TV Kids Festival Reveals Full Schedule

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Keynotes slated for the TV Kids Festival, taking place from February 4 to 7, include Mattel’s Josh Silverman, 9 Story Media Group’s Vince Commisso, Super RTL’s Dominique Neudecker, Boat Rocker Studios’ Jon Rutherford, Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustin, Ampere Analysis’s Olivia Deane and Carl the Collector’s Zachariah OHora.

The festival will also feature panel discussions on acquisition strategies, book-based IP, engagement, gaming and animation innovation. You can see the schedule here, and you can register for the event for free here.

Need to convert the times below for where you are? Click on the times above the name of each session to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

Tuesday, February 4

  • 9 a.m. EST 
    The Decision-Makers
    The fifth edition of the TV Kids Festival kicks off with our signature session on acquisition and programming strategies, this time delivering intel from ITV’s Darren Nartey, Nickelodeon’s Lynsey O’Callaghan and Amazon Kids+’s Monica Sharma.
  • 10 a.m. EST 
    Mattel’s Josh Silverman
    Josh Silverman, executive VP and chief franchise officer at Mattel, will discuss the toy giant’s treasure trove of iconic brands and share the latest developments at Mattel Television Studios.
  • 11 a.m. EST 
    Ahead of the Curve with Ampere
    Olivia Deane, research manager at Ampere Analysis, will outline the challenges and opportunities facing kids’ IP owners with a deep dive into commissioning trends.
  • 12 p.m. EST 
    Feeling Bookish
    ZDF Studios’ Oliver Grundel, Dandelooo’s Emmanuèle Pétry, Hidden Pigeon Company’s Kristofer Updike and Lion Forge Entertainment’s Jeremy Colfer will share insights on adapting book IP.

Wednesday, February 5

  • 9 a.m. EST 
    9 Story Media Group’s Vince Commisso
    Vince Commisso, president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group, will discuss the way forward for the company now that it has closed its transformative deal with Scholastic Entertainment.
  • 10 a.m. EST 
    The Engagement Game
    Kids’ media expert Emily Horgan will lead this conversation on engagement and discovery with pocket.watch’s Beck Canote and Kedoo Entertainment’s Olivier Bernard.
  • 11 a.m. EST 
    Boat Rocker’s Jon Rutherford
    Jon Rutherford, president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios, will outline the company’s approach to leveraging new technologies and platforms.
  • 12 p.m. EST 
    Game Time
    Dubit’s David Kleeman will lead this session on the importance of gaming extensions with Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s Catherine Winder and DeAPlaneta Entertainment’s Jimena Tormo.

Thursday, February 6

    • 9 a.m. EST 
      TV Kids Pioneer Award: Super RTL’s Dominique Neudecker
      Dominique Neudecker, VP of kids and family at Super RTL’s TOGGO, will discuss her editorial strategy at the German kids’ network before receiving the TV Kids Pioneer Award in recognition of her contributions to the industry.
    • 10 a.m. EST 
      Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustin
      As the president and CEO of the Shaw Rocket Fund, Agnes Augustin will offer up insights on trends reshaping the Canadian kids’ content sector.
    • 11 a.m. EST 
      Toon Innovation
      From the game-changing developments presented by Unreal Engine to the looming impact of AI, Composition Media’s Carl Reed and Cheeky Little Media’s Patrick Egerton will share their thoughts on animation innovation.
    • 12 p.m. EST 
      Carl the Collector’s Zachariah OHora
      Carl the Collector, created by illustrator Zachariah OHora, is the first series for PBS KIDS in the U.S. that is centered on a neurodiverse character.

Friday, February 7: Screenings Day