Kazoo Films appoints Michael Guerrero as new Head of Marketing

The new kids and family animated feature distribution company also picks up the rights to Aniventure’s HitPig! from GFM Animation.

Kazoo Films, the new kids and family animated feature distribution company launched by award-winning independent production company Cantilever Media, has appointed a new Head of Marketing, Michael Guerrero. The new hire has been made with the support of the UK Global Screen Fund’s Business Development Fund.

As the company starts to expand its slate, it has also picked up Aniventure’s latest animated film HitPig!, starring Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis, from GFM Animation which handles international sales on the film. Kazoo will release the film in the UK and Ireland.

Michael Guerrero arrives at Kazoo Films with a wealth of experience; most recently, he was SVP Global Creative Marketing, working on international creative campaigns for titles across the slate including this year’s breakout box-office hit We Live in Time.

Prior to that Michael was Head of Marketing, leading on theatrical marketing campaigns for in-house productions including The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, and Allelujah. Michael also worked on the successful theatrical releases of family franchises including Peppa Pig and Horrible Histories.

Michael will be working closely Kazoo CEO Andrew Baker on the theatrical release and marketing campaigns for the company’s slate of titles, starting with its first release Night at the Zoopocalyse, which premieres in the UK later this year. He will be liaising with Kazoo’s strategic partner Viva Pictures in the US as the two companies collaborate on marketing and promotional efforts for select joint titles to maximise reach in both territories.

Viva Pictures released HitPig! in the US on 1st November 2024 across 2,107 screens. Based on the New York Times bestseller Pete & Pickles from Berkeley Breathed, the film follows a clever bounty hunting pig (Sudeikis) who catches escaped animals and returns them to their owners. The next job for HitPig is his biggest yet: returning a dancing elephant named Pickles (Lilly Singh) to a maniacal Vegas showman (Rainn Wilson), for a million bucks.

The film is produced by Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum of Aniventure, alongside CG animation by Cinesite.

Not only does Michael have a huge amount of industry experience, he also has the passion and enthusiasm for the business model we have put in place at Kazoo for the release of animated family features in the UK and Ireland. We are so grateful to the BFI for their support which has enabled us to bring on board someone of Michael’s calibre. We’re excited to get started on the campaigns for our first release Night at the Zooplocalyse as well as our newly acquired HitPig!.

Andrew Baker, CEO of Kazoo Films

Kazoo Films plans to release up to four films annually to audiences across the UK and Ireland, including both Cantilever Media productions and collaborations with international producers and sales agents.

Studio AKA: Be The Early Bird

Be The Early Bird is the second instalment of the Detect Cancer Early PSA for the Scottish Government.

Studio AKA have once again partnered with Leith creative agency and the Scottish Government on the second instalment of Be the Early Bird — a campaign encouraging early cancer detection among adults in Scotland. The original 40-second film, released in 2023, featured a cast of charming birds grappling with some all-too-human health concerns. Thankfully, each member of the flock took action, got checked, and returned to living their lives. This year, we’re reunited with the original line-up  — and introduced a lively new character: a spirited seagull on the promenade who’s discovered a lump in her neck. Like her fellow birds, she seeks help right away and is soon back to her chip-snatching antics.

Directed by Kristian Andrews and crafted by Studio AKA’s 3D team, the film is styled as a nature documentary-meets-vox-pop interview to deliver characterful, nuanced performances. The tone was especially important, given the need to discuss and represent cancer symptoms in a way that feels gentle, lighthearted, and accessible. With a tight turnaround, the team leaned into clever technical solutions: skipping traditional face rigs in favour of smart alternatives for lip sync, and using displacement maps instead of full simulation to create convincing plumage. Driven by the importance of the message, everyone at Studio AKA poured their energy into this fast-moving project — striking a balance between playful storytelling and a serious subject.

We put everything into this film because we genuinely hope it inspires people to get any unusual symptoms checked out early — just like these lovable birds.

Kristian Andrews, Director

Watch the campaign below.

Credits:

Produced By: Studio AKA 

Agency: Leith

Creative Team: Chris Watson, Richard Thomson, Rufus Wedderburn

Producer: Sarah Kenny

Client: Scottish Government

Animation Director: Kristian Andrews 

Producer: Nikki Kefford-White

Editor: Nic Gill

3D Animator: Connor Ryan

CG Artists & Compositors: James Gaillard, Vincent Husset

Rigging: Jerome Ferra

Production Coordinator: Sarah McDonald

Media Cymru to host leading animation and game-making talent in Cardiff

This is part of the “Innovators in Residence” programme running on 13-14 May.

Welsh Media consortium Media Cymru is set to host the latest in a series of special “Innovators in Residence” events, which will see its base in Cardiff play host to some of the UK’s leading animation, film-making and storytelling specialists.

During the two-day event series, innovation experts from Aardman Animations and beyond will share their knowledge on stop-motion animation, game making and storytelling through a series of interactive workshops, project deep dives and Q&A sessions.

Alongside Dan Efergan, guests will be joined by four additional special guests with their own expertise: David Gray, Eve Bolotova, Jon Quinn and Joshua Baldwin representing companies including MyWorld, The Chinese Room and Breaking Change.

Media Cymru’s “Innovators in Residence” programme brings expert innovators to the Cardiff Capital Region, providing opportunities for engagement with expertise from across the world. The series of free hosted events enables knowledge exchange and provides insights that develop new knowledge, skills, and ideas to support the innovation activity taking place in the Cardiff capital. It is delivered though masterclasses, workshops, arranged meetings and incoming trade missions.

Spaces are limited, but free spaces are available here.

Paper Owl Films’ Celtic-inspired anime series Lí Ban greenlit for second season

The series is set to air on Cúla4/TG4 Ireland and S4C Wales in 2026.

Belfast-based independent producer Paper Owl Films has been greenlit to produce a second season of its fast-paced Celtic-inspired adventure anime series Lí Ban. Commissioned by Cúla4/TG4 in Ireland and S4C in the Welsh language, the series is being made with funding support from Coimisiún na Meán, as well as Northern Ireland Screen’s Screen Fund and Irish Language Broadcast Fund and is being distributed internationally by Aardman.  

The new 13 x 11-minute episodes are for children aged 7-9, but will appeal to the whole family, with hooky storytelling through Lí Ban’s quest for answers in an ancient world of gods and monsters. The series features Sadbh Breathnach as the voice of Lí Ban and Jude Petticrew as the voice of Con.

The new series finds Lí Ban and Con settled in Manannán’s kingdom, getting to know Morveren, Dylan, Manannán and Bíreog better but Lí Ban’s wish to regain the human side of herself is never far from the surface.

Lí Ban and Con overhear that Mídenn is still alive, imprisoned by the evil Balor on an island in otherworldly Annwn. Determined to save him from Balor’s clutches, they embark upon a quest to free the druid. But the way into Annwn is not a straightforward one. They seek help from the great Sorceress Ceridwen, and meet young Tali, her son, who befriends them and joins them in their mission.

Fantastical heroes, legendary villains and a reality that bends around Celtic magic remain at the heart of the new season. The tales are some of the wildest ever passed down the Celtic generations, with origins as old as the lands and shores that shaped it.

The TG4 & Cúla4 teams are delighted that series 2 of this wonderful series has now been greenlit. We look forward to working alongside the amazing creatives at Paper Owl, S4C and Aardman once again and to bringing more stories of Lí Ban and friends to life. We’re very grateful to the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Northern Ireland Screen and to Coimisiún na Meán for supporting this project.”

Siobhán Ní Bhrádaigh, Commissioning Editor & Acquisitions Executive, Children’s Content TG4

We are so thankful for the continued support from our partners which is enabling us to make a new series of Lí Ban, telling ancient Celtic stories that resonate with children worldwide. The international popularity of anime and fantasy storytelling allows us to tell Lí Ban’s coming of age story for a modern audience and her struggle to find out who she is in the world is as real for today’s kids as it was for her centuries ago.

Gráinne McGuinness, Creative Director at Paper Owl Films

Supporting kids’ content that puts the Ulster dialect of Irish to the fore is a key priority for the Fund and we’re delighted that there will be a second series of this original Irish language animation available for our young viewers. We look forward to following Lí Ban’s new adventures across the Celtic countries.

Áine Walsh, Head of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund at Northern Ireland Screen

“Animated UK Meets Europe” returns to Cartoon Forum

Animation UK, in collaboration with CARTOON and with the support of BBC Children’s and Education, is delighted to announce the return of the “Animated UK Meets Europe” initiative at Cartoon Forum 2025.

This collaboration has been instrumental in reinforcing European partnerships and showcasing the strength of UK talent and creativity in European markets. We are thrilled to be back in Toulouse to support UK producers and foster new co-production opportunities across Europe.

About the initiative

The special session will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 17 September, showcasing two exciting new UK animation projects currently seeking European co-production and distribution partners. This curated event complements the official programme of European project pitches and aims to spotlight emerging talent and encourage new creative alliances.

To further highlight the power of cross-border collaboration, a panel discussion on the importance of co-productions will also take place. Chaired by Vanessa Chapman, the session will bring together leading European voices to share insights and successful case studies and will include Sarah Muller from the BBC.

Cartoon Forum is one of the most important platforms for animation producers to connect with international buyers and commissioners. We’re thrilled to return with the ‘Animated UK Meets Europe’ initiative, which champions the creative and commercial potential of UK–EU collaboration. At a time when cross-border partnerships are more valuable than ever, we strongly encourage UK participants to attend Cartoon Forum, forge new connections, and explore all the opportunities this unique forum has to offer.

Kate O’Connor, Executive Chair of Animation UK

BBC Children’s and Education is returning to Cartoon Forum supporting this important industry and building on the success of the previous UK Animation panel. We’re showcasing homegrown creativity alongside Europe’s best, collaborating with UK Animation and Cartoon Forum to support and elevate the animation industry globally.

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education

Networking opportunity

CARTOON will host its renowned Networking Afternoon on Thursday 18 September, offering targeted matchmaking sessions for animation professionals. All registered participants—including the UK delegation—can benefit from curated one-to-one meetings to build new partnerships and develop business opportunities. Animation UK invites all UK animation professionals to join us at Cartoon Forum 2025 and be part of a growing and vibrant community of European collaborators.

YAY: The UK’s biggest Young Animator Competition calls for 2025 entries

Young Animator of the Year UK (YAY UK) has announced that its 2025 competition will open for submissions on 12 May, seeking to discover, support, and celebrate the brightest young animation stars aged 11 to 22.

YAY UK offers a platform for young animators to showcase their talent and gain exposure to leading professionals in the UK animation industry. The competition welcomes short animated films in 2D, 3D, or stop-motion, providing a unique opportunity for aspiring artists to receive feedback and recognition.

YAY UK has announced its partnerships for this year with Manchester Animation Festival, the UK’s biggest animation event, and HUE, the innovative supplier of animation products and creative, educational resources, as sponsors and supporters. Their generous contribution will enhance the experience for all participants and provide even greater opportunities for the winners across all age categories. Winning films will be announced and premiered at Manchester Animation Festival in early November.

At HUE, we’re passionate about sparking creativity in young minds through HUE Animation Studio and HUE Clay. That’s why we’re so excited to support the YAY Awards, a fantastic celebration of the rising stars of animation and the power of imaginative storytelling.

Ruth Barrett, Head of Animation at HUE

YAY UK is an initiative of ACCESS:VFX, an organisation dedicated to building a more inclusive and representative UK animation industry by nurturing talent at the grassroots level.

The competition will open for entries on May 12th, 2025, and the submission deadline is September 1st, 2025. Over thirty animation industry experts will judge the films, of which the nominated films will be announced on 1st October. The winners in all three categories (11-14, 15-18, and 19-22) being announced and their films premiered at the Manchester Animation Festival in early November.

We are incredibly excited to announce that due to popular demand, the competition has expanded to include a new 19-22 age category. This significant development allows us to support young adults who are pursuing animation studies or are in the early stages of their careers. We believe this will provide a crucial stepping stone for this demographic, alongside continuing to champion the fantastic talent within the younger age groups.

Tom Box, Co-Creator of YAY and Co-Founder of Blue Zoo Animation Studio

At a special awards ceremony during Manchester Animation Festival, winners in each age category will be presented with prestigious trophies, have the opportunity to meet expert judges, and receive invitations to private tours of Aardman Animations, Blue Zoo and Wild Child animation studios.

Visit the YAY UK website (https://younganimator.uk/) for full details on how to enter.

Magic Light Pictures’ animated/live action special The Velveteen Rabbit wins inaugural BAFTA Craft Award

The Oscar-nominated family entertainment creator is celebrating after its heart-warming film celebrating the magic of unconditional love, The Velveteen Rabbit, won a BAFTA in the brand-new Children’s Craft Team category.

This latest award follows success for the film at the Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards last month where it picked up Best Fiction Special and Best Young Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program for Phoenix Laroche.

Picking up the award on behalf of the creative team, of Tom Bidwell, Jennifer Perrot, Rick Thiele, Sarah Brewerton, Anna Rackard and James Mather, was screenplay writer Tom Bidwell.

This is an absolute honour and I’d like to thank BAFTA, everyone at Apple TV+, Producers Bianca Rodway and Martin Pope and the team at Magic Light Pictures, who only produce quality TV. I’d also like to thank every single person on the animation side and every single person on the live action side who proved with their talent and their kindness that collaboration really is the beating heart of television.

Tom Bidwell, Screenplay Writer of The Velveteen Rabbit

Launched on Apple TV+ in November 2023, The Velveteen Rabbit is based on the treasured, classic children’s book by Margery Williams, which celebrates the magic of unconditional love when seven-year-old William receives a new favourite toy for Christmas, discovering a lifelong friend and unlocking a world of magic.

The 40-minute special features an all-star cast including the voices of Alex Lawther as the Velveteen Rabbit, Helena Bonham Carter as Wise Horse, Nicola Coughlan as Playroom Fairy, Bethany Antonia as White Rabbit, Lois Chimimba as Mechanical Car, Paterson Joseph as King, Clive Rowe as Lion, Nathaniel Parker as Brown Rabbit, and introducing Phoenix Laroche starring as William. Magic Light Pictures co-founder Martin Pope produces with a screenplay by BAFTA winner Tom Bidwell.

Team Nuggets breaks through again with a major German network deal

Serious Kids has secured a major broadcast deal with ZDF in Germany for Team Nuggets Series One.

Targeted at 5-8 year olds, the gender neutral comedy series will air on Kika this year. Serious Kids also recently announced a deal with RTVE in Spain to air this Spring and the series is also currently airing on DR, Canal + France, Czech TV, RTV Slovenia, RTBF and RTS.

Commissioned by DR from Sparre Production and co-produced with Godo Films for Canal + France, the 52 x 7’ animated series Team Nuggets completed production in 2023 and went on to win the Pulcinella award for Best Animation for Upper Pre-School audiences and landing the runner up prize at the much lauded Prix Jeunesse International Awards in 2024.

The series also won both Best Children’s show and Most Innovative New Creation at Danish TV Prisen Awards show in 2024. Team Nuggets has also won first prize at the 2024 Rotterdam Children’s Film Festival.

Serious Kids acquired the worldwide content distribution rights (excl. Nordics and French Speaking Europe) from Sparre Production in 2024 following the case history presentation of the title at APD in Stuttgart.

Team Nuggets is a highly original CG animated comedy series created by Sparre Production in Denmark. It is a fast paced primary school comedy starring an ambitious young chicken, Karla, and a band of very volatile and diverse classmates. Navigating school life for the first time is a huge deal and emotions run high. Lessons and schoolyard games often spill into chaos which can only be calmed by working out the important stuff; like true friendship and self-control.

DR and Danish publishing house Gutkind have already produced a series of books based on the characters e.g ‘How to Be a Good Friend’ as well as the school diaries of the key characters.   

Despite being a brand new IP the show entered the top 10 on Canal + as soon as it was launched and on DR Ramasjang the series has an average 300k screenings per episode (based on a population of 6M). 60% of this number is made up a family co-viewing.

Team Nuggets was co-financed with the support of CNC, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Haute Savoie, Cofiloisirs and the NordVision Fund. Sparre Production and Godo Films have begun pre-production on Season 2 of Team Nuggets.

It is fantastic to have ZDF onboard. This is a key collaboration as we look to ensure the success of Team Nuggets around the globe!

Leila Ouledcheikh, Director of Global Distribution at Serious Kids

We are so delighted to see our series travel to Spain and now Germany, it is really so rewarding to see ‘Team Nuggets’ enjoyed by children around the globe.

Irene Sparre, CEO of Sparre Production

Photo in Paris selected for Lottie List and awarded at British Animation Film Festival

The Photo in Paris screenplay by Vitaly Nico (Co-Founder of V+ Animation) was selected for the Lottie List and awarded the Certificate of Excellence at the British Animation Film Festival 2025.

V+ Animation has announced that the screenplay for Photo in Paris, written by studio co-founder Vitaly Nico, was selected for the prestigious Lottie List and awarded a Certificate of Excellence at this year’s British Animation Film Festival, which took place on 28 March at the British Museum in London.

The Lottie List, named in honour of animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger, recognises some of the year’s most exceptional animated screenplays. Photo in Paris was highlighted among the standout works of 2025, receiving official recognition from the festival jury.

The idea for Photo in Paris came from my dad. He showed me an old black-and-white photo of some street, maybe from the 19th century, but someone had cut out and placed modern people in colour into the photo. He said, ‘Here’s an idea for your next film.’ I asked, ‘Looks interesting, but what’s the idea?’ He said, ‘You’re the filmmaker. You’ll come up with something.’ And that’s how Photo in Paris was born.

Vitaly Nico

The official poster, designed by the V+ Animation team, is now available and captures the film’s unique mix of time, romance and mystery. The logline is: Christophe, a man from another era, finds himself inside a living photo of present-day Paris. Lost and searching for answers, he unexpectedly meets a woman he falls in love with at first sight. But is their love real, or just an illusion born from a world that shouldn’t exist?

I’d like to thank the British Animation Film Festival for selecting my screenplay and recognising it with a certificate as one of the best scripts of the year.

Vitaly Nico

Frank Cottrell-Boyce returns to the Children’s Media Conference 2025 to deliver Opening Keynote

The Children’s Laureate will open the conference on Tuesday 8 July.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, screenwriter for film and TV, award-winning novelist and the current Children’s Laureate returns to The Children’s Media Conference (CMC) to deliver the Opening Keynote on 8 July 2025. Frank is the first keynote speaker to return to CMC, having spoken brilliantly in 2013 about his unique role as writer on the London Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony. 

CMC has invited Frank in recognition of his unique contribution to the lives of children and young people, his passionate support of the people who make content for them and his razor-sharp observations on creativity, culture, content and the young. Exactly one year into his Laureateship, Frank will reflect on the troubling times we live in and how the children’s media community can step up to the challenges and still shake things up for kids.

Greg Childs OBE, Editorial Director at CMC expressed his particular enthusiasm for Frank Cottrell-Boyce opening the Children’s Media Conference in 2025.

In times like these, when the children’s media business is full of uncertainties, and the world itself seems a colder, darker place, Frank’s clear-sighted humanity and passion for bringing the best to young people is what we need to inspire us to shake off the blues and keep going. Because the kids need us to.

Greg Childs OBE, Editorial Director at The Children’s Media Conference

Award-winning author and screenwriter, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, is the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026. He is the author of ‘Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth’, ‘The Astounding Broccoli Boy’, ‘Cosmic’, ‘Framed’, and ‘Millions’, the last of which was a New York Times bestseller and was made into a movie by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. His books have won, or been nominated for, numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. Frank is also a screenwriter, having penned the scripts for a number of feature films including ’24 Hour Party People’ and ‘Millions’ as well as the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

CMC’s 2025 event will include a packed schedule of masterclasses and panels tackling the urgent issues facing the children’s media industry and young audiences. The conference’s sessions and networking events will take place at the Showroom Cinema, the City Hall and other venues in Sheffield.

After the conference delegates will have access to the entire event on video with complete coverage of all the topics explored in Sheffield, including research insights in “Understanding Kids”, the ever-popular practical strand “The Art of…”, “Inclusivity Now” panels which offer deep understanding of the routes to diversity and inclusion, and a new strand “Digital Discussions” with insights into how to work with the platforms where kids are consuming their content. Once again the range of speakers will be enhanced by a new influx of international guests including broadcasters, producers and distributors from Europe, Canada and the USA, who will also attend the CMC International Exchange one-day market on Tuesday 8 July – live again in Sheffield Town Hall.

Tickets for CMC 2025 are now on sale, with the Early Bird discount open to all until 6 May. Details on registration and delegate pass rates are available at: www.thechildrensmediaconference.com