Events

Japan Prize 2023
The Japan Prize Festival Week

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November 21 (Tue) Day 2

2:00pm – 4:15pm

Award-winners Screenings & Discussions

The Smeds and The Smoos
(Award for the Best Work in the Pre-school Division)

This hit animation broadcast last Christmas by the UK’s public broadcaster, the BBC, achieved an extraordinary viewing share of 36%.
On a distant planet, Janet and Bill fall in love after a chance meeting in Wurpular Wood but their families, the Smeds and the Smoos, are dead set against the match. Can the two families overcome their differences to find a happy solution?
This work takes the road of pure entertainment to teach young children the importance of respect for diversity. What devices make this work so enjoyable for children and adults when watching it together? At the screening, the animation director talked about the secrets of their 3D characters and the stories behind their hit.

* Excerpts of the films introduced in this session have been further edited and shortened for our web page.

  • The Smeds and The Smoos
    © Magic Light Pictures
    • I023 The Smeds and The Smoos
    • Magic Light Pictures
    • United Kingdom
    • 26 min 47 sec
    Daniel Snaddon
    Speaker

    Daniel Snaddon

    Director
    Magic Light Pictures

Nabeelah Shabbir
Moderator

Nabeelah Shabbir

Freelance Journalist and Senior Research Associate,
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)

Netherlands

Nabeelah Shabbir is a British-Pakistani freelance journalist, formerly of British newspaper The Guardian, with stints at the Financial Times, The Correspondent and Twitter. She has co-authored several journalism research reports at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) at the University of Oxford, and the Washington-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), where she is a Senior Research Associate. She has lived and worked in Cologne, Brussels, Paris, London and Oxford, and is now based in Amsterdam. She has many years of experience in transnational, cross-border storytelling and journalistic collaboration in legacy newsrooms, media research institutes, and news start-ups.

Judith Beauregar
Panelist

Judith Beauregar

Producer / Co-CEO, Tobo

Canada

Judith Beauregard has an enviable track record of more than 20 years in children’s media, producing award-winning digital games and animated series. She is also the producer behind Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo, her first feature film. As a co-founder of Tobo, Judith is dedicated to creating intelligent, inspiring and engaging entertainment for kids and families.

Zandi Nkosi
Panelist

Zandi Nkosi

Senior Commissioning Editor
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

South Africa

Zandi Nkosi is a Senior Commissioning Editor working for the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) for 16 years. She celebrates 20 years this year as a media practitioner. Her calling has always been in public service with a huge passion for Children’s programming, which has seen her work particularly with tweens, and teen programming bag a few SAFTAs (South African Film & Television Awards) over the last few years and a 2008 UNICEF prize in Prix Jeunesse. For the past two years she has been working for the SABC’S Industry Development unit.

Karma’s World - Winston’s Worries
(Award of Honor in the Primary Division)

This popular animation is distributed globally on Netflix.
10-year-old Karma wants to be a music artist and rapper. She has enormous talent and an even bigger heart. Her friend, Winston, is determined to give his grandmother a very special birthday. He panics, though, while shooting her birthday video. He just can’t get it right! Can Karma help him express his real feelings and calm him down?
This series was triggered by a comment by the daughter of popular American rapper Ludacris (Christopher Bridges), who said she wanted to see a program that featured a girl who liked rap. It encapsulates wisdom from across the world in entertaining stories that children from every background can relate to and enjoy. Director O’Hanlon discussed how the program tackles diversity, both in the stories themselves and behind the scenes.

* Excerpts of the films introduced in this session have been further edited and shortened for our web page.

  • Karma’s World - Winston’s Worries
    © 9 Story Media Group / Karma's World Entertainment / Brown Bag Films
    • E065 Karma’s World - Winston’s Worries
    • 9 Story Media Group
      Karma's World Entertainment
      Brown Bag Films
    • Canada, United States, Ireland
    • 12 min
    Bronagh O’Hanlon
    Speaker

    Bronagh O’Hanlon

    Karma’s World Series Director
    9 Story Media Group / Brown Bag Films

Nabeelah Shabbir
Moderator

Nabeelah Shabbir

Freelance Journalist and Senior Research Associate,
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)

Netherlands

Nabeelah Shabbir is a British-Pakistani freelance journalist, formerly of British newspaper The Guardian, with stints at the Financial Times, The Correspondent and Twitter. She has co-authored several journalism research reports at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) at the University of Oxford, and the Washington-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), where she is a Senior Research Associate. She has lived and worked in Cologne, Brussels, Paris, London and Oxford, and is now based in Amsterdam. She has many years of experience in transnational, cross-border storytelling and journalistic collaboration in legacy newsrooms, media research institutes, and news start-ups.

David Kleeman
Panelist

David Kleeman

Senior Vice President, Global Trends
Dubit

United States

Strategist, analyst, author, speaker, connector — David Kleeman has led the children’s media industry in developing sustainable, child-friendly practices for over 35 years. David is Senior Vice President of Global Trends for Dubit, a research consultancy and games studio. When he began, “children’s media” meant television. Today, he is passionate about kids’ wide range of options for entertainment, engagement, play and learning. David uses research, insights and experience to show that much may change, but children’s developmental path and needs remain constant. David is advisory board chair to the international children’s TV festival PRIX JEUNESSE, and on boards for the Children’s Media Association and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Looking worldwide for best practices in children’s entertainment, David has spoken (and, more important, listened!) on six continents.

Mariana Cano Fuentes
Panelist

Mariana Cano Fuentes

Programming and Production Manager Kids and Family
Warner Brothers Discovery

Mexico

Mariana’s professional journey began in 1998 at Once Niños, a children’s programming block in Canal Once (Public TV station), where she did research, programming, production, and content development. In 2010 she founded Nao kids, a media company focused on production and consulting.
Mariana has conducted the creative development of social campaigns that aim to promote reading, environment awareness and citizenship for kids. She has been a speaker in conferences through Mexico and Latin America.
She’s currently programming and production manager for Kids and Family Content Division at Warner Bros Discovery (LATAM).

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