GKIDS has snagged U.S. distribution rights for international festival-favorite feature Funan, the inspiring and deeply emotional debut from filmmaker Denis Do and based on his own family story. The film follows a young woman living through the chaos of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, who stays determined to reunite with her family no matter the cost.
Funan won the feature film Cristal at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival as well as the Grand Prize at Animation Is Film in Los Angeles last year.
The all-rights deal was negotiated by David Jesteadt (President, GKIDS) and Gilles Sousa (BAC Films).
“Denis has created a truly remarkable and personal film,” said Jesteadt. “Funan is the perfect example of animation’s ability to tell all kinds of stories, for all kinds of audiences. I can’t wait to share this special film with as many people as possible.”
Synopsis: Cambodia, April 1975. Chou is a young woman whose everyday world is suddenly upended by the arrival of the Khmer Rouge regime. During the chaos of the forced exile from their home, Chou and her husband are separated from their 4-year-old son, who has been sent to an unknown location. As she navigates her new reality, working in the fields day and night under the careful watch of soldiers, and surviving the small indignities and harrowing realities of the increasingly grim work camps, Chou remains steadfast in her determination to reunite her family – even if it means risking everything.
Featuring the voices of Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) and Louis Garrel (The Dreamers).
