Paris-based production company Prime Entertainment Group has recently acquired three films from the Kirikou franchise from their successful sister company Les Armateurs. The Kirikou collection comprises Kirikou and The Sorceress (71’), Kirikou and The Wild Beasts (75’), and Kirikou and Men and Woman (80’) available for French territories. The three films exquisitely recount the tale of tiny Kirikou, born in an African village on which Karaba the Sorceress has placed a terrible curse. Through love and determination, he can overcome any obstacle placed in his path.
Les Armateurs is a Parisian production company specialising in animation. The company was founded in 1994 and has been producing award-winning content for over 27 years. Most recently, Les Armateurs have debuted their latest animated kids’ series, Runes which was nominated at this year’s prestigious Annecy Animation Festival.
Runes (26 x 22’) follows 12-year-old William, heir to the throne of Normandy. After his father’s death, William seeks refuge in the village of Baligan, incognito as a peasant boy called Hugo. After stumbling upon a cave, he discovers ancient runes that unleash mysterious magic and a terrible threat, Loki, God of chaos.
Prime’s animation inventory further diversifies with a curated selection of highly acclaimed animated short films featuring Looking for Santa 26’, acquired through their other sister company, Folimage. These award-winning short films have been nominated globally and greatly contribute to the international success of the studio’s distinguished animated film, Vanille, A Caribbean Tale (29’) winning over 18 prestigious awards globally including a Cristal at Annecy’s renowned International Film Festival of Animation, accompanied by over 30 nominations.
Prime holds a strong position in the entertainment industry for over 20 years thanks to their numerous high-quality cinema and celebrity series produced in-house with best-sellers like Hollywood Stories (13 x 26’), Hollywood News Feed (52 x 15’/year), and Hollywood on Set (52 x 26’/year) among others. Their constantly evolving animation catalogue greatly contributes to their prestigious cinema selection and opens new opportunities to offer a diverse range of programs to their international clientele. Prime’s partnership with Les Armateurs and Folimage has allowed their animation catalogue to greatly develop and grow in the industry with critically acclaimed programs being sold to SBS Australia, KiKa Germany, Rai Ragazzi Italy, NHK Japan among other channels around the world, conjuring major partners in France and overseas.