Manga Productions partners up with NEOM for Saudi animation series: Future’s Folktales

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media
OutReach – 18 December 2020 – Manga Productions, a
subsidiary company of Mohammed bin Salman “Misk” Foundation, announced
today a partnership agreement with NEOM whereby the location for the second
Season of the Saudi Animation Series “Future’s Folktales” — otherwise
known as Asatir: Mirai No Mukashibanashi – will take place throughout NEOM.
This is following the success of Season one, which experienced a viewership
exceeding the 70-million mark around the world.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga
Productions, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with NEOM for the
setting of the second season of Asateer — Future’s Folktales. This partnership
brings Saudi Arabia’s creative industry together with NEOM, an incubator of
creative capabilities and ground-breaking technologies that embodies the
Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The partnership supports our goal to inspire the future
generations to be part of the development of NEOM and build a bright future for
all humanity.”

Eng. Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM , said: “We are pleased that
NEOM will be the setting of season 2 Asateer — Future Folktales, as we are
committed to fostering and inspiring local and international talent, and we
encourage those in the creative industry around the world to participate in
Manga’s competition which will be held in 2021.”

The partnership comes after the launch of Future Folktales series
last January in partnership with Toei Animation in Japan, which introduced the Saudi
culture to audiences around the world and celebrated the Arabic language while
connecting children with Arab heritage and values and to future technologies
through creative content.

The series aired across 19 streaming regional and international platforms,
including TV channels in Japan, China, Taiwan, Ireland, UK and the United
States, where Japanese animation series are popular, contributing to the
dissemination of the Saudi culture across the world.

As part of the partnership, Manga announced preparations to launch
a competition in 2021 inviting creatives around the world to submit prop
designs to be featured in one of the episodes of “Future’s Folktales”. This
competition will empower local and international talents to unleash their
creative potential and showcase their work to Arab and international audiences.

Eng. Abdulaziz
Al-Naghmoush, Business Development Manager at Manga , commented: “Since its establishment,
Manga has been committed to investing and developing talents to enrich Saudi
Arabia’s creative industry. Our partnership with NEOM supports this commitment by
being the home and future of dreamers and doers, which places NEOM as one of
the best environments for the second season of Asateer — Future’s Folktales.”

For more info on
Manga Productions, visit www.manga.com.sa