MIPJUNIOR announced the five finalists for the 2024 MIPJUNIOR Pitch, the annual competition which gives an opportunity to reach influential global, multi-platform children’s commissioners, to be staged live at the forthcoming International Kids Screenings & Co-Production Market (October 19-20) in Cannes. Providing visibility to a jury of influential decision makers and attending international buyers, this year’s MIPJUNIOR Pitch (targeting 3-6yrs) attracted over 110 submissions from 34 countries and 98 companies.
Finalists hailing from Brazil, South Africa, Germany and the UK have been shortlisted based on criteria of demonstrating originality, potential universal appeal and for brand extensions, licensing and merchandising, and also where the subject matter touches on areas such as diversity and inclusion and sustainability. The event will be held at the JW Marriot Cannes across the weekend preceding MIPCOM Cannes (October 21-24) and is set to welcome up to 1,000 delegates from over 60 countries - comprised of the most influential buyers, commissioners, producers, development executives, financiers and distributors from the global Kids TV industry. For the second year, a Pre-Opening afternoon will be staged on October 18 from 14.00.
Moderated by Sallyann Keizer, MD, Sixth Sense Media, the winner will be determined by a jury of international decision makers including: Maud Branly, Children Acquisitions Director & International TV Channels Children Programming Director at M6 / Gulli; Rick Clodfelter, Executive Director, Content Acquisitions and Partnerships at Disney Branded Television; Luiz Filipe Figueira, Head of Licensed Content at Grupo Globo; Amanda Gummer, Founder and CEO at FUNdamentally Children; and Kate Morton, Senior Head of Children's Commissioning 0-6 at BBC.
The five finalists are “Monsieur Roscoe” from the United Kingdom, produced by Beakus; “Bia and the Beats” from Brazil, produced by Birdo; “Dogs Need Jobs” from the United Kingdom, produced by Dominion of Drama Ltd; “Pumpkin Finds Her Queen” from South Africa, produced by Paper Jet; and “Littlest Robot” from Germany, produced by Toon2Tango GmbH & Co.KG.
The overall theme for the 2024 MIPJUNIOR programme is titled “Expand Your Playground.” Drawing on the Kids industry’s resilience and enduring ability to innovate and transform, sessions will address the ever-evolving challenges for the sector by hearing directly from pioneers and leaders, delving into new adaptive approaches and showcasing opportunities from creation to monetization across all screens.