Tele Munchen Group of Germany has purchased a small minority stake – less than 10% – in Montreal animation prodco CineGroupe. Privately held, CineGroupe declined to name an exact figure, but says the deal allows Tele Munchen – which is involved in theatrical distribution, video, cinema, television distribution, production and merchandising – a first look at CineGroupe’s international coproduction opportunities and presales.

The first collaboration between the two companies is a 3D feature, Pinocchio 3001, currently being financed and expected to begin shooting early next year with some work to be done in each country. Canadian Daniel Robichaud, who worked on special effects on James Cameron’s Titanic and on the Coca-Cola polar bears commercials, will direct. Pinocchio is CineGroupe’s fourth feature.

In other news, Cambium Entertainment, Spumco Canada and CineGroupe have signed a coproduction and international distribution deal on the new animated half-hour series The Ripping Friends. The first 13 episodes are in production at Cambium in Toronto for Saturday morning rotation on Fox Kids in the u.s. and on Teletoon in Canada. Series creator John Kricfalusi of Spumco created the hit Nickelodeon series Ren & Stimpy.

The Ripping Friends features a bunch of everyday kids who hulk up and transform into crime fighters at ‘ripping time.’

CineGroupe will sell the show internationally except for North America and Asia. Spumco has u.s. rights. Cambium has Canada and Bitek Chiems will distribute in Asia.

Exec producers on the us$4.2-million show are Annette Frymer and Arnie Zipursky of Cambium, Kevin Kolde and Jacques Pettigrew of CineGroupe. Ken Katsumoto, head of CineGroupe’s u.s. operations, is series production executive. Hasmi Giakoumis is producer and Michel Lemire is coproducer.

Cambium and CineGroupe earlier partnered on Kit & Kaboodle.

The company has also launched Cinegroupe Education, a new interactive education division headed up by children’s fiction writer Andre Vandal. *