Toonz Media Group has signed a new partnership with US-China prodco Gold Valley Films (Little Sorcerer) in order to build up a slate of projects for its freshly minted film division.

The companies will co-finance and co-produce six animated features together over the next three years. Looking to secure sales and distribution, Toonz and Gold Valley will present some of the pics at this month’s Marché du Film market, taking place from May 16 to 24 as part of the Cannes Film Festival. 

One of the titles in the six-pack is Pierre The Pigeon-Hawk (pictured), which is currently in production and slated for a 2024 release. This CG-animated title follows the self-discovery journey of a bird who is part pigeon and part hawk. John Eraklis and Tara Whitaker are directing, with Ciaran Crampton and Jay Dowski penning the script.

Also in the mix is a family-friendly feature in post-production called Little Emma, about a miniature human girl who is raised by animals and yearns to discover her origins. Leo Lewis is directing this CG-animated flick from a screenplay by Alyce Tzue.

Other films on the slate are still under wraps, but will be unveiled in the near future, according to a release. 

It has been a little over two months since Toonz set up its feature film division under the leadership of president Ariel Veneziano (Tenderness), with an initial focus on animated projects.