WBD, Mundoloco CGI unveil Launchpad series, heading to Ventana Sur

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and leading Latin American animation studio Mundoloco CGI (“Underdogs”, “Mini Beat Power Rockers”) have unveiled a new competition aimed at encouraging the development of Latin American animated series with high co-production potential and strong international projection.

WBD + Mundoloco CGI | Launchpad Series has selected seven finalist projects from all titles submitted for selection on Animation!

A prestigious project and work in progress showcase, Animation! is part of Ventana Sur, Latin America’s largest film-TV market, organized by the Marché du Film-Cannes Festival, the Argentine state institute ICAA and ACAU, its counterpart in Uruguay.

Finalists will present their projects to representatives from WBD and Mundoloco CGI. Announced on December 5 at the Ventana Sur Awards Ceremony, one winning project will receive a six-month development deal jointly awarded by Mundoloco CGI and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which involves artistic and strategic mentorship, guidance on key materials – Bible, teaser script, production and financing plan – and support for international markets: pitch preparation, positioning and roadmap development.

Some select creators and producers of the Launchpad series are known. Luz Orlando Brennan, co-creator of “City Plants”, gained fame and good reviews, for example with “The Star I Lost (“La estrella que perdí”), her 2024 feature debut as a director.

However, most are emerging talents. The Chilean Plastic Monkey Studio was founded in 2023. “Since then, we have been working somewhat inconspicuously to create animated projects that, with great effort, are now seeing the light and crossing boundaries, through collaborations with other producers,” say the creators of “Culinary Abyss”, Cristóbal Figueroa and Carla Aguilar.

Launchpad Series aims to “support emerging Latin American animators by developing original IPs, providing creative and technical guidance, and helping local stories reach global audiences,” said Jaime Jiménez, VP Content and Production, Original Kids & Animation, for Warner Bros. Discovery Latam.

“As a creative animation studio with many years of experience in the industry, we strive to empower new regional talent to turn their most passionate ideas into reality,” added Gastón Gorali, co-founder and CEO of Mundoloco.

Launchpad Series contenders cover a wide range. That said, supporters are looking for a sense of originality and roots.

“Most projects often look or feel familiar, like something we’ve already seen. We aim for the exact opposite,” Gorali argues.

WBD and Mundoloco CGI are looking for “Original, culturally authentic series with global appeal, emotionally resonant stories, strong characters and fresh perspectives that can travel across borders, with a focus on quality storytelling and artistic innovation,” says Jiménez.

Some projects, according to the statements of their creators, clearly fit into that picture. “As a producer, I am interested in producing animated works full of fantasy, comedy and magical realism, where the folklore that identifies the roots of my culture stands out,” says Diego Pinilla, creator of The Night of the Sun, based in Colombia.

Both Jiménez and Gorali are convinced that they are tapping into a rich source of regional animation.

“There is great talent here, both in terms of storytelling and style,” says Gorali, who lives in Buenos Aires, enthuses: “I also believe that creative freedom often flourishes within the boundaries of restraint. That is something we have really mastered in our region.”

Latin American animation “offers rich cultural diversity, bold visual styles and emotionally driven storytelling. Latin American animators are resourceful and collaborative, delivering fresh, compelling stories that stand out worldwide when given the right support,” concludes Jiménez.

And the finalists are:

“Aliens,” (Clarisa Lea Place, Enzo Ruso Films, Argentina)

Liuva, an illegal immigrant in the US with a great imagination, is forced to wear alien suits like her family and searches for a place where she belongs in a world full of UFOs, Florida alligators, misfit skaters and clandestinity. An adult comedy produced by Maria Ayelen Bustos Suárez (“Cosmos 181”) for Enzo Ruso (“The Last One of February”).

“City Plants,” (Plantas de ciudad”, Luz Orlando Brennan, Ezequiel Asnaghi, Make Unit)

A group of neurotic houseplants living high above New York try to survive their owners’ neglect, environmental threats and, above all, their existential boredom. “There is no animated comedy show about plants. And honestly… why is that? We live surrounded by them, we depend on them,” says Asnaghi, adding that the creators “want to create animated worlds that feel alive, imperfect and deeply human.”

“Culinary abyss,” (“Cocina Abismal”, Cristóbal Figueroa, Carla Aguilar, Plastic Monkey Estudio, Chile)

A cheerful 2D fantasy for children, about Laura, a young chef, who inherits the Casa Laurel restaurant. She meets Lili, a being from the abyss, who comes for her soul, but ends up becoming her personal chef. Through his magical and cooking adventures, the series “reinforces teamwork, friendship, the importance of making mistakes to learn, and the triumph of the good,” says Figueroa.

“Jazz & Pizza,” (Joaquín Sánchez, InLimbo Content, Argentina)

After a space accident, Jazz and dog avatar Pizz are forced to land on a post-apocalypse Earth, where they discover what happened to humanity. From Buenos Aires-based InLimbo, which aims to create “minimalist 2D animation where sound and music play a central narrative role, combining adventure and lo-fi aesthetics,” says Sánchez, adding that InLimbo hopes to have a completed teaser at Spain’s Weird Market next year.

“Matias,” (João Castro, Kaplow, Brazil)

Matias, a painfully introverted twenty-year-old, tries to survive adulthood amid awkward job interviews, disastrous dates and social pitfalls. Described by producer César Barbosa as “a sharp dialogue-driven comedy about the absurdity of modern life.” From the creative duo formed by directors-writers-producers César Barbosa and Castro, specialized in the development of animation projects and working from Rio-based Kaplow.

‘The Night of the Sun’, (“La Noche del sol”, Diego Alexander Pinilla Rozo, Souvenir Audiovisual, Colombia)

As a test run, the Devil unleashes the apocalypse on a sleepy Colombian town, unleashing aliens, meteors and zombies. But Juanita, Valentino and Ema, a small and special family, face much more complex challenges: the job search, math homework and the search for intense emotions to stay alive. The apocalypse is just another day on earth. “Here, apocalypses are fun, ghosts wander the woods and desserts are delicious,” says Pinilla.

“One about vampires,” (“Una de Vampiros”, Alicides Izaguirre, Agustín Paillet, Newbean, Argentina)

Based on Paillet’s graphic novel of the same name, the story of two five-year-old children who go through childhood with the same level of drama and fear as any set of adults. A 2D adventure comedy “that combines health with dark comedy,” says Paillet. “The humor comes from the clash between the seriousness of the topics presented and the naive world of childhood,” he says Variety.