Sixteen South’s ‘The Retrievers‘ Snags Top Prize at MIPJunior Pitch 2025
Cannes, โคFrance – Northern Ireland-based animationโฃ studio Sixteen South hasโ won the prestigious MIPJunior Pitch 2025 wiht their new โmysteryโ comedy โคseries, The Retrievers. The โannouncement came following pitches presented at the international kids’ content market.
Theโฃ Retrievers centers โฃaround an extraordinary 11-year-old girl who discovers she canโฃ understand and communicate with animals on her birthdayโข – aโ notably useful ability given her companion is a police dog named Otis. Together, they tackle unsolved crimes in Paris with the help ofโ a unique group of stray animals.
Sixteen South’s development producer, Stephen Coulter, pitched the project and expressed his excitement post-victory, voicing strong hopes for โคthe show’s lead characters, Molly and โOtis.The studio intends to develop The Retrievers as a 26-episode series, with each episode running โ11 minutes, utilizing CGI animation.โ A 22-minute pilot script is already completed, focusing on theโฃ theft ofโข Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Sixteen South is currently โขseeking โฃbroadcasters for the series.
The MIPJunior Pitch jury included Maud โฃBranly (M6โ / Gulli),Rick Clodfelter (disney Brandedโฃ Television),Qing Fan (Tencent Video),and Sarah Muller (BBC Children’s Commissioning),with Justine Bannister (Just B) โmoderating.
Other finalists included Simin He (Buddha Studio), โฃLuciana Eguti โฃ(Birdo), Maria Bonaria Fois (Digitoonz Entertainment), and Emmanuel Koukambakana Kouka (Armada studio).
Sixteen South is a creatively driven independent studio known for producingโค innovative content for children and families in various animation styles – 2D, 3D, hybrid, liveโ action, and fur. The โstudio boasts an โnotable track record,โฃ having received โฃover 50 international awards, including two emmy nominations, a BAFTA for Independent Children’s Production Company โฃof the Year, the Prix โฃJeunesse, and three iftas.