Lion Forge Entertainment is expanding the studio’s management team, adding three key executives across production development and production. The team will serve under President & Chief Content Officer, Stephanie Sperber. These appoints come with the launch of the studio’s Global Media Sales division to handle international sales and distribution for the company’s financed and owned IP. The newly minted group will make its debut at MIPCOM and MIPJunior next month with Nigerian / anime-inspired series Iyanu, based on Roye Okupe’s graphic novel, and the new animated kid series BugTron.
Former Hello Sunshine exec Kirsten Newlands joins as Executive Vice President of Production & Content Partnerships. Newlands, a Canadian Screen Award winner with multiple Emmy nominations under her belt, is overseeing all physical production, studio alliances, financing, co-productions and sales at Lion Forge Ent. She has executive produced more than 800 half hours of animated children’s television, including hits such as My Little Pony, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Carmen Sandiego, The Deep and Pikwik Pack.
Prior to serving as VP, Kids Animation, Production for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, she led all animation production endeavors for WildBrain (DHX Media) for more than a decade as SVP, Animation Production. She has also consulted for both Guru Studio (True & the Rainbow Kingdom, PAW Patrol) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Pretzel & The Puppies). A former Co-Chair of Women In Animation’s Vancouver branch, she has been an advisor to CineCity to help emerging visible minority and aboriginal filmmakers produce short, dramatic films in the province of British Columbia.
Emmy-nominated children’s media creative Koyalee Chanda has been appointed Senior Vice President of Animation. A seven-time Emmy-nominated children’s producer, director and writer with over 25 years of experience, Chanda started her career on the breakthrough preschool series Blue’s Clues. Most recently, she served as the VP of Kids & Animation for Hello Sunshine.
Previously, Chanda worked as a VP of Production & Development for Chris Nee’s Laughing Wild at Netflix Animation, where she did early development for Higher Ground’s Emmy-winning series Ada Twist, Scientist and We the People. She was one of the first hires at Apple TV+ Children’s Division and has previously worked with HBO Kids and Family, Universal Kids, PBS Kids as well as Nickelodeon on the channel’s hit series Wallykazam!
Jonathan Abraham joins the studio as Director of Distribution. Abraham is a kids’ distribution sales veteran with extensive knowledge in maximizing exhibition windows and launching successful merchandising and licensing programs. Before joining Lion Forge, he built the international sales and consumer products division of Guru Studio (True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Pikwik Pack). He oversaw the design, manufacturing and global distribution of toys and various consumer products, both through international retailers and major distribution partners. Abraham also served as the Head of Global Sales & Acquisitions at Portfolio Entertainment and worked for Zuru Toys, where he handled direct sales for the entire southern hemisphere aiding in the company’s significant growth trajectory.
More Recent Hires:
- Julia Pillet has been appointed International Sales Manager at France TV Distribution, responsible for Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Spain, Asia and Oceania. Previously of TV Only and About Premium Content, Pillet reports to SVP International Sales Julia Schulte.
- Multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics and graphic novels publisher Oni Press (part of the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group) in Portland, Ore. welcomes DC and BOOM! Studios veteran Spencer Simpson as Vice President of Sales. He will oversee operations across the Book Market, Direct Market and Digital platforms.
- Laurens Ehrmann’s The Yard VFX studio (Ford v Ferrari, WandaVision) based in Vanves, France has brought in Corentin Bachelet as Head of Environment, bringing 10 years of experience to the department’s leadership. For the past seven years, he has worked at high profile studios across Canada, including Rodeo FX and DNEG, where he managed the 60-artist Montreal/Toronto environment department.
