Dandelooo Heads to Annecy with Strong Slate

Emmy Award-winning French animation production and

distribution company Dandelooo is set to captivate audiences at this year’s Annecy

Festival with three exceptional animation events.

The Upside Down River

The Upside Down River (8 x 22’) has been selected for the Work In Progress (WIP)

session. Held on Monday 10th June 2024 at 4:30 pm in the La Salle Pierre Lamy, Director

Paul Leluc will lead the WIP, giving an insight into the production, concept, story and

artistic and technical development of this captivating 2D animation series. With

exclusive extracts highlighting the creative processes, the event will culminate with a

question-and-answer session.

Co-produced by Dandelooo, Vivi Film and Sparkle Animation, The Upside Down River

is an adaptation of the much-loved children’s novel La rivière à l’envers by leading

French children’s laureate Jean Claude Mourlevat, winner of the 2021 Astrid Lindgren

Memorial Award (ALMA). Published by Editis Group, La rivière à l’envers has sold over

one million copies in France and numerous countries including Japan, China, South

Korea, Russia, Spain, and Germany. The English version is published by UK-based

Andersen Press for the English-speaking world.

Targeted at 8- to 12-year-olds, the series tells the story of Tomek and Hannah’s meeting

on the way to the Qjar River. Hannah hopes to collect a magic drop to save her bird,

while Tomek joins the adventure in search of a lost memory. Their quests follow one

another, intertwine and finally complement each other.

Dounia The Great White North

An outdoor public screening of the 50-minute film Dounia The Great White North is

scheduled for Monday 10th June at 8:00 pm at Le Pâquier d’Annecy.

Created by Marya Zarif, this heart-warming, 2D winter Special is directed by André Kadi

and produced by Tobo Media and Haut et Court Distribution. Aimed at 6- to 9-yearolds,

Dounia The Great White North follows the journey of 7-year-old Dounia and her

grandparents, who forced to leave Syria, finally find a new home and new friends in

picturesque Canada.

Hola Frida!

Hola Frida! the first-ever animated feature film about Frida Kahlo’s childhood will be

showcased with exclusive footage and music at a special screening event on Tuesday 11th

June, at 11:30 am in the La Salle du Bonlieu. The event will feature French pop singer

Olivia Ruiz reading a selection of Frida Kahlo’s letters.

Targeted at 5- to 9-year-olds, the 75-minute feature is directed by Karine Vézina and

André Kadi, and produced by Tobo Media (Canada), Du Coup Studio Production

(Canada) and Haut et Court Distribution (France). Hola Frida! depicts the fictional

childhood story of Mexico’s iconic artist, capturing the vibrant and imaginative world of

young Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan, Mexico. Facing challenges Frida confronts them with

an overflowing imagination, bringing to life the spirited journey of a little girl destined

to become a legendary artist.