Once again this year, many European animation studios will be unveiling their new products at MIFA. Let’s take a look at some of them!
MIAM! animation (France) is crafting the enchanting series The Tinies (52 x 12’ + 52 x 3’) in coproduction with the Belgian partners Panique!and Lunanime. This dual-format animation series is a preschool comedy sitcom produced by MIAM! studio in real-time 3D, showcasing toys that have built themselves an entire town in an attic, using recycled daily packaging; and a series of tutorials mingling real-time, stop motion, and 2D animation so that they can learn to reproduce at home the DIY crafts they’ve seen in the series. The premiere episode is slated for delivery in October at MIPCOM.
MIAM! distribution is thrilled to bring to MIFA Our Summer of Freedom (6×26’) which is in competition at the Annecy Festival. Produced by Darjeeling in coproduction with Panique! and Lunanime, the series through the adventure of four children in Algiers in 1955, deals with topics like cohabitation among different communities, social justice, and intergenerational dialogue.
As a pioneering digital-first animation studio with a global presence, Amuse Animation strategically operates from Paris, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Beijing. The studio excels in developing original digital-first intellectual properties; recently, they completed Habro’s first digital-first series, Odd-Paws Vet. Their extensive portfolio includes over 30 self-funded preschool properties, available in more than 25 languages, with billions of cumulative views enhanced by educational apps and immersive audiobooks.
Building on the success of their digital-first series like Super Truck and Increditales, they are excited to announce new premium developments. Super Truck premium, an extended format of Super Truck, now features 11-minute episodes designed for 3-5-year-olds. With elevated dialogues and a rich, immersive universe, the series offers diverse storytelling and high emotional engagement. Similarly, Red Friendship Tales premium, originally Increditales, now presents 22-minute episodes. This series explores Red’s adventures at Incredischool, blending school life with magical adventures. The premium versions target longer viewing times and deeper engagement, suitable for platforms supporting extended story arcs.
In collaboration with Emilio Aragon’s Estudio Caribe, they are producing season 2 of the digital-first series Miliki Family, which has enjoyed significant success on YouTube and is available on platforms such as Amazon, Rakuten and TubiTv.
Sardinha em Lata (Portugal) participates in Annecy’s official selection with Alice’s Diary, a 2D TV short (4′). The movie offers a magical and funny insight into the very individual thoughts of Alice, a quirky and highly imaginative little girl who tries to understand the world through her own art, recording her opinions in a notebook.
At MIFA Pitches it will be possible to get to know the project Speransa, a 2D feature film (90′), in puppet technique. It tells the story of Speransa, a courageous nine-year-old girl from a tabanka (village) in current Guinea-Bissau. In the middle of the 16th century, the newly built fort of Cacheu was strategic for the slave trade of the Portuguese crown. After failed negotiations and in the face of resistance from her people, the village where the girl lives is attacked. Taken from her family, Speransa is christened “Esperança” and forced to board a ship. During the voyage on the high seas, and in the face of inhumane conditions, the brave girl joins the other enslaved people in a revolt, fighting for survival and freedom.
From the south of Portugal to the global stage, Fly Moustache is a newly formed 2D animation studio dedicated to providing animation production services for series, films and advertising. Dark Woods stands as their inaugural IP, intricately developed in-house. The stunning artwork and storyboard were crafted by Marta Ribeiro “ASA,” animation by Rafael Jesus, editing and compositing by Tiago Pimenta, with direction led by the founder, João Carrilho. A father, his daughter and their furry companion move from the big city to a haunting countryside to start a new life. As the daughter grapples with the fear and longing of such a big change, she is haunted by mysterious creatures in the dark woods. She will push the limits of her courage and imagination to uncover the secrets of the enchanted forest and learn to cope with her feelings.
Qvisten Animation (Norway) presents Nightling, a new large-format movie (75′) created under the direction of cartoonist Lise Myhre. It is an adventurous fairy tale for the whole family, where the Tooth Fairy is an outsider in the magical fairyland. When she makes a mistake and puts the whole fairyland in danger, she sets off on a journey to right her wrongs and save the fairyland. To succeed, she must accept herself as different and face her fears. Production will begin in May 2025.
Qvisten is also proud to unveil the eagerly awaited second feature of the Captain Sabertooth trilogy, Captain Sabertooth and the Countess of Gral (75′), directed by Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Yaprak Morali, and Are Austnes. Qvisten released the first animated film Captain Sabertooth and the Magic Diamond in 2019, inspired by the iconic Norwegian theatre plays of Kaptein Sabeltann. Currently in production, the second chapter will be released in Q2/2025.
Derengo (Hungary) is bringing their flagship project in Annecy Fruitloopery, an animated steampunk-monster-comedy series inspired by the beautiful victorian Europe, and campy old horror movies. Ms. Maxie B. Flanagan is an ambitious young woman aspiring to be a veterinary surgeon. However, her world, including the prestigious Breslin-Ridley University of Natural Science, is less supportive of her dreams. So in an attempt to discourage her they send her to the clinic of the local “crazy” scientist and paranormal investigator, Dr Arley Drennan Berry.
But what Maxie doesn’t know yet, is that Arley’s research has entangled him in a investigation of a dangerous supernatural virus, that seems to be spreading rapidly. The series (3 seasons with a total of 30 episodes of 22′), full of funny scenes, is targeted at young adults, mostly dealing with themes of finding your place while not fitting anywhere, dealing with the expectations of adult life and coming to terms with its reality without losing your passion and empathy.
Read the full article in the new issue of The European Animation Journal.
