Wave of Festival Activity Across The Doomies, Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods, My Life in Versailles, Athleticus and Meanwhile on Earth
PARIS, June 04, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Academy Award?-nominated French animation studio Xilam Animation(Paris:XIL) is returning to Annecy International Animation Film Festival – taking place on 9th – 15th June 2024 – with a slate of new projects and a raft of official activity. During the festival, screenings, panels and presentations will take place across Xilam’s growing portfolio of titles for both family and adult audiences, including The Doomies, Twilight of the Gods, My Life in Versailles and season four of Athleticus.
Key highlights from Xilam’s Annecy agenda include: Disney Branded Television’s Work In Progress Screening for The Doomies, produced by Xilam for Disney+; the adult-targeted series The Twilight of the Gods will feature in the ‘Next on Netflix Animation’ presentation spotlighting world-class filmmakers and sneak peeks of highly anticipated films and series; My Life in Versailles features in the festival’s official competition line-up; the fourth season of Athleticus will screen in collaboration with ARTE; and Athleticus’ Director, Nicolas Deveaux will host a presentation entitled "Dancing Snails and Other Animal Shenanigans".
Additionally, Jeremy Clapin, Director of the acclaimed and Academy Award?-nominated I Lost My Body, is returning to Annecy for a special screening of his new feature Meanwhile on Earth, produced by One World Films, and for which the animation segments have been produced by Xilam Studio. The feature is distributed in France by Diaphana, with global sales handled by Charades. Meanwhile on Earth is set to be released in French cinemas on July 3rd 2024.
Xilam’s raft of Annecy activity comes off the back of the recently announced greenlight of its new adventure-comedy series Submarine Jim, following the signing of its first pre-sales for the series with European broadcasters France Télévisions (France) and Super RTL (Germany). Alongside this, France Télévisions, BBC (UK) and ZDF (Germany) have boarded its upcoming CG preschool series Piggy Builders.
Marc du Pontavice, Founder and CEO at Xilam Animation, said: "We look forward to returning to Annecy to showcase our latest projects and creative achievements. Our full programme of activity is testament to the breadth and strength of content we have to offer – and also to the wide range of partnerships we have with players such as Disney, Netflix and France Télévisions. Across the Xilam Group, we’re busy executing new long-term strategies – including tapping into the promising adult animation sector with Twilight of the Gods and our production pipeline continues to flourish with The Doomies and Piggy Builders among others, while our library of IP continues to engage new audiences. More than ever, Xilam promises to offer something for all audiences to enjoy."
Full details of Xilam’s activity in Annecy includes:
THE DOOMIES >> Work-In Progress with Disney, Screening 11.30am on Wednesday 12th June (Salle Pierre Lamy)
Creators of The Doomies, an original spooky serialized comedy produced in France for Disney Branded Television by Xilam Animation Studio and Disney EMEA Animation, will give an exclusive first look at the series during a Work In Progress session. Introduced by Orion Ross, Vice President, International Animation, Disney Branded Television, and Marc du Pontavice, series producer and CEO, Xilam, the panel will feature series director and co-creator Andrès Fernandez, writer and co-creator Henry Gifford, animation director Lucie Arnissole, Xilam CCO Caterina Gonnelli-Linden and executive producer for The Walt Disney Company EMEA, Calvin Dyson.
Summary: When best friends Bobby and Romy accidentally open a gateway to evil, they turn their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. They will cross paths with the so-called "Chosen One" and do battle with both literal and inner monsters in this epic spooky comedy that combines thrills, chills and emotional spills from two ordinary teens engulfed by an extraordinary mystery.
TWILIGHT OF THE GODS >> Next on Netflix Animation: From Twilight of the Gods to Wallace & Gromit at 1pm on Wednesday 12th June (Bonlieu Grande Salle)
During the event, fan-favourite director, Zack Snyder, and executive producer, Deborah Snyder along with Xilam Animation Director Slimane Aniss unveiling clips from the adult animated series, Twilight of the Gods. Xilam is serving as the animation studio for the 2D animated action series, which brings Zack Snyder’s daring and spectacular vision of ancient Norse mythology to life.
MY LIFE IN VERSAILLES >> Official Selection – TV Films: Screening at Pathe Cinema on June 11th at 9:00am and 10:30am, June 12th at 2:00pm and June 14th at 7:30pm
Co-produced with Films Grand Huit and commissioned by France Télévisions, the sequel to the multi-awarded TV special of the same name is set in the modern day and follows Violette, who at eight years old, suddenly becomes an orphan and is sent to live with her uncle Regis, who she barely knows. He is a gruff man and works as the caretaker of the Palace of Versailles. After a tough start, Violette finds self-confidence and begins to move on, thanks to Regis, her best friend Malcolm, her kindly social worker Genevieve and all of the new friends she makes. In this majestic place, little Violette realises that she will find unexpected refuge and a new loving family.
MEANWHILE ON EARTH >> Special Screening – Feature Film: Wednesday 12th June at 7.30pm (Bonlieu)
Elsa and Franck used to be close siblings, but everything changed when Franck’s space mission went awry. 3 years have passed since his mysterious disappearance, and 23-year-old Elsa is having trouble moving on with her life. One day, an unidentified life form contacts her, offering to bring her big brother back to Earth. But there is a price to pay.
The cast includes Megan Northam, Catherine Salée, Sam Louwyck, Roman Williams and Sofia Lesaffre, with the feature set for theatrical release in France on 3rd July 2024.
>>ARTE Evening Screening – 7.30pm on Sunday 9th June (Paquier) >>‘Dancing Snails and Other Animal Shenanigans’ Talent Panel – 9.15am on Tuesday 11th June (Campus: Room 1)
From table tennis to fixed bar, bobsleigh and curling, skateboard and breakdance, diving to synchronized swimming, the animals of Athleticus react according to their personality and the peculiarities of their anatomy, creating comical or poetic situations, but always offbeat. The 3D-animated comedy short-form series is produced by Cube Creative Productions.
Director of the series Nicolas Deveaux will also host a presentation on Tuesday 11th June at the Campus, entitled "Dancing Snails and Other Animal Shenanigans" and highlighting his career as a writer-director spotlighting his conceptualisation of Athleticus.
About Xilam
A major player in animation, Xilam is an integrated studio founded in 1999 that creates, produces and distributes original programmes in more than 190 countries for both children and adult audiences. Xilam content is broadcast on television, and is also available on SVoD platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and Universal+ and AVoD streaming platforms including YouTube and Facebook. With its creativity and capacity for innovation recognised worldwide, its unique expertise in CGI, as well as editorial and commercial expertise at the cutting edge of its industry, Xilam is positioned as a key player of the market. Each year, Xilam builds real successes and capitalises on its powerful historical brands including Oggy and the Cockroaches,Zig & Sharko and Chicky, as well as new properties such as Oggy Oggy for a preschool audience, Mr Magoo and Karate Sheep, and Academy Award? nominated adult feature film I Lost My Body. Xilam’s expanding and strong catalogue now consists of over 2,800 episodes and three feature films. Xilam employs more than 500 individuals, including 400 artists, across its studios in Paris, Angoulême in France and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. Xilam was ranked France's leading animation studio for the 2018-2022 period in a report by the French national centre for cinema and animation (CNC). Xilam is listed on Euronext Paris Compartment C - PEA - SRD long Eligibility. ISIN: FR0004034072, Symbol: XIL
