1 history
1.1 foundation
1.2 filmfair london
1.3 acquisitions
history
foundation
filmfair founded american animator gus jekel in los angeles. after working walt disney productions , other hollywood animation studios in 1930s, jekel incorporated filmfair because wanted freedom create live action work well. studio in animation alley , stretch of cahuenga boulevard runs through studio city in northern la.
jekel s company produced television advertisements—some animated, others live-action—and extremely successful; disney client.
in late 1960s, jekel asked english colleague, graham clutterbuck, start european office filmfair. clutterbuck had been producing , coordinating television ads european advertising agencies, , had lost job director general of les cinéastes associés in paris. although not well-acquainted animation, clutterbuck accepted job offer. clutterbuck established filmfair s european office in paris. there met serge danot, pitched ideas children s series, clutterbuck turned him down. after, danot signed contract bbc produce series magic roundabout. invited clutterbuck watch them film. while there, clutterbuck met series co-creator, ivor wood. later, 2 men agreed wood make animated films filmfair. success of magic roundabout paved way more stop-motion animation @ bbc. soon, wood came idea herbs, premiered on bbc1 in 1968.
filmfair london
paddington premiered in 1975.
by time, beatlemania had made england cultural hotspot. clutterbuck found difficult attract english talent france, moved office london. there, barry leith joined company director of animation. wood , leith collaborated on wombles, wood had few ideas animating michael bond s stories paddington bear. bond enthusiastic wood s artistic vision, , began scripting first series. bbc1 premiered paddington in 1975 great acclaim. filmfair produced new episodes of programme 3 years, , expanded considerable media franchise.
filmfair continued produce successful stop-motion programmes through mid-1970s. company s first classically animated series, simon in land of chalk drawings, premiered in 1976. adapted series of children s books written , illustrated edward mclachlan. company s first series not directed wood perishers (1978), classically animated series directed dick horn.
as filmfair london continued produce animated television series bbc , itv, reached international audience through broadcast syndication , home video distribution.
acquisitions
in 1980s, central independent television bought controlling share of european branch of filmfair. graham clutterbuck died of cancer on 30 april 1988; filmfair dedicated bangers , mash (1989) memory. in 1991, central sold filmfair storm group (aka caspian group), 1 of filmfair s video distributors. altschul group corporation (agc) bought filmfair s american branch in 1992, part of campaign acquire more dozen film companies. discovery communications bought agc s film catalogue in 2003.
in 1996, caspian group sold filmfair london s catalogue , production amenities canadian company cinar. cinar s purchase included associated distribution, publication, licensing, , merchandising rights. in 2000, cinar executives implicated in financial scandal, , again in 2001. in 2004, company rebranded cookie jar group. in 2012, canadian media conglomerate called dhx media bought cookie jar group, acquiring rights european filmfair properties.
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