Russian SMF Studio’s Squared Zebra won the MIPJunior award at the animation festival

The winner will receive accreditation and additional advertising opportunities for MIPJunior and MIPCOM, which will be held in Cannes (France) from 9 to 10 and from 11 to 14 of October 2021, respectively. Squared Zebra is a 2D animated series for preschoolers, produced by the SMF Studio in cooperation with Channel One. The producer and distributor of the international version is Cyber Group Studios (France).

The series tells the story of a Zebra with an unusual coloring, which, despite its external differences, makes friends with a cheerful company of different and dissimilar inhabitants of the jungle. Together they will learn the world and how to interact with each other. Each episode of "Zebra" is created with the participation of professional psychologists and helps young viewers to learn to accept the individual characteristics of themselves and others. Squared Zebra was premiered in June 2020 on the biggest Russian TV channel for kids, Karusel.

Yulia Osetinskaya, general producer of the SMF Studio, commented: ‘We are living in a rapidly changing world, and it is very difficult to understand and preserve its individuality, this is a really vital skill, especially in childhood. In our series we turned to simple life situations that every kid can face in interaction with adults and peers and offered options for solving them. Searching a balance between “me and others” is a very important and universal task for everyone, that is why our “Zebra” is so appealing to international partners. We are sincerely grateful for such attention and are open to cooperation’.

Alexandra Modestova, CEO of Expocontent, the official representative of MIPCOM, MIPJunior, MIPTV, MIPCancun, MIPChina in Russia, Ukraine and the CIS countries, noted the trend towards the return of classic 2D animation: ‘The classic format of the project fits into the general global demand for high-quality 2D animation, in which the main focus is the characters themselves, the story and the contact with the viewer. SMF Studio is a truly unique brand: having a century-old tradition, the studio has found a new language for communicating with the audience and creates animation about values and topics that interest viewers both in Russia and in the world today. Squared Zebra is a story about individuality, about the right to be yourself and respect for those who differ from the majority. I am sure that the animated series will conquer young viewers and their parents worldwide’.