Toonzone & Hawaii Film Partners Present Co-Pros

HONOLULU: Hawaii Film Partners and Toonzone Studios are bringing three animated series to Cannes: Guardians of the Power Masks, Action Dad and Ape Escape.

Guardians of the Power Masks is a 26×30-minute animated series centered on a typical young American who wants to be the next pop-star idol. She is shipped off to spend the summer with her grandmother Nainai and cousin Yong in the sleepy rural town of Singing Rocks, China. But a construction project opens a portal to the Twilight realm and releases supernatural forces that will threaten the world. There is a way to fight these forces, power masks, and Nainai, a warrior once herself, has been guarding three masks for years. Nainai must teach Annie and Yong how to fight with these Power Masks and to work together to protect the world. “We’re thrilled with the rich imagery, beautiful scenery and great characters that give Guardians of the Power Masks a very vibrant look and enhance the adventure and excitement of the series,” said executive producer and Hawaii Film Partners’ Rann Watumull. “There is a delightful clashing and blending of cultures and customs in the series, all done in an entertaining way—from the story and adventures of the characters, to the wonderful music which integrates both Eastern and Western themes. It certainly is entertainment that will appeal to tweens and indeed the whole family here in America, Asia and around the world.”

Action Dad is a 26×30-minute series. It follows Chuck Ramsey, a single dad who is raising a 14-year-old teenage daughter and 12-year-old son, and is also an action hero. Running on pure adrenaline, he tries to juggle his job as an action hero and as a dad raising two typical teenagers. Adding to the chaos is the villainous Baron Von Dash, his archrival and nemesis. “Action Dad is breaking some new ground,” commented Konnie Kwak, producer and Toonzone Studios’ president and CEO. “Here you have a mother and father who are caring and loving parents who both take part in the raising of their children, still care about each other—even though they work for competing spy organizations who are out to do each other in. Action Dad will be a welcome addition to everyone’s family.”

The 38×2-minute Ape Escape follows an ordinary ape at the zoo who has a "pipo-helmet," invented by a brilliant but absent-minded professor, accidentally dropped into his cage. By putting it on, this regular ape instantly becomes Spector, future ruler of the world. Specter develops his own intelligence-boosting helmet that makes the apes smarter and they even start to look a little more human. The professor and his 13-year-old niece and his 12-year-old protégé have all sworn to stop Specter at all costs. “This is an historic project in that it marks the first time a television program was animated in Hawaii for a national TV network,” added Watumull. “We wanted to create a synergy between the interactive game and the animated episode series, and bring the Ape Escape characters to life in a very humorous and fun-filled program. We’ve specifically written the episodes for an audience ages 6 to 13 who have never played the game. Yet we also have made it entertainment that will be appealing to any age.”