The British Film Institute’s UK Global Screen Fund has awarded three animated kids series a chunk of US$2.2 million in funding that’s going to UK co-productions this year. 

The three series are Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth from ALT Animation (Northern Ireland) and Wild Child Animation (Scotland); Luna in Dreamland from Flickerpix (Northern Ireland) and Copa Studio Produtora Audiovisual (Brazil); and MaeBee from Karrot Entertainment (UK) and Kavaleer Productions (Ireland). 

This funding comes from the UK Global Screen Fund’s International Co-Production strand, which is set up to support co-pros and the development of relationships between UK studios and global partners, paving the way for distribution deals, says Denitsa Yordanova, who heads up the fund. All told, it has awarded more than US$12 million to 57 co-pros over the last four years, including Mojo Swoptops (Blue Zoo), The Coop Troop (Sixteen South) and Piripenguins (Eaglet), which have all gone on to secure broadcast deals. 

Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth (pictured) is a 50 x 11-minute 2D-animated series for seven- to 12-year-olds. This adventure/comedy about a school that’s on a former pirate ship was co-developed with BBC Children’s & Education for the BBC Ignite program, which provides development funding and commissions series once projects have additional financing. 

“At a time when financing animation is proving incredibly challenging, this funding has been instrumental in helping us and our partners make this series a reality,” says Tim Bryans, managing director and co-founder of ALT Animation. “The series has its roots firmly in the UK, but having the fund as a partner will enable us to produce a project that resonates with audiences all around the globe.”

2D-animated preschool series Luna in Dreamland (26 x 11 minutes) tells the story of a spirit of dreams who guides kids through their nightmares, helping them to overcome fears and deal with difficult emotions.  

And MaeBee is a 2D-animated series for preschoolers set in a fantasy world where a pair of friends explore a garden in search of exciting items to collect. Kavaleer has already received nearly US$300,000 for the 52 x seven-minute series from Screen Ireland. 

All three animated projects will share the total funding amount with eight other projects that aren’t aimed at kids. Luna received roughly US$330,000, Captain Onion’s got US$309,000, and US$274,000 went to MaeBee.