Showcomotion news: JCC puts $22m on the table for coproduction

Al Jazeera’s Children’s Channel (JCC) has set aside US$22 million in the next 12 months to spend on international coproduction.

The channel hopes to secure about 12 to 13 projects with a variety of companies from around the world, JCC deputy director of programs & production, Mahmoud Orfali said at the Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, England. The channel hopes that by working within international producers it can widen its programme portfolio.

"We are a channel with a public service mission, but not just for Qatar, for the whole Arabic-speaking world. That’s why we want really universal content," he said.

Last year the channel partnered with Welsh production company Ceildiog Creations to create Baaas, a preschool program about a family of multi-racial sheep. Orfali said JCC appreciated that the show had separate Arabic and Welsh scripts and featured actors in full costumes which covered the actor’s faces, making dubbing easier.

The broadcaster plans to launch a pre-school channel next year, and aims to schedule about 40% original programming at launch.