Emmy Award-winning French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo will be showcasing the ‘resilience collection’, a compilation of three half-hour 2-D animated TV Specials featuring strong female leads.
Kicking off the resilience is Dounia, targeted at 6- to 9-year-olds, produced by Tobo Media (Canada) and directed by Marya Zarif and Andre Kadi.
Forced to leave Syria, Dounia and her grandparents set off in search of a new home. As she travels around the world in search of asylum, Dounia encounters many people and lives many great adventures. And, when she encounters an obstacle that seems insurmountable, the wisdom of the ancient world comes to her rescue in the form of the nigella seeds of her grandmother.
Winner of the Crystal Award for Best TV Production at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the best shorts film – Category Up to 6 Years Fiction at Prix Jeunesse International 2020 and awarded the Best Animated Short Film for children at ANIMA 2020, Brussels, Shooom’s Odyssey is a preschool animation produced by Picolo Pictures. This half hour TV special continues to capture hearts having already won 33 awards to date and over 70 festival selections.
Born in the bayou in the midst of a storm, baby owl Shooom must fend for herself and her unhatched sibling before she even leaves her nest. Against all odds, she is determined to find her mother, be it an alligator or a squirrel. As she embarks on this dangerous journey through the mangroves, she encounters a series of wild animals before falling in with Walter and Rosie – two children determined to save her.
In addition, the touching Mum is pouring rain, winner of a Jury Award for a TV Special at Annecy 2021, is a story of 8-year-old Jane who must spend Christmas on her own with her grandma. Jane doesn’t understand why her mother is not joining them for the Christmas festivities, but the holidays turn out to be quite an adventure as Jane meets new friends. As she learns to open up to others, Jane will inspire her mother with the strength to get back on her feet. Mum is pouring rain is co-produced by Laïdak Films and Dandelooo.
Commenting on the projects, Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, Co-Founder of Dandelooo, said, “We are so proud to bring creator-driven films with strong meaningful stories which give children emotional tools to face the possible challenges of life. Each story from the resilience collection is beautifully written and aims to empower and help overcome life’s little obstacles”.