GKIDS ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS FOR
BRAZILIAN FEATURE FILM
BOY AND THE WORLD
AT ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL
New York, NY – June 9, 2014 – GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement for the North American rights to the upcoming animated feature BOY AND THE WORLD. The Brazilian film, directed by Alê Abreu, screened in competition on June 9 at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
“From the very first notes on screen, Boy and the World announces itself as a special film, and a true discovery. We are excited to bring director Alê Abreu’s very personal film to North America, and share a compassionate, musical epic that domestic audiences are sure to embrace,” said Dave Jesteadt, Director of Distribution at GKIDS.
The movie has been garnering accolades at festivals around the world, including a Special Jury Mention at the Ottawa International Animation Festival; an honorable mention at the Festival do Rio; Best Brazilian Film – Youth Award at the Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo; and Best Animated Film at the 35th Festival Internacional Del Nuevo Cine Latino-Havana.
In BOY AND THE WORLD, Brazilian artist Alê Abreu brings to screen a strikingly unique visual style to show the conflicts of the world through the eyes of a young boy. Cuca lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer. But his cozy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity and variety as his small world expands. Simple line drawings of the village give way to broad brushstrokes forming giant bushels of cotton lining country roads and sweeps of pastel churned into roaring waves. Approaching the city, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks fill the sky above decoupage favelas, while flashing neon advertisements and garish shop windows illuminate the night. Entirely wordless, the narrative describes a clash between poor and rich, countryside and city, indigenous and imperial, handcrafted and mechanized – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song. Accompanying the stunning visuals is a rich soundscape of pan-flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop, creating the powerful visceral experience of a passage through life.
ABOUT GKIDS
GKIDS is the distributor of award-winning filmed entertainment specializing in feature animation for both adult and family audiences. The company has scored four Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations – the most for an independent distributor – with The Secret of Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, and Ernest & Celestine in 2014. Current and upcoming releases include Ernest & Celestine, featuring Forrest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, and Jeffrey Wright; Wrinkles, featuring Martin Sheen, Matthew Modine and George Coe; the newest Studio Ghibli film, Isao Tahakata’s The Tale of The Princess Kaguya; and the highly anticipated Song of the Sea from Tomm Moore, director of The Secret of Kells. GKIDS also handles North American theatrical distribution for the Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others. GKIDS is the longtime producer of the New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event and North America’s largest festival of film for children and teens. NYICFF jury members include Uma Thurman, Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Gus van Sant, Christine Vachon, Henry Selick and James Schamus. www.gkidsfilms.com