Gaumont Animation will celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Calimero” by hosting the opening night party of MIFA on June 12.
Vincennes, France --
The newly rebranded Gaumont Animation (formerly Alphanim), together with the owner Calidra and Italy’s Studio Campedelli who co-produces the series, announced that its new animated CGI series Calimero (104 x 11), based on the original 1963 series of the same name and currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, will be the star of this year’s Annecy International Animation Festival by hosting the opening night party of MIFA, the International Animation Film Market, which is part of the festival, on June 12th in Annecy, France. Broadcasters who have already signed on board from the start of this new production are France’s TF1, RAI Fiction, Disney Junior and Tele Quebec.
MIFA is one of the biggest events in the world for co-productions, purchases, sales, financing and distribution of content on different broadcast media within the animation industry. It is held every year in June in Annecy, France, alongside the International Animation Film Festival.
As part of the festival, famous and emerging artists from different art movements or disciplines (i.e. graffiti artists, animators) will be invited to paint on replicas of the famous Calimero eggshell while bringing their own interpretation to this iconic character. After the festival, these “work of art” eggshells will be exhibited in a Parisian gallery and in the main capitals around the world where the show will be broadcast.
Then after the exhibition, these eggshell paintings will be auctioned with the monies raised going to Les Toiles Enchantées, an association created in 1997, managed by Gisèle Tsobanian and represented by French actor and director Alain Chabat, that offers disabled or hospitalized children and teens, who cannot go to theaters, the possibility to watch the latest movies for free directly in their hospital. The association was helped in the past by names such as Tim Burton, Daft Punk, Paul Auster, Vanessa Paradis, Céline Dion, and Jodie Foster.
“We are thrilled to hosting Calimero’s 50th Anniversary party during Annecy and MIFA,” commented Pierre Belaisch, Managing Director of Gaumont Animation. “Audiences around the world have been following the adventures of Calimero for over four decades, and now with our new CGI series which delivery will start in September of this year, we will be introducing a whole new generation of fans to this loveable character with new stories, new environments and new inspirations.” Added Belaisch, “Generosity and collaboration are key characteristics of Calimero’s personality, and what better place than MIFA and Les Toiles Enchantées to celebrate this iconic character in the presence of artists and fans.”
Calimero is a loveable little black chicken that was initially created in 1963 by Nino Pagot, Toni Pagot and Ignazio Colnaghi and became an international hit with 290 episodes of animation aired in over 80 countries. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, Gaumont Animation’s all-new animated CGI series will bring this iconic character to an entire new audience of children. Gaumont Animation distributes the program and manages the brand internationally on behalf of Calidra, the right owner.
Source: Gaumont Animation
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
