After 10 years, HARI, specialized in bringing feature-quality CGI animation to the small screen, launched its international distribution división, HARI International. “We distribute only our own entertainment programs,” said Adeline Tormo, Head of Sales of the distribution company to Señal News.
Currently, HARI is developing feature films based on its TV series and is presenting to the global arena the new series “Mystery Lane”. “We’ve just ended the development with France Television and now we are looking for international partners to complete the financing of the series. We are in discussion with European channels but also with Asian, Latin American and Canadian potential partners,” said Torno. “It’s a 26x22’ adventure comedy series with a 6 to 10yo main target, it’s challenging and exciting since it’s our first 22’ dialogued series,” explained the executive.
On the other hand, the French company is already having a really international visibility and notoriety with “Grizzy & the Lemmings”. “The first season is the 2019 Best Animation Export Award winner - it means it’s the French animated TV series the most sold in the world. The second season starts traveling throughout the world, and now we can feel that the market is looking forward to the next series coming from HARI,” affirmed Tormo.
PRESENT AND FUTURE
HARI International is strong in Western Europe, specially in Germany where the company has a strong partnership with Super RTL, also is quite strong in China where all the series are sold in that country. “We work very closely with Mango TV for ‘Grizzy &t he Lemmings’ and with Alibaba OTT platform Youku for ‘Pipas & Douglas’,” asserted the executive. HARI International is quite strong in Canada too. “Historically we do a lot of work with Télé-Québec who is early involved in our productions”.
For the future, HARI International is thinking in Latin America. “At the moment, we are on Pay TV only. It’s quite easy to get in contact with the networks, but for Free Tv it’s a little bit more challenging!,” opined. “In Latin America our content could work very well because it’s mostly non dialogued, ” added.
DISTRIBUTION NOWADAYS
Tormo describes the current distribution landscape as difficult due the large number of companies producing animation but “at HARI we have specific editorial and graphic bias that are becoming well known by the buyers, so they know what kind of TV series they will find when they come to us,” said the Head of Sales of HARI International.
“Very few companies succeed in producing feature-quality CGI animation TV series. We impose high standards to ourselves, it’s part of our DNA and it makes the difference on the international market. And on a long-term perspective, it will probably be virtuous for the industry,” affirmed.
By Romina Rodríguez