The Pikkuli animated series has been shown several times in Yle children’s hour. Soon all Pikkuli’s friends will have a chance to view an adventure fairy-tale set up during Christmas.
The film project was granted with a development support for 60,000 euros from the Creative Europe Media Fund.
The financing round was extremely tight this year, with Pikkuli and The Starlight Reindeer being the only Finnish production that got support. 40% more applications were received than usual, Kerstin Degerman, Executive Director of CE Media Desk, tells from the Media Desk.
The script for the Pikkuli Christmas film has been developed by Michael Polcino, an experienced screenwriter-director who has worked both for Simpsons and Family Guy series. He is co-writing the screenplay with David Aslan based on the original story by Metsämarja Aittokoski, the creator of the Pikkuli books and the brand.
“Michael Polcino made it clear from the very beginning that he has a deep understanding of Pikkuli’s world, even though he normally works on TV series for older kids, as he has a six-year-old daughter himself,” says Metsämarja Aittokoski.
The development of international collaboration has continued through spring 2020 despite the pandemic. “We are all in the same story, or situation, each and everyone in our own home,” describes Aittokoski.
A story for the whole family
The story of Pikkuli and The Starlight Reindeer tells about Pikkuli’s anticipation for Christmas, how it disappears while waiting for it too hard, and how dreams can be achieved if you really believe in them. “Pikkuli animation series and books are targeted at 2 to 6 years old. Many animated feature films are too exciting for Pikkuli fans. We want to make a film that the whole family can watch safely together,” says Antti Aittokoski, who is directing the film with Metsämarja Aittokoski.
The film goes into production in spring 2021.