Emmy Award-winning French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo announced the launch of a new feature film division, Dandelooo Cinéma. The move expands the company’s entertainment offering for family audiences worldwide.
“Entering into the cinema space is a natural progression for Dandelooo,” said Dandelooo Co-Founder Emmanuele Pétry. “We are passionate about delivering exceptional entertainment and Dandelooo Cinéma allows us to take this commitment to new heights and build and strengthen our content for global audiences.”
Based at the company’s Paris headquarters, Dandelooo Cinéma is spearheaded by Luna Sirvin, International Sales & Acquisitions Manager (Feature Films). With experience in the French and international markets, Sirvin will oversee and expand Dandelooo Cinéma’s activities by acquiring, developing, producing and marketing animated films for kids and families.
“Despite the challenging environment we feel the need to offer uplifting and meaningful stories. We believe that the quality of an animated film and its message is revealed through the passionate work of local distributors,” Sirvin observed. “This in-depth work is the key to meeting today’s biggest challenge: to keep inviting children into movie theaters. As an international sales agent, our mission is to offer ambitious animated films which will inspire and enrich the lives of kids around the world.”
Dandelooo Cinéma already has a roster of projects in the pipeline for its features line up, and has just signed the international theatrical rights for three new animated feature films:
Targeted at five- to nine-year-olds, Hola Frida! (75 minutes), currently in production, is the fictional childhood story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Set for delivery in September 2024, the film is produced by Haut et Court Distribution (France), Tobo Media (Canada) and Du Coup Studio Production (Canada), directed by Karine Veězina and Andreě Kadi. It’s the story of a little girl who is different. Her world is Coyoacan, Mexico City. Sparkling, vibrant, everything interests her and when difficulties arise, she faces them with an overflowing imagination. This little girl is called Frida Kahlo.
Now in production and set for delivery in May 2025, Born in the Jungle (70 minutes), for upper preschool and families, is produced by Atom Art (Latvia), Letko (Poland), Hausboot (Czech Republic) and directed by Edmunds Jansons. During the school summer break, nine-year-old Elisabeth joins her family in the Venezuelan rainforest far away from their Latvian homeland. When Mum and Dad fly their plane to the city, Elisabeth volunteers to look after her four-year-old brother Leo. But soon Leo disappears in the thick dark jungle and Elisabeth must bring him back home before their parents return.
Directed by Annecy Jury Prize winner Hugo de Faucompret and produced by Laďdak Films (France, Germany), Dandelooo (France) and Doghouse Films (Luxembourg), Granny Is a Tree! (70 minutes), aimed at kids seven and older, is in development and set for delivery in December 2025. Granny Onion, Jane’s whimsical grandmother, has taken one last eternal after-lunch nap. She wrote her last wish in a letter, but Cécile rules against it. Jane, on the other hand, has decided: she will set off on a wild escape to the edge of the tangible world, alongside her granny’s facetious ghost.
Dandelooo is a French award-winning creative company based in Paris dedicated to the development, production and distribution of original and aspiring animated programs. Its production slate includes the International Emmy Kids Award-winning hybrid preschool series The Treehouse Stories and Annecy Jury Award-winning special Mum Is Pouring Rain, with A Day with the Dogs and Hold on Gaston! now in development.
The new Dandelooo Cinéma division at the Paris base joins a network including Dandelooo’s own studio, Ooolala, in la Cartoucherie (Valence, France) and its sales office in Milan.
