MIFA 2022: Mediawan launches its new distribution business, "Mediawan kids & family"

The Mediawan Group has launched its "Mediawan kids & family" programming catalog at the Annecy Festival 2022 in an effort to further evolve its development strategies. The company will reveal its plans for the near future during a press conference scheduled for Thursday, 16 June at 4.30 pm (Impérial Palace Hotel - Impérial room). Over ten new productions for children, adults, and the whole family will be unveiled.“I am delighted with this new chapter that is opening for the group. This is a logical development since our integration into the Mediawan group in 2018," Aton Soumache, President and Founder, said. "The arrival of Julien Borde has also allowed us to accelerate this transition. The creation of this new division will allow Mediawan to continue its growth internationally and in France and thus expand its know-how in all the different forms of creation for children and the family and to meet the new challenges of a sector in full expansion and transformation."

The development of Mediawan kids & family includes "Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir," co-produced with ZAG and "Robin Hood - Mischief in Sherwood" that attract record audiences worldwide, and ON Classics producer of the animated film The Little Prince, which received the César Award for Best Animated Film in 2016 with 50 million box-office ticket sales worldwide, and "Little Nicolas - Happy" as can be presented at a special screening at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and in official competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2022.

“Today, Mediawan is proud to accompany the company founded by Aton Soumache into a new stage of its development and see the animation branch reach its full potential," Pierre-Antoine Capton, CEO and Co-founder of Mediawan, said. "This evolution which gathers all Animation activities (Production labels, distribution) under the banner “Mediawan Kids & Family”, reflects the Group’s strategy: by recruiting the best talent, diversifying its activities, and concentrating all the value chain in France and internationally, Mediawan continues to assert its leadership in the European audiovisual market."

The company will also highlight some of its recruitments of French and foreign artistis, as well as new labels based on the model of Joann Sfar’s Magical Society created in 2018, a studio dedicated to the development and production of series and films from the creative world of the successful author Joann Sfar. It will also joins forces with the greatest artists such as recently the inimitable Sylvain Chomet, four-time Academy Award nominee and BAFTA winner, who directed for ON Classics The Magnificent life of Marcel Pagnol, an animated feature film about the life of the author, the pioneer of talking movies. The project has already been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for multiple territories.

The division is also branching out into different genres with new studios of which the first being Elliott, a label specializing in live action for tweens, and Somewhere Animation, a label dedicated to 2D animation for preschoolers and kids. At Method Animation, the strategic development of adult animation is also underway to meet the demands of a rapidly growing market. Additionally, the acquisition of new companies in France and abroad will help satisfy the demand of different market players for content diversification, as well as consolidate the global leadership of the group.  "With the creation of Mediawan Kids & Family, our ambition is to target all genres of kids and family content. We offer our partners and viewers worldwide wonderful worlds and new heroes imagined by the best European and international talent. With Method Animation, the group has already positioned itself as a leader on the European animation market. By grouping the expertise of the Mediawan group in kids content and creating specialist labels, Mediawan kids & family will help us better serve the needs of our partner broadcasters and platforms and create increasingly unique offers for viewers," adds Julien Borde, EVP Managing Director and Chief Content Officer.