• New Film Division Secures Movie Rights With Premium Film

Studio 100 Film a newly launched and one hundred percent subsidiary of international children’s production and distribution company Studio 100 Media GmbH, has licensed its first film project Maya The Bee – Movie to Russian entertainment company Premium Film. The announcement was made today by Patrick Elmendorff, Managing Director of Studio 100 Media.

Produced in 3-D stereoscopic Maya The Bee – Movie is an Australian-German co-production between Studio 100 Media and Buzz Studios. The movie is directed by Alexs Stadermann (Director, Head of Story, and Senior Animator for Disney and Aardman Studios on films such as The Wild Bunch, Bambi 2, Tarzan 2 and The Lion King). Executive producers are Patrick Elmendorff, Managing Director of Studio 100 Media and Jim Ballantine, Head of Buzz Studios, who has worked in the animation sector for over 25 years taking on key roles at the Walt Disney Company on projects such as The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under and Brother Bear as well as on Nickelodeon's The Ren and Stimpy Show, for which he was nominated for two Emmy Awards. Barbara Stephens (The Woodlies) for Buzz Studios and Thorsten Wegener (Momo) for Studio 100 Media are producers of the movie.

The character “Maya the Bee” has been popular all over the world for over a century and loved by TV audiences for the past 35 years. Produced in the 1970’s, the original series was a captivating blend of fun-filled, thrilling adventures set in a lush environment. The contrast between Maya’s regimented hive life and her desire to be free and to experience the world on her own terms are part of what endeared her to generations of viewers.

In this new stereoscopic 3-D feature film curious little bee Maya and her friend Willy save their hive from the greedy queen’s advisor and end the long-term hostility between bees and hornets. The agreement includes TV, home video and new media rights within the CIS territories. Premium Film has plans for an extensive theatrical release (more than 600 prints) after its premiere onto German cinemas in September 2014.

Nadezda Motina, Head of Acquisitions at Premium Film commented, “We see Maya The Bee 3-D movie as one of the biggest and leading project’s for our company in 2014. It will be released nationwide and we plan to put out the first teaser and POS materials at the end of this year. We will work very thoroughly and carefully with the brand to generate and offer this delightful movie to audiences”.

Patrick Elmendorff, Managing Director of Studio 100 Media added, “Maya The Bee – Movie features a brand new storyline with well-known and much loved characters as well as new ones who will join Maya on her great adventure. We are delighted to partner with Premium Film for our first theatrical project and with the positive response received so far we look forward to giving audiences around the world an opportunity to enjoy this charming film."

Studio 100 Film has already sold the rights to Universum Film for the German speaking territories, with Monolith Films and Karantanija Cinemas on board to handle the distribution in Poland and Ex-Yugoslavia respectively.