Event Coverage
Breakthrough Animation’s ‘My Big Big Friend’ wins The Licensing Challenge
MUMBAI: Breakthrough Animation and 2-D Lab‘s children‘s animated series, My Big Big Friend (52 x 11‘) has won The Licensing Challenge, sponsored by License Global! at this year‘s Mipcom Junior.
The announcement was made by Breakthrough Animation executive producer and managing partner Kevin Gillis.
The Licensing Challenge is a pitching session that showcases the TV property with the highest licensing potential. The international jury included Leigh Anne Brodsky (Nickelodeon), Stan Clutton (Fisher Price), Anna Hewitt (BBC), Andrew Lane (Hasbro), John Lee (World World), and Richard Woolf (Jetix).
“We are extremely pleased that My Big Big Friend was honored at the Licensing Challenge this year” said Gillis. This is a very special property with unique characters and intriguing storylines that will resonate with the 4-6 age demo worldwide. Every child needs a big big friend, especially at this time in their lives.”
With a combination of 2-D and computer-generated imaging animation, My Big Big Friend is a series of fun, frolic and adventures that all starts with a little boy. Yuri is 6, an only child, with an energetic and curious attitude towards life. In the world of his imagination he is brave, daring and adventurous, but in real life he is truly shy and lonely. At least he was until the day he had an idea. A great big idea. Golias! Golias is Yuri‘s imaginary friend – only don‘t tell Golias – he doesn‘t know he‘s imaginary! Nor do Bongo or Vanessa. With the help of their Big Friends, Yuri and his chums, Doris and Matt, discover that if you imagine you can, sometimes you really, really can.
The multi-platform comedy pre-school adventure series is available for broadcast, broadband and mobile platform formats at Mipcom. My Big Big friend will be supported by a line of books and an interactive multi-platform content produced specifically to tie-in with the broadcast series. My Big Big Friend is a Brazil, Canada co-production with 2-D Lab in Brazil and Breakthrough Animation in Canada.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
