Loonland sends Heidi global

German kids TV company TV-Loonland has chalked up 80 territories for its animated Heidi film, as well as landing other pre-MipTV kids sales in Poland, Australia, Germany and France.

Having overhauled its distribution arm, last year bringing in new head of distribution and acquisitions Justine Bannister, the company says the deals are vindication of the move, with sales figures up on last year.

Bannister, who joined from Dargaud Distribution, has today unveiled deals including Heidi being picked up by TSR Switzerland, Disney France and YLE Finland. Germany’s children’s broadcaster Super RTL is also planning to air the film early next year.

Heidi is a US$4.5m coproduction between TV-Loonland, its UK production subsidiary Telemagination and Canadian animation studio Nelvana, based on the classic kids tale.

Furthermore, Loonland has also sold the TV rights to Scholastic Productions’ toon Clifford (40×30′) to Disney Spain, Disney Germany and Mini Mini in Poland. The toon is based on the Norman Bridwell book.

More Polish sales come in the shape of Fat Dog Mendoza (26×30′), which has gone to Zig Zag, while Australasian sales house MRA Entertainment took a DVD package comprising Loonland Christmas Specials and feature films Heidi, Lion of Oz and Donner, among others.

“We have steadily expanded our portfolio of productions and our Loonland library, and can thus offer TV broadcasters and video marketers varied and high-quality programming,” commented Bannister, who arrived at Loonland last August.