FUNNY FACE from Renegade Animation and HUNTIK: SECRETS AND SEEKERS, produced by Rainbow S.p.A., headquartered in Loreto, Italy have won the 5th Annual MIPCOM Junior Licensing Challenge, an international competition for new TV properties.
Competing against entries from Italy, France, South Korea, Spain and elsewhere, FUNNY FACE and HUNTIK were selected for having the highest licensing potential by a panel of judges that included representatives of Simon & Schuster, Entertainment Rights, WNET and Marathon Animation.
Finalists were presented in live pitches in a session held at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes and hosted by License! Global magazine. The judges also considered the properties' originality, visual and story elements, and distribution and broadcast plans.
Aimed at tweens and teens, FUNNY FACE is based on the wise-cracking fruit characters first introduced by Pillsbury in drink packets in the 1960s. The series combines memorable characters, slapstick action, smart comic dialogue and the exquisitely designed and executed animation that is a signature of Renegade Animation (HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI, THE MR. MEN SHOW). The series recalls the flat-out, physical comedy of classic, theatrical cartoons such as Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes. Children's entertainment development company Fitzroy Media is handling international sales and licensing initiatives for the series.
HUNTIK is a magical adventure comedy about the struggles between noble seekers and their treacherous enemies, a conflict that will decide the fate of the world. Blending realistic settings, authentic folklore and history, epic storytelling, mystery, adventure, magic and a battle to save the universe, HUNTIK creates a rich and emotionally involving fantastic world. Collectability is one of the main attributes of the property: Titans have different powers and different amulets. Seekers each have one or more Titans with whom they have a special bond.
The Seekers embark on different missions to find and preserve ancient artifacts and prevent the power of the Titans from falling into the wrong hands. Each group of Titans has specific characteristics relative to their geographic origins. Their hopes and dreams will fuel the bonded Titans, who in turn give Seekers the strength to fight for what they believe in. Each episode is located in a different city and is connected with the local legend.
