Ellipsanime Preps Akissi for France Télévisions & WarnerMedia

Ellipsanime Productions is working on the half-hour special Akissi, co-financed by France Télévisions for France and WarnerMedia for English-speaking Africa.

The 26-minute 2D special, aimed at 6- to 10-year-olds, is adapted from Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin’s children’s comic book series. Delivery to France Télévisions is planned for the end of the year, and it will be broadcast by WarnerMedia on Boomerang Africa in 2022.

Directed by Alexandre Coste (Roger et ses Humains), Akissi uses humor, energy and a universal style to tell the stories of this intrepid little girl and best friend, Boubou the monkey. It also paints a portrait of a lively and uninhibited Africa, far from the usual clichés.

Abouet said: “Akissi invites children to go off into a warm and chaotic unknown world, an uninhibited and relaxed roam through an Africa that is so near and yet so far away. It’s like an open-air theater where your attention is unceremoniously grabbed by these young characters and their sense of hospitality, and even though they have some faults, they are always happy and active, and children from all over the world will be able to identify with them.”

“Working on this project, first of all, means getting into the wonderful universe of Marguerite Abouet with its fantastic breath of freedom,” said Arthur Colignon, producer at Ellipsanime Productions. “And traveling, both literally and metaphorically, from one continent to the other, with the promise of soon being able to give young viewers a televisual playground providing discovery, crazy ideas and lots of mischief…”

Pierre Siracusa, head of animation for young audiences at France Télévisions, said: “This program is our first incursion into the everyday life of African children, which is universal and accessible to our young audiences thanks to the talent of Marguerite Abouet and the graphic skills of Mathieu Sapin. Akissi celebrates the arrival of a modern heroine and contributes to increasing the number of hero models present in our editorial offer. One of the many riches of this special is that it promotes diversity on screen and is precisely what we want to cultivate on our channels.”

Ariane Suveg, kids’ content director for France, Africa and Israel at WarnerMedia, added: “We are very happy to present the world of Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin to our sub-Saharan African audiences: Akissi is a free, singular, mischievous and kind heroine, in the animated and vibrant environment of contemporary Africa. The idea is that through this special, which will be broadcast on Boomerang, we will be able to increase our animation offer specifically aimed at young African audiences, and work towards a diversity of characters, in unique stories.”