JCC, MDeC Showcase Saladin at ATF

SINGAPORE: Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) and Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) launched their animated co-production Saladin to Asian buyers at an event here in Singapore today, capping off the first day of the Asia TV Forum.

The $8-million co-pro is utilizing both Malaysian and Middle Eastern creative talent. Production began last year in Malaysia on the first 13×26-episode season, which will air in Q4 of 2010. A second season is due to be available in the summer of 2011. It targets kids aged 10 to 15 and is inspired by a real 12th century statesman and warrior. The series tells a fictional tale of Saladin’s life as an 18-year-old adventurer, journeying from Damascus with his best friend Tarik.

"We value our relationship with Malaysia-based MDeC to bring an original iconic fiction animation series like Saladin to children in all countries and of all cultures," said Malika Alouane, JCC’s director of channel’s programming. "On the other hand, this joint venture marks a significant turning point in animation TV productions targeting Arab children and we do expect Saladin to capture high viewership and to travel across borders."

She continued: "Our presence in the Asia Pacific region comes within an ambitious vision to expand our partnership and also vary our sources for original animation content slots for both our TV channels."

Kamil Othman, MDeC’s VP for creative multimedia, added: "The co-production represents a significant and highly experiential step in harnessing the creative skills and talents of both countries to integrate technology and creativity to jointly produce an asset ready to take advantage of today’s multimedia environment."