Editorial
"The fall season has once again seen French animations gaining wide exposure around the world: this newsletter reports on a host of festival selections and awards won by French animated productions in recent months (over 250 film selections and 36 awards, including all formats), in particular feature films such as The Crossing and The Summit of the Gods, and the minority coproductions Even Mice Belong in Heaven, My Sunny Maad, and Flee. The diversity of festivals that program these titles (Venice, Telluride, San Sebastián, Sitges, Bucheon, COLCOA, DOK Leipzig, Animation Is Film, and so forth) demonstrates the extent to which animation has now entered the entire festival circuit and appeals to a variety of audience segments. [...]"
"[...] In addition, animation stands out as the main driving force of French cinema's performance in theaters outside France, thanks to a string of highly successful titles this year. Two animated films rank in the top two positions in the results of French films to date in 2021: the Franco-Belgian Bigfoot Family (a minority-French production), which has attracted over 2.3 million spectators in 59 territories so far this year, and Around the World in 80 Days, which enjoyed a remarkable opening in international theaters. This title has now crossed the symbolic threshold of 500,000 admissions abroad since January 1, 2021, and continues to post excellent results, notably in Russia, Italy, and Ukraine. Animated films are thus credited with close to one fifth of all admissions to French productions outside France.
This newsletter marks the beginning of UniFrance's expansion into the promotion of TV productions as well as film product. In the new section dedicated to this field of activity, we will report on new developments that relate to our promotional programs in international markets. UniFrance will also strengthen its support programs in this sector, with the continuation of our presence at the Cartoon Forum and at MIPCOM, by bringing together interested members of our association in a work group titled "Animation in the TV sector". This group will be invited to a joint meeting with the "Cinema" work group to discuss issues of common concern and the interconnections between the two sectors. In this way, UniFrance will cover the entire spectrum of formats of the animation industry, including feature films, short films, TV programs, and immersive reality works..."
Axel Scoffier, Deputy Managing Director of UniFrance
Illustration: The Crossing by Florence Miailhe ©Les Films de l'Arlequin/Arte France Cinéma/Xbo Films/Balance Film/Maur Film
Selections and awards at general-interest festivals
Venice International Film Festival
The French animation sector was represented at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival by the short film by Léahn Vivier-Chapas, The Boob Fairy, in the Orrizonti Section, in addition to five immersive animations in competition and one out of competition.
French VR works met with resounding success at the event, picking up three awards—Goliath: Playing With Reality won the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work, while bal de Paris de Blanca Li was elected Best VR Experience and End of Night won the award for Best VR Story.
Telluride International Film Festival
The already multi-award winning documentary Flee featured in the 2021 lineup for the Telluride International Film Festival, along with three French short animated films: Noir-soleil by Marie Larrivé, Easter Eggs by Nicolas Keppens, and My Own Landscapes by Antoine Chapon.
TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)
All of the feature-length animations selected at TIFF were (minority-)French productions. Charlotte by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, and Where Is Anne Frank by Ari Folman were included in special screenings, while Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen competed in the TIFF Docs section. Two short films completed the French selection at the event: Anxious Body by Yoriko Mizushiri and I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse by Ayce Kartal.
At the closing ceremony of this year's 46th edition of TIFF, Flee won second prize in the Audience Award for a Documentary category.
San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF)
The Crossing, the debut feature by Florence Miailhe, was presented in the Official Competition at the 69th San Sebastián International Film Festival, held from September 17 through 25, 2021.
Namur International Francophone Film Festival (FIFF)
Two feature-length animations produced by France were presented to audiences at this year's festival: Even Mice Belong in Heaven by Denisa Grimmová and Jan Bubenicek, and The Swallows of Kabul by Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec and Zabou Breitman.
The short film The World Within by Jean-Charles Finck and Sandrine Stoïanov was also selected in the International Competition, where it won the award for Best Direction and the Prize from the University of Namur.
Finally, French works were spotlighted in the FIFF Campus section dedicated to younger audiences, with a total of 24 titles selected.
Guadalajara International Film Festival
The Guadalajara International Film Festival took place from October 1 through 9, 2021. This year's festival presented a selection of feature-length animations that was dominated by French productions: Calamity, Charlotte, Flee, The Crossing, and My Sunny Maad. Three French shorts also featured in the Rigo Mora Award competition: Mesdemoiselles les palourdes, Noir-soleil, and Steakhouse. The minority-French production My Sunny Maad by Michaela Pavlátová picked up the award for Best International Animated Feature Film.
BIFF
Two French-minority feature films were showcased at the Busan International Film Festival: The Island by Anca Damian was presented in the World Cinema category, while Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen pursues its extensive festival run with a selection in the Documentary Showcase section.
Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
In the feature film sections, The Crossing by Florence Miailhe flew the flag for French productions in the International Competition of this year's 50th anniversary edition of the Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma. In the short film sections, five titles competed in the Nouveaux Alchimistes program: Anxious Body by Yoriko Mizushiri, Constrain by fleuryfontaine, I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse by Ayce Kartal, Scum Mutation by Ov, and The Hangman at Home by Michelle and Uri Kranot. In addition, three French VR works competed in the FNC Explore section: Madrid Noir by James A. Castillo, End of Night by David Adler, and Goliath: Playing With Reality by Barry Gene Murphy and May Abdalla.
At the event's awards ceremony, The Crossing received the Audentia Prize sponsored by Eurimages, which honored the film's director, and the Daniel Langlois Innovation Prize, presented to a work in the International Competition that stands out for its esthetic boldness, its creative use of new technologies, and its innovative approach to a sensitive subject. Goliath: Playing With Reality also received a Special Mention from the Jury.
COLCOA French Film Festival
ColCoA, the French Film Festival held annually in Los Angeles, held from November 1 through 7, will present the feature film The Summit of the Gods as well as a program of four animated shorts in competition: 400 MPH, Coffin, Step Into the River, and Mondo Domino. The student graduation film Under the Ice will also be screened out of competition.
French Film Festival in Japan
Mune by Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon, which will be released for the first time in Japan by Riskit, will be screened at the French Film Festival in Japan, to be held as a physical event from November 11 through 14, 2021.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
The 2021 edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Festival will take place from November 12 through 28, 2021, with a program that includes a large number of French animations to be presented to Estonian audiences. Among feature films to be screened, Calamity, une enfance de Martha Jane Cannary by Rémi Chayé, and Even Mice Belong in Heaven by Denisa Grimmová and Jan Bubenicek, are included in the competitive section for young audiences. Even Mice Belong in Heaven is also competing in the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) section. The feature film by Koji Yamamura, Dozens of Norths, will make its European premiere in the section dedicated to first feature films. This film is a coproduction between the French company Miyu Productions and Yamamura Animation in Japan.
In the festival's short film sections, the competition for short-format animations includes eleven French productions. France will also be represented at the event by four shorts presented in the competition for Animated Short Films for Young Audiences and two other titles in the competition for New Talent in Animation (for further information, click here).
Interfilm Berlin & Kuki
The Berlin International Film Festival and its counterpart directed at young audiences, which will kick off mid-November, will present an outstanding program of short animations: five titles will be screened in the International Competition and two in the Green Film Competition (Migrants and Mondo Domino) at Berlin Interfilm.
The youth program at the Kuki Festival, following the Berlin Interfilm event, will feature five French animated shorts in the International Competition and three titles in special programs.
Selections and awards at fantasy film festivals
Several film festivals devoted to the fantasy genre have offered wide visibility to French animations in recent months.
In August, the lineup at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Quebec included the feature film Little Vampire by Joann Sfar, aimed at young audiences, in addition to eight French short animateds in its Axis competition. Fifteen French shorts were also in competition in the Mon Premier Fantasia section, demonstrating a strong French presence at the event. This is reflected in the festival's awards list:
- Louis's Shoes: Mon Premier Fantasia – Silver Award
- You Sold My Roller Skates?: Mon Premier Fantasia – Bronze Award
- Mondo Domino: Bronze Award in the Best Short Film category
Furthermore, we can note that the French documentary Satoshi Kon, l’illusionniste, which focuses on the acclaimed Japanese director and animator Satoshi Kon, was honored with the Silver Award in the Best Documentary category.
Three other festivals specializing in the fantasy genre also screened French animations:
- The short film Heart of Gold was selected in the Drawn and Quartered Competition at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, USA, where it won the award for Best Animated Film.
- The feature film by Ari Folman Where Is Anne Frank was in the Official Competition for Fantasy Films at the 54th Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia, alongside six French short animations: Almost Unreal, The Two Shoes, Orogenesis, Under the Skin, the Bark, Steakhouse, and Swallow the Universe.
- The San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival is to offer a strong presence to French animations: Swallow the Universe by Nieto, The Night Watch directed by Julien Regnard, and Mum's Sweater directed by students from the Gobelins - L'École de l'Image, are included in the International Competition.
Selections and awards at youth film festivals
Schlingel
Schlingel, Germany's biggest film festival dedicated to young audiences, took place from October 9 through 16, 2021, in Chemntiz. This 26th edition of the event showcased fifteen French short animations and one feature-length animation (Even Mice Belong in Heaven), which won the award for Best Animated Feature Film and the Club of Festivals Junior Award. The short film You Sold My Roller Skates? also picked up the award for Best International Animated Short Film. For further information about the festival lineup, click here.
Filem’on
The Belgian festival Filem’on for young audiences is scheduled this year from October 27 through November 6. The event's 2021 edition offers Brussels audiences the chance to discover eighteen French productions: fifteen short films, three episodes from TV series, and the feature film Even Mice Belong in Heaven. For further information about the selection, click here.
Cinekid
Cinekid, the largest festival in the Netherlands devoted to young audiences, took place this year from October 13 through 31 in a number of Dutch cities. The lineup included nine French animated films, as well as the features Even Mice Belong in Heaven and Chien Pourri, la vie à Paris !
We can also note the presence at the event of a French feature film project among the animation projects presented at the Junior Coproduction Market 2021: Sidi Kaba et la porte du Retour, produced by Special Touch Studios and directed by Rony Hotin, with a screenplay by Jérôme Piot. For more information about the festival lineup, click here.
Quick facts
- Flee featured in the Main Slate at the New York Film Festival (NYFF).
- Where Is Anne Frank and Flee were included in the lineup of the Zurich Film Festival - 2021.
- The Crossing and Flee were presented at the BFI London Film Festival, along with the short film Missing Pictures: Tsai Ming-Liang
- Flee is currently vying for the European Film Award in the Best Documentary category (awards ceremony to be held on December 11, 2021) and the Nordic Council Film Prize (to be announced in November).
- All of the finalists for the 2021 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Student Award in the Best Animation (International Film Schools) category were French productions: Louis's Shoes (MoPA), Migrants (Piktura, l'École de l’Image (Ex. Pôle 3D)), and A Tiny Tale (RUBIKA ). Louis's Shoes by Théo Jamin, Kayu Leung, and Marion Philippe won the prestigious Student Academy Award.
Selections and awards at animation festivals
Ottawa International Animation Festival
The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) was held from September 22 through October 3, 2021. This year's event presented thirteen French productions to Canadian audiences, including one VR work (Recoding Entropia by François Vautier) and an episode from a series (Cherchez la femme: Hatchepsout by Julie Gavras and Mathieu Decarli).
The festival's International Short Film Competition included four French films: Maalbeek, Steakhouse, and Anxious Body. The Youth Competition featured five French titles: You Sold My Roller Skates?, Kiko and the Animals, Patouille and the Parachute Seeds, A Splash in a Mud, and A Stone in the Shoe. In addition, the non-competitive World Panorama section presented Plans for Love and O.
Three French films captured top prizes this year: Anxious Body by Yoriko Mizushiri won the award for Best Non-Narrative Short Film, Steakhouse by Čadež Špela picked up the award for Best Animation Technique, and You Sold My Roller Skates? by Margaux Cazal, Jeanne Hammel, Louis Holmes, Sandy Lachkar, Agathe Leroux, and Léa Rey-Mauzaize was crowned Best Animation for Young Audiences (aged 6-12).
Anim'Est
With 29 French titles selected, the 2021 edition of Anim’Est shone the spotlight on French animated works.
Among feature films presented, The Crossing and My Sunny Maad were selected in the Official Competition, while Wolfwalkers, Little Vampire, and Calamity, une enfance de Martha Jane Cannary were all shown in special screenings.
The various short film competitions featured a total of twenty French films, as well as two VR works. Two other French shorts were presented in special programs.
French productions dominated the awards list, with The Crossing winning the Best Feature Film Award, My Sunny Maad receiving a Special Mention for a Feature Film, Easter Eggs winning the Anim’Est Trophy, Maalbeek the award for Best Animated Documentary, Butterfly Jam voted the Best Student Film, Migrants the Best Children's Film, and Dislocation the award for Best VR Film.
Animatou
There was a plethora of French productions to be seen at the recent Animatou Festival in French-speaking Switzerland, with 48 titles offered to festival-goers: 45 shorts in the various competitive sections, as well as The Crossing, Even Mice Belong in Heaven, and Flee, programmed out of competition.
A total of eleven prizes were awarded to French short films at the festival's closing ceremony: Precious won the Animatou Grand Prize and the Teens' Honorary Award, Mum is Pouring Rain picked up the Pistache Award and the Primary School's Honorary Award, Vanille won the Young Audience Competition Award and the Teen's and Primary School's Honorary Award, A Splash in a Mud the Caramel Award, Migrants the Artopie Award, Lupin the Primary School's Honorary Award, Hold Me Tight the Teens' Honorary Award and the Higher Education Art and Animation Schools' Award, and What Resonates in Silence received a Mention from the Jury in the Doc’Anim Competition.
BIAF
The Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF), held from October 10 through 26, 2021, presented 21 French animated works to South Korean audiences.
The International Competition included three French feature films: The Crossing, My Sunny Maad, and Josep. The BIAF Classics section also featured the documentary by Pascal-Alex Vincent, Satoshi Kon, l’illusionniste. In addition to the thirteen French shorts in the International Competition, two VR works (Dislocation and The Hangman at Home) and two TV series episodes (Vanille and Mum is Pouring Rain) were presented in the festival's dedicated competitive sections.
French productions swept up a host of awards at the 2021 edition of the BIAF. The Crossing earned the largest number of prizes, including the Grand Prize, the Audience Award, and the Seowon University President’s Diversity Prize. The minority-French production My Sunny Maad also won the Jury Prize and the Cocomics Music Award. And French short films did not miss out on the glory, with Steakhouse winning the Jury Prize, Plans for Love taking the EBS Prize, and Anxious Body the Special Distinction Prize. Finally, the VR work The Hangman at Home picked up the VR Jury Prize the episode of the TV series Vanille won the TV Jury Prize.
Animation Is Film Festival
Animation is Film Festival returned in 2021 after a year of absence, with a program that included five French feature films and four shorts at its 4th edition: The Summit of the Gods was presented as opening film, with director Patrick Imbert the only French artist who was able to travel across the Atlantic to present his film.
Where Is Anne Frank by Ari Folman, The Crossing by Florence Miailhe, Josep by Aurel, and Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen were screened in the Official Selection. What Resonates in Silence by Marine Blin and The Awakening of the Insects by Stéphanie Lansaque and François Leroy were included in the Best of Annecy section. UniFrance was a partner of this year's event, and hosted a cocktail reception on site during the festival in collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
To top off the 2021 event, Flee was awarded the Grand Prize and The Crossing received the Audience Prize.
DOK Leipzig
The Leipzig International Documentary and Animation Festival presented fourteen French animations this year, including two feature films, The Crossing and Flee in competition for the Audience Prize. Among the twelve other French animated productions in the program of the 65th edition of the event were two VR works, Atomu and They Dream in My Bones (Insemnopedy), as well as ten shorts spread across the various festival sections.
Calls for films from international festivals and coproduction markets
Click on the title of the festival for further information on the dates for the submission of films or projects at the following festivals and events:
| Event | Format(s) requested | Deadline |
| Tokyo Anime Award Festival | Short films | October 31 |
| Tokyo Anime Award Festival | Feature films | November 10 |
| Oscars® | Feature films | November 15 |
| CEE Animation | All formats | November 15 |
| Annie Awards | Short films, feature films, series | November 16 |
| Cartoon Movie | Feature films | November 17 |
| New York Int'l Children's Film Festival | Feature films and shorts | December 1 |
| FIFEM | Feature films and shorts | December 17 |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | Short films, TV films, student films, commissioned works | February 15 |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | Feature films | March 15 |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | VR works | April 6 |
TV animation programs
International Emmy© - Kids Animation
The French TV series Mush-Mush et les Champotes was nominated for the International Emmy Award in the Animation for Children category. This series of 53 13-minute episodes, produced by La Cabane Productions, had already been selected at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and at Animafest Zagreb prior to receiving this prestigious nomination. For more details, click here.
Cartoon Forum
This pitching & coproduction forum for animated TV projects was held from September 20 through 23, 2021, in Toulouse. With over 80 projects presented, including 33 French projects, this year's event once again gave Gallic product wide exposure. For the first time this year, UniFrance was present at the forum, and hosted a cocktail reception in order to bring together, and place the focus on, French professionals participating in the event.
The presence of French works gained considerable attention, with the top 10 most highly attended pitches being projects led by French producers! In addition, we can also note that two of the three Cartoon Forum Tributes were given to French companies: MIAM! Animation (MIAM! distribution) received the Tribute for Distributor of the Year and TAT productions were hailed as Producer of the Year. You can consult the complete list of French programs presented at the event here.
UniFrance's actions to support TV animation programs
UniFrance has been shining a light on French animation projects for TV in recent months.
- The 2021 Animation Export Prize was awarded to Cyber Group Studios for their work on the series Gigantosaurus (illustration below). This award presented by UniFrance honors exporters of the animation program that has achieved the highest sales to foreign TV networks and digital platforms.
- UniFrance has also proposed dedicated events at pitching sessions for animated programs, such as at the Rendez-vous de Biarritz 2021, during which four animated programs were the focus of a Super Highlight session and four others were presented at a pitching session (more information can be found here).
- MIPCOM gave us an opportunity to present a showcase of three TV programs that are seeking foreign distributors: Go Astro Boy Go, presented by Play Big, Imago, presented by Newen Connect, and Edmond et Lucy, presented by MIAM! Distribution.
Finally, a showcase of programs entirely dedicated to animation was held on October 29, 2021, at the Institut Français in Beijing, in order to present fifteen French series to Chinese buyers. This event was organized by UniFrance in partnership with the French Embassy in China. The following series were presented:
- Zoe & Milo (APC Kids)
- Roger (APC Kids)
- Abraca (Planet Ankama)
- Petit Poilu S2 (Mediatoon Distribution)
- Anna & Friends (Superights)
- Croco Doc (Superights)
- Mighty Mike (TeamTO)
- Splat & Seymour (Newen Connect)
- Loup (Samka)
- Ariol S2 (Prime Entertainment Group)
- Tara Duncan (Princess Sam Pictures)
- Welcome to Bric-A-Broc (Gaumont)
- Culottées (Miam! Distribution)
- Petit Malabar (Miam! Distribution)
- Yétili (Miam! Distribution)
Animation on digital platforms
SVOD Market Indicator 2021
For the third consecutive year, UniFrance has published a study on the position of French films on SVOD platforms around the world. The most recent study reveals that animated feature films represent 4% of all French films offered on the SVOD platforms analyzed in this period. This figure reaches 5% in Western Europe and in North America. It is in China where the highest proportion of animated films was registered among French films offered on the platforms monitored, with animations accounting for 8% of all titles. As was the case in 2020, the Viaplay platform proposed the largest proportion of animated films, representing 21% of the French titles offered.
For further information, please consult the complete UniFrance SVOD Market Indicator (which provides detailed fact sheets on 21 territories and 31 platforms), available here.
Releases on digital platforms
Worldwide streaming rights for the feature film The Summit of the Gods were acquired by Netflix, with distribution of the film starting on November 30, 2021 (in territories excluding France, Benelux countries, China, Japan, and South Korea). Netflix has also scheduled the physical release of the film on November 24 in the USA and on November 26 in the United Kingdom.
A multitude of French animated series for young audiences are currently sweeping across international streaming platforms. Here are just a few of these titles:
- The Franco-American series Do, Re & Mi has been added to the offer for young audiences on Prime Video's international catalog since September. This musical series aimed at preschool children is a coproduction between Prime Video and Gaumont Animation.
- The Franco-Belgian series Mush-mush et les Champotes has arrived in the USA! Produced by La Cabane Productions in France and Thuristar in Belgium, this series has been acquired for the young audiences corner of the US platform Max, Cartoonito. As well as delighting young American internet viewers on Cartoonito, it is also streamed on the Cartoon Networks channel.
- Young American viewers have the chance to discover Season 2 of the series Gigantosaurus, which has been available on the US catalog of Disney+ since late August.
- The French production company Zag launched the series Power Players (78 x 11’) in China, with a simultaneous release on the Tencent Video and Mango TV & Hunan TV platforms in October. This series is a coproduction between Zag, On Kids & Family, and Planeta Junior.
- We can also highlight the outstanding success of Oggy et les Cafards on the Indian YouTube channel Xilam Animation, which has achieved the feat of registering 200 million monthly views and a total of 4.4 billion views! This triumph online is coupled with the streaming of all seven seasons of the program on the Indian channel Sony Yay! from October 11, 2021.
French animation at the international box office
Between June and September 2021, over 380 French productions were exhibited across the five continents. Among these titles, 25 were animated films, representing 6.5% of the total supply of films. In the same period, these films generated 1.3 million admissions, which corresponds to 18.2% of all spectators to French productions in international theaters.
| Rank | Film | No. of territories | Admissions from Jun. 1-30 | Total admissions at Sept. 30 |
| 1 | Bigfoot Family* | 16 | 618,681 | 2,299,529 |
| 2 | Around the World in 80 Days | 10 | 510,395 | 510,395 |
| 3 | Yakari, A Spectacular Journey | 8 | 77,608 | 317,712 |
| 4 | Astérix: The Secret of the Magic Potion | 3 | 37,791 | 372,344 |
| 5 | Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword* | 6 | 15,333 | 389,113 |
*Production minority-financed by France
The summer season shone brightly for French animations! After seeing their market share dwindle drastically at the start of the year due to the domination of other genres, French animated films returned to the forefront of the market, claiming nearly one fifth of all admissions to French productions outside France. This achievement can be attributed firstly to the progressive reopening of movie theaters, which offered a new start to highly-anticipated titles such as Bigfoot Family, and secondly to the boosting of the supply of titles, with Around the World in 80 Days leading the pack.
The minority-French production Bigfoot Family garnered 307,000 moviegoers in China (Wing Sight) and 152,000 in Poland (Monolith Films), earning the film its second and fourth best scores, respectively, in foreign markets (its highest score being registered in Russia, where it amassed 707,000 admissions for VolgaFilm, with The Netherlands in third place thanks to its 220,000 admissions score for Independent Films). The film is set to cross the 3 million spectators mark in coming weeks (outside Belgium and France)!
Around the World in 80 Days has enjoyed a sensational debut: it is the first majority-French production to have attracted more than 500,000 spectators outside France since January 1, and already ranks as the most-seen French film in its category in Russia in 2021 (VolgaFilm – 233,000 admissions), Italy (Notorious Pictures – 96,000), Ukraine (Volga – 70,000), the United Kingdom & Ireland (Vertigo Releasing – 67,000), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais – 32,000), and South Africa (Empire Entertainment – 15,000). And its international run is only just beginning, with its eagerly-awaited launch in new markets coming up in 2022 (notably in Germany by StudioCanal and in Spain by Flins & Pinículas). Finally, Yakari, A Spectacular Journey has just opened in Russia, where it has won over nearly 38,000 spectators young and old (Ten Letters), which is one thousand more admissions than ’Astérix: The Secret of the Magic Potion in China (Huaxia).
Upcoming releases in theaters*
- Josep, sold by The Party Film Sales, will be released in the USA (Distrib Films) and Quebec (A-Z Films) in December.
- Marona's Fantastic Tale, sold by Charades, will be released in Italy (Wanted Cinema) in November.
- Around the World in 80 Days, sold by STUDIOCANAL, will be released in Norway and Sweden (SF Studios) in October.
- My Sunny Maad (minority coproduction), sold by Totem Films, will be released in the Czech Republic (Aerofilms) and Slovakia (Association of Slovak cine-clubs) in October.
- Even Mice Belong in Heaven (minority coproduction), sold by Charades, will be released in Belgium (Cinéart ), the Gulf States (Gulf Film), the Czech Republic (CinemArt), and the United Kingdom & Ireland (Signature Entertainment) in October; in Russia (Capella Film) in November; and in The Netherlands (Cinéart) in December.
- Where Is Anne Frank (minority coproduction), sold by Goodfellas, will be released in Belgium (Cinéart ), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais), and Switzerland (Praesens Film) in December.
- Little Vampire, sold by STUDIOCANAL, will be released in Germany (StudioCanal) in December.
* The abovementioned film releases may be subject to cancellation or delays due to developments in the global health crisis.
Press review
Interviews
- Cineuropa gives the floor to the director of My Sunny Maad, Michaela Pavlátová. You can also read Pavlátová's interview with Animation World Magazine about her transition from short films to features.
- Fila Siete invites the directors of Hello World, Anne-Lise Koelher and Éric Serre, to discuss their creative approach.
- Jonas Poher Rasmussen explains the origins of Flee in Variety
- IndieWire presents an interview with Ari Folman, director of Where Is Anne Frank
- Eric Warin and Tahir Rana describe the animation technique they chose to use for their film Charlotte to The Hollywood Reporter.
UniFrance also offers you the chance to discover a number of interviews posted on the website French TV Stories, which highlights French TV productions:
- An interview with Charles Courcier (SVP Digital Production and Distribution at Xilam Animation) about the series T’es où Chicky?
- An interview with the team behind the series Tu Mourras Moins Bête (Marion Montaigne, Corinne Destombes, Pierre Méloni, Alexandra Marguerite)
- An interview with Franck Ekinci (producer at Je Suis Bien Content) and Marie Lassal (distributor at Kids First Distribution) about the series Nawak
Reviews
- The Summit of the Gods earned a warm reception from Variety, which praised its "climbing sequences, which feel no less real than their live-action counterparts."
- MyMovies describes Around the World in 80 Days as "A touch of bright color and an amusing gallery of animals: there is no lack of pleasure and originality."
- Calamity's run in Spanish theaters certainly made its mark on local media outlets. So Film writes: "Rémi Chayet is one of the greatest colorists in today's animation scene."
- Charlotte caught the attention of Screen Daily thanks to its “appealing 2D animated style."
*If you would like to let us know about a film selection, award, or success story that we have not mentioned, please contact us: carla.negre@unifrance.org
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