Monkey business

Animation house Cuppa Coffee is launching a series of minute-long interstitials about a monkey named Bruno through Decaf Distribution, its new production and distribution arm.

Bruno, a hybrid of traditional animation and Flash, was created by Cuppa Coffee president Adam Shaheen and designed by creative director Warren Brown. British actor Brian Cant is the voice. The series will be recorded in six languages, and a book deal is pending. Bruno’s official launch will be at MIPTV in Cannes, March 29-April 2.

CTF deadlines

The Canadian Television Fund has announced 2004 funding application deadlines. English-language drama applications must be in by March 3 and there will be no fall deadline this year. Applications in the special initiatives stream for aboriginal-language productions must also be in March 3. French-language productions outside Quebec will be accepted until March 15.

Applications to the broadcaster performance envelope stream will be accepted beginning March 15 and the special initiatives envelope is open beginning April 1.

See www.telefilm.gc.ca and www.canadiantelevisionfund.ca for details.

Expansion at CTS

Crossroads Television System will extend its reach further into Ontario following CRTC approval for rebroadcast transmitters near London and Ottawa. The religious and family-friendly station, based in Burlington, ON, says it will reach 90% of Ontario residents by this spring. Viewers in the new markets could previously only access CTS via Star Choice and Bell ExpressVu. Its mandate is to schedule programs without coarse language, gratuitous violence or explicit sex.

Deadline for kids awards

Producers have until Feb. 27 to put in for the French-language awards from the Alliance for Children and Television. ACT will hand out the huzzahs in May, honoring programs aired in Canada, in French, in 2002 and 2003. A special jury award, a new talent award and a prize for overall achievement in the field will also be presented. ACT alternates languages every year, and will honor English kids shows in 2005. See www.act-aet.tv for details.