Exclusive: Paris-based Superprod Group has acquired top Luxembourgish animation companies Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions in a move that consolidates its position as one of Europe’s leading animation production groups.
Based in Contern in Southern Luxembourg, the sister companies were founded by Belgian producer Stéphan Roelants in the late 1990s.
Mélusine Productions develops, finances and manages the projects, while Studio 352, which has built up a local team of top-level artists and technicians, executes the work.
The sister companies have been involved in some of the most important animated feature films produced out of Europe in the past 27 years.
At the same time, they have also cemented Luxembourg’s position as an animation production hub, with strong support from the Luxembourg Film Fund.
Latest credits include Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s Michael Morpurgo-adaptation Kensuké’s Kingdom, which won Best Feature Film at the 2024 British Animation Awards in February.
Other...
Based in Contern in Southern Luxembourg, the sister companies were founded by Belgian producer Stéphan Roelants in the late 1990s.
Mélusine Productions develops, finances and manages the projects, while Studio 352, which has built up a local team of top-level artists and technicians, executes the work.
The sister companies have been involved in some of the most important animated feature films produced out of Europe in the past 27 years.
At the same time, they have also cemented Luxembourg’s position as an animation production hub, with strong support from the Luxembourg Film Fund.
Latest credits include Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s Michael Morpurgo-adaptation Kensuké’s Kingdom, which won Best Feature Film at the 2024 British Animation Awards in February.
Other...
- 4/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris-based Eurozoom – the independent outfit that has recently backed “Suzume,” “Four Souls of Coyote,” and “Fox and Hare Save the Forest,” among others – was named distributor of the year at the recently wrapped Cartoon Movie, which ran from March 5 – 7 in Bordeaux. “Mars Express” director Jérémie Périn and “Mavka, The Forest Song” studio Animagrad rounded out the winners, claiming respective honors for director and producer of the year.
All are familiar faces at the European animation sector’s largest co-production and pitch forum. “Mavka, The Forest Song” was presented in concept in 2017 and returned as an in development title the following year, while “Mars Express” presented in 2019, screened as a work-in-progress in 2022, then a sneak-peak last year before claiming the director accolades at this latest edition. And so, given Cartoon Movie’s fidelity to projects shepherded and nourished by the program, one can reasonably expect to the see the Eurimages co-pro...
All are familiar faces at the European animation sector’s largest co-production and pitch forum. “Mavka, The Forest Song” was presented in concept in 2017 and returned as an in development title the following year, while “Mars Express” presented in 2019, screened as a work-in-progress in 2022, then a sneak-peak last year before claiming the director accolades at this latest edition. And so, given Cartoon Movie’s fidelity to projects shepherded and nourished by the program, one can reasonably expect to the see the Eurimages co-pro...
- 3/8/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
French animation company Folivari is producing animated coming-of-age feature The Wild Inside with Patrick Imbert to direct.
Based on Jamey Bradbury’s novel of the same name, the film follows an Alaskan girl forced to confront her connection to nature and wild animals after her mother goes missing.
It marks Imbert’s third collaboration with Folivari following Cesar award-winner The Summit Of Gods and 2018 nominee The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales.
Folivari was founded in 2014 by Damien Brunner, Thibaut Ruby and Didier Brunner who previously produced the Oscar-nominated animations Ernest And Celestine and The Triplets Of Belleville.
The company...
Based on Jamey Bradbury’s novel of the same name, the film follows an Alaskan girl forced to confront her connection to nature and wild animals after her mother goes missing.
It marks Imbert’s third collaboration with Folivari following Cesar award-winner The Summit Of Gods and 2018 nominee The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales.
Folivari was founded in 2014 by Damien Brunner, Thibaut Ruby and Didier Brunner who previously produced the Oscar-nominated animations Ernest And Celestine and The Triplets Of Belleville.
The company...
- 3/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Feats of derring-do, bouts of inspiration and a hearty show of strength for Nordic animation are but three of many motifs underscoring this year’s Cartoon Movie, which runs over March 5 – 7 in Bordeaux.
For this year’s 26th edition, the European animation sector’s flagship co-production and pitch forum will spotlight 55 overall projects while welcoming north of 800 industry delegates, with many making inaugural visits.
Boasting 22 new studios and producers alongside representatives from 42 sales companies and 76 distributors, the sterling attendance sheet also reflects animated fare’s growing importance in sales lineups and in festival curation – a fact echoed by the programers from Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight now attending for the first time.
Nearly finished titles such as Kristina Dufková’s stop-motion teen toon “Living Large” and the Yuletide adventure “SuperKlaus” will screen as sneak-peaks, while Italian auteur Alessandro Rak (“Cinderella the Cat”) will present his latest project, “The Little Prince of Shangri-La,...
For this year’s 26th edition, the European animation sector’s flagship co-production and pitch forum will spotlight 55 overall projects while welcoming north of 800 industry delegates, with many making inaugural visits.
Boasting 22 new studios and producers alongside representatives from 42 sales companies and 76 distributors, the sterling attendance sheet also reflects animated fare’s growing importance in sales lineups and in festival curation – a fact echoed by the programers from Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight now attending for the first time.
Nearly finished titles such as Kristina Dufková’s stop-motion teen toon “Living Large” and the Yuletide adventure “SuperKlaus” will screen as sneak-peaks, while Italian auteur Alessandro Rak (“Cinderella the Cat”) will present his latest project, “The Little Prince of Shangri-La,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Illumination founder Chris Meledandri has confirmed he is working on new projects with Pharrell Williams and Pierre Coffin at the Annecy International Film Festival.
Both Meledandri and Williams talked briefly about the project after the artist made a surprise appearance at the festival to present the animation supremo with its Golden Ticket lifetime achievement award on Wednesday.
The pair have been friends ever since Williams wrote the soundtrack and theme song for Illumination’s first film Despicable Me.
Williams is currently in France putting the final touches to his first collection as creative director for Louis Vuitton, which will be unveiled as the opening show of Men’s Fashion Week in Paris on June 20.
Quizzed by Deadline for more details on the project in a brief one-on-one after the ceremony, Meledandri said it was too early to divulge anything more about the project.
“It’s too early to talk about.
Both Meledandri and Williams talked briefly about the project after the artist made a surprise appearance at the festival to present the animation supremo with its Golden Ticket lifetime achievement award on Wednesday.
The pair have been friends ever since Williams wrote the soundtrack and theme song for Illumination’s first film Despicable Me.
Williams is currently in France putting the final touches to his first collection as creative director for Louis Vuitton, which will be unveiled as the opening show of Men’s Fashion Week in Paris on June 20.
Quizzed by Deadline for more details on the project in a brief one-on-one after the ceremony, Meledandri said it was too early to divulge anything more about the project.
“It’s too early to talk about.
- 6/14/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Holidays loom, but don’t fear TBS marathons of A Christmas Story. If, like me, you once enacted some good and let studio classics stream on Criterion during family Christmas, you know the trip home will be easier with December’s additions. (People at Criterion: please don’t report me for logging into multiple devices.) As family arrives, drinks are downed, and questions about what you’ve been up to are stumbled through it’ll be nice to stream their “Screwball Comedy Classics” series—25 titles meeting some deep cuts (10 via Venmo if you’ve recently watched It Happens Every Spring).
Personally I’m most excited about the 11 movies in “Snow Westerns,” going as far back as The Secret of Convict Lake, as recently as Ravenous, with the likes of Wellman, Peckinpah, and Corbucci in-between. I personally cannot stand soccer but I appreciate the World Cup giving occasion for a series...
Personally I’m most excited about the 11 movies in “Snow Westerns,” going as far back as The Secret of Convict Lake, as recently as Ravenous, with the likes of Wellman, Peckinpah, and Corbucci in-between. I personally cannot stand soccer but I appreciate the World Cup giving occasion for a series...
- 11/22/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Upcoming animated features on the company’s slate include The Character Of Rain and Sheba.
France-based animation sales company Gebeka International, which was launched as a joint venture between Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and Gebeka Films last June, has hired Jason Bressand to pilot sales.
He reports to Wbi head of sales Eva Diederix and joins Wbi and Gebeka Films staffers Livia Van der Staay and Marion Delord who oversee acquisitions.
Bressand arrives from Paulo Branco’s Paris-based company Alfama Films, where he was head of international sales and festivals from 2018.
During his time there, he handled titles including German...
France-based animation sales company Gebeka International, which was launched as a joint venture between Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and Gebeka Films last June, has hired Jason Bressand to pilot sales.
He reports to Wbi head of sales Eva Diederix and joins Wbi and Gebeka Films staffers Livia Van der Staay and Marion Delord who oversee acquisitions.
Bressand arrives from Paulo Branco’s Paris-based company Alfama Films, where he was head of international sales and festivals from 2018.
During his time there, he handled titles including German...
- 4/6/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
This year’s ceremony was uncharacteristically devoid of controversy after politically-charged editions in 2020 and 2021.
Xavier Giannoli’s costume drama Lost Illusions was the big winner at the 47th Cesar awards of France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences on Friday evening (25), winning best film, adapted screenplay, costume and supporting actor among others.
The adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s19th-century novel premiered in competition at Venice last year. It was the frontrunner at the nomination stage, making it into 15 of the 24 César categories.
The other big winner of the evening was Leos Carax’s English-language musical Annette. Carax won best director,...
Xavier Giannoli’s costume drama Lost Illusions was the big winner at the 47th Cesar awards of France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences on Friday evening (25), winning best film, adapted screenplay, costume and supporting actor among others.
The adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s19th-century novel premiered in competition at Venice last year. It was the frontrunner at the nomination stage, making it into 15 of the 24 César categories.
The other big winner of the evening was Leos Carax’s English-language musical Annette. Carax won best director,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The 46th César Awards took place at L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix in Paris on Friday, February 25. The ceremony, France’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, honored the best in French cinema from 2021. The star-studded event also featured plenty of American talent, with the likes of Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett attending the ceremony. The show was hosted by French broadcaster Antoine de Caunes, marking his 10th time as emcee.
The night’s big winners were “Annette” and “Lost Illusions.” The former, a musical from director Leos Carax starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard and featuring music by Sparks, is a rock opera about a married couple whose lives change when they have a child, which is portrayed by a marionette puppet. Carax took home the trophy for Best Director, with Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks winning Best Original Score. The film also performed well in the crafts categories, winning Best Sound,...
The night’s big winners were “Annette” and “Lost Illusions.” The former, a musical from director Leos Carax starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard and featuring music by Sparks, is a rock opera about a married couple whose lives change when they have a child, which is portrayed by a marionette puppet. Carax took home the trophy for Best Director, with Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks winning Best Original Score. The film also performed well in the crafts categories, winning Best Sound,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Update, writethru: Xavier Giannoli’s Lost Illusions (Illusions Perdues) scooped the Best Film prize at France’s César Awards this evening in Paris. Along with the top honor, the period drama adapted from the Honoré de Balzac classic took a further six statues and was the overall biggest laureate of the evening. (Scroll down for the full list of winners.)
An absent Leos Carax was named Best Director for Annette, his musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard that opened the Cannes Film Festival last year — where Carax was also named Best Director — and which took a total five Césars tonight.
Lost Illusions and Annette led nominations coming into the evening, followed by Valérie Lemercier’s Céline Dion-inspired Aline which converted in the Best Actress category for Lemercier’s titular portrayal.
Cédric Jiminez’s Bac Nord (The Stronghold) was shut out across its seven nominations. A box office success at home,...
An absent Leos Carax was named Best Director for Annette, his musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard that opened the Cannes Film Festival last year — where Carax was also named Best Director — and which took a total five Césars tonight.
Lost Illusions and Annette led nominations coming into the evening, followed by Valérie Lemercier’s Céline Dion-inspired Aline which converted in the Best Actress category for Lemercier’s titular portrayal.
Cédric Jiminez’s Bac Nord (The Stronghold) was shut out across its seven nominations. A box office success at home,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
This story about “The Summit of the Gods” first appeared in the special animation section in the Awards Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Based on the manga by Jirô Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura, the breathtaking French-language animated feature “The Summit of the Gods” searches for meaning at inhospitable heights. The drama set in the 1990s chronicles two quests, one of headstrong climber Habu (voiced by Eric Herson-Macarel) bent on conquering Mount Everest alone, and one involving photojournalist Fukamachi (Damien Boisseau) seeking grandeur by potentially finding a camera that belonged to George Mallory, the real-life mountaineer who disappeared in 1953 while attempting to climb the same peak. Inevitably, their paths overlap.
Director Patrick Imbert wasn’t familiar with the material until renowned producers Damien Brunner and Didier Brunner at Folivari approached him. He immediately appreciated the story’s potential for animation and began sorting through the passages to adapt it...
Based on the manga by Jirô Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura, the breathtaking French-language animated feature “The Summit of the Gods” searches for meaning at inhospitable heights. The drama set in the 1990s chronicles two quests, one of headstrong climber Habu (voiced by Eric Herson-Macarel) bent on conquering Mount Everest alone, and one involving photojournalist Fukamachi (Damien Boisseau) seeking grandeur by potentially finding a camera that belonged to George Mallory, the real-life mountaineer who disappeared in 1953 while attempting to climb the same peak. Inevitably, their paths overlap.
Director Patrick Imbert wasn’t familiar with the material until renowned producers Damien Brunner and Didier Brunner at Folivari approached him. He immediately appreciated the story’s potential for animation and began sorting through the passages to adapt it...
- 1/26/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
It’s all “Happening.”
France’s Lumière Awards proved a colossal evening for Audrey Diwan’s festival favorite “Happening,” which took home both best film and best actress wins on Jan. 17. The abortion drama previously won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was later acquired by IFC Films.
Set in 1963 France, “Happening” focuses on a promising young student (Anamaria Vartolome) who risks prison to terminate an unwanted pregnancy that threatens her academic future. Venice Film Festival jury president Bong Joon Ho deemed the Golden Lion win for the film an “unanimous decision” among voters.
“Happening” beat out Leos Carax’s “Annette,” Emmanuelle Bercot’s “Living,” Xavier Giannoli’s “Lost Illusions,” and Arthur Harari’s “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” to win Best Film at the Lumière Awards, which are selected by France-based members of the foreign press.
Carax won best director for musical drama “Annette,” starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver.
France’s Lumière Awards proved a colossal evening for Audrey Diwan’s festival favorite “Happening,” which took home both best film and best actress wins on Jan. 17. The abortion drama previously won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was later acquired by IFC Films.
Set in 1963 France, “Happening” focuses on a promising young student (Anamaria Vartolome) who risks prison to terminate an unwanted pregnancy that threatens her academic future. Venice Film Festival jury president Bong Joon Ho deemed the Golden Lion win for the film an “unanimous decision” among voters.
“Happening” beat out Leos Carax’s “Annette,” Emmanuelle Bercot’s “Living,” Xavier Giannoli’s “Lost Illusions,” and Arthur Harari’s “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” to win Best Film at the Lumière Awards, which are selected by France-based members of the foreign press.
Carax won best director for musical drama “Annette,” starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver.
- 1/18/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Audrey Diwan’s “Happening” won best film and actress for Anamaria Vartolome at France’s Lumière Awards on Monday evening.
“Happening,” which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was acquired by IFC Films, beat out Leos Carax’s “Annette,” Emmanuelle Bercot’s “Living,” Xavier Giannoli’s “Lost Illusions” and Arthur Harari’s “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle.”
Julia Ducournau’s Cannes’ Palme d’Or winning “Titane” was surprisingly snubbed from the best film and director categories. The daring movie won the female newcomer prize which was picked up by Agathe Rousselle. The Lumiere Awards are meant to be selected by France-based members of the foreign press, as are the Golden Globes.
Carax, meanwhile, won best director with “Annette,” a musical drama with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver. The movie also won best cinematography for Caroline Champetier and best music for Sparks. “Annette” previously earned Carax...
“Happening,” which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was acquired by IFC Films, beat out Leos Carax’s “Annette,” Emmanuelle Bercot’s “Living,” Xavier Giannoli’s “Lost Illusions” and Arthur Harari’s “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle.”
Julia Ducournau’s Cannes’ Palme d’Or winning “Titane” was surprisingly snubbed from the best film and director categories. The daring movie won the female newcomer prize which was picked up by Agathe Rousselle. The Lumiere Awards are meant to be selected by France-based members of the foreign press, as are the Golden Globes.
Carax, meanwhile, won best director with “Annette,” a musical drama with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver. The movie also won best cinematography for Caroline Champetier and best music for Sparks. “Annette” previously earned Carax...
- 1/18/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Venice Golden Lion winner Happening won best film and best actress prizes
Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening won best film at the 27th edition of France’s Lumière Awards on Monday evening, while its star Anamaria Vartolomei was awarded the best actress prize.
Adapted from French writer Annie Ernaux’s 2019 semi-autobiographical work, Happening recounts a gifted literature student’s struggle to get an abortion in 1964, 11 years before abortion was legalised in France in 1975.
It marks a first lead role for Vartolomei, whose previous credits include How To Be A Good Wife and The Royal Exchange. Vartolomei is...
Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening won best film at the 27th edition of France’s Lumière Awards on Monday evening, while its star Anamaria Vartolomei was awarded the best actress prize.
Adapted from French writer Annie Ernaux’s 2019 semi-autobiographical work, Happening recounts a gifted literature student’s struggle to get an abortion in 1964, 11 years before abortion was legalised in France in 1975.
It marks a first lead role for Vartolomei, whose previous credits include How To Be A Good Wife and The Royal Exchange. Vartolomei is...
- 1/18/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Netflix’s investment in animation has paid off in a big way, as the streamer picked up a whopping 52 nominations at the 49th Annie Awards. Following behind is Disney, which received 29 bids between its film and TV projects.
Taking place on Feb. 26, 2022 at UCLA’s Royce Hall and presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, the Annie Awards recognize excellence in cinema and television.
Netflix picked up nine nominations for “Arcane,” its series based on Riot Games’ online multiplayer game “League of Legends.” The hit film from Sony Pictures Animation “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” earned eight nods, and Netflix’s own limited series “Maya and the Three,” directed by Jorge Gutierrez, has seven.
While Disney lagged behind Netflix for total nominations, the studio’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” led all content with 10 nominations, followed by its studio sibling “Encanto,” which picked up nine.
Taking place on Feb. 26, 2022 at UCLA’s Royce Hall and presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, the Annie Awards recognize excellence in cinema and television.
Netflix picked up nine nominations for “Arcane,” its series based on Riot Games’ online multiplayer game “League of Legends.” The hit film from Sony Pictures Animation “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” earned eight nods, and Netflix’s own limited series “Maya and the Three,” directed by Jorge Gutierrez, has seven.
While Disney lagged behind Netflix for total nominations, the studio’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” led all content with 10 nominations, followed by its studio sibling “Encanto,” which picked up nine.
- 12/21/2021
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been another strange year. Perhaps more so than ever, the way films have been released has been in a confusing state of flux. What’s coming to cinemas? If it makes it how many screenings will it actually have? What’s going to which streaming service, and when? There have been a lot of excellent movies released in 2021, but sifting through them has been challenging, even if you’re doing your best to keep up.
Here, the HeyUGuys team have a few suggestions for things that may have slipped through the cracks, but which we think you should catch up with.
Daniel Goodwin Recommends
The Summit of the Gods (Patrick Imbert)
Based on the Jiro Taniguchi manga, this visually breath-taking, staggeringly dramatic, 90s set, French animated feature tells the tale of Nepal based, Japanese photojournalist Makato Fukamachi (Damien Boisseau), who happens upon the old Kodak camera of a...
Here, the HeyUGuys team have a few suggestions for things that may have slipped through the cracks, but which we think you should catch up with.
Daniel Goodwin Recommends
The Summit of the Gods (Patrick Imbert)
Based on the Jiro Taniguchi manga, this visually breath-taking, staggeringly dramatic, 90s set, French animated feature tells the tale of Nepal based, Japanese photojournalist Makato Fukamachi (Damien Boisseau), who happens upon the old Kodak camera of a...
- 12/16/2021
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The awards are voted on by 95 international correspondents from 36 countries.
Xavier Giannoli’s literary adaptation Lost Illusions leads the nominations of the 27th edition of France’s Lumière awards, followed by Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening and Arthur Harari’s Onoda, 10,000 Nights In The Jungle.
The awards, which are voted on by 95 international correspondents hailing from 36 countries this year, are France’s equivalent of the Golden Globes.
Giannoli’s adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s eponymous 19th-century novel, which premiered in competition in Venice this year, was nominated in five categories including best film, director, screenplay, actor...
Xavier Giannoli’s literary adaptation Lost Illusions leads the nominations of the 27th edition of France’s Lumière awards, followed by Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening and Arthur Harari’s Onoda, 10,000 Nights In The Jungle.
The awards, which are voted on by 95 international correspondents hailing from 36 countries this year, are France’s equivalent of the Golden Globes.
Giannoli’s adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s eponymous 19th-century novel, which premiered in competition in Venice this year, was nominated in five categories including best film, director, screenplay, actor...
- 12/10/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
When “Summit of the Gods” director Patrick Imbert graduated from France’s Les Gobelins school of animation in the late 1990s, he entered an industry still looking for its right footing.
“The market and industry was not as developed as it is today,” Imbert tells Variety. “There were much fewer projects because there were much fewer screens. We did pre-production in Paris and sent most of the production work overseas. You couldn’t imagine becoming a film director or a character designer or anything so prestigious. You were happy enough to simply make your living by drawing, hoping to work on cool projects. That was our vision of animation.”
Suffice it to say, France’s animation ecosystem has grown by leaps and bounds over the following decades. Buoyed by advances in digital software that cut down production costs, staffed by a workforce from a growing number of training programs and...
“The market and industry was not as developed as it is today,” Imbert tells Variety. “There were much fewer projects because there were much fewer screens. We did pre-production in Paris and sent most of the production work overseas. You couldn’t imagine becoming a film director or a character designer or anything so prestigious. You were happy enough to simply make your living by drawing, hoping to work on cool projects. That was our vision of animation.”
Suffice it to say, France’s animation ecosystem has grown by leaps and bounds over the following decades. Buoyed by advances in digital software that cut down production costs, staffed by a workforce from a growing number of training programs and...
- 12/3/2021
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
In directing “The Summit of the Gods,” Patrick Imbert knew that the scenes taking place on Mount Everest would be challenging to animate but there were other scenes that he paid special attention to. “There are some dialogue scenes and I pay a lot of attention to those scenes because the animation is very sober. You cannot hide behind swagger and you have to be really precise,” he says during our recent webchat (watch the video above). He further explains how getting these scenes right could be even more difficult than animating the scenes on Everest. “It is not necessary to animate too much, but you have to catch the right movement depending on what you want to say.”
Currently streaming on Netflix, the film examines the drive behind the people that seek to conquer the world’s tallest mountain. A young Japanese reporter Makoto encounters Habu, who is in...
Currently streaming on Netflix, the film examines the drive behind the people that seek to conquer the world’s tallest mountain. A young Japanese reporter Makoto encounters Habu, who is in...
- 12/2/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Adapted from Baku Yumemakura’s mid-‘90s manga series of the same name, Patrick Imbert’s “The Summit of the Gods” might reflect the awed and glassy tone of recent French animation (the similarly ethereal “I Lost My Body” comes to mind), but its most formative influence is fittingly Japanese: Studio Ghibli.
You might sense it in the structure of Imbet, Magali Pouzol, and Jean-Charles Ostorero’s screenplay, which unfolds through a series of nested memories à la Isao Takahata’s “Only Yesterday” — or “Citizen Kane.” More specific is how this film rustles with the same melancholic beauty that swirls through every frame of Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus “The Wind Rises.” Where that melodrama weighed the creative spirit against its most awful cost, this adventure story reaches even higher in its bid to understand why some men are compelled to climb the world’s tallest mountain and/or die trying.
You might sense it in the structure of Imbet, Magali Pouzol, and Jean-Charles Ostorero’s screenplay, which unfolds through a series of nested memories à la Isao Takahata’s “Only Yesterday” — or “Citizen Kane.” More specific is how this film rustles with the same melancholic beauty that swirls through every frame of Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus “The Wind Rises.” Where that melodrama weighed the creative spirit against its most awful cost, this adventure story reaches even higher in its bid to understand why some men are compelled to climb the world’s tallest mountain and/or die trying.
- 11/30/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Netflix’s “The Summit of the Gods” (opening November 24 in select theaters and streaming November 30) accomplishes something new and immersive in 2D animation: the beauty, excitement, and danger of scaling Mount Everest. However, for French director Patrick Imbert (“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales”), this was not about soaring new heights in animation, but exploring the obsession with mountain climbing.
“You use the tools that you bring with telling a movie story,” said Imbert, a former animation supervisor who teamed up with producers Didier Brunner, Damien Brunner, Jean-Charles Ostorero (who co-scripted), and Stéphan Roelants. “And that’s why we use image, sound design, and music [by Amine Bouhafa] to create something that doesn’t exist outside. Of course, I know and love some animation a lot, but most of my influences are live-action movies. For example, [Stanley] Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon.’ One thing I learned is that many different things happen to that character,...
“You use the tools that you bring with telling a movie story,” said Imbert, a former animation supervisor who teamed up with producers Didier Brunner, Damien Brunner, Jean-Charles Ostorero (who co-scripted), and Stéphan Roelants. “And that’s why we use image, sound design, and music [by Amine Bouhafa] to create something that doesn’t exist outside. Of course, I know and love some animation a lot, but most of my influences are live-action movies. For example, [Stanley] Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon.’ One thing I learned is that many different things happen to that character,...
- 11/23/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Rich Ting (“Warrior”), Darren Barnet (“Never Have I Ever”) and Keiko Agena (“Better Call Saul”) have been tapped to lead the voice cast for the English-language dub of Netflix’s “The Summit of the Gods,” from César award-winning filmmaker Patrick Imbert.
Based on the acclaimed manga by Jirô Taniguchi and the novel by Baku Yumemakura, “The Summit of the Gods” poses the question, “Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8th, 1924? Only the little Vestpocket Kodak camera they took with them might reveal the truth.”
“The Summit of the Gods” picks up in Kathmandu, 70 years after Mallory and Irvine’s journey, when a young Japanese reporter named Fukamachi Makoto (Barnet) recognizes the camera in the hands of the mysterious Habu Joji (Ting), an outcast climber believed missing for years. As the plot progresses, Fukamachi enters a world of obsessive mountaineers on...
Based on the acclaimed manga by Jirô Taniguchi and the novel by Baku Yumemakura, “The Summit of the Gods” poses the question, “Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8th, 1924? Only the little Vestpocket Kodak camera they took with them might reveal the truth.”
“The Summit of the Gods” picks up in Kathmandu, 70 years after Mallory and Irvine’s journey, when a young Japanese reporter named Fukamachi Makoto (Barnet) recognizes the camera in the hands of the mysterious Habu Joji (Ting), an outcast climber believed missing for years. As the plot progresses, Fukamachi enters a world of obsessive mountaineers on...
- 11/23/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
You’d think presenting Mount Everest, the God of the Sky, Earth’s tallest mountain and one of its deadliest, through hand-drawn animation would make the landscape look less forbidding and not more. Patrick Imbert’s new movie, “The Summit of the Gods,” planes away Everest’s intimidating features, like sharp rock faces captured via telephoto lenses, and flattens the bedrock colossus to fit his medium; in the process, the mountain gains new sobriety.
Continue reading ‘The Summit Of The Gods’ Review: In Patrick Imbert’s Breathtaking Animated Film, Everest Is The True Star at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Summit Of The Gods’ Review: In Patrick Imbert’s Breathtaking Animated Film, Everest Is The True Star at The Playlist.
- 11/19/2021
- by Andrew Crump
- The Playlist
Emmanuel Mouret’s “Love Affair(s),” Samir Guesmi’s “Ibrahim” and Elie Wajeman’s “Night Doctor” won top prizes at Colcoa, the French film and TV festival.
The festival, which marked its 25th edition, wrapped at the DGA on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles on Nov. 7. It was attended by 14,000 people.
The festival, programmed by Francois Truffart, is organized by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), The Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw) and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem).
Colcoa shifted its spring dates to the fall in 2019 as the DGA was being renovated and is now ideally positioned at the start of the awards season in the U.S. The awards ceremony took place at the Sacem headquarters near Paris in the presence of many honorees, notably Guesmi and “Love Affair(s)” producer Frédéric Niedermayer,...
The festival, which marked its 25th edition, wrapped at the DGA on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles on Nov. 7. It was attended by 14,000 people.
The festival, programmed by Francois Truffart, is organized by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), The Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw) and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem).
Colcoa shifted its spring dates to the fall in 2019 as the DGA was being renovated and is now ideally positioned at the start of the awards season in the U.S. The awards ceremony took place at the Sacem headquarters near Paris in the presence of many honorees, notably Guesmi and “Love Affair(s)” producer Frédéric Niedermayer,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Event running in French ski resort of Les Arcs will showcase more than 120 films.
France’s Les Arcs Film Festival (December 11-18) has announced the programme for its first physical edition in two years, after the Covid-19 pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020, while its industry events took place online.
Unfolding in the French Alps, the convivial, European cinema-focused festival was unable to take place after the government ordered ski resorts to remain closed due to a fresh wave of the virus.
It returns this year with a packed programme that will showcase more than 120 European works.
“We’re all eager...
France’s Les Arcs Film Festival (December 11-18) has announced the programme for its first physical edition in two years, after the Covid-19 pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020, while its industry events took place online.
Unfolding in the French Alps, the convivial, European cinema-focused festival was unable to take place after the government ordered ski resorts to remain closed due to a fresh wave of the virus.
It returns this year with a packed programme that will showcase more than 120 European works.
“We’re all eager...
- 11/10/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Neon/Participant’s Oscar buzzy animated doc, “Flee,” won the Grand Prize at the fourth annual Animation Is Film Festival, held last weekend at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood. This follows Sundance doc and Annecy animation wins for the Danish entry in this season’s international Oscar race.
“Flee,” directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, tells the true story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with his secret past as an Afghan refugee on the verge of marrying his husband.
“In the touching and innovative documentary ‘Flee,’ Jonas Poher Rasmussen takes great care in sharing the personal history of an Afghan refugee. The filmmaker uses the process of animation to protect the identity of his subject, while also bringing an added layer to the material, capturing the impact of trauma on memory and identity in the process,” said Jury chair Peter Debruge, chief Variety film critic.
“Belle,” the GKids contender,...
“Flee,” directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, tells the true story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with his secret past as an Afghan refugee on the verge of marrying his husband.
“In the touching and innovative documentary ‘Flee,’ Jonas Poher Rasmussen takes great care in sharing the personal history of an Afghan refugee. The filmmaker uses the process of animation to protect the identity of his subject, while also bringing an added layer to the material, capturing the impact of trauma on memory and identity in the process,” said Jury chair Peter Debruge, chief Variety film critic.
“Belle,” the GKids contender,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
After a year-long delay due to the pandemic, the Animation Is Film festival returns this year for its fourth edition, taking place Oct. 22-24. The festival will be held, as it traditionally has been, at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood and will feature a competition lineup of the best animation films of the year, as well as other special events.
“If you look at the lineup, you’ll see that there are titles … that have played at Sundance and Cannes and Annecy, and the festival is an opportunity for everyone to see these films,” says Matt Kaszanek, director, Animation Is Film. “We’re really happy with the lineup we were able to put together this year in the strange times of 2021, so we’re really excited for the program and we hope everyone else is too.”
The festival kicks off with the North American premiere of the Netflix feature “The Summit of the Gods,...
“If you look at the lineup, you’ll see that there are titles … that have played at Sundance and Cannes and Annecy, and the festival is an opportunity for everyone to see these films,” says Matt Kaszanek, director, Animation Is Film. “We’re really happy with the lineup we were able to put together this year in the strange times of 2021, so we’re really excited for the program and we hope everyone else is too.”
The festival kicks off with the North American premiere of the Netflix feature “The Summit of the Gods,...
- 10/23/2021
- by Katie Song
- Variety Film + TV
For the 4,000-plus people who have climbed Mt. Everest, it’s likely that no film will ever come close to capturing the reality of that once-impossible experience. For the rest of us, “The Summit of the Gods” and its ilk will have to suffice. And while it may not ascend to the same heights as the likes of “Free Solo” or the under-appreciated “Vertical Limit,” director Patrick Imbert’s animated adaptation of Jirô Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura’s manga of the same name makes for an impressive trek.
Looming just as large in the narrative is a camera that may or may not have been recovered from the remains of George Mallory, a mountaineer who disappeared along with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine on Everest in 1924. To this day, whether they became the first to successfully reach the summit before meeting their end remains a matter of speculation and debate.
Looming just as large in the narrative is a camera that may or may not have been recovered from the remains of George Mallory, a mountaineer who disappeared along with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine on Everest in 1924. To this day, whether they became the first to successfully reach the summit before meeting their end remains a matter of speculation and debate.
- 10/22/2021
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
With awards season fast approaching, it’s looking like this could be the year animation awards finally grow up. With Sundance winner “Flee” earning early buzz, there’s clearly a growing appetite for more mature animated fare in the U.S. Entering into the fray this year is “The Summit of the Gods,” a sweeping 2D animation from French director Patrick Imbert. Adapted from the acclaimed manga series of the same name, “The Summit of the Gods” follows a Japanese adventure photographer and mountaineer obsessed with finding a legendary climber attempting to scale Mount Everest. IndieWire is proud to premiere the trailer exclusively below.
Here’s the official synopsis, per Netflix: “Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8, 1924? Only the little Vestpocket Kodak camera they took with them might reveal the truth. In Kathmandu, 70 years later, a young Japanese reporter...
Here’s the official synopsis, per Netflix: “Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8, 1924? Only the little Vestpocket Kodak camera they took with them might reveal the truth. In Kathmandu, 70 years later, a young Japanese reporter...
- 10/22/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Animation in Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup Including ‘The Summit of the Gods,’ ‘Belle,’ ‘Flee’
Animation is Film announced the competition lineup and other special events for the fourth edition of the festival, which will take place from Oct. 22-24 at the Tcl Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. The lineup includes 12 feature films in competition as well as 20 programs overall including shorts.
The festival will open with the North American premiere of upcoming Netflix animated feature “The Summit of the Gods,” directed by Patrick Imbert and adapted from Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura’s manga series. Imbert will appear for a post-screening Q&a. The centerpiece film on Oct. 23 is the West Coast premiere of Gkids’ “Belle,” directed by Mamoru Hosada who will also appear for a Q&a. The West Coast premiere of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” will close the festival.
Also among the competition features are the world premiere of the English dub of Yusuke Hirota’s “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” the North...
The festival will open with the North American premiere of upcoming Netflix animated feature “The Summit of the Gods,” directed by Patrick Imbert and adapted from Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura’s manga series. Imbert will appear for a post-screening Q&a. The centerpiece film on Oct. 23 is the West Coast premiere of Gkids’ “Belle,” directed by Mamoru Hosada who will also appear for a Q&a. The West Coast premiere of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” will close the festival.
Also among the competition features are the world premiere of the English dub of Yusuke Hirota’s “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” the North...
- 9/23/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
On Thursday, the Austin Film Festival unveiled its 2021 lineup, comprising 26 World, North American, and US Premieres, setting Oscar nominee Peter Hedges’ The Same Storm as its Opening Night Film.
The feature examining the tumult of the Covid-19 pandemic boasts a stacked cast, with Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker, Sandra Oh, Elaine May, Raúl Castillo, Ato Blankson-Wood, Corey Michael Smith, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston and Alison Pill amongst its ensemble.
Other marquee titles to look out for at the 28th edition of the festival, taking place from October 21-28, include Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, Mike Mills’ latest A24 pic C’mon C’mon, led by Joaquin Phoenix, Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II, starring Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton and more, and Joachim Trier’s Neon festival favorite The Worst Person in the World.
Spencer King’s Dark Star Pictures title Time Now will make its World Premiere alongside...
The feature examining the tumult of the Covid-19 pandemic boasts a stacked cast, with Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker, Sandra Oh, Elaine May, Raúl Castillo, Ato Blankson-Wood, Corey Michael Smith, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston and Alison Pill amongst its ensemble.
Other marquee titles to look out for at the 28th edition of the festival, taking place from October 21-28, include Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, Mike Mills’ latest A24 pic C’mon C’mon, led by Joaquin Phoenix, Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II, starring Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton and more, and Joachim Trier’s Neon festival favorite The Worst Person in the World.
Spencer King’s Dark Star Pictures title Time Now will make its World Premiere alongside...
- 9/23/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The fourth edition of the Animation Is Film festival (Aif) returns in-person October 22-24 to the Tcl Chinese 6 in Hollywood, and will kick off opening night with the North American premiere of Netflix’s “The Summit of the Gods,” the breathtaking French 2D feature from director Patrick Imbert (“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales”), who will do an in-person Q&a.
“The Summit of the Gods” (opening November 24 in select theaters and streaming November 30) is adapted from the popular manga and concerns a Japanese adventure photographer and mountain climber obsessed with finding a legendary climber obsessed with scaling Mount Everest.
Other highlights include the West Coast premieres of GKids’ “Belle” on October 23 and Neon’s award-winning “Flee” on October 24. “Belle” is the musical fantasy 2D reworking of “Beauty and the Beast” from Oscar-nominated anime master Mamoru Hosoda (“Mirai”), who will do an in-person Q&a. “Flee” (December 3) is the...
“The Summit of the Gods” (opening November 24 in select theaters and streaming November 30) is adapted from the popular manga and concerns a Japanese adventure photographer and mountain climber obsessed with finding a legendary climber obsessed with scaling Mount Everest.
Other highlights include the West Coast premieres of GKids’ “Belle” on October 23 and Neon’s award-winning “Flee” on October 24. “Belle” is the musical fantasy 2D reworking of “Beauty and the Beast” from Oscar-nominated anime master Mamoru Hosoda (“Mirai”), who will do an in-person Q&a. “Flee” (December 3) is the...
- 9/22/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Netflix has taken worldwide rights to animated feature The Summit Of The Gods (Le Sommet Des Dieux). Based on Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura’s best selling manga, the movie debuted in the Cinema de la Plage section at the Cannes Film Festival this past July. Netflix is planning a theatrical release in select U.S. theaters on November 24, followed by select cinemas in the UK on November 26 and will put it on the streaming service on November 30.
Patrick Imbert (The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales) directs the film that poses the question: Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8, 1924? And sets in motion a quest for the truth.
The synopsis tells us that only the little Kodak camera Mallory and Irvine took with them might reveal the real story. Seventy years after their feat,...
Patrick Imbert (The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales) directs the film that poses the question: Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8, 1924? And sets in motion a quest for the truth.
The synopsis tells us that only the little Kodak camera Mallory and Irvine took with them might reveal the real story. Seventy years after their feat,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Oh my goodness, this is an instant personal favorite. No exaggeration, this goes on my "all-timer" list right away. I want to watch it again right now. I want the posters, I want frames of the film on my wall, I want to listen to the score non-stop, I want to buy copies of the graphic novel it's based on. It has everything I love, everything that amazes me about this world: photography, mountains, Nepal, the Himalayas, Japan, Tokyo, the starry night sky. The Summit of the Gods (also known as Le Sommet des Dieux) is a French animated film made by animation filmmaker Patrick Imbert, based on the Japanese manga also titled The Summit of the Gods written by Jiro Taniguchi. It tells a riveting story about a Japanese adventure photographer and mountain climber who becomes obsessed with searching for a long lost Japanese mountain climber hiding out in...
- 7/11/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Animation film “Belle” by the Japanese director Hosoda Mamoru will join the Cannes Film Festival lineup.
The festival said Sunday that “Belle” will have its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section and play on Thursday July 15.
” ‘Belle’ is the film that I’ve always dreamt to create and that I can make today thanks to the culmination of my previous films,” said Hosoda. “In this one, I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes such as life and death. I hope that it will be a big entertaining show.”
The story follows a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters U, a virtual world of 5 billion members and where she has become Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature and they embark on a journey of adventures,...
The festival said Sunday that “Belle” will have its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section and play on Thursday July 15.
” ‘Belle’ is the film that I’ve always dreamt to create and that I can make today thanks to the culmination of my previous films,” said Hosoda. “In this one, I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes such as life and death. I hope that it will be a big entertaining show.”
The story follows a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters U, a virtual world of 5 billion members and where she has become Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature and they embark on a journey of adventures,...
- 7/4/2021
- by Patrick Frater and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Director Mamoru Hosoda: 'Belle is the film I’ve always dreamt to create' Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest animated film Belle has just been added to the Cannes Film Festival selection and will be presented for its world premiere during the 74th edition in the Cannes Premiere section.
Following Wolf Children (2012), The Boy And The Beast (2015), and Mirai (2018), it is the first official Selection for Mamoru Hosoda.
Mamoru Hosoda: 'I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes' Photo: Photo Laurent Koffel Belle is the third animation film presented this year at the Festival after the already announced Ari Folman’s Where Is Anne Frank? and The Summit Of The Gods by Patrick Imbert.
The film tells the story of Suzu, an insecure teenager living in a small town in the mountains with her father… in real life. Because...
Following Wolf Children (2012), The Boy And The Beast (2015), and Mirai (2018), it is the first official Selection for Mamoru Hosoda.
Mamoru Hosoda: 'I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes' Photo: Photo Laurent Koffel Belle is the third animation film presented this year at the Festival after the already announced Ari Folman’s Where Is Anne Frank? and The Summit Of The Gods by Patrick Imbert.
The film tells the story of Suzu, an insecure teenager living in a small town in the mountains with her father… in real life. Because...
- 7/4/2021
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Ahead of raising the curtain on its 74th edition on Tuesday (July 6), Cannes has made a late addition to its program in the form of Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda’s feature animation Belle.
The pic marks the director’s return to Cannes following Mirai, which screened in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar in 2018. This marks his first time in official selection.
Belle is the third animation film presented this year at the festival following Ari Folman’s Where is Anne Frank and The Summit of the Gods by Patrick Imbert.
Belle tells the story of Suzu, an insecure teenager living in a small town in the mountains with her father, in real life. But in the virtual world of U, Suzu becomes Belle, a musical icon followed by more than 5 billion followers.
Pic will screen on July 15 and is scheduled for release in France on December 29.
“Belle is the film that...
The pic marks the director’s return to Cannes following Mirai, which screened in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar in 2018. This marks his first time in official selection.
Belle is the third animation film presented this year at the festival following Ari Folman’s Where is Anne Frank and The Summit of the Gods by Patrick Imbert.
Belle tells the story of Suzu, an insecure teenager living in a small town in the mountains with her father, in real life. But in the virtual world of U, Suzu becomes Belle, a musical icon followed by more than 5 billion followers.
Pic will screen on July 15 and is scheduled for release in France on December 29.
“Belle is the film that...
- 7/4/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Films will world premiere as part of Le Cinema de la Plage nightly screenings on the beach.
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the selection of films that will play in its evening Le Cinema de la Plage screenings, which take place at 9.30 pm every night on the Macé beach opposite the Majestic hotel.
The line-up features a mix of premieres and classic film titles.
Two titles, Tony Gatlif’s Tom Medina and Patrick Imbert’s animated adventure tale The Summit Of The Gods, will world premiere in the sidebar and are regarded as being part of Cannes 2021 Official Selection.
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the selection of films that will play in its evening Le Cinema de la Plage screenings, which take place at 9.30 pm every night on the Macé beach opposite the Majestic hotel.
The line-up features a mix of premieres and classic film titles.
Two titles, Tony Gatlif’s Tom Medina and Patrick Imbert’s animated adventure tale The Summit Of The Gods, will world premiere in the sidebar and are regarded as being part of Cannes 2021 Official Selection.
- 6/30/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Set to unfold during the busy summer break, the Cannes Film Festival will roll out a lineup of screenings, including world premieres and concerts on the beach aimed at holiday-makers and red carpet-jaded festival attendees.
Called Le cinema de la plage, the open-air screenings will run every evening at 9:30 p.m. on the beach across from the Majestic hotel and will be free and accessible to all.
As previously reported by Variety, the lineup of beach screenings boasts the European premiere of “F9,” the latest instalment of Universal’s action-packed “Fast & Furious” franchise with Vin Diesel, John Cena and Michelle Rodriguez.
Besides “F9,” Cannes will also host the screening of Steve McQueen’s “Lovers Rock” and Spike Lee’s “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” an entrancing big-screen version of David Byrne’s “American Utopia.” Both McQueen and Lee, who heads this year’s competition jury, will be there to present their respective films,...
Called Le cinema de la plage, the open-air screenings will run every evening at 9:30 p.m. on the beach across from the Majestic hotel and will be free and accessible to all.
As previously reported by Variety, the lineup of beach screenings boasts the European premiere of “F9,” the latest instalment of Universal’s action-packed “Fast & Furious” franchise with Vin Diesel, John Cena and Michelle Rodriguez.
Besides “F9,” Cannes will also host the screening of Steve McQueen’s “Lovers Rock” and Spike Lee’s “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” an entrancing big-screen version of David Byrne’s “American Utopia.” Both McQueen and Lee, who heads this year’s competition jury, will be there to present their respective films,...
- 6/30/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
They may have missed out on the red carpet, but Tom Medina, the new drama from Algerian director Tony Gatlif (Exiles) and Patrick Imbert’s animated feature The Summit of the Gods – both of which were picked for the canceled 2020 Cannes Film Festival – will still get their Croisette debut.
The festival has selected both films to be part of this year’s Cannes on the Beach program, the free-access, open-air cinema screenings held every night on the Macé beach facing the Majestic Hotel. Held back from release until now, Tom Medina and The Summit of the Gods will have their world premieres ...
The festival has selected both films to be part of this year’s Cannes on the Beach program, the free-access, open-air cinema screenings held every night on the Macé beach facing the Majestic Hotel. Held back from release until now, Tom Medina and The Summit of the Gods will have their world premieres ...
- 6/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
They may have missed out on the red carpet, but Tom Medina, the new drama from Algerian director Tony Gatlif (Exiles) and Patrick Imbert’s animated feature The Summit of the Gods – both of which were picked for the canceled 2020 Cannes Film Festival – will still get their Croisette debut.
The festival has selected both films to be part of this year’s Cannes on the Beach program, the free-access, open-air cinema screenings held every night on the Macé beach facing the Majestic Hotel. Held back from release until now, Tom Medina and The Summit of the Gods will have their world premieres ...
The festival has selected both films to be part of this year’s Cannes on the Beach program, the free-access, open-air cinema screenings held every night on the Macé beach facing the Majestic Hotel. Held back from release until now, Tom Medina and The Summit of the Gods will have their world premieres ...
- 6/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
New independent label will handle sales on five to six high-end animated features a year.
Paris-based sales powerhouse Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and leading French animation distributor Gebeka Films are joining forces to create joint animation world sales label Gebeka International.
“The long-term goal is to handle sales on five to six big independent animated features with festival and awards potential a year,” explained Wbi co-head Vincent Maraval.
He will oversee the new venture with Gebeka Films president Réginald de Guillebon.
Lyon-based Gebeka Films specialises in releasing high-end French and European animated features in France. Past releases include Rémi Chayé’s Calamity,...
Paris-based sales powerhouse Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and leading French animation distributor Gebeka Films are joining forces to create joint animation world sales label Gebeka International.
“The long-term goal is to handle sales on five to six big independent animated features with festival and awards potential a year,” explained Wbi co-head Vincent Maraval.
He will oversee the new venture with Gebeka Films president Réginald de Guillebon.
Lyon-based Gebeka Films specialises in releasing high-end French and European animated features in France. Past releases include Rémi Chayé’s Calamity,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Film is a contemporary remake of 1970s French comedy The Toy by Francis Veber.
Wild Bunch International (Wbi) has boarded sales on director James Huth’s comedy The New Toy, co-starring Daniel Auteuil and Jamel Debbouze.
A remake of Francis Veber’s 1976 comedy The Toy, it revolves around a journalist who becomes the plaything of the son of his newspaper baron boss but uses the situation to open the young boy’s eyes to the fact that money can’t buy everything.
A 1982 US remake directed by Richard Donner and starring Richard Pryor as the journalist was a hit at the box office,...
Wild Bunch International (Wbi) has boarded sales on director James Huth’s comedy The New Toy, co-starring Daniel Auteuil and Jamel Debbouze.
A remake of Francis Veber’s 1976 comedy The Toy, it revolves around a journalist who becomes the plaything of the son of his newspaper baron boss but uses the situation to open the young boy’s eyes to the fact that money can’t buy everything.
A 1982 US remake directed by Richard Donner and starring Richard Pryor as the journalist was a hit at the box office,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
France’s 2020 Annecy festival and accompanying Mifa market won’t be the first such events to go completely online this year, but certainly stand out as one of Europe’s largest to do so. The prestigious animation gathering, which normally draws toon heavyhitters from all over the world, will stream June 15-30.
While platforms and broadcasters fight over available content, with kids and family one of the tentpoles of subscriber retention, the market for animation has never been more demanding — both in quality and audience expectation.
One big challenge in making the transition to online is the inability to stream many of the key titles from Annecy’s Official and Contrechamp competitions in their entirety due to licensing rights and other contractual conditions.
However, several studios and key sales agents have confirmed to Variety that they are planning alternative means of promoting their upcoming content while still entertaining eager Annecy badge-holders.
While platforms and broadcasters fight over available content, with kids and family one of the tentpoles of subscriber retention, the market for animation has never been more demanding — both in quality and audience expectation.
One big challenge in making the transition to online is the inability to stream many of the key titles from Annecy’s Official and Contrechamp competitions in their entirety due to licensing rights and other contractual conditions.
However, several studios and key sales agents have confirmed to Variety that they are planning alternative means of promoting their upcoming content while still entertaining eager Annecy badge-holders.
- 6/12/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Annecy 2020 Online’s first wave of special programming for its world-class French animation festival (June 15-30) will include making of sessions, previews, and works-in-progress. The biggest news is that indie feature “Animal Crackers,” which premiered at Annecy in 2017, returns as a making of program, having been acquired by streamer Netflix.
The CG children’s fantasy, directed by Tony Bancroft (“Mulan”) and Scott Christan Sava, concerns a magical box of cookies coming to the rescue of a rundown circus. It contains voice work by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, and boasts the work of character designer Carter Goodrich (“Ice Age”).
Netflix is also bringing a work-in-progress presentation of “The Cuphead Show!” series for 2021, adapted from retro-style video game by showrunners Dave Wasson (“Mickey Mouse”) and Cosmo Segurson (“SpongeBob Squarepants”). Drawing on the classic ’30s rubber hose animation style of Disney and Fleischer, the comedy follows the misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his naive brother,...
The CG children’s fantasy, directed by Tony Bancroft (“Mulan”) and Scott Christan Sava, concerns a magical box of cookies coming to the rescue of a rundown circus. It contains voice work by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, and boasts the work of character designer Carter Goodrich (“Ice Age”).
Netflix is also bringing a work-in-progress presentation of “The Cuphead Show!” series for 2021, adapted from retro-style video game by showrunners Dave Wasson (“Mickey Mouse”) and Cosmo Segurson (“SpongeBob Squarepants”). Drawing on the classic ’30s rubber hose animation style of Disney and Fleischer, the comedy follows the misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his naive brother,...
- 5/20/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Netflix, China’s Alibaba and France have thrown their weight behind the Annecy Animation Festival, with the festival set to showcase an in progress reveal of the U.S. streaming giant’s “The Cupcake Show!” plus a look back at cult movie “Animal Crackers,” as well as six French productions in its Work in Progress section, Annecy’s single most important program strand.
Distributed by Alibaba Pictures Group, “New Gods: Nezha Reborn,” from Ji Zhao, follows on the highest grossing animated movie ever in a single territory, earning over $700 million in China.
French productions are led by the hugely awaited “The Summit of the Gods,” produced by Jean-Charles Ostorero and the most ambitious movie to date from Didier and Damien Brunner.
Also in the French Wip mix is “The Island,” the latest from Romania’s Anca Damian, who won Annecy’s top pirize with “Crilic: The Path to Beyond,” as...
Distributed by Alibaba Pictures Group, “New Gods: Nezha Reborn,” from Ji Zhao, follows on the highest grossing animated movie ever in a single territory, earning over $700 million in China.
French productions are led by the hugely awaited “The Summit of the Gods,” produced by Jean-Charles Ostorero and the most ambitious movie to date from Didier and Damien Brunner.
Also in the French Wip mix is “The Island,” the latest from Romania’s Anca Damian, who won Annecy’s top pirize with “Crilic: The Path to Beyond,” as...
- 5/20/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Benoit Delépine and Gustave Kervern’s eighth joint feature won the Berlinale’s special Silver Bear this year.
Wild Bunch has secured a slew of sales on French directorial duo Benoit Delépine and Gustave Kervern’s comedy Delete History, which won the Berlinale’s special Silver Bear this year.
Deals tied up at the Berlinale’s European Film Market include to France (Ad Vitam), Benelux (September Film), Switzerland (Pathé), Germany (X Verleih), Spain (La Aventura Audiovisual), Italy (Officine Ubu), Portugal (Apm), Sweden (Njutafilms), ex-Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko Film), Czech Republic (Film Europe) and Baltics (A-One).
Outside of Europe, it sold...
Wild Bunch has secured a slew of sales on French directorial duo Benoit Delépine and Gustave Kervern’s comedy Delete History, which won the Berlinale’s special Silver Bear this year.
Deals tied up at the Berlinale’s European Film Market include to France (Ad Vitam), Benelux (September Film), Switzerland (Pathé), Germany (X Verleih), Spain (La Aventura Audiovisual), Italy (Officine Ubu), Portugal (Apm), Sweden (Njutafilms), ex-Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko Film), Czech Republic (Film Europe) and Baltics (A-One).
Outside of Europe, it sold...
- 3/6/2020
- by 1100380¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Company brings 10 recent sales acquisitions to the market also including feature animation The Summit Of The Gods.
Wild Bunch has boarded sales on Italian director Michele Placido’s upcoming drama Caravaggio’s Shadow, exploring the tempestuous life of the 17th-century painter.
It revolves around a secret Vatican investigation into Caravaggio, ordered by Pope Paul V as he debates whether to grant the artist clemency for murdering a love rival.
Riccardo Scamarcio plays Caravaggio opposite Louis Garrel as the investigator – known as The Shadow. Isabelle Huppert also features as a noblewoman who was a steadfast protector of the artist, hiding him...
Wild Bunch has boarded sales on Italian director Michele Placido’s upcoming drama Caravaggio’s Shadow, exploring the tempestuous life of the 17th-century painter.
It revolves around a secret Vatican investigation into Caravaggio, ordered by Pope Paul V as he debates whether to grant the artist clemency for murdering a love rival.
Riccardo Scamarcio plays Caravaggio opposite Louis Garrel as the investigator – known as The Shadow. Isabelle Huppert also features as a noblewoman who was a steadfast protector of the artist, hiding him...
- 2/13/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Marvel sequel to go up against Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Expect another strong weekend at the UK box office, with Disney’s Ant-Man And The Wasp (released on Thursday August 2) taking on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
The original Ant-Man opened with £4.8m in the UK, going on to make £19m – a somewhat below par score for a non-Avengers Marvel film. Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok ended up on £53m and £30m respectively.
The sequel, once again starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will face competition from the resurgent Mission: Impossible – Fallout,...
Expect another strong weekend at the UK box office, with Disney’s Ant-Man And The Wasp (released on Thursday August 2) taking on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
The original Ant-Man opened with £4.8m in the UK, going on to make £19m – a somewhat below par score for a non-Avengers Marvel film. Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok ended up on £53m and £30m respectively.
The sequel, once again starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will face competition from the resurgent Mission: Impossible – Fallout,...
- 8/3/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
After delighting audiences and critics alike at the 2017 London Film Festival, Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert’s brilliantly observed French animation The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (Le grand mechant renard et autres contes) finally gets a nationwide UK release, but not before undergoing a commendably accurate dubbing in English in a version which sees Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie and Bill Bailey lend their voices to this delightfully comedic anthology.
Adapted from Renner’s graphic novel of the same, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales was originally conceived as 3 half-hour TV specials, but was later turned into a film in which the three different stories are linked together by a fourth wall-breaking interval in which assorted characters take turns in introducing each new section.
In A Baby to Deliver, a lazy stork claiming to have broken its wing entrusts Pig (voiced by Justin Edwards), Duck (Bill Bailey) and...
Adapted from Renner’s graphic novel of the same, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales was originally conceived as 3 half-hour TV specials, but was later turned into a film in which the three different stories are linked together by a fourth wall-breaking interval in which assorted characters take turns in introducing each new section.
In A Baby to Deliver, a lazy stork claiming to have broken its wing entrusts Pig (voiced by Justin Edwards), Duck (Bill Bailey) and...
- 8/1/2018
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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