MediaCity of Finland has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Montreal-based distribution company Delphis Films for the worldwide rights, excluding Scandinavia, to their International Digital Emmy-nominated children's cross media show The Space Trainees.

The format, pitting teams of children against each other in a tournament, fighting for the chance to win the Captain's Wings and become future captains of a luxury space cruiser, is in its second season on YLE/FST5 in Finland. The show features tasks and language games that the kids must perform and solve quicker than the other team in order to advance in the competition. The cross media format includes a web portal and web games for viewers to play online and compete for a place on a future series of the tv show.

 

- We are delighted to work with Delphis Films, says Yvonne Backholm, deputy manager at MediaCity. They have a thorough understanding of the children's market and have now ventured into format distribution. We're hoping for a very busy MIPTV this year, with this format and other we are bringing to the market.

 

Xiaojuan Zhou, president of Delphis Films says:
- As a specialist in kids and family content that already sold other Finnish films worldwide, Delphis is enchanted to work on yet another piece of creative work from Finland. We are attracted to the originality and multiplatform set-up of the property and hope to transfer this excitement to buyers who look for kids friendly formats centered around a high concept and with high production values.

 

 

Delphis FilmsThe Space Trainees

We are thrilled to announce that MediaCity's cross media language training format "The Space Trainees" has been nominated for an International Digital Emmy Award. The children's format is set in space, where teams of kids compete against each other to win the Captain's Wings and become future captains of a luxury space cruiser. Their main task is to help the crew onboard the ship solve their problems, tasks that lead into language training games. These games are also playable on the Internet, where viewers can train the same games and compete against other users.

"The Space Trainees" is up against formats from BBC, CBC, TV New Zealand and Radio Television Hong Kong. The winners will be announced at the gala in Cannes, France on the 12th of April.

(Update: The winner of the Emmy for Best Digital Program: Children & Young People is "Reservoir Hill" (New Zealand), a collaboration between KHF Media, Television New Zealand and New Zealand On Air.)

"The 2010 nominees showcase global excellence in programming on digital platforms and we congratulate them for their outstanding achievements," said Bruce L. Paisner, the president and CEO of The International Academy.

The Emmy nominees

 

The format rights are available worldwide. For further information, contact simon.staffans@abo.fi.

 

Formats for saleThe Space Trainees trailer