CARTOON NETWORK TAKES HOME ASTRA AWARD FOR MONSTER BEACH – eckfactor

Australian commissioned content for global distribution wins in Most Outstanding Children’s Program category
Cartoon Network’s first Australian content commissioned for global distribution, Monster Beach, has taken home the 2015 ASTRA Award for Most Outstanding Children’s Program.
Monster Beach follows two siblings who visit their uncle on a secluded island for the summer, only to find the island in danger and the locals are surf-crazed monsters.
As an international broadcaster, subscription television channel Cartoon Network is committed to producing exclusive and compelling local content with global export potential, with Monster Beach’s world premiere occurring in Australia last Halloween. The special then aired across Asia becoming the number one show in its timeslot in markets including Taiwan and the Philippines, and was dubbed into several languages. Scheduled for later this year, European audiences will be the next to enjoy the animated fun.
The original movie was commissioned by Cartoon Network and created by Melbourne-based animation studio Bogan Entertainment Solutions (BES).
“The success of Monster Beach is a result of a collaboration between Cartoon Network’s executive production team in Hong Kong and BES in Melbourne,” said Mark Eyers, Chief Content Officer – Kids Content, Turner International Asia Pacific.
“It is a great example of how an international network can partner with Australia’s top talent to create locally-produced content that can reach audiences across the world,” continued Mr Eyers.
Cartoon Network made Australia its first port of call in Asia Pacific last year on its international search for animation talent with Monster Beach delivering Australian flavour to international audiences with its distinctive animation style through BES’ involvement.
“Taking a project from the kitchen table through to international release has been an amazing experience. As has partnering with those whose belief in the concepts and the potential of Australian animation has been unswerving in its support,” said BES’ Patrick Crawley, Director of Monster Beach.
“Working with Cartoon Network has meant we’ve had the opportunity link some of the best Australian writing, design and animation talent with their contemporaries from around the world to deliver an outstanding project,” added Mr Crawley.
The feature-length special features three-time Gold Logie Award-winner Rove McManus, who voices four characters: Mutt, King Knutt, Brain Freeze and Hodad. ARIA Award-winning comedy group Tripod supplied music, with all members lending their voices as the Tiki characters.
Cartoon Network’s smash-hit series Adventure Time, which is now in its sixth season, also received a 2015 ASTRA Awards nomination for Most Outstanding Children’s Program.
The ASTRA Awards recognise the wealth of talent driving the Australian subscription TV industry and highlight the creativity, commitment and investment in production and broadcasting. This year’s awards were held at The Star in Pyrmont on Thursday 12 March, 2015.

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Note to editors:
Monster Beach (1×70’). An ordinary summer holiday gets complicated when two kids – Jan and her brother Dean – are packed off to stay with their drop-out uncle, Woody. It should be paradise: a secluded island, great waves and a non-attentive adult in charge. What could be better? But why is this place so deserted? Why has the town been overrun by the jungle and what are those strange noises coming from the beach? The terrible truth is revealed when it turns out the locals are in fact monsters – and they don’t take kindly to tourists. Well not at first anyway. The arrival of a rampaging property developer changes all that, when sibling rivalry and genetic differences are swept aside. Everyone bands together to save the strange little place they’ve all decided to call home. Monster Beach is a Bogan Entertainment Solutions production in conjunction with Cartoon Network.
About Cartoon Network in Australia and New Zealand
Cartoon Network offers the best in original animated entertainment while also drawing from the world’s most iconic cartoon library of Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera titles. Original series showcased on Cartoon Network include the multi-award-winning comedies Uncle Grandpa, Clarence, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball andAdventure Time, as well as global franchise hit Ben 10. Cartoon Network is seen by 2.3 million households in Australia via Channel 713 on Foxtel, and to almost 800,000 households in New Zealand on Sky TV’s Channel 102.
Cartoon Network manages CartoonNetwork.com.au, a dedicated YouTube channel and a popular Facebook page. Catch-up and live content is also available in Australia via the Foxtel GO mobile app and the IPTV platform Foxtel Play, accessible via Telstra T-Box, Microsoft Xbox, Samsung Connected TV, Blu-ray, Home Theatres and Sony PlayStation systems. Selected video content and games can also be accessed using iTunes and the Cartoon Network Watch and Play app. In New Zealand, SKY GO offers live and catch-up content online.
In both Australia and New Zealand, Cartoon Network is owned and operated by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. is the parent company of local affiliate Turner International Australia Pty Ltd.
About Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific
Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout Asia Pacific. In the region, Turner runs 46 channels in 13 languages in 38 countries, including CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, WarnerTV, Oh!K, Turner Classic Movies, truTV, WB, MondoTV, TABI Channel and HBO in South Asia. Turner also manages distribution for HBO Defined and HBO Hits in India. Turner is a Time Warner company.