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“Sorya,” “Starseed,” and “Caramel’s Words” are among 55 projects from 16 countries set to be pitched at this year’s Cartoon Movie, Europe’s leading animated feature co-production event.

The 23rd edition will move totally online, running March 9-11.

Part of an In Development showcase, “Sorya” is directed by Denis Do, an Annecy Fest best feature film winner for “Funan.” That debut depicted the brutality of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime. In “Sorya,” in contrast, he takes a more intimate approach, following a Cambodian teen woman arriving in Phnom Penh to work in a textile factory, flirting with dreams of becoming a singer, flirting with singing stardom and finally trying to find some stability in her life. Special Touch Studios’ Sébastien Onomo produces. “Funan” composer Thibault Kientz Agyeman will create the film’s the score.

French highlights also take in Pierre Földes’ “Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman” (produced by Cinema Defacto), Sarah Van Den Boom...

“The Ballad of Yaya,” “Where is Anne Frank?” and “Musketeers of the Tsar” proved the most-attended of industry presentations among 66 feature projects pitched at this year Cartoon Movie, Europe’s top animated feature co-production forum which ran at the French port city of Bordeaux over March 5-7.

A production of Blue Spirit Productions, the company behind François Laguionie’s César-nominated “The Painting” and Claude Barras’ “My Life as a Zucchini,” “The Ballad of Yaya” is penned by Patrick Marty, Céline Ronté and Antoine Schoumsk. The director is yet to be confirmed.

Set in 1937, in development, and targeting 6-12s, it turns on 9-year-old Chinese girl Yaya, raised in the French Concession in Shanghai, who flees Japanese bombings to join her family in Hong Kong.

Already in production and targeting family audiences “Where is Anne Frank?” is the new project of Ari Folman, a revisitation of the Nazi legacy through the...

Claude Barras’ “Savages!,” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli’s “Tales of the Hedgehog” and Peter Dodd’s “King of the Swamp” are among the sixty-six projects –a 10% increase from last year– to be pitched at the 21st Cartoon Movie, Europe’s leading animated movie co-production event, which will take place in the French port city of Bordeaux, kicking off March 5.

Projects will be offered to buyers and potential partners in different stages: 28 in concept, 24 in development, seven in production and seven sneak previews.

“Savages!” is the much-awaited sophomore project from Switzerland’s Barras, following his multi-awarded and foreign-language Oscar nominated “My Life as a Zucchini.” A stop-motion feature, “Savages!” is produced by France’s Prélude in co-production with Switzerland’s Helium Films. It tells the story of the friendship between 11-year-old Kéria and a Bornean orangutan baby. They will be forced to flee from Kéria’s father who wants to...

Madrid — Mediapro, one of the biggest independent companies in Europe, is entering animation, partnering with Rokyn Animation, for animated feature “Mudanza Dimensional.”

To be presented at next March’s Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux, the principal European animated feature co-production forum, “Mudanza Dimensional” is written by popular Spanish comedian and actor Joaquín Reyes and Miguel Esteban, creator of the Intl. Emmy-nominated “The End of Comedy.”

Reyes and Esteban will direct with Manuel Sicilia, who was nominated for an Oscar for his short, “The Lady and the Reaper,” and directed and produced two animated features:“The Missing Lynx” and “Justin and the Knights of Valor.”

“Mudanza Dimensional” is produced by Mediapro and Rokyn Animation, founded in 2016, and run by Sicilia and Francesca Nicoll. Their production credits also take in animated omnibus feature ”Extraordinary Tales” and stop-motion TV series “Clay Kids.”

In development, “Mudanza Dimensional” taps into an adventure vibe, turning on nine-year-old “Lali,...

2014 hasn’t seen a lot of American animated films. The biggest animated film thus far has been “Planes: Fire and Rescue,” but if that film didn’t do it for you, then perhaps you need to give “Justin and the Knights of Valour” a try. The Arc Entertainment film is directed by Manuel Sicilia and stars Freddie Highmore, Antonio Banderas, James Cosmo, Charles Dance, Tamsin Egerton, Rupert Everett, Barry Humphries, Alfred Molina, Mark Strong, David Williams, Julie Walters, Olivia Williams and Saoirse Ronan. The film follows Justin, a young man who goes on a quest to become a knight like his grandfather. “Young Justin dreams of following in his grandfather Sir [ Read More ]

The post Enter ShockYa’s Twitter Giveaway for a Chance to win Justin and the Knights of Valour Blu-ray! appeared first on Shockya.com.

Title: Justin and the Knights of Valor Director: Manuel Sicilia Starring: Freddie Highmore, Antonio Banderas, Charles Dance, Rupert Everett, Alfred Molina, Julie Walters, Olivia Williams and Saoirse Ronan Running time: 96 min, Rated PG, Available 07.08.14 Special Features: None Justin (Freddy Highmore) is a geeky redheaded teenager who aspires to become a knight like his legendary grandfather, Sir Roland. Justin’s father on the other hand wants him to stick to his studies and to become a lawyer since knights were banished by the queen and replaced by lawyers to keep the peace and make rules everyday that make the townspeople confused and miserable. Justin is determined to follow his grandfather’s [ Read More ]

The post Justin and the Knights of Valor Blu-ray Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Doha’s youth festival to showcase Qatari filmmakers; unveils competition titles.

Films shot by Qatari nationals and those who call Qatar their home are to be showcased at the inaugural Ajyal Youth Film Festival (Nov 26-30), presented by the Doha Film Institute, in a Made in Qatar strand.

The programme will highglight the works of filmmakers across three segments.

The first will feature the works of winners from the Doha Film Institute’s 48-Hour online Family Film Challenge; the second from the 7-Day Filmmaking Challenge, both of which were open to filmmakers from across Qatar; and the third which will include the screening of Batal Wa Resalah (The Hero and the Message), from Al Rayyan Productions.

Ajyal festival director Fatma Al Remaihi said the Qatar strand would “honour the dedication, creativity and unique voice of our homegrown talent in front of a wide audience”.

She added that the festival is “dedicated to supporting local filmmakers and to...

Rush | In A World | White House Down | The Artist And The Model | Borrowed Time | Insidious: Chapter 2 | 42 | Class Tous Risques | Justin And The Knights Of Valour | Sir Billi | Grand Masti

Rush (15)

(Ron Howard, 2013, Us/Ger/UK) Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde. 122 mins

In the tyre tracks of Senna comes another Formula One thrill ride, dramatising the Hunt vs Lauda rivalry that peaked in 1976. And again, it's hard to resist, even for non-fans. There's track action aplenty but the core is a clash of opposites: Hunt the debonair playboy vs Lauda the cold calculator (Brühl is terrific). To watch, it's more of a Hunt: playing fast and loose with the facts, but easy enough on the eye to get away with it.

In A World… (15)

(Lake Bell, 2013, Us) Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Michaela Watkins. 93 mins

Bell creates a fine showcase for her own versatility with this satire of the cut-throat...

Antonio Banderas produces and stars in this unoriginal medieval tale

As well as taking a voice role, Antonio Banderas is credited as a producer on this Spanish-made animation with English-language vocal talent. The Knights of Valour is a moderate fairytale fantasy, heavily influenced by Hollywood – specifically, the Shrek films. Manuel Sicilia directs, co-scripting with British writer Matthew Jacobs (who, as an actor, appeared in Bernard Rose's modern-day Tolstoy adaptation Boxing Day). They create a ye-olde-medieval-dayes kingdom where the glorious traditions of knights and chivalry have been abolished and replaced with a hideous nightmare of big government and nitpicking bureaucracy. Valiant young Justin (Freddie Highmore) wants to overturn this petty tyranny, and be a knight like his forebears but first he must go on an epic quest, confronting foes such as the conceited Sir Clorex (Banderas), and also win the heart of the feisty Talia (Saoirse Ronan). This movie was...

★★★☆☆ There are certain subjects and mediums which seem tailor-made for each other - one example being fairytales and animation. This union, which began with the release of Lotte Reiniger's The Adventures of Prince Achmed in 1926, is now continued with Manuel Sicilia's Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013). Though not derived from one of the common fairytale sources (such as the Grimms or Perrault), this new feature, starring the voice talents of Antonio Banderas, Freddie Highmore and Saoirse Ronan, has all the archetypal elements you'd expect including brave knights, fearsome dragons and damsels in distress.

Justin (voiced by Highmore) yearns to be a knight just like his late grandfather, Sir Roland. However, his father Reginald (Alfred Molina) has other plans and wants Justin to study and become a lawyer just like him. Determined to follow his heart, Justin sets off for the legendary Tower of Wisdom, which is watched...

Hey guys, get ready for a completely new animated movie, titled Justin and the Knights of Valour, which comes from Manuel Sicilia and is currently in post-production. If you ask me – this definitely looks promising, the movie has great voice cast on board, and the most important thing – we’re dealing with a heart-warming tale about friendship, honour & courage in here! Check out the rest of this report to check an international teaser trailer and lovely images from the whole thing!

Directed by Manuel Sicilia, this animated movie is set in a magical world that children still dream of: it’s a heart-warming story filled with adventure, action and fun.

Justin and the Knights of Valour voice-cast includes Freddie Highmore, Saoirse Ronan, Alfred Molina, Julie Walters, Mark Strong, Rupert Everett, Charles Dance, James Cosmo, Barry Humphries, Olivia Williams, Tamsin Egerton, David Walliams and Antonio Banderas.

Here’s the official synopsis:...

MADRID -- Enrique Posner, former general manager at Warner Brothers Intl. Espana, on Monday announced the launch of his own production company, YaYa! Films, with an initial slate of three English-language features.

YaYa! will co-produce its first slate with Posner's partners in the Madrid-based sales outfit 6 Sales, Marina Fuentes' Galba Prods. and animation specialists Manuel Cristobal and Ruben Zarauza's Perro Verde Films.

The new shingle's first project is the $10 million, CG-animated "The Missing Lynx", about a billionaire conservationist who hires a wacky hunter to save animals in a new Noah's Ark.

Granada-based Kandor Graphics -- which will create the CGI animation -- and Perro Verde will co-produce, with Posner taking the executive production credit. Manuel Sicilia and Raul Garcia, who worked as an animator on "The Lion King" and "Aladdin", will co-direct.

Next up is romantic comedy "How To", about a secretary who writes a manual explaining the ins and outs of a successfully undetected and enjoyable extramarital affair. The script is being written by Paula Edwards.