CLOUD 9 APPOINTS SOUTHERN STAR INTERNATIONAL AS INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR OF ITS CATALOGUE
January 17th 2005
In a strategic deal designed to pave the way for a second decade of expansion and consolidation, UK production company Cloud 9 has appointed global sales operator Southern Star International as its international distributor.
Cloud 9 CEO, Raymond Thompson, explained:’ We’re very excited to have formed this distribution alliance with Southern Star International which offers a wealth of expertise and market knowledge spanning both the global television market, as well as merchandising, licensing and the new media sector. This is an important step in Cloud 9’s expansion, providing an infrastructure and framework which will enable us to grow and develop in our second decade of operation.’
Southern Star International CEO, Catherine Payne, added: ‘We’re looking forward to working together with Cloud 9 and representing their projects internationally. We plan to build and develop the international success of shows such as ‘The Tribe’ which is now syndicated in the US and licensed to over 40 broadcasters worldwide, as well as securing new finance and partners for Cloud 9’s diverse slate of live action and animation projects in development. ‘
Acclaimed writer Raymond Thompson set up the independent production company Cloud 9 in 1994, with the aim of producing quality, family entertainment for a global audience. Today, the company operates from a production base in Queensland, Australia, owns an extensive production studio in Wellington, New Zealand, where over 250 episodes of ‘The Tribe’ have been produced, and runs an office in London. Over the last decade, Cloud 9 has been in back-to-back production, building a catalogue of over 400 episodes of quality family drama.
Titles in the Cloud 9 catalogue include the highly successful, tween, sci-fi series ‘The Tribe’, ‘The Enid Blyton Adventure Series’, ‘The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson’ (starring Richard Thomas from The Waltons), ‘Return to Treasure Island’ and ‘William Shatner´s A Twist in the Tale’.
A new slate of animation titles are now being added to the catalogue from Dreamcloud, the joint venture animation company set up in January 2004 with Brisbane-based animators Light Knights Entertainment. Currently in pre-production and generating strong international interest is the pre-school animation series ‘Roly in the Country with Blue’. Other projects in development include a pre-school series entitled ‘Breakfast Time with Shine’ which combines puppetry, music, dance, animation and CGI effects, and ‘Penny Drew’ a live action series with CGI effects, about a girl who discovers a magic pen.
Southern Star International, based in Australia and the UK, will represent the entire Cloud 9 catalogue with immediate effect. Southern Star International is a substantial international distributor, handling international sales for an extensive library in excess of 12,000 hours of English language programming, ranging from drama to family and children's and documentary programming.
Editors’ Notes
ABOUT The Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group:
The Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group, established in 1994, is one of the UK´s most prolific, independent TV production companies, creating quality, family entertainment for audiences worldwide.
During the last decade, Cloud 9 has produced over 400 episodes of live action family drama at the company´s production studio in Wellington, New Zealand. Cloud 9´s credits include: The Enid Blyton Adventure Series, The Enid Blyton Secret Series, The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (starring Richard Thomas from the Waltons), Return to Treasure Island, William Shatner´s A Twist in the Tale, The Legend of William Tell and The Tribe, currently in its fifth series.
In January 2004, Cloud 9 launched Dreamcloud, a joint venture animation company with Brisbane-based animators Light Knights Entertainment. The company also opened a new production base in Queensland, Australia, marking a major expansion into animation, feature film production, new media ventures and the launch of a training school to nurture new writing and production talent.
The founder and chairman of Cloud 9, Raymond Thompson, is a talented writer and entrepreneur, who has acted as script consultant and writer on over 500 hours of episodic television, including the award winning BBC series Howard´s Way. Raymond, who also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at the Queensland University of Technology, in the Creative Industries Faculty, was recognised in the 2003 New Year´s Honours list by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for services to the television and entertainment industry.
ABOUT Southern Star:
Southern Star is an integrated film and television production and distribution group. Divisions of the Company are involved in film, television and video production; sales and distribution; and licensing and merchandising. Southern Star is a division of Southern Cross Broadcasting (Australia) Limited, a publicly listed Company on the Australian Stock Exchange.