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Jean-Paul Gaultier has unveiled first details and images for his upcoming debut animated fiction feature tapping into his collections and experiences in the Paris Fashion world. The images have not been made available to share publicly.

The Untitled Jean-Paul Gaultier Project is being produced by nWaves Studios, the Belgium-based animation production house behind family hits such as Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness and Bigfoot Family.

The project is based on an original idea by writer Emilie Frèche, sparked by her own experiences growing up with parents and extended family members in the fashion industry.

The fairytale-style story revolves around a fashionista young moth who escapes a provincial thrift store run by a retired model called Kiki, and makes her way to Paris with ambitions to pursue a career in haute couture.

“She is quite desperate because she only has dirty moths around her who eat old sweaters all day long,...

In the most competitive animated Oscar race ever (with a record 27 entries), indie powerhouse Gkids (with eight nominations since 2009) entered the fray with five contenders for the first time. And, on Monday, its two strongest — the stop-motion “My Life as a Zucchini” and the hand-drawn “Miss Hokusai” — grabbed two Annie nominations for best indie feature and a third for “Zucchini” director Claude Barras.

Read More: How Gkids Shook the Oscar Animated Race with First Latin American Nominee and a New Ghibli Hit

“It’s a feast of animation and the timing was just the luck of the draw,” Gkids co-founder and president Eric Beckman told IndieWire. “The really rich landscape that we see this year is part of a trend and a shift [toward indies] that we’re happy to see exist and take pride in helping propagate it.”

Beckman also prides himself on smart taste and filling a need to help...

Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.

– Gkids, the producer and distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the forthcoming animated feature “Mune: The Guardian of the Moon.” The French film is from the producers of the 2016 animated feature “The Little Prince” and will be released theatrically in early 2017, in a new English language version. The film was directed by Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon.

The film takes place “in a fantastical world where a young faun named Mune is unexpectedly entrusted with the monumental title of Guardian of the Moon.”

“Mune” recently won the Young People’s Jury Award at the Tiff Kids International Film Festival and won Best...

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights for the forthcoming animated French film Mune: Guardian of the Moon, which will be released theatrically early next year in a new English-language version. Directed by Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon, the film takes places in a fantastical world where a young faun unexpectedly is entrusted with the monumental title of Guardian of the Moon. This news excites Necross, the nefarious ruler of the Underworld, a…...

The animation specialist has acquired North American rights from Kinology to the French project from the producers behind Netflix’s awards contender The Little Prince.

Gkids plans an early 2017 release in a new English-language version to the story of a young faun named Mune who is appointed guardian of the moon.

Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon directed Mune: The Guardian Of The Moon, which won the Young People’s Jury Award at the Tiff Kids International Film Festival and was named best film at the Toyko Anime Awards.

“Gkids has always championed international storytellers using the animation medium in new and exciting ways,” said David Jesteadt, Gkids senior vice-president of distribution.

“We are proud to share the beautiful, bold world and rich mythology that infuse every frame of Mune: Guardian Of The Moon with audiences nationwide.”...

Exclusive: Copenhagen’s festival, in new autumn dates, will show a record 226 features kicking off with Doctor Strange.

Copenhagen’s Cph Pix festival, now in its new autumn dates, has revealed a record 226 feature films in its lineup.

The 14-day festival (Oct 27 - Nov 9), which now also includes kids and family festival Buster, will show 46 features for young people in its daytime programmes and 180 films for teenagers and adults in the evenings.

As previously reported, the eighth edition of festival will open with a gala premiere of Marvel’s Doctor Strange (Mads Mikkelsen will attend).

There will be four main awards at Pix: the New Talent Grand Pix for a debut feature (with $11,200 (€10,000)); the Politiken Audience Award that comes with Danish distribution support, and the Nordisk Film Fond prizes for best children’s feature and best children’s short.

Terence Davies [pictured] will be given a full retrospective as well as showing his latest film A Quiet Passion and participating...

The 59Th BFI London Film Festival Announces Full 2015 Programme

You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.

The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry‎ Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.

The Festival will screen a...

Competition titles revealed; exclusive first footage to screen from Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur and Disney’s Zootopia.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June 15-20) is to spotlight the contribution of women to animation and their growing presence in the medium.

This year’s Honorary Cristal will be awarded to French director Florence Miailhe, whose unusual technique has been called “film painting”. She was first at Annecy in 2000 with Au premier dimanche d’aout, which won the Cear for Best Short Film, and won a special mention at Cannes in 2006 for her short Conte de quartier.

Sticking with the female focus, there will be films about maternity and sexuality, the female imagination and a strand titled The Future Is Woman.

Canadian filmmaker Janet Perlman, who secured an Oscar nomination with The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin (1981), will also be the subject of a special focus.

This year’s festival, overseen by artistic...

Just released in France yesterday, Lullaby for Pi (also known as Lullaby) is a “vintage love story” starring Rupert Friend, Clémence Poésy, Matt Ward and Forest Whitaker.

According to ioncinema.com…”Tom (Friend) is a bewitching blues-jazz singer. Sadly, since his wife passed away, he can no longer sing nor smile. He spends his nights in the hotel room where they first met, waiting for her phone call that will never come. He hardly sees anyone except his best friend George (Whitaker), the hotel desk clerk. One of these nights a girl, running away from an insistent pursuer, rushes into Tom’s room and locks herself in his bathroom. As mysterious as her mathematical name, Pi (Poesy) asks Tom to sing a lullaby to comfort her…”

It was believed, earlier in the year, the debut film by writer/director Benoît Philippon was a strong contender for Sundance 2011.

So far, the...

#26. Lullaby For Pi - Benoît Philippon Being released in France this December, I figure this co-production's only real shot at a festival debut might be in Park City and on Main Street (the film's strong musical element means a possible concert - see trailer). With indie producer vet Killer Films' Christine Vachon as one of the producers, I figure Benoît Philippon's debut appears likely to grab a spot in the World Dramatic Competition. Starring Rupert Friend, Clémence Poésy, Matt Ward and Forest Whitaker, Lullaby For Pi sees Tom, a bewitching blues-jazz singer (Friend). Sadly, since his wife passed away, he can no longer sing nor smile. He spends his nights in the hotel room where they first met, waiting for her phone call that will never come. He hardly sees anyone except his best friend George, the hotel desk clerk. One of these nights, a girl, running away from an insistent pursuer,...

If you plan to attend to the 15th Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea, have in mind that eight Canadian films will be part of its line-up. The festival will be held from October 7 to 15, 2010.

All the eight Canadian films will be part of the festival's official selection.

World Cinema Program: 2 fois une femme

Director: François Deslile

Starring: Evelyne Rompré, Marc Béland, Étienne Laforge, David Boutin, Michelle Rossignol, Marie Brassard, Alexandre Goyette, Catherine de Léan and Brigitte Pogonat

After having her life threatened by her violent husband one night, Catherine heads for northern Quebec with her son under another identity. Slowly, she rebuilds her confidence and rediscovers who she is while trying to win over her son’s affection. Les amours imaginaires

Director: Xavier Dolan

Starring: Xavier Dolan, Monia Chokri and Niels Schneider

The film is about two friends (Xavier Dolan and Monia Chokri) who meet a guy (Niels Schneider) during a party.

Kinology is heading to Cannes with a single title in Copacabana – the Isabelle Huppert starring with her daughter comedy is a focal point in the Critic's Week section this year. It's the projects that they've got on the sales slate that have got my ears perked up in an upright position – beginning with Juan Solanas' next - he is currently shooting Upside Down in Montreal, while Andrew Niccol is still in pre-production mod with The Cross – if I remember correctly it was first announced at last year's Cannes and they are trying to bring down the price tag on the 50 million dollar-ish production. French items worth keeping an eye out for are Benoît Philippon's Lullaby for Pi – which was shot in Canada and would logically find a spot at Tiff. Mathieu Kassovitz also has a project in development . Buried by Rodrigo Cortes - Post-Production Heartbreaker (L'arnacoeur) by Pascal Chaumeil...

• In an exclusive bit of news that hasn't made the trades yet, Killer Film's Christine Vachon confirmed that Rupert Friend, the young actor who was the breakout thesp in Berlin Film Festival's Stephen Fry's Cheri and gave a formidable perf in Jean-Marc Vallee's The Young Victoria will topline Lullaby for Pi. The France/Canada co-production will begin lensing shortly in the prairie provinces of Canada. The actor has just completed recording the songs that will be presented in the film. Friend previously starred in pictures that are mostly period pics, commencing with The Libertine and Pride & Prejudice to more recent fair like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Virgin Territory and The Last Legion. Written by Benoît Philippon, this is about Tom (played by Friend), a bewitching blues-jazz singer. Sadly, since his wife passed away, he can no longer sing nor smile. He spends his nights in the

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