HBO Acquires African Animated Series

NEW YORK, June 15: HBO Family has acquired Magic Cellar, an award-winning 3-D animated series that was
commissioned by South Africa’s SABC, for a U.S. premiere on Saturday, June 23,
at 6:30 p.m.

The sale marks the first time that an African animated TV
series has been picked up by a major American network. Magic Cellar will be shown on HBO Family in the U.S. and Bermuda.
Each episode will debut on Saturday and repeat on Tuesday and Thursday. The
series is based on 20 folktales, partially collected by conducting interviews
with elders in African villages.

Magic Cellar was
commissioned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and is a production
of Chocolate Moose Media of Ottawa, and Morula Pictures of Johannesburg. The
series is directed by multi-award winning Canadian producer and director
Firdaus Kharas. Magic Cellar has
won 42 international recognitions in 2006-2007, including Gold and Silver World
Medals at the New York Festivals, and Best Animated TV Series at the Chicago
International Children’s Festival (CICFF), among others.

Kharas commented: “We are extremely pleased to partner with
HBO Family, a channel known for bringing very high quality programming to
American families. I see this sale
as another indication of the thirst for high quality multicultural
programming.”