ICEX Highlights Animation Market in Spain

BARCELONA: Among the animation companies based in Barcelona, Imira Entertainment, Edebé Audiovisual Licensing, Motion Pictures, BRB Internacional, Tomavistas, StorkFisk, Mago Producciones and Cromosoma were part of the event organized by ICEX for international trade press publications.

The event kicked off with Christophe Goldberger, the producer and director of distribution at Imira Entertainment, who talked about the sale of IMPS’ The Smurfs to Cartoon Network in Spain, which acquired 104 episodes for broadcast and pay TV. Goldberger also highlighted the new animation Lucky Fred, launched at MIPCOM, and gave a preview of live-action version of Lola & Virginia.

Eva Fontanals, the general director of Edebé Audiovisual Licensing, talked about the property Cuatro amigos y medio, with deals in Latin America, Asia and Europe. It’s a detective comedy series filled with adventure, geared to kids 6 to 10.

Motion Pictures, represented by Xavi Mas, the manager of international sales and co-production, highlighted Glumpers, in association with TV3; and Pumpkins Reports, co-produced with TVE as they continue looking for additional financing. The animated property Bob was made together with Errol Films 3D and had an important participation at Cartoon Forum 2011 in Sopot, Poland.

Carlos Biern, the executive VP of global co-production and distribution at BRB Internacional, which turns 40, thanked ICEX for the event, organized for the international trade press publications. Biern commented that BRB has made more than 1,800 half hours of original productions. This year Zoobabu will finish production, together with TV3, and Canimals, a co-production with Aardman Animation in the U.K., is a highlight.

Biern said the company is “trying to boost live-action content that started some years ago with Antena 3 and Telecinco.” The executive stated that two series have recently wrapped up production. One is La memoria del agua made for television, and the second in association with Antena 3 is titled La princesa de Kapurthala, as well as a new show they’re working on for Telecinco. BRB is also concentrating of IPTV and VOD.

Mercedes Marro, the director at Tomavistas, mentioned Ask Lara (26×11) currently in production. The company also highlights Picnic with Pie (13×5) as well as a special, and Rudy (52×11) that has begun production.

Fungi was the property talked about by Pablo Jordi at StorkFisk, who mentioned it is a co-production with Televisió de Catalunya and Top Draw Animation from the Philippines, distributed by Awol Animation and Mango Distribution in almost all of Asia.

Mago Prouducciones, founded in 2008, handles the property Dr. W, for kids 6 to 9 and includes 26 four-minute episodes. The show has sold in Mexico, as well as to ARTE fin France, Germany and Finland, as well as DVDs in the U.S. The second project is Flying Squirrels, in co-production with RAI in Italy. The 6×13 animation is targeted to older kids.

Finally, Dani Martínez, the production manager at Cromosoma, and Trini Cuevas, sales manager, highlighted classic animation with their property The Triplets, which has aired in more than 140 countries and dubbed in 35 languages. The company completed production of Lila, a preschool series, last year and launched on Televisió de Catalunya.

“In the last three or four years we’ve gone back to making documentaries, fiction and formats and we’ve been successful,” said Cuevas. Bicicleta Cuchara Manzana is the documentary the company debuted at the Festival de San Sebastián in 2010 and won the Spanish Academy award for Best documentary.

Cuevas also mentioned Digital 360, a production part of Cromosoma that offers production and post-production services, among others.