Moomins on the Riviera selected for the New York International Children's Film Festival

The 18th annual New York International Children’s Film Festival has chosen the hand drawn animation feature film Moomins on the Riviera for their official competition selection. The film will screen on Saturday March 14th at 1.30 pm in the School of Visual Arts Theatre in Manhattan. 

The film is based on Tove Jansson’s original comic strips written for London Evening News in 1955. The film premiered in London Film Festival in October 2014 and has been sold to over 40 countries for theatrical distribution. The film was received extremely well in Finland during the autumn 2014, it was just released theatrically in Switzerland, starts next week in France and thereafter  in Japan with 100 copies in both territories. The English are to launch the film in May with 250 copies. 

Leslie Stewart worked on the script for this movie, Hanna Hemila is the producer, co-director and co-writer of the film (Handle Productions). The director of the film is French Xavier Picard, who is also the co-director and one of the writers. Other writers are Annina Enckell and Beata Harju.

More info about the film at: moominsontheriviera.com

Vertigo to release Moomins movie in the UK

The Moomins are set to hit cinema screens across the UK in May 2015, as Rupert Preston of distribution powerhouse Vertigo has picked up MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA.

The hand-drawn 2D animated film debuted at the BFI London Film Festival earlier this month to delighted audiences, and is already a box office smash in Finland, where production company Handle Productions is based. Leslie Stewart worked on the script, along with creative team Sophia Jansson, who is the niece of Moomins creator Tove Jansson, and Finnish producer Hanna Hemila (LE HAVRE).

For more information about the movie, and to watch the trailer, click here.

Paris-based sales company Indie Sales (Nicolas Eschbach) brokered the deal with Vertigo.

Moomins Film to Screen at the London Film Festival

The Moomins on the Riviera, co-written by Leslie Stewart, will be screening at the 58th BFI London Film Festival. Tickets go on sale at 10am on 18th September for the following screenings:

Oct 11, 2014 1:00 PM Hackney Picturehouse, Screen 1

Oct 18, 2014 3:00 PM Odeon West End, Screen 1

Click here for more information and ticketing.

The official trailer for the upcoming Moomins on the Riviera animation feature by Handle Productions and Pictak. Cast: Award winning British actor Russell Tovey (The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Grabbers, Being Human, Him and Her) plays Moomin, Nathaniel Parker (Merlin, Stardust, The Haunted Mansion, The Chronicles of Narnia) plays Moominpappa, Tracy Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Filth) plays Moominmamma. Snorkmaiden is played by Stephanie Winiecki. Ruth Gibson plays Little My, Philippe Smolikowski plays the wannabe artist Marquis Mongaga, Dave Browne plays Clark the English playboy and Shelley Blond (Tomb Rider video game, Cruise of Gods) plays Audrey Glamour, the Hollywood actress, idolized by Snorkmaiden. Other roles are played by Dominic Frisby (The Inbetweeners Movie), Ian Conningham, Alison O'Donnell, Bernard Alane, Bruno Magnes, Maria Sid, Beata Harju, Andy Turvey, Kris Gummerus, Glyn Welden Banks, Lee Willis, Sanna-June Hyde, Christopher Sloan and Leslie Hyde. Get the latest news at moominsontheriviera.com @MoominsRiviera @MuminRiviera (SWE) @MuumitRiviera (FIN)

The story:

A sinking pirate ship circled by sharks and the arrival of Mymble and her sister Little My, after escaping their captors, momentarily disrupts the tranquil world of Moominvalley. Before long, the Moomin family decide that a trip to the Riviera is called for, in order to experience high society at first hand and recover from their high-sea shenanigans.

A name change to ‘De Moomin’ secures them access to the best hotel in town, where Snorkmaiden finds herself instantly enchanted by the power of celebrity and Moominpappa is seduced by the lure of wealth and title.

However, the rest of the family seem less impressed by this superficial world.

Tove Jansson’s much-loved characters have never looked better than they do in this glorious, hand-drawn animated tale that will appeal to even the youngest of audiences and is released in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jansson’s birth.

Award winning British actor Russell Tovey (The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Grabbers, Being Human, Him and Her) plays Moomin. Nathaniel Parker (Merlin, Stardust, The Haunted Mansion, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and Tracy Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Filth) play Moominpappa and Moominmamma respectively. Stephanie Winiecki, in her first major movie role, plays Snorkmaiden.