Toonz Media Group Launches Feature Film Division With An Eye On The Theatrical Marketplace

Toonz Media Group is launching a feature film division, with long-time industry vet Ariel Veneziano tagged to lead the branch.

Here’s what we know about the company’s new endeavor:

• Toonz has named Ariel Veneziano as the first president of the Toonz feature division. Veneziano previously served as president of Icon Entertainment International, director of sales and distribution at Alliance Atlantis Communication, and president of Gold Valley Films International.
• Toonz’ feature division is currently in production on Little Emma, a co-production with China’s Gold Valley Entertainment. Directed by Isabella Blanco, the family-friendly adventure film follows a miniature human girl adopted by animal parents who yearns to learn the truth about her human roots.

• The company is also co-producing the animated feature The Canterville Ghost, adapted from Oscar Wilde’s classic short story, with Robert Chandler’s Space Age Films and L.A.-based Align Pictures. The feature will be distributed globally by Cinema Management Group (CMG).
• Launched in India in 1999, Toonz Media has grown into a global power over the past quarter-century. It now owns 10 subsidiaries, employs more than 3,000 workers, and has 11 offices in eight countries.
• P Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group, said in a release: “Having firmly established Toonz as the worldwide leader in animation and kid’s entertainment, I feel this is the right time to launch the feature film division headed by a dynamic leader.”
• Veneziano added: “Toonz is a highly recognizable brand in the kids and family space, having established relationships with exceptional creators of content. I look forward to helping the group capitalize on the many opportunities in the feature film world, with an initial focus on high-end animated movies for the theatrical marketplace.”