COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – A first feature film selected to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, a new original series in development presented to Annecy, new exciting adventures on French territory and the second season of a highly anticipated show are some of the highlights of a unique year for Sun Creature!
The corona pandemic doesn’t seem to be affecting the never-ending ascent of Copenhagen-based animation studio Sun Creature. Quite the contrary.
Started back in 2013 with its successful Kickstarter campaign for Tales of Alethrion, the studio has since established strong foundations recognized worldwide for its high ranked production value, epic storytelling and elegant craftsmanship. 2020 is the year for the Creature to show its utmost beautiful feathers.
FLEE Earns Cannes Label 2020
Sun Creature’s feature film debut FLEE accompanies the studio since its earliest days back in 2015. Five years later, the production is over and the film now starts its public life with the highest recognition imaginable. Cannes Film Festival has picked FLEE amongst its official selection of 56 films and only four animation films, finding its place right in between Pixar and Ghibli’s latest features. Despite the unprecedented events forcing the festival to cancel the live event, Cannes will be supporting the feature film with its prestigious label and by following it during its festival run and theatrical release.
FLEE tells the true story about a man’s need to confront his past in order to truly have a future. The main character Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 26, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for over 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time he shares his story with a close friend.
The film is produced by Final Cut for Real and Sun Creature, in co-production with Vivement Lundi !, Mer film and Most film as well as with the financial support of other partners, including Ryot Films and Vice Studios, The Film Institute in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Arte France and many more.
Where it Falls Revealed at Annecy’s MIFA Market
Studio co-founder and creative director Guillaume Dousse presents his series in development Where it Falls at the pitch panel of the distinguished Annecy International Film Festival in the series and TV-specials category of the MIFA market.
Sun Creature is looking for broadcasters and investors to join on this epic adventure to develop and produce the show. Where it Falls is a 6x30min serialized series staged in a world where gravity suddenly shifts 90°, changing the dynamics between people and societies. A reunited family goes on a perilous journey in search of their missing mother. As they learn and grow together, they discover a disoriented world and reconnect people together.
The project’s pitch premieres on June 18th at 9:30am CET and stays available in replay until June 30th on the MIFA online portal (see project page HERE) .
A Second Studio in Bordeaux, France
Sun Creature opens its second studio in the beautiful city of Bordeaux, France. The city made the cut for UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites back in 2007. Bordeaux’s environment will complement well the cosy lifestyle of Copenhagen where the main studio is.
“3 of the co-founders are French, and it always felt natural for us to have a physical presence in France. It’s been a dream to gain enough footing to reach that goal. It is a very exciting time ahead of us, that we share with the most talented and dedicated team.” says Bo Juhl, Sun Creature’s CEO.
Sun Creature’s French setup will welcome up to 50 people and help grow the studio’s capacity to respond to the ever-growing demand from the industry. In addition, France’s tax incentives and public fundings are valuable advantages to stay competitive worldwide. The studio will be able to co-produce with its Copenhagen-based studio within a flawless pipeline, keeping a strong focus on the quality of its productions over quantity.
“Our French setup will allow us to produce more exciting stories from our Sun Creature creatives. We’re excited to work with the incredible talents from the region, mostly coming from the very dynamic pole of Angoulême, and the many French and international talents attracted by the quality of life that Bordeaux offers.”, says Charlotte de la Gournerie, producer and Sun Creature France’s Ceo.
Prince Ivandoe Renewed For its Second Season
The first project that the Bordeaux office will be handling is The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe’s second season for Cartoon Network (see CN’s press release HERE), directed by Eva Lee Wallberg and Christian Bøving-Andersen.
The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe has already received international attention for their first season as a Bafta Award nominee and four-time Emiles Award winner back in 2018, including ‘Best Direction’ and ‘Best Character Animation’ in a TV production. Season
two of the series will run 20 episodes of 11 minutes each. A significant increase compared to the 10×3 min. Format of the first season.
Sun Creature’s journey seems to be far from over. The team continues to dream big and only time will tell what will come of these dreams. One thing’s for sure, you should keep an eye out for this talented bunch of creatives.
