Squared Zebra Receives MIPJunior Award

Squared Zebra, produced by SMF Studio in cooperation with Channel One, has won a MIPJunior award in the category of Animated Series with the Highest International Potential at the XXVI Open Russian Animated Film Festival in Suzdal.

The 2D animated series for preschoolers is distributed internationally by Cyber Group Studios. It tells the story of a zebra with an unusual coloring, which, despite its external differences, makes friends with a cheerful company of different and dissimilar inhabitants of the jungle.

The winner of the Reed MIDEM honor receives accreditation and additional advertising opportunities for MIPJunior and MIPCOM, which will be held in Cannes from October 9 to 10 and October 11 to 14, respectively.

“We are living in a rapidly changing world, and it is very difficult to understand and preserve its individuality, this is a really vital skill, especially in childhood,” said Yulia Osetinskaya, general producer of the SMF Studio. “In our series, we turned to simple life situations that every kid can face in interaction with adults and peers and offered options for solving them. Searching a balance between ‘me and others’ is a very important and universal task for everyone, that is why our Zebra is so appealing to international partners. We are sincerely grateful for such attention and are open to cooperation.”

Alexandra Modestova, CEO of Expocontent (official representative of MIPCOM, MIPJunior, MIPTV, MIPCancun, MIPChina in Russia, Ukraine and the CIS countries), added: “The classic format of the project fits into the general global demand for high-quality 2D animation, in which the main focus is the characters themselves, the story and the contact with the viewer. SMF Studio is a truly unique brand: having a century-old tradition, the studio has found a new language for communicating with the audience and creates animation about values and topics that interest viewers both in Russia and in the world today. Squared Zebra is a story about individuality, about the right to be yourself and respect for those who differ from the majority. I am sure that the animated series will conquer young viewers and their parents worldwide.”