British studio Cantilever Media (The Amazing Maurice, featured image) has set up a new distribution outfit called Kazoo Films, which will focus on kids & family animated features.

Managing theatrical, streaming and home entertainment distribution for Cantilever productions, as well as films from other international studios, Kazoo expects to launch up to four movies each year in the UK and Ireland under the leadership of CEO Andrew Baker, who is also the founder and CEO of Cantilever.

Andrew Baker

Kazoo’s launch was supported by the British Film Institute (BFI), specifically through its UK Global Screen Fund. Cantilever was among 26 new recipients of the fund’s International Business Development awards, which offer non-recoupable grants ranging between US$61,600 (£50,000) and US$246,400 (£200,000) to companies in the UK’s independent screen sector.

Baker says Kazoo was established to fill a regional market need for a film distributor that’s laser-focused on family-friendly animated movies. The opportunity is particularly timely, given that Cantilever estimates this genre accounted for nearly a quarter (23.8%) of the UK’s total box-office revenue in 2024, grossing more than US$307 million (£250 million).

“We want to showcase that animated films can generate significant theatrical interest in the UK, shining a spotlight on the territory as a potential co-production and sales market for animation producers and sales agents worldwide, and ensuring these films are seen by the domestic cinema audience,” explains Baker.

Cantilever’s upcoming releases include 2D-animated series Badjelly, co-commissioned by Family Channel (Canada) and TVNZ (New Zealand); and CG-animated comedy pic Bollywoof, about a British canine trying to find his way back to his family after a vacation in India.