ACTF News

From a modern mermaid fable and a world where toys have a life of their own, to animal content creators and a new generation of a TV classic, a remarkable slate of Australian children's content will soon be added to the ACTF catalogue, ready to entertain audiences worldwide.

A broad range of projects are currently in production across Australia, including a feature film and live-action and animated series for preschool and family audiences.

Scales

Scales is an enchanting new family film providing a modern take on the mermaid genre. Set against the picturesque backdrop of coastal Queensland, it is a magical and uplifting story of self-acceptance, friendship, and the courage it takes to stand out. Filming is now complete and the film is in postproduction.

Scales is the third major co-commission between Stan and the ACTF, following the success of Windcatcher and Whale Shark Jack. Produced by Werner Film Productions, written by Alix Beane and directed by Kacie Anning, Scales will stream to Australian audiences on Stan.

Knee High Spies Season 2

Chronicling the secret lives of teddy bear Jeremy Buttons and his ragtag team of toy friends, Knee High Spies is a unique and ambitious series for preschoolers, featuring state-of-the-art puppets, animatronics, VFX and live-action performances with fast-paced action, epic missions, and puzzles that the audience helps solve.

Created by Tim Bain (Kangaroo Beach), directed by Jack Jameson (Sesame Street) and produced by Werner Film Productions, a second season of Knee High Spies is now in production in Melbourne. Season 1 is currently streaming on ABC iview in Australia and the BBC’s CBeebies in the UK.

Little Lunch: New Class

A decade after the groundbreaking mockumentary first captured the chaos and comedy of the Aussie playground for 15 minutes every day at recess, a brand-new chapter of the series is on its way.

Filming has just wrapped on Little Lunch: New Class, which introduces six new students as they navigate friendship, misunderstandings and the big emotions of small people. Fan favourite Heidi Arena returns as the ever-patient Mrs Gonsha.

Produced by Gristmill for the ABC, Little Lunch: New Class explores the themes that matter most to kids – belonging, fairness, loyalty and resilience – with sharp humour, warmth and heart. It is expected to air in 2027.

Happy House

What if the adorable animal content you see on the internet was made by the animals themselves?

Created by Marisa Nathar and Alix Beane for the ABC, Happy House is a funny, unique animated series following the antics of a crew of teen animal creators living and working together to make supercute content, while juggling the pressures of being teens in a digital age.

Production on Happy House is currently underway in Victoria in August 2025.

Little J & Big Cuz Season 5

Production has begun on a fifth season of the award-winning preschool series Little J & Big Cuz, which follows the adventures of two First Nations kids living on Country with their Nanna and Old Dog.

Little J & Big Cuz is a one-of-a-kind series, drawing on stories from First Nations writers all over the country and offering a proud and positive view of Indigenous Australia, capturing the joy and wonder of Aboriginal children discovering the world around them. It has been translated into 17 First Nations Australian languages. Broome-based Ramu Productions has collaborated on language versioning since Season 1 and joins Ned Lander Media as co-producer for the new season.

Scripting and voice records are now complete, and animation is now well underway. The new season will air on the ABC and NITV in 2027. 

For more information on these exciting new projects, please contact the ACTF Sales team at sales@actf.com.au.