Joy Rosen

Co-founder & president, Portfolio Entertainment:

What are some of your top kids’ properties for MIPTV? 
Our top-priority kids program is our newest preschool series based on Dr. Seuss’ loveable and iconic Cat called The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That! (40 x 30’ or 80 x 12’). We’re currently in production on the series along with our co-production partner Collingwood O’Hare, and we have several episodes completed along with numerous interstitials for buyers to screen as we roll-out a full-scale launch for the Cat at the market.

Why will it appeal to buyers?
The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That! has several elements that give the program worldwide appeal. The series is engaging, funny and filled with extraordinary adventures of scientific discovery. Our sneak-peek of ‘Cat’ at MIPCOM generated tremendous interest from buyers across the globe and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate how well Dr. Seuss’ Cat has transitioned from the page to the screen. The high-quality animation style makes it look as though the books have literally come to life. Actor/comedian Martin Short provides the voice of The Cat, endowing the character with his signature playful voice. The Cat in the Hat ‘knows a lot,’ but he doesn’t know everything making him the perfect guide to learning and fun for best friends Nick and Sally.

What are your goals and expectations for MIPTV?
Our primary goals for MIPTV are to continue signing on new broadcasters for The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!. Our lead broadcasters are Treehouse (Canada) and PBS KIDS (USA) who will concurrently air the series in the fall 2010. We will also focus on pitching some of the new projects we have in active development.
We also anticipate a strong level of interest from the global animation community as we continue promoting our inaugural worldwide, tween-targeted animation contest called “In Toon With Tweens” with prizes totaling $10,000CDN in development deals and options. Our approach at Portfolio is to break the mold with each new project we create and develop new content with a 360-degree approach which includes television, online components, mobile applications and consideration of social media platforms. What better way to nurture emerging talent and encourage established talent to be fearless, than by throwing open our doors with this animation initiative to find brand-new, original television and multiplatform projects that are completely fresh concepts.