The Australian Children’s Television Foundation closed out November with a Board meeting, during which members approved script development funding for an exciting slate of live-action and animation projects for preschoolers and kids 8-12.
In a statement, ACTF described the nine series as broad, showcasing “a diversity of setting in the concepts as some explore urban areas while others take us out to regional/outback areas. What’s more, the creative teams behind these series are a mix of experienced and emerging producers, coming from Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.”
The animated funding recipients are:
Pirate Size Productions (Victoria) – $22,737.80 for Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers Third Grade. Based on the book written by Kate & Jol Temple with illustrations by Jon Foye, about a young boy whose affinity for Captain Cook drives him to enter a cereal box competition for a trip to Hawai’i. (www.piratesizeproductions.com)
Ned Lander Media (New South Wales) – $35,000 to develop the second series of Little J & Big Cuz, which follows the educational adventures of two Indigenous Australian kids who live with their Nanna and Old Dog. (www.littlejandbigcuz.com.au)
Pop Family Entertainment (NSW) – $25,653 for family comedy-drama toon WeirDo, based on the best-selling books by Anh Do about an 11-year-old new kid in town with a memorable name who learns to channel his “inner weirdness.” (www.popfamilyentertainment.com/weirdo)
SLR Productions (NSW) gets $29,337.65 for Space Nova 1 (www.slrproductions.com); and Lah-Lah Productions (NSW) snagged $15,100 for the hybrid preschool series The Stripy Sock Club, inspired by the popular live musical act (www.lah-lah.com).
Funds are also going to the development of Brindle Films’ Maverix ($22K), Komixx’s B-Track Girl ($10,698), Northern Pictures’ Hardball ($24,325) and The Content Agency’s Independence ($5K).
The Board also committed distribution investment to three projects, which will be announced in 2018 in conjunction with the broadcasters and screen agencies.
More info at actf.com.au.
