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Animation in the Catalan region is currently experiencing a moment; the sweetest moment in the last ten to 15 years. Ivan Angelo, President of ProAnimats, a national association of animation producers based in Barcelona (primarily comprising Catalan companies), and CEO of Peekaboo Animation, highlights this shift. This resurgence stands in stark contrast to the challenging times of 2010, when the Spanish market faced a profound crisis, leading to the closure of major classical studios.
However, the vast talents and teams of these former studios were not squandered. Joan Ruiz, representing International Promotion for Catalan Films (ICEC), explains that from these larger companies, “an entire ecosystem of little creative studios emerged, and now engage in producing animation for cinema and TV within international co-production structures and in prominent public-private funding.”
Foundation of Support
The burgeoning importance of Catalonia in the animation realm is bolstered by robust financial backing. TV3 Catalunya, for instance, extends financial support ranging from 5% to 20% of budgets, contingent on the extent of Catalan expenditures. Currently, the channel is backing approximately 20 productions, according to Muntsa Tarrés, executive producer for the pubcaster.
Furthermore, ICEC administers a dedicated fund specifically for animation, features and series. With a budget of €4.5 million ($4.9 million) allocated for 2023, there’s also a €1.5 million ($1.6 million) development fund earmarked for early-stage projects in the realms of fiction, animation, and documentary features and series, intended for theatrical or broadcast release. Additional funding initiatives include a €400,000 Short Films Fund, and a Minority Co-Production Fund allocated at €1.8 million for fiction, animation, and documentary projects intended for a theatrical release.
The buoyancy of the Catalan animation sector is underlined by the strength of its offering at the upcoming Cannes event this fall. For instance, Polinopolis from Mago Productions stands out as a whimsical series focusing on first experiences set in unusual locations.
Director Martin Guido says, “Children face many challenges living in this ever-changing society. Through comedy, we want them to feel supported by characters they can identify with.” Polinopolis has already premiered on CLAN and SX3, with its sights set on broadcast sales at MIPJunior. Also, from Mago Productions, The Little Orchestra is currently in pre-production (26 x 11′) for Spanish broadcaster TVE and tailored for six- to nine-year olds, is a celebration of music.
ZeptoLab heads to MIPCOM with its first long-form episodes of Om Nom Stories. Drawing inspiration from the beloved Nom character in its widely popular app, ZeptoLab has garnered a substantial following of 15 million subscribers across various platforms and 20 YouTube channels.
A recent partnership with Wonderz, a company that enables creative companies to distribute multimedia content direct to consumers, has led to the launch of Om Nom Stories, a new ad-free app showcasing Om Nom videos.
Barcelona-based studio DeAPlaneta Kids and Family heads to Cannes with a full slate this year:
Monster Shaker, a 52 x 11′ 2D co-production with Go-N Productions in France, draws from the Shaker Monster book series by Mr. Tan and Mathilde Domecq. Geared towards ages five to eight, this comedy adventure introduces Justin, a young boy who uses his magic shaker to make numerous crazy monsters with awesome powers. Meanwhile, Superpigs, a CG action-comedy series produced in collaboration with Fourth Wall (U.K.), targets six- to nine-year-olds (26 x 22’). Following their victory over the Wolf, the three pigs are awarded superhero status by the grateful citizens of Fairyland. Currently in preproduction, the series will wrap in 2025.
Magic Lilly breathes new life into the classic animated Lilly, the Witch with The Magic Lilly Company (Germany). Confirmed broadcasters include Spain’s TVC and Belgium’s VRT, with a German broadcaster soon to be announced. DeAPlaneta Entertainment assumes roles as both co-producer and distributor for the upcoming new series Karters, set in the distant kingdom of Unicornia. The show revolves around five kart-riding kids who must battle danger to rescue magical unipets and save the realm, emphasizing themes of friendship, girl power and persistence.
Noteworthy among BRB’s catalog is Bernard, acquired by DeAPlaneta Entertainment in January 2023. A reboot of this series (78 x 7′) is currently in development, with DeAPlaneta overseeing worldwide rights, excluding China. DeAPlaneta also has an array of IPs stemming from the metaverse and digital space in production. Earlier this year, the company acquired MetaGuardians, the first Metaverse Superheroes. Moreover, a new alliance with Wonder Pals, a leading Web3 brand, promises exciting prospects.
Content and distribution director Carlos Biern notes, “We link and finance ideas that could come from any Entertainment field or country and upgrade them to potentially becoming a global hit brand.”
Peekaboo Animation enters the scene as a co-producer of Audrey’s Shelter, in an international partnership with France and Canada as a minority co-production for RTVE. The 52 x 11′ series for ages six to nine revolves around Audrey, whose parents manage a sanctuary for endangered animals.
Simultaneously, Peekaboo is engaged in the financing process of two different shows already pitched in international forums: My Little Heroes (52 x11’), co-produced with Fabrique Fantastique (Belgium) and RTVE, based on a book series of the same title, Best Friends Forever… Stranded! (40 x 11’), created by José Balbuena, in coproduction with Studio Meala (Ireland) and TVC. A third show in development, called WAW Resort, will be shown to potential partners at MIPCOM, when the bible and teaser are ready.
New Friends and Family Fun
Pikkukala presents Taste Buddies, a preschool adventure TV series (52 x 7′) that celebrates diversity of temperaments and flavors. The premise is quite intriguing: What if every time you tasted something you didn’t like, a group of superheroes would come to the rescue? Each of the Taste Buddies has a unique personality, representing neurodiversity. Just like flavors, you get their full potential when combined! The series boasts a strong musical element, complemented by a collection of digital-first music clips.
Created and directed by Veronica Lassenius (Royals Next Door, Fungi, Saari), Taste Buddies is a coproduction between Pikkukala and Televisió de Catalunya, with the collaboration of YLE (Sweden). The show has soon to be announced international co-production partners and is expected to be delivered in 2025. Producer Pablo Jordi comments, “We are excited to present our new friends the Taste Buddies to the world. If you have children, you know how important it is to make them have a positive and curious relation to food. And what better way to do that than through adventure and music!”
Pikkukala also dives into the production of Samuel, chronicling the life of a young boy and his first-grade friends through a first-person narrative conveyed in minimalist 2D animation. Enriched by musical compositions, the 21 short episodes delve into a tapestry of intense emotions. Samuel is created and directed by Emilie Tronche and is a co-pro between Pikkukala, Les Valseurs (France), RTVE, Televisió de Catalunya and Arte (France).
Barcelona based pro-co Brutal Media makes its first foray into animation with a reboot of the classic The Triplets, which originally sold to over 160 territories and was translated into 35 languages. The Brutal team includes the original creator, Roser Capdevila, as art director, alongside Marta Capdevila. The new rendition, being shopped at the fall markets by Federation Kids & Family, explores the older lives of the triplets and their encounters, including the possibility of meeting, say, famous artist Frida Kahlo. This marks a promising start for Brutal, as it hopes to strengthen its presence in the animation landscape after this auspicious start.
For more information, visit proafed.com/associacions/proanimats.
Marie Beardmore is an animation script writer and IP creator (Zou, Sonic Boom, Squish). She is currently raising funds for her own series.
