Interested in independent Asian animation, but not sure where to start? Well, we could give you a list of anime, but we've already got (three parts!) to an anime tribute already. Instead, here's a list of 15 animated indies from the last few years that fall outside of mainstream animation studios like Disney, Pixar and Ghibli.
This list is in no way prescriptive nor comprehensive, and is merely organized by date of release. Some of these filmmakers are more established; others are just beginning their careers. Some of these are shorts, others are features, a few are even series. Regardless, with each of these animated indies, prepare to laugh, cry, and have your mind blown by the unbridled joy of animation.
1. Your Name (2016) by Makoto Shinkai (Japan)
While Makoto Shinkai had been churning out his own shorts and mid-length films for almost a decade preceding “Your Name,” he doesn't really nail...
This list is in no way prescriptive nor comprehensive, and is merely organized by date of release. Some of these filmmakers are more established; others are just beginning their careers. Some of these are shorts, others are features, a few are even series. Regardless, with each of these animated indies, prepare to laugh, cry, and have your mind blown by the unbridled joy of animation.
1. Your Name (2016) by Makoto Shinkai (Japan)
While Makoto Shinkai had been churning out his own shorts and mid-length films for almost a decade preceding “Your Name,” he doesn't really nail...
- 5/23/2024
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
When Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited and supposed swansong The Boy and the Heron opened at No. 1 at the North American box office last December with a record-breaking $12.8 million tally, it was not only the first original anime title to achieve such a feat, but it was the biggest ever opening for U.S. distributor Gkids. It kickstarted what would be a whirlwind few months for the now 16-year-old company as it took the Studio Ghibli film, (which had opened the Toronto Film Festival in September) to an enormous $46.7 million box office gross (more than double their initial projections) in North America and, later a Best Animation win at the Oscars.
“It was the right film for the right time,” says Gkids president Dave Jesteadt. “The Boy and the Heron was Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years, and I think that a normal concern would have been if audiences had forgotten him,...
“It was the right film for the right time,” says Gkids president Dave Jesteadt. “The Boy and the Heron was Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years, and I think that a normal concern would have been if audiences had forgotten him,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Record Intake
The European Film Academy has added a record 709 new members in its 2024 annual intake. New members include Cate Blanchett (Australia/U.K.), Jovan Marjanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Maria Bakalova (Bulgaria), Juraj Lerotić (Croatia), Anna Hints (Estonia), Ariane Toscan du Plantier (France), Stéphan Castang (France), David Thion (France), Marie-Ange Luciani (France), Latifa Saïd (France), Rebecca Houzel (France), Thomas Hakim (France), Sami Mustafa (France/Kosovo), Mohamed Siam (France), Hanna Bergholm (Finland), Hamze Bytyçi (Germany) and Christian M. Goldbeck (Germany).
The intake also includes Behrooz Karamizade (Germany), Jerry Hoffmann (Germany), Aylin Tezel (Germany), Jasmin Tabatabai (Germany), Sofia Exarchou (Greece), Phedon Papamichael (Greece), Kate McCullough (Ireland), Matteo Garrone (Italy), Enzo d’Alò (Italy), Francesco Montagner (Italy), Uljana Kim (Lithuania), Cindy Jansen (Netherlands), Fatih Rağbet (Netherlands), Cristi Puiu (Romania), Anca Puiu (Romania), Elene Naveriani (Switzerland), Selahattin Paşalı (Turkey), Molly Manning Walker (U.K.), Melanie Hoyes (U.K.), Lizzie Francke (U.K.), Charles Newland (UK), Jad Salfiti (U.
The European Film Academy has added a record 709 new members in its 2024 annual intake. New members include Cate Blanchett (Australia/U.K.), Jovan Marjanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Maria Bakalova (Bulgaria), Juraj Lerotić (Croatia), Anna Hints (Estonia), Ariane Toscan du Plantier (France), Stéphan Castang (France), David Thion (France), Marie-Ange Luciani (France), Latifa Saïd (France), Rebecca Houzel (France), Thomas Hakim (France), Sami Mustafa (France/Kosovo), Mohamed Siam (France), Hanna Bergholm (Finland), Hamze Bytyçi (Germany) and Christian M. Goldbeck (Germany).
The intake also includes Behrooz Karamizade (Germany), Jerry Hoffmann (Germany), Aylin Tezel (Germany), Jasmin Tabatabai (Germany), Sofia Exarchou (Greece), Phedon Papamichael (Greece), Kate McCullough (Ireland), Matteo Garrone (Italy), Enzo d’Alò (Italy), Francesco Montagner (Italy), Uljana Kim (Lithuania), Cindy Jansen (Netherlands), Fatih Rağbet (Netherlands), Cristi Puiu (Romania), Anca Puiu (Romania), Elene Naveriani (Switzerland), Selahattin Paşalı (Turkey), Molly Manning Walker (U.K.), Melanie Hoyes (U.K.), Lizzie Francke (U.K.), Charles Newland (UK), Jad Salfiti (U.
- 5/9/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Doctor Who director Jamie Magnus Stone is helming a sci-fi series adaptation of Brian W. Aldiss’ debut Non-Stop for Aircraft Pictures.
Set in a distant future, Non-Stop tells the tale of Roy Complain, a man born into a primitive society only to discover his tribe is one of many aboard a colossal spaceship. This knowledge sets Complain and his band of intrepid explorers on a perilous journey through uncharted territories to find the ship’s bridge, as they unravel the mysteries of their new world and confront the looming threat of their own annihilation.
Casting is yet to be announced and Aircraft will begin shopping the project at Series Mania next week.
“We’re excited to bring this science-fiction classic to the screen as part of Aircraft’s continued expansion into scripted drama,” said Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, co-founders of Aircraft. “We’re fortunate to be working with...
Set in a distant future, Non-Stop tells the tale of Roy Complain, a man born into a primitive society only to discover his tribe is one of many aboard a colossal spaceship. This knowledge sets Complain and his band of intrepid explorers on a perilous journey through uncharted territories to find the ship’s bridge, as they unravel the mysteries of their new world and confront the looming threat of their own annihilation.
Casting is yet to be announced and Aircraft will begin shopping the project at Series Mania next week.
“We’re excited to bring this science-fiction classic to the screen as part of Aircraft’s continued expansion into scripted drama,” said Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, co-founders of Aircraft. “We’re fortunate to be working with...
- 3/14/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The omission of “My Father’s Dragon” from the 2023 Oscar nominations list for best animated feature sparked murmurings of disapproval from within the industry. The Netflix film — directed by Nora Twomey and a gorgeously hand-drawn adaptation of Ruth Stiles Gannett’s beloved children’s fantasy novel — had been lapped up by critics, many of whom assumed it would easily make the cut.
But the disquiet only served to showcase the astonishing track record of “My Father’s Dragon’s” Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, which had earned an incredible four Oscar nominations from its first four features, starting with “The Secret of Kells” in 2009 and followed by “Song of the Sea,” “The Breadwinner” and “Wolfwalkers.”
For Tomm Moore, the lack of a nomination for “My Father’s Dragon” also highlighted just how far animation had come since he co-founded Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny alongside Twomey and Paul Young back in 1999.
“It showed...
But the disquiet only served to showcase the astonishing track record of “My Father’s Dragon’s” Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, which had earned an incredible four Oscar nominations from its first four features, starting with “The Secret of Kells” in 2009 and followed by “Song of the Sea,” “The Breadwinner” and “Wolfwalkers.”
For Tomm Moore, the lack of a nomination for “My Father’s Dragon” also highlighted just how far animation had come since he co-founded Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny alongside Twomey and Paul Young back in 1999.
“It showed...
- 3/5/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
In just a few weeks, the 18th recipient of the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature will be revealed. While it is highly likely that the new winner will share a 3D visual style in common with nearly all of its predecessors, voters may instead decide to finally honor a fully hand-drawn movie for the first time. Fittingly, this monumental distinction would be credited to the legendary Studio Ghibli and its esteemed cofounder, Hayao Miyazaki, who suspended his brief retirement in order to make his dozenth film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
With an original plot that pointedly references the classic Japanese novel “How Do You Live?,” “The Boy and the Heron” is the 25th entry in Studio Ghibli’s animated canon and the company’s 10th film released after the creation of this Golden Globe category. Although four of its post-2005 productions earned Oscar notices for Best Animated Feature,...
With an original plot that pointedly references the classic Japanese novel “How Do You Live?,” “The Boy and the Heron” is the 25th entry in Studio Ghibli’s animated canon and the company’s 10th film released after the creation of this Golden Globe category. Although four of its post-2005 productions earned Oscar notices for Best Animated Feature,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“Chicken for Linda!” (GKids), the French/Italian 2D comedy from the husband-and-wife animation team of Sébastien Laudenbach and Chiara Malta, won the Grand Jury Prize at the sixth annual Animation Is Film Festival. “Robot Dreams” (Neon), the bittersweet Spanish/French hand-drawn dramedy from Pablo Berger, earned the Special Jury Prize.
For the Shorts section, Tal Kantor’s “Letter to a Pig,” a mixed media short about a Holocaust survivor who writes a thank-you letter to a pig that saved his life, won the Grand Prize, and the Special Jury Prize went to “Wild Summon” (from Saul Freed and Karni Arieli), which follows the dramatic life cycle of the wild salmon in human form.
The Aif win for “Chicken for Linda!” comes on the heels of taking the Annecy Cristal top prize. The film combines an imaginative hand-drawn style (color-coded characters with watercolor backgrounds) with a wacky premise concerning a frustrated...
For the Shorts section, Tal Kantor’s “Letter to a Pig,” a mixed media short about a Holocaust survivor who writes a thank-you letter to a pig that saved his life, won the Grand Prize, and the Special Jury Prize went to “Wild Summon” (from Saul Freed and Karni Arieli), which follows the dramatic life cycle of the wild salmon in human form.
The Aif win for “Chicken for Linda!” comes on the heels of taking the Annecy Cristal top prize. The film combines an imaginative hand-drawn style (color-coded characters with watercolor backgrounds) with a wacky premise concerning a frustrated...
- 10/25/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The trailer marking the sixth edition of the Animation Is Film Festival in Hollywood (October 18-22) dropped Monday morning, highlighting the opening night premiere of Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed “The Boy and the Heron” (Studio Ghibli/GKids) at the Tcl Chinese Theater IMAX. This marks an IMAX first for the festival, produced by GKids in partnership with the Annecy International Animation Festival.
Aardman/Netflix’s “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” the long-awaited sequel to the most successful stop-motion feature in history, will close Aif, followed by a Q&a with director Sam Fell and executive producer Peter Lord.
Aif programming from the previous two years boasted nine of the eventual animated feature Oscar nominees. This season they’ve scheduled several Oscar contenders: “The Boy and the Heron,” “Dawn of the Nugget,” DreamWorks’ “Trolls Band Together” (special screening), and Neon’s Annecy award-winning “Robot Dreams” (in feature competition). Plus, early...
Aardman/Netflix’s “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” the long-awaited sequel to the most successful stop-motion feature in history, will close Aif, followed by a Q&a with director Sam Fell and executive producer Peter Lord.
Aif programming from the previous two years boasted nine of the eventual animated feature Oscar nominees. This season they’ve scheduled several Oscar contenders: “The Boy and the Heron,” “Dawn of the Nugget,” DreamWorks’ “Trolls Band Together” (special screening), and Neon’s Annecy award-winning “Robot Dreams” (in feature competition). Plus, early...
- 10/2/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The Europe-based Pop Up Film Residency Visegrad mentorship program has unveiled the filmmakers and mentors who will participate in its 2023 edition.
The program, which is among several feature development initiatives spearheaded by former TorinoFilmLab artistic director Matthieu Darras, consists of three-week residencies focused on mentoring filmmakers through the development of a feature project. Darras works together with Polish producers Iza Igel and Marta Lewandowska. This year the residency will be mounted in Warsaw and Wroclaw, Poland, from July 4 — 25.
Mentors for the upcoming edition include Polish director Anna Jadowska, Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Polish director Aleksandra Terpinska, Hungarian—Canadian writer/director Anita Doron, Script consultants Michaela Sabo and Aleksandra Swierk, and Lithuanian producer Marija Razgute.
Five feature directors will join the program, including Polish filmmaker Katarzyna Trzaska, whose last feature, Nauka Latania, screened at the Warsaw Film Festival.
The program, which is among several feature development initiatives spearheaded by former TorinoFilmLab artistic director Matthieu Darras, consists of three-week residencies focused on mentoring filmmakers through the development of a feature project. Darras works together with Polish producers Iza Igel and Marta Lewandowska. This year the residency will be mounted in Warsaw and Wroclaw, Poland, from July 4 — 25.
Mentors for the upcoming edition include Polish director Anna Jadowska, Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Polish director Aleksandra Terpinska, Hungarian—Canadian writer/director Anita Doron, Script consultants Michaela Sabo and Aleksandra Swierk, and Lithuanian producer Marija Razgute.
Five feature directors will join the program, including Polish filmmaker Katarzyna Trzaska, whose last feature, Nauka Latania, screened at the Warsaw Film Festival.
- 7/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s time to finally “humanize” the workplace, argued Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey at Annecy. And women are leading the way.
“There was a point when I wanted to prove myself and would spend long hours immersed in animation. It took me until I had kids to start working smarter,” she said.
“Then I got sick in the middle of making ‘The Breadwinner’ and that also made me think about working in a way that could empower people around me. Now, I really don’t give a fuck anymore,” she added to thunderous applause.
During her “fireside chat” with Ramsey Naito at the Women in Animation (Wia) World Summit, Twomey – co-founder and creative director at Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon – also underlined the importance of representation.
“If you don’t see someone [like you] doing the job you would like to do in five years, you don’t think it’s open to you.
“There was a point when I wanted to prove myself and would spend long hours immersed in animation. It took me until I had kids to start working smarter,” she said.
“Then I got sick in the middle of making ‘The Breadwinner’ and that also made me think about working in a way that could empower people around me. Now, I really don’t give a fuck anymore,” she added to thunderous applause.
During her “fireside chat” with Ramsey Naito at the Women in Animation (Wia) World Summit, Twomey – co-founder and creative director at Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon – also underlined the importance of representation.
“If you don’t see someone [like you] doing the job you would like to do in five years, you don’t think it’s open to you.
- 6/13/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Variety will host a panel at the Annecy Animation Festival, Breaking the Borders of Animation, focusing on one of the key – and most exciting – talking points in the medium: How animation is currently being revolutionized and reimagined by new waves of creativity and technology.
The panel has been organised with Nickelodeon as its official partner.
On Tuesday June13, Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge will encourage his guests to wonder about the future of the art form, starting with Latifa Ouaou, EVP of Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation, who also executive produced “The Grinch” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
“Breaking the boundaries of animation is such a great topic to speak about because it’s a very exciting time in animation,” she notes.
“[‘Spider-Man: Across the] Spider-Verse’ was the beginning of a new wave in animation. It gave us the freedom to move away from conventional realism and into bold and abstract expressions of realities.
The panel has been organised with Nickelodeon as its official partner.
On Tuesday June13, Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge will encourage his guests to wonder about the future of the art form, starting with Latifa Ouaou, EVP of Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation, who also executive produced “The Grinch” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
“Breaking the boundaries of animation is such a great topic to speak about because it’s a very exciting time in animation,” she notes.
“[‘Spider-Man: Across the] Spider-Verse’ was the beginning of a new wave in animation. It gave us the freedom to move away from conventional realism and into bold and abstract expressions of realities.
- 6/11/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The Irish animation industry has become increasingly robust over the last 10 years, despite the pandemic and other challenges thrown at the entertainment business. It reflects an overall passion in the country for animation and storytelling as well as a commitment by the Irish government to support the business through economic incentives.
Much of those incentives have come through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 1998 by the Industrial Development Act, Enterprise Ireland is a state-sponsored economic development agency that works with Irish businesses to help them grow and develop. It’s been instrumental in working with the Irish animation industry, helping shops grow through a series of loans, grants and other initiatives.
This has made it possible for studios like Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, which has made some of the most notable 2D animated films recently released such as “The Secret of Kells” and “Wolfwalkers,” to create the kind of hand-crafted animation used to...
Much of those incentives have come through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 1998 by the Industrial Development Act, Enterprise Ireland is a state-sponsored economic development agency that works with Irish businesses to help them grow and develop. It’s been instrumental in working with the Irish animation industry, helping shops grow through a series of loans, grants and other initiatives.
This has made it possible for studios like Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, which has made some of the most notable 2D animated films recently released such as “The Secret of Kells” and “Wolfwalkers,” to create the kind of hand-crafted animation used to...
- 6/9/2023
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
When Lucasfilm first approached acclaimed 2D Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon to be part of the global expansion for “Volume 2” of the Emmy-nominated “Star Wars: Visions” anthology (currently streaming on Disney+), little did they realize that CEO and co-founder Paul Young was already thinking about directing his first film — and sci-fi at that.
All Young needed was a little encouragement from his Cartoon Saloon co-founders and Oscar-nominated directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) to say yes. The result is the 13-minute “Screecher’s Reach.” A comfortable fit for Cartoon Saloon, the short draws on its familiar folktale sensibility and hand-drawn prowess with a surprisingly dark and subversive twist.
It’s about a young girl named Daal (Eva Whitaker) who seeks adventure beyond the bleakness of her rural workhouse existence by exploring the titular haunted cave with her friends, where she encounters the legendary shrieking ghost. The frightening, hallucinatory...
All Young needed was a little encouragement from his Cartoon Saloon co-founders and Oscar-nominated directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) to say yes. The result is the 13-minute “Screecher’s Reach.” A comfortable fit for Cartoon Saloon, the short draws on its familiar folktale sensibility and hand-drawn prowess with a surprisingly dark and subversive twist.
It’s about a young girl named Daal (Eva Whitaker) who seeks adventure beyond the bleakness of her rural workhouse existence by exploring the titular haunted cave with her friends, where she encounters the legendary shrieking ghost. The frightening, hallucinatory...
- 5/5/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Gkids has snapped up North American rights to Toei Animation’s film The First Slam Dunk, an adaptation of the hugely popular Takehiko Inoue manga, which Inoue wrote and directed for the screen. The film which has already proven a smash hit in other territories, grossing over $212M globally, will hit theaters in the U.S. and Canada in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English-language dub later this summer.
Marking Inoue’s directorial debut, The First Slam Dunk follows Shohoku High School’s “speedster” point guard, Ryota Miyagi, who always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. And following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school,...
Marking Inoue’s directorial debut, The First Slam Dunk follows Shohoku High School’s “speedster” point guard, Ryota Miyagi, who always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. And following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school,...
- 5/1/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Anime legends, producer Masao Maruyama and director Gisaburō Sugii, as well as U.S. animation producer and distributor Gkids, have joined global multimedia company N Lite and N Lite Japan to produce “Mfinda,” a first Afro-anime film which will be the subject of an in-depth first look at June’s Annecy Int’l Animation Film Festival.
Selected amongst the pitches this year at Annecy’s MIFA market in the feature film category, the N Lite original was created by Congolese-American artist Patience Lekien and Christiano Terry, founder-ceo of N Lite.
“Mfinda” follows a 12-year-old Congolese girl who is taken to the mfinda, a primordial forest teeming with spirits, gods and ancestors. There she meets up with another young girl from a different time and together they set out to find the magical Nkisi, vessels that hold ancestral spirits as well as empowering materials or medicines, that will help her find her way home.
Selected amongst the pitches this year at Annecy’s MIFA market in the feature film category, the N Lite original was created by Congolese-American artist Patience Lekien and Christiano Terry, founder-ceo of N Lite.
“Mfinda” follows a 12-year-old Congolese girl who is taken to the mfinda, a primordial forest teeming with spirits, gods and ancestors. There she meets up with another young girl from a different time and together they set out to find the magical Nkisi, vessels that hold ancestral spirits as well as empowering materials or medicines, that will help her find her way home.
- 4/28/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Gkids has snapped up North American rights to Keiichi Hara’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror, after serving as the distributor in the territory for his past animated features Summer Days with Coo and Miss Hokusai. The film based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura, featuring animation from A-1 Pictures, is slated for a theatrical release in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English dub this summer.
Reuniting Hara with collaborators including screenwriter Miho Maruo, composer Harumi Fuuki and artist Ilya Kuvshinov, Lonely Castle in the Mirror follows shy outcast Kokoro, who has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. And when a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game,...
Reuniting Hara with collaborators including screenwriter Miho Maruo, composer Harumi Fuuki and artist Ilya Kuvshinov, Lonely Castle in the Mirror follows shy outcast Kokoro, who has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. And when a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Cartoon Movie, the European animation sector’s flagship co-production and pitch forum, closed out its 25th edition besting pre-pandemic attendance numbers, welcoming just below 900 industry participant and noting a 40% increase in buyers. Overall, 58 feature projects were presented (and 16 countries encompassed), and — in a testament to France’s robust animation ecosystem — Gallic outfits had a hand in nearly half of them. The forum also reflected the enduring strength of the family market, with 59% of all projects aimed at that demographic.
Here are four takeaways from this year’s session, which ran from March 7 – 9 in Bordeaux.
A Marquee Event
No film drew greater buzz than “Julián” (pictured above). Led by Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and listing Sun Creature (Denmark), Folivari (France), Aircraft Pictures (Canada) and Wychwood Media (U.K.) as co-producers, the family title benefits from the accrued pedigree of titles like “Flee,” “The Breadwinner” and “Ernest and Celestine.” Throw in Wychwood...
Here are four takeaways from this year’s session, which ran from March 7 – 9 in Bordeaux.
A Marquee Event
No film drew greater buzz than “Julián” (pictured above). Led by Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and listing Sun Creature (Denmark), Folivari (France), Aircraft Pictures (Canada) and Wychwood Media (U.K.) as co-producers, the family title benefits from the accrued pedigree of titles like “Flee,” “The Breadwinner” and “Ernest and Celestine.” Throw in Wychwood...
- 3/14/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Gkids has snapped up U.S. rights to Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia — the sequel to the acclaimed Ernest & Celestine, which landed a Best Animated Feature Oscar nom in 2014. The decorated producer and distributor of animation, celebrating its 15th anniversary, will put both the original French-language version of Gibberitia and a new English dub in theaters this year.
Related Story Laura Linney Comedy ‘The Miracle Club’ Acquired By Sony Pictures Classics Related Story 'Inu-Oh' Director Masaaki Yuasa On Exploring Undocumented Possibilities For A "Modern Interpretation Of Old Tales" Related Story As The Best Animated Feature Competition Heats Up, Can Netflix Or Another Newcomer Bring Home The Oscar?
Both Ernest & Celestine films are based on the children’s book series by Belgian author-illustrator Gabrielle Vincent. The original helmed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner examines the unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest (Lambert Wilson...
Related Story Laura Linney Comedy ‘The Miracle Club’ Acquired By Sony Pictures Classics Related Story 'Inu-Oh' Director Masaaki Yuasa On Exploring Undocumented Possibilities For A "Modern Interpretation Of Old Tales" Related Story As The Best Animated Feature Competition Heats Up, Can Netflix Or Another Newcomer Bring Home The Oscar?
Both Ernest & Celestine films are based on the children’s book series by Belgian author-illustrator Gabrielle Vincent. The original helmed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner examines the unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest (Lambert Wilson...
- 3/2/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Horror delights, rom-coms and a new sci-fi series starring Christoph Waltz are just a few of the highlights arriving on Amazon Prime Video in February. This month sees the debut of the second and final season of “Carnival Row” on Feb. 17, while Feb. 24 is when “The Consultant” – a “Severance”-like thriller series starring Waltz and directed by “WandaVision’s” Matt Shakman – drops.
In terms of new original Prime Video movies, on Feb. 10 there’s “Somebody I Used to Know,” a romantic comedy starring Alison Brie who co-wrote the script with her husband Dave Franco (who serves as director).
And you’ll find last year’s buzzy horror hit “Smile” on the streaming service on Feb. 21, while “Mad Max: Fury Road” filmmaker George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” arrives on Feb. 17.
That’s not to mention noteworthy library additions like “A.I.,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Almost Famous.
In terms of new original Prime Video movies, on Feb. 10 there’s “Somebody I Used to Know,” a romantic comedy starring Alison Brie who co-wrote the script with her husband Dave Franco (who serves as director).
And you’ll find last year’s buzzy horror hit “Smile” on the streaming service on Feb. 21, while “Mad Max: Fury Road” filmmaker George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” arrives on Feb. 17.
That’s not to mention noteworthy library additions like “A.I.,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Almost Famous.
- 2/17/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Sales
Chris O’Dowd (“Puffin Rock”), Amy Huberman (“Derry Girls”), Beth McCafferty and Eva Whittaker (“Wolfwalkers”) lead the voice cast of “Puffin Rock and the New Friends,” the film based on the TV series “Puffin Rock.”
Following their collaboration on Oscar nominees “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner,” WestEnd Films is teaming again with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears on the film and is launching sales at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), where first footage will be shown to buyers.
“Puffin Rock and the New Friends” sees Oona, Baba, May and Mossy joined by a new characters Isabelle, Phoenix and Marvin. When the last Little Egg of the season disappears under mysterious circumstances, Oona and her new friends race against time to bring the Little Egg home before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the entire island in danger.
The film...
Chris O’Dowd (“Puffin Rock”), Amy Huberman (“Derry Girls”), Beth McCafferty and Eva Whittaker (“Wolfwalkers”) lead the voice cast of “Puffin Rock and the New Friends,” the film based on the TV series “Puffin Rock.”
Following their collaboration on Oscar nominees “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner,” WestEnd Films is teaming again with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears on the film and is launching sales at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), where first footage will be shown to buyers.
“Puffin Rock and the New Friends” sees Oona, Baba, May and Mossy joined by a new characters Isabelle, Phoenix and Marvin. When the last Little Egg of the season disappears under mysterious circumstances, Oona and her new friends race against time to bring the Little Egg home before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the entire island in danger.
The film...
- 2/13/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Today, Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series “Star Wars: Visions” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. Following on the Emmy Award®-nominated success of “Star Wars: Visions,” the newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from 9 studios from around the globe. Employing the most captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.
Title Treatment Available Here: https://wdsprod.box.com/s/iu695c3glvbmhije79ik0zudas4rcqm0
The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s...
Title Treatment Available Here: https://wdsprod.box.com/s/iu695c3glvbmhije79ik0zudas4rcqm0
The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s...
- 2/4/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
The animated world of “Star Wars” is growing.
On Thursday, Disney+ announced “Star Wars: Visions” volume 2 will debut on Star Wars Day, May 4, and shared the incredible lineup of animated shorts in store for fans.
Read More: Christian Bale Still Wants To Do A ‘Star Wars’ Movie: ‘What A Delight That Would Be’
Films for volume 2 are being produced by acclaimed filmmakers and studios from around the world, including Aardman, best known for the “Wallace & Gromit” series, as well as Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, South Africa’s Triggerfish, Japan’s D’art Shtajio, India’s 88 Pictures and more.
“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” said James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer.
“We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today.
On Thursday, Disney+ announced “Star Wars: Visions” volume 2 will debut on Star Wars Day, May 4, and shared the incredible lineup of animated shorts in store for fans.
Read More: Christian Bale Still Wants To Do A ‘Star Wars’ Movie: ‘What A Delight That Would Be’
Films for volume 2 are being produced by acclaimed filmmakers and studios from around the world, including Aardman, best known for the “Wallace & Gromit” series, as well as Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, South Africa’s Triggerfish, Japan’s D’art Shtajio, India’s 88 Pictures and more.
“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” said James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer.
“We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today.
- 2/2/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Ready your lightsabers because Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced the release date, animation studios, filmmakers, and episode descriptions for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2! The animated anthology will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. The newest volume presents a masterclass in animation, with stories prepped to push the boundaries of Star Wars storytelling and more shorts from nine studios around the globe. Featuring animation styles inspired by various countries and cultures, Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 takes the beloved franchise beyond the stars and back again.
Per the official press release for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2:
The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.
Per the official press release for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2:
The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.
- 2/2/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
February is the shortest month of the year but Prime Video is paying that no mind with its jam-packed list of new releases for February 2023.
This really is an uncommonly stuffed month on the Amazon streamer and it all starts with a handful of Amazon Originals. Amazon’s original offerings kick off with the release of Dave Franco-directed romcom Somebody I Used to Know on Feb. 10. That is followed by Carnival Row season 2 – a gritty fantasy crime drama is set in a world of steampunky fairies. The show stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne and this batch of episodes will be its swan song. Meanwhile The Consultant on Feb. 24 is a dark comedy workplace thriller starring Christoph Waltz.
The biggest hits this month, however, might just be some recent cinema faves. If February is for lovers, Amazon didn’t get the memo as there are quite a few horror movies of note here.
This really is an uncommonly stuffed month on the Amazon streamer and it all starts with a handful of Amazon Originals. Amazon’s original offerings kick off with the release of Dave Franco-directed romcom Somebody I Used to Know on Feb. 10. That is followed by Carnival Row season 2 – a gritty fantasy crime drama is set in a world of steampunky fairies. The show stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne and this batch of episodes will be its swan song. Meanwhile The Consultant on Feb. 24 is a dark comedy workplace thriller starring Christoph Waltz.
The biggest hits this month, however, might just be some recent cinema faves. If February is for lovers, Amazon didn’t get the memo as there are quite a few horror movies of note here.
- 2/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Photo: Annie Awards 2023
To honor creators of animated Cinema, the International Animation Society presents the Annie Awards, the award show created to give the best-animated projects of the season with an award granted by Asifa-Hollywood (the Los Angeles division of the International Animation Society). Originating in 1972, the Annie Awards will see its 50th award show in February of 2023. Annie Awards 2023 Best Feature ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio’ leads the Annie Awards nominations with nine nominations, including a nomination for Best Feature. The dark and twisted take on the century-old tale received critical acclaim and many awards for Guillermo and Netflix including a Golden Globe for Animated Feature, so it acts as a front-runner in the Best Feature category. Alongside ‘Pinocchio’, Disney and Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’, ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ from DreamWorks Animation, Netflix’s ‘The Sea Beast’, and Netflix, A Monkeypaw Production, and A Gotham Group Production...
To honor creators of animated Cinema, the International Animation Society presents the Annie Awards, the award show created to give the best-animated projects of the season with an award granted by Asifa-Hollywood (the Los Angeles division of the International Animation Society). Originating in 1972, the Annie Awards will see its 50th award show in February of 2023. Annie Awards 2023 Best Feature ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio’ leads the Annie Awards nominations with nine nominations, including a nomination for Best Feature. The dark and twisted take on the century-old tale received critical acclaim and many awards for Guillermo and Netflix including a Golden Globe for Animated Feature, so it acts as a front-runner in the Best Feature category. Alongside ‘Pinocchio’, Disney and Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’, ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ from DreamWorks Animation, Netflix’s ‘The Sea Beast’, and Netflix, A Monkeypaw Production, and A Gotham Group Production...
- 1/27/2023
- by Nino Vongphachanh
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Gkids has acquired North American rights to Unicorn Wars — the latest genre-bending animated feature from Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning director Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) — ahead of its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest. The horror-comedy will be released in theaters by Gkids in early 2023, following its domestic release in Spain this fall.
Billed as Bambi meets Apocalypse Now, Unicorn Wars‘ logline is as follows:
For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.
Billed as Bambi meets Apocalypse Now, Unicorn Wars‘ logline is as follows:
For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.
- 9/15/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Corus Entertainment has struck an overall deal with U.K.-Canadian production company Dominion of Drama, and appointed its founder Jeff Norton as the head of its new imprint, Waterside Studios.
Waterside Studios is positioned as a new IP and production venture focused on premium scripted Canadian content for youth and primetime audiences. The outfit will cater to the Canadian as well as international marketplace.
Norton most recently served as a consultant for Corus, and previously as executive producer of “Trucktown” for production company Nelvana. He also co-wrote the novel “Keeping the Beat,” which was one of the launch titles for Kids Can Press’ young adult Kcp Loft imprint.
Colin Bohm, executive VP of content and corporate strategy for Corus Entertainment, said: “Jeff’s creativity, business acumen and international focus will help propel our content ownership strategy as we pursue production and distribution opportunities for Corus’ best-in-class creative content.”
The...
Waterside Studios is positioned as a new IP and production venture focused on premium scripted Canadian content for youth and primetime audiences. The outfit will cater to the Canadian as well as international marketplace.
Norton most recently served as a consultant for Corus, and previously as executive producer of “Trucktown” for production company Nelvana. He also co-wrote the novel “Keeping the Beat,” which was one of the launch titles for Kids Can Press’ young adult Kcp Loft imprint.
Colin Bohm, executive VP of content and corporate strategy for Corus Entertainment, said: “Jeff’s creativity, business acumen and international focus will help propel our content ownership strategy as we pursue production and distribution opportunities for Corus’ best-in-class creative content.”
The...
- 9/13/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Aircraft Pictures is teaming up with Dolphin Entertainment to produce a new feature adaptation of the 1986 sports drama, Youngblood, with rising filmmaker Charles Officer (Akilla’s Escape) on board to direct. The film is slated to begin principal photography in early 2023.
Youngblood follows hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who joins the Hamilton Bulldogs and discovers he must face off against toxic behavior on the ice and within himself, to fulfill his dream of being drafted into the National Hockey League. The original film, distributed by MGM, starred Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in his feature debut, and has since become a cult classic among hockey fans.
Josh Epstein & Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron and Officer penned the script for the new film, which will be distributed in Canada by Photon Films — being made with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, as well as Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
Youngblood follows hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who joins the Hamilton Bulldogs and discovers he must face off against toxic behavior on the ice and within himself, to fulfill his dream of being drafted into the National Hockey League. The original film, distributed by MGM, starred Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in his feature debut, and has since become a cult classic among hockey fans.
Josh Epstein & Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron and Officer penned the script for the new film, which will be distributed in Canada by Photon Films — being made with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, as well as Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
- 9/7/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express has announced the line-up of world premieres for this year’s festival.
In addition to the previously announced opening night gala, the rousing big screen adaptation of the smash-hit, Olivier-winning stage musical Roald Dahl’S Matilda The Musical, the festival will also launch dazzling stop-motion animation Guillermo Del Toro’S Pinocchio as well as Creature, a new collaboration between acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar-winner, Asif Kapadia, and My Father’S Dragon, family animation from Award-winning Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
The series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen. Lff’s Series Special Presentation in 2022 will be the World Premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a sweeping tale of romance and revenge from award-winning television auteur Hugo Blick.
In addition to the previously announced opening night gala, the rousing big screen adaptation of the smash-hit, Olivier-winning stage musical Roald Dahl’S Matilda The Musical, the festival will also launch dazzling stop-motion animation Guillermo Del Toro’S Pinocchio as well as Creature, a new collaboration between acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar-winner, Asif Kapadia, and My Father’S Dragon, family animation from Award-winning Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
The series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen. Lff’s Series Special Presentation in 2022 will be the World Premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a sweeping tale of romance and revenge from award-winning television auteur Hugo Blick.
- 8/31/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Click here to read the full article.
The 66th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of world premieres at this year’s edition, including Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix stop-motion animation film Pinocchio.
The fest will also mark the debut of Creature, a collaboration between choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar winner Asif Kapadia, as well as family animation My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, The Song of the Sea).
The London festival’s series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has “a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen,” organizers said. They unveiled a “series special presentation” as the world premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a tale of romance and revenge from television auteur Hugo Blick (An Honourable Woman, Black Earth Rising). Also premiering in the section are comedy-drama Mammals,...
The 66th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of world premieres at this year’s edition, including Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix stop-motion animation film Pinocchio.
The fest will also mark the debut of Creature, a collaboration between choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar winner Asif Kapadia, as well as family animation My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, The Song of the Sea).
The London festival’s series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has “a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen,” organizers said. They unveiled a “series special presentation” as the world premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a tale of romance and revenge from television auteur Hugo Blick (An Honourable Woman, Black Earth Rising). Also premiering in the section are comedy-drama Mammals,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
22 films will have their world premiere at the festival.
Stop-motion animation Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Asif Kapadia’s Creature are among the 22 features having their world premiere at the 66th BFI London Film Festival.
Scroll down for full line-up
Pinocchio is directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, and produced by del Toro, Lisa Henson (Jim Henson Company), Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico (Shadow Machine).
The ensemble voice cast includes Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Waltz, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, and newcomer Gregory Mann.
Creature,...
Stop-motion animation Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Asif Kapadia’s Creature are among the 22 features having their world premiere at the 66th BFI London Film Festival.
Scroll down for full line-up
Pinocchio is directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, and produced by del Toro, Lisa Henson (Jim Henson Company), Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico (Shadow Machine).
The ensemble voice cast includes Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Waltz, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, and newcomer Gregory Mann.
Creature,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Gkids has acquired North American rights to New Gods: Yang Jian, the latest feature from renowned Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation. The producer and distributor of award-winning animated features has slated Yang Jian for theatrical release in both its original Mandarin-language form and an all-new English language dub early next year. The deal marks the latest collaboration between Gkids and Light Chaser Animation, following the former’s local distribution of the 2019 feature White Snake.
Helmed by Ji Zhao, New Gods: Yang Jian is the second installment of the studio’s New Gods series of animated action-fantasy epics inspired by Chinese mythological figures, following the 2021 feature New Gods: Nezha Reborn, also directed by Zhao. It picks up 13 years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, with the once powerful god now scraping by as a penniless bounty hunter.
Helmed by Ji Zhao, New Gods: Yang Jian is the second installment of the studio’s New Gods series of animated action-fantasy epics inspired by Chinese mythological figures, following the 2021 feature New Gods: Nezha Reborn, also directed by Zhao. It picks up 13 years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, with the once powerful god now scraping by as a penniless bounty hunter.
- 8/25/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Gkids today announced that its upcoming animated feature The Deer King, from directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, will hit theaters nationwide in July. Fan preview events of the Japanese-language version will be put on in cinemas nationwide on July 13th, in partnership with Fathom Events, with previews of the English-language version to take place the following day.
In addition to the full feature, preview audiences will view a special introduction from Ando, exclusive to the Fathom Events screenings. These events will be followed by a limited theatrical release in select markets nationwide starting July 15th.
The Deer King is a fantasy epic marking the directorial debut of veteran animator Ando, whose work on such landmark films as Spirited Away, Paprika and Your Name helped shape the world of modern animation. It’s set in the aftermath of a brutal war and follows former soldier Van, who toils in a...
In addition to the full feature, preview audiences will view a special introduction from Ando, exclusive to the Fathom Events screenings. These events will be followed by a limited theatrical release in select markets nationwide starting July 15th.
The Deer King is a fantasy epic marking the directorial debut of veteran animator Ando, whose work on such landmark films as Spirited Away, Paprika and Your Name helped shape the world of modern animation. It’s set in the aftermath of a brutal war and follows former soldier Van, who toils in a...
- 5/10/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has unveiled the voice cast for its upcoming animated film “My Father’s Dragon,” which is the next feature from the award-winning studio behind “Wolfwalkers” and “The Secret of Kells” Cartoon Saloon.
Jacob Tremblay will lead a voice cast that also includes Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) is directing “My Father’s Dragon” based on Ruth Stiles Gannett’s Newbery Award winning book of the same name. Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”) wrote the screenplay based on a screen story by LeFauve and John Morgan. “My Father’s Dragon” is the fifth animated feature for the animation studio based out of Kilkenny, Ireland.
“My Father’s Dragon” is the story of a boy who,...
Jacob Tremblay will lead a voice cast that also includes Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) is directing “My Father’s Dragon” based on Ruth Stiles Gannett’s Newbery Award winning book of the same name. Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”) wrote the screenplay based on a screen story by LeFauve and John Morgan. “My Father’s Dragon” is the fifth animated feature for the animation studio based out of Kilkenny, Ireland.
“My Father’s Dragon” is the story of a boy who,...
- 4/20/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Nora Twomey directs the animation, with Netflix releasing.
Room star Jacob Tremblay and Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo are to voice Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon.
Further English-language voice cast includes Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
It is Twomey’s first outing as director since 2017 animation The Breadwinner, with a screenplay by Inside Out writer Meg LeFauve.
Bonnie Curtis and...
Room star Jacob Tremblay and Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo are to voice Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon.
Further English-language voice cast includes Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
It is Twomey’s first outing as director since 2017 animation The Breadwinner, with a screenplay by Inside Out writer Meg LeFauve.
Bonnie Curtis and...
- 4/20/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has unveiled a first-look image (below) from upcoming animated feature “My Father’s Dragon,” which features Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo and a host of bold-face names.
Based on the book of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett, “My Father’s Dragon” tells the story of Elmer, a young boy who struggles to cope after moving to the city with his mother. One day he runs away to try and find Wild Island, home to a young dragon awaiting rescue. Elmer must navigate ferocious beasts and a mysterious island as he embarks on the friendship of a lifetime.
Tremblay will play Elmer while Matarazzo voices the dragon.
Joining Tremblay and Matarazzo in the film are an all-star cast including Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack...
Based on the book of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett, “My Father’s Dragon” tells the story of Elmer, a young boy who struggles to cope after moving to the city with his mother. One day he runs away to try and find Wild Island, home to a young dragon awaiting rescue. Elmer must navigate ferocious beasts and a mysterious island as he embarks on the friendship of a lifetime.
Tremblay will play Elmer while Matarazzo voices the dragon.
Joining Tremblay and Matarazzo in the film are an all-star cast including Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack...
- 4/20/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has confirmed the full cast for its upcoming animation pic My Father’s Dragon.
Voicing the film will be: Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
The feature is inspired by the book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett and the screenplay has been written by Inside Out scribe Meg LeFauve from a story co-written with John Mogran. Directing is Nora Twomey, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, which was produced by Irish company Cartoon Saloon.
My Father’s Dragon is produced by Cartoon Saloon’s Paul Young, with Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures.
The story is as follows: Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother,...
Voicing the film will be: Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
The feature is inspired by the book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett and the screenplay has been written by Inside Out scribe Meg LeFauve from a story co-written with John Mogran. Directing is Nora Twomey, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, which was produced by Irish company Cartoon Saloon.
My Father’s Dragon is produced by Cartoon Saloon’s Paul Young, with Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures.
The story is as follows: Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother,...
- 4/20/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Deadline has the first exclusive track from Jeff Danna’s score for Julia, which is set for release tomorrow via Watertower Music.
HBO Max’s eight episode comedy series is inspired by Julia Child’s (Sarah Lancashire) extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history—the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the show is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic.
One of Danna’s main challenges in his work here was to develop a theme that could speak to both the culinary icon’s spirit, and the series’ “brilliant and warm showcase” of her early years on television.
HBO Max’s eight episode comedy series is inspired by Julia Child’s (Sarah Lancashire) extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history—the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the show is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic.
One of Danna’s main challenges in his work here was to develop a theme that could speak to both the culinary icon’s spirit, and the series’ “brilliant and warm showcase” of her early years on television.
- 3/31/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Scrapbook-style book series “The Popularity Papers” is getting the TV treatment.
Amy Ignatow’s award-winning middle-grade novels will be adapted for the screen by Corus Media-backed Aircraft Pictures, the Oscar-nominated producers behind “The Breadwinner,” and Emmy-nominated production company WexWorks Media.
The original book series, for which the first installment was selected as a top-10 title of 2011 by the American Library Association’s Rainbow Project and won the 2010 Gold Award from the National Parenting Publications Association, tells the story of two best friends, Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, who are on a mission to crack the popularity code and dismantle the social construct for middle-schoolers everywhere. Using the scientific method, the girls conduct social experiments on their peers with hilarious results.
The producers are at work on a single-camera, live-action comedy series (26 x 30′) that will air on youth-centric Canadian channel Ytv. On top of the financial participation of the Canada Film Fund,...
Amy Ignatow’s award-winning middle-grade novels will be adapted for the screen by Corus Media-backed Aircraft Pictures, the Oscar-nominated producers behind “The Breadwinner,” and Emmy-nominated production company WexWorks Media.
The original book series, for which the first installment was selected as a top-10 title of 2011 by the American Library Association’s Rainbow Project and won the 2010 Gold Award from the National Parenting Publications Association, tells the story of two best friends, Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, who are on a mission to crack the popularity code and dismantle the social construct for middle-schoolers everywhere. Using the scientific method, the girls conduct social experiments on their peers with hilarious results.
The producers are at work on a single-camera, live-action comedy series (26 x 30′) that will air on youth-centric Canadian channel Ytv. On top of the financial participation of the Canada Film Fund,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Canadian media giant Corus Entertainment has made a rare production investment, buying a majority stake in “The Breadwinner” and “Raising Expectations” producer Aircraft Pictures.
Founded in 2005 by Canadian producers Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, Aircraft was Oscar-nominated for 2017 animated feature “The Breadwinner,” about an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. However, it seems to be the company’s live-action capabilities that have been the primary draw for Corus, which has a well-established kids’ content portfolio of its own.
Aircraft is known for both animated and live-action scripted TV shows and movies for kids, families and young adults. Its slate includes Hulu original “Holly Hobbie”; the “Bruno & Boots” movie adaptations; and the comedy “Raising Expectations,” starring Jason Priestley and Molly Ringwald. Leo describes the deal as “two puzzle pieces coming together perfectly” for both companies.
Colin Bohm, executive VP of content and corporate strategy at Corus Entertainment, tells...
Founded in 2005 by Canadian producers Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, Aircraft was Oscar-nominated for 2017 animated feature “The Breadwinner,” about an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. However, it seems to be the company’s live-action capabilities that have been the primary draw for Corus, which has a well-established kids’ content portfolio of its own.
Aircraft is known for both animated and live-action scripted TV shows and movies for kids, families and young adults. Its slate includes Hulu original “Holly Hobbie”; the “Bruno & Boots” movie adaptations; and the comedy “Raising Expectations,” starring Jason Priestley and Molly Ringwald. Leo describes the deal as “two puzzle pieces coming together perfectly” for both companies.
Colin Bohm, executive VP of content and corporate strategy at Corus Entertainment, tells...
- 2/1/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Chace Crawford (The Boys), Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and newcomer Kylie McNeill will lead the English-language voice cast for Mamoru Hosoda’s Gkids awards contender Belle, which is scheduled for release alongside the original Japanese-language version in U.S. theaters (including select Imax screens) on January 14, with exclusive Imax previews in select markets beginning January 12.
Others lending their voices to the new dub include Paul Castro Jr., David Chen, Jessica Dicicco, Brandon Engman, Martha Harms, Jessica Gee George, Barbara Goodson, Bentley Griffin, Andrew Kishino, Wendee Lee, Ben Lepley, Noelle McGrath, Julie Nathanson, Aaron Phillips, Ellyn Stern, Frank Todaro, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Cristina Vee Valenzuela, Tom Bromhead, John Bentley, Tiana Camacho, SungWon Cho, Courtney Chu, Larissa Gallagher, Heather Gonzalez, Xanthe Huynh, Anjali Kunapaneni, LilyPichu, Kyle McCarley, Julie Nathanson, Zeno Robinson, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Sinterniklaas, Rachel Slotky and Laura Stahl.
Hosoda’s’s...
Others lending their voices to the new dub include Paul Castro Jr., David Chen, Jessica Dicicco, Brandon Engman, Martha Harms, Jessica Gee George, Barbara Goodson, Bentley Griffin, Andrew Kishino, Wendee Lee, Ben Lepley, Noelle McGrath, Julie Nathanson, Aaron Phillips, Ellyn Stern, Frank Todaro, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Cristina Vee Valenzuela, Tom Bromhead, John Bentley, Tiana Camacho, SungWon Cho, Courtney Chu, Larissa Gallagher, Heather Gonzalez, Xanthe Huynh, Anjali Kunapaneni, LilyPichu, Kyle McCarley, Julie Nathanson, Zeno Robinson, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Sinterniklaas, Rachel Slotky and Laura Stahl.
Hosoda’s’s...
- 12/9/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
With his father dead, 9-year-old Hewad has been prematurely thrust into the role of family breadwinner, hauling a produce-laden street cart through the center of Kabul all day for a pittance. It’s no life for a pre-teen boy, but Hewad endures it steadfastly, believing eventual movie stardom will be his reward. As played by first-timer Arafat Faiz in “When Pomegranates Howl,” you just about believe him. The non-professional actor’s quick grin and darting onscreen energy are the animating forces of Iranian-Australian filmmaker Granaz Moussavi’s conventional but effective heart-tugger, which filters the bone-weary experience of the Afghan population under wartime through Hewad’s hopeful perspective — only to undercut his optimism at key, cruel points.
This year’s Australian submission to the Oscar international feature race, “When Pomegranates Howl” recently screened at the Tokyo Film Festival, having already made some headway on the Australian fest circuit. Further festival play...
This year’s Australian submission to the Oscar international feature race, “When Pomegranates Howl” recently screened at the Tokyo Film Festival, having already made some headway on the Australian fest circuit. Further festival play...
- 11/10/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Toronto International Film Festival: The utilization of hand-drawn animation as preferred medium for artists to assimilate and explicate real-world chaos in recent years has produced gorgeously sensitive visions including Cartoon Saloon’s “The Breadwinner,” and just this year the animated documentary “Flee” and Ari Folman’s tenderly fantastical “Where is Anne Frank.”
Read More: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films
Realized with few flourishes of imagination but an undaunted resolve for dealing with human tragedy, “Charlotte,” by directors Tahir Rana and Éric Warin and based on a screenplay from writers Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis, joins the growing list of such mature animated projects with underlying social justice concerns.
Continue reading ‘Charlotte’: Animated Holocaust Drama Recounts The Tragic Life Of An Artist [Review] at The Playlist.
Read More: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films
Realized with few flourishes of imagination but an undaunted resolve for dealing with human tragedy, “Charlotte,” by directors Tahir Rana and Éric Warin and based on a screenplay from writers Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis, joins the growing list of such mature animated projects with underlying social justice concerns.
Continue reading ‘Charlotte’: Animated Holocaust Drama Recounts The Tragic Life Of An Artist [Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/21/2021
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Playlist
Gkids has nabbed North American rights to Takayuki Hirao’s indie anime pic Pompo the Cinephile, and will release both the original Japanese-language film (titled Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san) and a new English-language version in U.S. theaters early next year.
Hirao’s ode to filmmaking centers on Pompo, a talented and gutsy producer in the world’s movie-making capital, “Nyallywood.” Although she’s known for B-movies, Pompo one day tells her assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Pompo the Cinephile hails from the new animation studio, Clap. Its Japanese voice cast includes Hiroya Shimizu, Konomi Kohara, Ai Kakuma, Aiko Otsuka, and Rinka Ōtani. The film was an official selection of the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival and was released in Japan in June.
Hirao’s ode to filmmaking centers on Pompo, a talented and gutsy producer in the world’s movie-making capital, “Nyallywood.” Although she’s known for B-movies, Pompo one day tells her assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Pompo the Cinephile hails from the new animation studio, Clap. Its Japanese voice cast includes Hiroya Shimizu, Konomi Kohara, Ai Kakuma, Aiko Otsuka, and Rinka Ōtani. The film was an official selection of the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival and was released in Japan in June.
- 9/16/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon, who was murdered in Auschwitz at age 26, and her autobiographical masterwork “Life? or Theatre?,” which was created in a two-year burst in the early 1940s, are the subjects of “Charlotte,” a unique animated biopic drama that marks a career turning point for Toronto producer Julia Rosenberg.
Rosenberg first encountered “Life? or Theatre?” — which comprises hundreds of gouache paintings, a 32,000-word journey-of-an-artist tale filled with dark family secrets and numerous text overlays and music cues — as a bat mitzvah gift. She soon developed “a very possessive personal relationship” with the book. “It’s the book I would buy and give when I fell in love,” she said.
After a decade racking up producer credits on notable Canadian dramatic and documentary features, Rosenberg decided one morning in 2012 that an animated film should be made of Salomon’s life, and set about harnessing her passion and wide network to make it so.
Rosenberg first encountered “Life? or Theatre?” — which comprises hundreds of gouache paintings, a 32,000-word journey-of-an-artist tale filled with dark family secrets and numerous text overlays and music cues — as a bat mitzvah gift. She soon developed “a very possessive personal relationship” with the book. “It’s the book I would buy and give when I fell in love,” she said.
After a decade racking up producer credits on notable Canadian dramatic and documentary features, Rosenberg decided one morning in 2012 that an animated film should be made of Salomon’s life, and set about harnessing her passion and wide network to make it so.
- 9/13/2021
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
WestEnd Films is launching worldwide sales on crime drama “Rhino” from Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov, which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti section.
Produced by Denis Ivanov and Sentsov, the film centers on a young man nicknamed “Rhino,” who starts out as a petty thief before rising in the ranks of Ukraine’s criminal underworld in the 1990s. Rhino has only known power and cruelty, but with nothing left to lose, could he finally find a chance at redemption?
The film stars newcomer Serhii Filimonov as Rhino, alongside Yevhen Grigoriev and Alina Zievakova. Crew members include Academy Award-nominated director of photography Bogumił Godfrejów.
“Rhino” was awarded best project and best pitching at the Sofia Meetings, and production was originally planned for 2014. However, Oleh was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service in May 2014 and unlawfully sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, giving rise to a global campaign for his release.
Produced by Denis Ivanov and Sentsov, the film centers on a young man nicknamed “Rhino,” who starts out as a petty thief before rising in the ranks of Ukraine’s criminal underworld in the 1990s. Rhino has only known power and cruelty, but with nothing left to lose, could he finally find a chance at redemption?
The film stars newcomer Serhii Filimonov as Rhino, alongside Yevhen Grigoriev and Alina Zievakova. Crew members include Academy Award-nominated director of photography Bogumił Godfrejów.
“Rhino” was awarded best project and best pitching at the Sofia Meetings, and production was originally planned for 2014. However, Oleh was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service in May 2014 and unlawfully sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, giving rise to a global campaign for his release.
- 7/26/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
“Disposable,” “Ghost Bros” and “Olivia and the Shadows” feature among projects to be pitched from Monday June 14 at at an Ibero-American Animation Focus held at Annecy’s Mifa market and backed by Argentina’s Ventana Sur section Animation!, Spain’s Quirino Awards and Mexico’s Pixelatl festival.
Projects’ slate includes two features, two TV series and a short. In addition, Ventana Sur will this year unveil a special program Animation! Mentoring Program: Female Directors in Focus, which it has created
with the support of Argentina’s French Institute to highlight the work of five women directors.
La Liga projects describe a broad gamut, Animation! head Silvina Cornillon told Variety just before Annecy. Some are clearly auteurist – “Disposable,” “Bring On the Revolution” and “Where Is My Espresso” – while others have far larger commercial potential, such as “Olivia and the Shadows” and “Ghost Bros.” All, however, reflect the Latin DNA of their creators,...
Projects’ slate includes two features, two TV series and a short. In addition, Ventana Sur will this year unveil a special program Animation! Mentoring Program: Female Directors in Focus, which it has created
with the support of Argentina’s French Institute to highlight the work of five women directors.
La Liga projects describe a broad gamut, Animation! head Silvina Cornillon told Variety just before Annecy. Some are clearly auteurist – “Disposable,” “Bring On the Revolution” and “Where Is My Espresso” – while others have far larger commercial potential, such as “Olivia and the Shadows” and “Ghost Bros.” All, however, reflect the Latin DNA of their creators,...
- 6/14/2021
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Ziki Nelson, the writer, director and creator of Iwájú’, has signed with Newmation for management.
Based on an original concept from Nelson and his Pan-African entertainment company Kugali, Iwájú’ is the first ever African animated comic book series for Disney+. The upcoming series described by Disney as a “first of its kind collaboration” is set in neo-futuristic Lago. The sci-fi project, which is currently in production, will explore themes of class, innocence and challenging the status quo. It is scheduled to debut on the Disney+ streaming platform in 2022.
“I am so thrilled to welcome Ziki to Newmation,” said former CAA motion picture agent David Neumann, who launched the company last year. “Our clients span six continents and we pride ourselves on having global reach as a company. As a filmmaker from Lagos Nigeria, I think Ziki’s talent as a filmmaker is pioneering and his voice as a storyteller is universal.
Based on an original concept from Nelson and his Pan-African entertainment company Kugali, Iwájú’ is the first ever African animated comic book series for Disney+. The upcoming series described by Disney as a “first of its kind collaboration” is set in neo-futuristic Lago. The sci-fi project, which is currently in production, will explore themes of class, innocence and challenging the status quo. It is scheduled to debut on the Disney+ streaming platform in 2022.
“I am so thrilled to welcome Ziki to Newmation,” said former CAA motion picture agent David Neumann, who launched the company last year. “Our clients span six continents and we pride ourselves on having global reach as a company. As a filmmaker from Lagos Nigeria, I think Ziki’s talent as a filmmaker is pioneering and his voice as a storyteller is universal.
- 6/8/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Animated feature film “Lamya’s Poem” has its world premiere next week in competition at Annecy Film Festival. Variety speaks to the director, Alex Kronemer, and debuts the first clip from the film.
WestEnd Films, whose library includes Oscar-nominated animation titles such as “The Breadwinner” and “Song of the Sea,” is selling the film and will screen it during the Pre-Cannes Screenings, June 21-25. ICM Partners is handling North America sales.
The film centers on Lamya, a 12 year-old Syrian girl who becomes a refugee. One of her few belongings is a book of poetry by the 13th century poet Rumi. She finds a magical gateway through which she gets to meet Rumi when he was a boy, and helps him write the poem that 800 years later saves her life.
Rumi is voiced by Canadian actor Mena Massoud, who played the lead role in Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin,” directed by Guy Ritchie,...
WestEnd Films, whose library includes Oscar-nominated animation titles such as “The Breadwinner” and “Song of the Sea,” is selling the film and will screen it during the Pre-Cannes Screenings, June 21-25. ICM Partners is handling North America sales.
The film centers on Lamya, a 12 year-old Syrian girl who becomes a refugee. One of her few belongings is a book of poetry by the 13th century poet Rumi. She finds a magical gateway through which she gets to meet Rumi when he was a boy, and helps him write the poem that 800 years later saves her life.
Rumi is voiced by Canadian actor Mena Massoud, who played the lead role in Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin,” directed by Guy Ritchie,...
- 6/7/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Cartoon Saloon, the Oscar-nominated Irish independent animation studio behind Apple TV Plus’ “Wolfwalkers,” has signed with CAA.
Formed by creative heads Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young in 1999, the five-time Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated studio will now be represented by the agency.
“Wolfwalkers,” directed by Moore and Ross Stewart, is nominated for the best animated feature Oscar at Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards. The Apple original film was also nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe award.
Though the Oscar nod for “Wolfwalkers” was a historic first for Apple TV Plus, it marks Cartoon Saloon’s fourth best animated feature nomination. The indie studio has received Academy Award nods for each of their previous animated feature films, 2009’s “The Secret of Kells,” 2014’s “Song of the Sea” and 2017’s “The Breadwinner.” In 2019, the studio landed an Oscar nod in the best animated short category for “Late Afternoon.
Formed by creative heads Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young in 1999, the five-time Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated studio will now be represented by the agency.
“Wolfwalkers,” directed by Moore and Ross Stewart, is nominated for the best animated feature Oscar at Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards. The Apple original film was also nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe award.
Though the Oscar nod for “Wolfwalkers” was a historic first for Apple TV Plus, it marks Cartoon Saloon’s fourth best animated feature nomination. The indie studio has received Academy Award nods for each of their previous animated feature films, 2009’s “The Secret of Kells,” 2014’s “Song of the Sea” and 2017’s “The Breadwinner.” In 2019, the studio landed an Oscar nod in the best animated short category for “Late Afternoon.
- 4/23/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.