Reunion animation studio Gao Shan Picture will shine in Cannes and Annecy with “Angelo in the Mysterious Forest”, its first feature film as executive producer, alongside producers Je suis biencontent and Zeilt.
© Gao Shan Pictures / I’m very happy / Zeilt
The Cannes Film Festival and the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2024 have just announced in their official selection the selection of “Angelo in the Mysterious Forest”… A flying start for this film by Vincent Paronnaud and Alexis Ducord, whose release on French screens is scheduled for October 23, 2024.
A first for Gao Shan Pictures
“As a studio, we are used to working behind the scenes on internationally nominated or award-winning films like Mars Express, Le Petit Nicolas, Where is Anne Frank, I lost my body, Zombillenium, which were all selected in Cannes and Annecy but this prestigious selection marks a turning point for us as a production company. This recognition salutes our commitment to artistic audacity and technical innovation in animated cinema,” underlines Arnauld Boulard, president of Gao Shan Pictures.
Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Alexis Ducord, Angelo in the Mysterious ForestIt is a co-production with Je suis biencontent (Paris) and Zeilt (Luxembourg). The film will be distributed by Le Pacte and Urban Sales will be responsible for international sales.
This hybrid animated feature film adapted from the eponymous comic book by Winshluss (aka Vincent Paronnaud), tells the story of young Angelo, who dreams of being an adventurer and zoologist. He takes the road with his family to visit his beloved grandmother, who is in bad shape. His parents forget him at a motorway rest area and leave without him. Abandoned, Angelo decides to cut through the forest to find his family. He sinks into this dark and mysterious territory populated by strange beings…
The film is a hybrid feature film which mixes 3D and 2D and, to carry out this ambitious project, Gao Shan Pictures mobilized the best talents from its network to support it throughout the 3D production chain of the film, bringing together 75 artists in his studio in Reunion.
An unprecedented pipeline for the Reunion studio
“This film embodies audacity both artistically and technically. Its universe and graphic style are unique, its settings lush and its characters numerous. Our decision to integrate Unreal Engine into our creative process has proven to be a disruptive choice. This decision represented a very stimulating challenge! Extensive training for our teams was necessary to master this complex technology…. Ultimately, contributing to such an innovative project in the field of animation is a reward in itself,” emphasizes Dimitri Lucy, Project Supervisor at Gao Shan Pictures.
“Angelo in the Mysterious Forest is a film that plays with codes, between children’s tales, genre films and science fiction. He explores with humor, subtlety, irony and great tenderness universal themes such as life, death, ecology and the right to be different. Its different reading levels set it apart from the many animated feature films intended for a family audience. We look forward to sharing this exceptional experience with the audiences of the Cannes and Annecy Festivals” concluded Arnauld Boulard, president of Gao Shan Pictures…
