Breakthrough Animation and 2-D Lab's children's animated series MY BIG BIG FRIEND (52x11) has won The Licensing Challenge, sponsored by License Global! at this year's MIPCOM Jr.
The Licensing Challenge is a pitching session that showcases the TV property with the highest licensing potential. The international jury included Leigh Anne Brodsky (Nickelodeon), Stan Clutton (Fisher Price), Anna Hewitt (BBC), Andrew Lane (Hasbro), John Lee (World World), and Richard Woolf (Jetix). The panelist of judges selected MY BIG BIG FRIEND from a short list of five entrants based on:
* Uniqueness and overall appeal of the property* The look, story and themes of the show* Distribution plans and/or broadcast plans* Clear potential for licensing* Suitability/match of property with identified audience target* Merchandising potential* Property hasn't previously been broadcast
Featuring a combination of 2D and CGI animation, MY BIG BIG FRIEND is about six-year-old Yuri, an only child with an energetic and curious attitude towards life. In the world of his imagination he is brave, daring and adventurous, but in real life he is shy and lonely. That is, until his imaginary friend Golias -- and his accomplices, Bongo and Vanessa -- show up. With the help of their Big Friends, Yuri and his chums, Doris and Matt, discover that if you imagine you can, sometimes you really can.
The multiplatform comedy preschool adventure series is available for broadcast, broadband and mobile platform formats at MIPCOM 2007. MY BIG BIG FRIEND will be supported by a line of books and unique interactive multiplatform content produced specifically to tie in with the broadcast series. MY BIG BIG FRIEND is a Brazil-Canada co-production, with 2-D Lab in Brazil and Breakthrough Animation in Canada.
