Financing is being completed now for the animated feature ‘The Breadwinner’, based on Deborah Ellis’ bestselling novel with Kilkenny-based studio Cartoon Saloon (‘The Secret of Kells’, ‘Song of the Sea’) partnering with Canada’s Aircraft Pictures (‘Cybergeddon’, ‘Todd & The Book of Pure Evil’) to make the animated family feature.
Paul Young, co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, announced at the VFX Summit at the weekend that production is expected to begin on the film in April 2015, with a theatrical launch planned for 2017. StudioCanal will release the film in the UK, building on its work with Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar nominee ‘The Secret of Kells’ and the forthcoming ‘Song of the Sea’.
Cartoon Saloon partner Nora Twomey, who co-directed ‘The Secret of Kells’, will direct.
‘The Breadwinner’ tells the story of Parvana, a young girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan who disguises herself as a boy to support her family when her father is unfairly imprisoned.
Ellis adapted the screenplay with Anita Doron (‘The End of Silence’).
The $10m production has backing from the Irish Film Board, Telefilm Canada, and private investment from Los Angeles and the Middle East.
‘I thought it would take ages to raise money for it,’ said Young. ‘But a lot of people are motivated by the subject matter.’
Cartoon Saloon is also starting season two work on its new show ‘Puffin Rock’, which has Chris O’Dowd among the voice cast and will be broadcast by RTÉ Jr and Nick Jr. Partners on that show are Dog Ears and Penguin.
The Second Annual VFX and Animation Summit was a two day event that took place at the Science Gallery in Dublin at the weekend and was open to students, graduates, educators and professionals working across VFX, animation and games. Check out IFTN’s interview with VFX artist Kyle McCulloch (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘Gravity’) who was one of the speakers at the summit.
