UniFrance to Present Animated Series to Chinese Buyers

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UniFrance is set to present 15 French animated series to Chinese buyers on October 29 at the French Institute in Beijing.

The presentation event is part of an initiative launched by the French Embassy in China to promote French cinema and television and follows screenings held in January 2021 for French fiction series. Among the 15 animated series being presented tomorrow is Zoé & Milo, produced by PM, which sees the titular characters travel the world in a plane built by a genius hamster.

Other series to be presented are Roger from Je Suis Bien Content; Abraca from ANKAMA Animations; Splat & Seymour from Blue Spirit Productions; season two of Ariol from Folimage; Tara Duncan from Princess Same Pictures; Brazen from Silex Films; and season two of Little Malabar from Tchack.

There is also a slew of co-productions in the lineup, including season two of Little Furry from Belvision and Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel; Anna & Friends from Superprod and Atmosphere Media; Croco Doc from Croco Doc AIE, Buenpaso Films, Nuts Ideas and RTVE; Might Mike from TeamTO and Digital Dimension; Wolf from Samka Productions, Making Prod and Moviementi Production; Welcome to Bric-a-Broc from Gaumont Animation and Vivement Lundi !; and seasons three and four of Yeti Tales from Darjeeling and Moving Puppet.

Sarah Hemar, deputy managing director of UniFrance, in charge of audiovisual and digital activities, said: “For the past three years, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan together represented the third export market for French animation, behind Germany and the U.S. But the competition remains harsh, and this type of initiative that we are carrying out with the French Embassy in China, along with our participation—either remotely or in-person—in international markets throughout the year is extremely precious.”

Tania Khali, audiovisual attaché at the French Embassy in China, said: “This second showcase in 2021, this time for animation, is a unique opportunity for Chinese buyers, distributors and producers to discover on the big screen new series which have enjoyed success in France. These have been selected in relation to the very specific expectations and codes of Chinese viewers. It is also an opportunity to discover the second, third and fourth seasons of series whose first season has been acquired by Chinese platforms.”