French audiovisual exporters are set to attend Asia TV Forum and Market 2020 that’s going to be held from 1 to 4 December.
With the support of TV France International, 31 companies, including Xilam Animation and Superights, will be taking part this year in the virtual ATF Online+ 2020 dedicated to distributing, financing and coproducing entertainment programs for all media.
They will also be presenting their catalogue of more than 1,000 buyers from the whole of the Asia Pacific zone, at one-to-one meetings throughout the four days of the market. They will also be highlighting their flagship programs on the event’s digital platform which will remain accessible until 28 February 2021.
“Asia-pacific is the third export zone for French programs in the world”, said TV France executive director Sarah Hemar.
“If we look at China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, for instance, where sales have quadrupled over the past 10 years, it is a territory with continued growth and represents the third biggest world market for our animation. South Korea and India are also countries where French excellence is in particular demand. For its part, Japan is a special territory for French documentaries. But our room for development remains high. Our significant presence at ATF is, therefore, an unmissable event in the calendar. And the organisers’ offer to give France a showcase is a very promising omen,” she continued.
ATF Online+ has given TV France an opportunity to speak at a showcase on 2 December 2 at 4:00 pm (UTC+8), “Globally Appealing Quintessentially French”. This will enable Sarah Hemar to talk about the mission of TV France, an organisation for the promotion of French audiovisual programs internationally. And to four of its members, already established on the Asian market, to share their experiences and to highlight new programs available for sale and projects for co-production to buyers and commissioning editors from all over the Asia-Oceania region.
Superights sales manager Pedro Citaristi
Founded in 2013, Superights distributes audiovisual programs for children and families. The company has already worked in Asia with many clients, pan-regional channels, local linear TVs or platforms, on which children’s series such as Pat the Dog (Superprod / Animoka – 141×7’ + 4×22’ + 10×1’30), Clay Time (Reaz / JLA Group -60×4’30) or Puffin Rock (Cartoon Saloon / Dog Ears / Penguin Books – 78×7’) have already proved successful.
The company is particularly active in key countries such as China, where it has sold its entire catalogue, South Korea as well as Thailand, Japan and Indonesia.
SVP media sales distribution Asia Pacific Céline Carenco and Xilam Animation head of business development China Manya Zhou
For Xilam Animation, one of France’s leading animation studios, which last October announced its very first Franco-Chinese co-production project, relations with Asia are already a very long story. The studio has teamed up with Youku, the video streaming platform of the Alibaba group, to co-produce its new 2D and 3D animated preschool series Lupin’s Tales (78×7′). The launch of this program, also produced with the participation of France Télévisions and Rai Ragazzi in association with Maga Animation Studio and available for sale in other territories, is scheduled for 2021 in China.
But the company’s two flagship slapstick comedies, the historic Oggy and the Cockroaches (351×7′) and Zig & Sharko (234×7’) are already very well known in Asia, particularly in India, where there is even a Hindi dialogue version. The continent has also adopted Moka (78×7’), sold to Disney Channel India.
This year’s ATF is an opportunity for Xilam to present the 3D series created by Cube Creative, the studio specialised in CGI image animation that the company acquired earlier this year: Pfffirates (52×11′), an adventure comedy for five to eight-year-olds, and Tangranimals (52×11′), for which Xilam is open to co-productions in China, or the family comedy Where is Chicky? (104×1′).
