Gkids Takes North America For Cannes & Annecy Title ‘Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain'
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-winning animation producer and distributor Gkids has acquired North American rights for Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain, following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Titled Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes in French, the work is the feature directorial debut of French filmmakers Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han.
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It was unveiled as a Special Screening in Cannes and will be back on the festival circuit next week, playing in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The feature is adapted from The Character of Rain, the autobiographical novel of award-winning Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb, which is inspired by her own early years in Japan.
The young protagonist Amèlie finds the world a perplexing, peaceful mystery until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family's housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family's idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan.
Vallade previously took storyboard artist credits on the Oscar-nominated feature I Lost My Body and Calamity, A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary, while Han was animation director on the latter film and Long Way North.
'The emotional intelligence and visual creativity of Little Amélie or the Character of Rain stunned us,' said Rodney Uhler, Gkid Director of Acquisitions and Development.
'The film is an engrossing story of how a young person grapples with the confusing reality of the world she's brought into, but her discoveries will resonate with audiences of every age. The film feels like a beautiful gift from Vallade, Han and their team, and we cannot wait for audiences to discover its magic.'
The deal was negotiated between Uhler and Jason Bressand of Goodfellas Animation.
The feature is produced by Nidia Santiago and Edwina Liard for Ikki Films, and, Claire La Combe and Henri Magalon for Maybe Movies. Screenwriters were Han, Aude Py, Vallade, and Eddine Noël, who is also Art Director, while Ludovic Versace is the editor.
The French-language voice cast features Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grobois, Laetitia Coryn, Yumi Fujimori, Marc Arnaud, and Emmylou Homs.
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