then excitement at the clever and creative solution.”
Half of the 26-episode package for Animanimals was delivered in August 2017, with the remaining half due by the end of January 2018.
