Set for February 23 to 25, 2027, the Kids International Media Summit (KIMS) Canada aims to attract delegates from around the world for three days of deal-making, networking, and showcasing the local children’s ecosystem and its co-production opportunities, the Youth Media Alliance’s France Martin and Maria Kennedy tell ScreenMDM Talks in our latest Gen A to Z episode.
Martin, executive director of the YMA, and Kennedy, co-chair and owner of indie producer Little Engine, joined ScreenMDM Talks to lay out their vision for the new French and English bilingual event, which is now open for registration.
KIMS aims to fill the gap in the calendar for a North American media conference after Kidscreen Summit ended its storied run as a hub for the global children’s content community at the start of the year. As soon as word broke that the event would not return, Kennedy and fellow YMA co-chair Athena Georgaklis began speaking with the organization’s board about what could be done. Martin and her team had already been talking about how the alliance could support the local ecosystem in these challenging times for the sector at large. That catalyzed immediate action, beginning with a feasibility study to gauge what potential attendees needed.
“We did not want to re-create Kidscreen Summit,” Martin says on the episode, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. “We wanted to have a bold international market to bring in buyers and co-production companies to meet Canadian producers, broadcasters and creators, and discover who we are.”
The location, Québec City, is not just a scenic choice; centering the story on Canada, and its bilingual advantages, was key to crafting KIMS’ positioning.
“The American kids’ media sector grew exponentially over the past 20 years, but a lot of that had to do with partnering with Canadian companies,” Kennedy says. “There were so many incredibly talented and very experienced Canadian animation studios across the country doing a lot of service production for the big studios in the U.S. The U.S. wouldn’t have grown without our Canadian partnerships.”
Martin adds that the Canadian delegation was the second largest at the last Kidscreen Summit, outnumbering attendance from the U.K. and France. “We are very active in North America and in Europe because of our bilingualism,” Martin adds. “We can do business in both languages. That opens up the market, and it makes us stronger when we present pitches and find partners or investors.”
The event, which Kennedy calls “deliberately bilingual,” will spotlight Canadian creativity, Martin adds.
“We want to attract international buyers and co-producers. We want to generate real business opportunities. This summit will bring together the funders, the partners, the creators to build the relationships necessary to make our industry flourish. We need to take our place on the stage internationally.”
Kennedy expects it to be an “intimate” experience for the inaugural event, which will tackle head-on the challenges of funding content and reaching audiences today.
“We ask that people come with enthusiasm and an open mind,” Martin says. “We are looking to share great ideas, and Québec City is a wonderful place. Even in February, it is not that cold! It’s European style in North America. It’s worth coming for a visit.”
Kennedy stresses that it will be fruitful for producers. “Buyers are coming. Co-producers are coming. There are lots of opportunities for bigger co-productions. It’s going beyond broadcasters and streamers. We’re going to have content creators there as well.”
Visit KIMSCanada.com for more information.
