France.tv studio, the production arm of public broadcaster France Télévisions, has bought a majority stake in fellow French studio Dwarf Animation (Trash Truck).

Dwarf specializes in real-time CG animation and is well-known for producing series such as My Dad the Bounty Hunter (pictured, Netflix) and Monsters at Work (Disney+). 

Under its new ownership, the indie will remain creatively independent and plans to expand its pre-production facilities and visual development and storyboarding capabilities, according to a press release. Olivier Pinol, Dwarf’s founder and chairman, will continue to head up the 13-year-old studio, which has a team of 26 permanent employees. 

France.tv studio has been looking to build a creative hub in the south of France, which has a strong talent base in animation. The division currently produces around 1,500 hours of content annually for France Télévisions’ channels and platforms, with a focus on live-action shows for older audiences and documentaries. It expanded into VFX in 2021 by acquiring a stake in French startup Les Tontons Truqueurs (Chronicles of the Sun). 

France Télévisions is also interested in developing more advanced production technology and techniques for the country’s domestic screen industry, making Dwarf’s expertise and experience with real-time animation a significant factor in the acquisition. Last month, the studio arm received a cash infusion in a funding round from the French Ministry of Culture, which awarded grants to 68 companies that have the potential to help realize the country’s ambition to be a global leader in content development.