Oct 16, 2006

FOOTHILL CLIMBS BACK AFTER MIPCOM MISHAP

A fire that tore through the Cannes hotel room of US indie Foothill Entertainment execs Greg Payne and Jo Kavanagh-Payne made selling programming a challenge, as next to no promotional material survived the blaze. C21 has highlighted their Mipcom slate below. Foothill was in Cannes with an expanded catalogue thanks to a recent strategic alliance with Malaysian producer Vision Animation. Foothill is now the exclusive worldwide distributor, excluding Asia, for five Vision series, while Vision is kicking in production financing and production. Headlining Foothill's new Vision slate is sci-fi send-up Space Clowns (below, 26x30'), which follows a group of planet-hopping intergalactic circus clowns who do battle with The Villianously Evil Ringmaster. Foothill is also distributing four additional Vision projects: Bubble Town Club, about the everyday underwater adventures of sea creatures from a coral reef in the South China Sea; DigiSquad, following computer whiz-kid Net as he unknowingly unleashes a devastating computer virus; CGI series Microbe Patrol, about four surgical soldiers who shrink themselves and use quantum science to help fight deadly diseases; and fantasy comedy-adventure Solar Ice, about superhero twins, a wise guru and a group of monstrous villains who all clash in a "surreal medieval setting." Foothill is also touting a new pilot for animated series Snapper, from the UK's Phew! TV; animated cult classic Milton the Monster, from producer Hal Seeger; and live-action educational series Kid Guides, produced by Echo Entertainment. And continuing to generate interest is live-action preschool series The Dress Up Box, from New Zealand's Papageno Productions, and Soeul Movie's Toy Warrior. The latter has already been sold to Jetix US and Cartoon Network in the UK. - Jo Anne Kenny Contact: Jo KavanaghPayne Gregory B Payne 805 965 4488