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UK animation production company Cantilever Media, renowned for 2022\u2019s The Amazing Maurice<\/em>, has secured \u00a3500,000 investment from Creative UK\u2019s Creative Growth Finance (CGF).<\/strong><\/p>\n Cantilever will use the funding to expand its UK-Ireland distribution arm, Kazoo Films, which was launched in 2024 and specialises in animated features for kids and families.<\/p>\n Kazoo plans to release Cantilever productions, including Benoit Godbout\u2019s Unstable<\/em>, in production for a 2027 release, and Dana Dorian\u2019s Bird Brain<\/em>, budgeted at $15m.<\/p>\n CGF is a specialist investment fund, administered by Creative UK, that offers debt finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative sectors of up to \u00a3500,000 initially, with the option of further finance after two years of the loan term.<\/p>\n Previous film company recipients of the fund include Mike Elliott\u2019s London and Yorkshire-based\u00a0Emu Films<\/a>\u00a0in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n Creative UK is now headed up by Emily Cloke, a former senior civil servant in the UK government\u2019s department of business and trade. She took over\u00a0from chief executive Caroline Norbury.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bird Brain<\/em> is the first animated feature to be sold through Cantilever\u2019s joint venture sales agency with the UK\u2019s Architect Global. It will also be the first co-production with UK-India VFX giant DNEG\u2019s animation firm ReDefine through a Cantilever-ReDefine<\/a> slate partnership.<\/p>\n Kazoo will also release films from a three-film co-production deal between Cantilever, Los Angeles-based Viva Pictures Distribution and HarperCollins Productions to adapt HarperCollins IP into comedy-oriented animation features.<\/p>\n Cantilever\u2019s production slate includes Bollywoof<\/em>, Wed Wabbit<\/em> and the sequel to\u00a0The Amazing Maurice<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCantilever expansion<\/h3>\n