29/01/2014 - With the unanimous backing of the press, Le Pacte launches the animated film by Hélène Giraud and Thomas Szabo on 468 screens

Already sold for more than 30 countries by its producer, Parisian company Futurikon, the animated film Minuscule - Valley of the Lost Ants [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by duo Hélène Giraud - Thomas Szabo is launched today in France by Le Pacte on a very ambitious combination of 468 screens. It has to be said that the feature (which is also a successful TV series), presented in San Sebastian in the Zabaltegi section, has been praised and backed unanimously by French critics who were seduced by the humour, ingenuity, rhythm and epic dimension of this feature focused on a ruthless war between two gangs of ants who covet the same booty (a box of sugar) and friendship (a ladybug helps a black ant save its clan from the terrible red ants). Coproduced by 2d3D Animation, Nozon and Belgian outfit Entre Chien and Loup, Minuscule... was notably backed by the CNC, Wallimage, and the Ile-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Poitou-Charentes regions. As a reminder, Futurikon (managed by Philippe Delarue) had a noticed debut in animated features for cinema with Chasseurs de dragons in 2008.

Renewal is also being honoured this Wednesday with three French first fiction features: Tonnerre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Brac
film profile] by the very promising Guillaume Brac (revealed in competition in Locarno - Wild Bunch Distribution), Des étoiles by Dyana Gaye (discovered in Toronto and recent laureate at the Festival Premiers Plans d'Angers - Haut and Court Distribution on 28 screens) and Stalingrad Lovers by Fleur Albert which swerves between documentary and fiction in the universe of crack (distribution NIZ!).

As for Charlotte Gainsbourg, she is doubled up on screens today besides Vincent Lacoste in the offbeat, radical and unequal comedy, Jacky in Women's Kingdom [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Riad Sattouf (article - distribution Pathé on 207 screens) and the sulphurous Nymphomaniac, part 2 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Louise Vesth
film profile] by Danish director Lars von Trier (read the review - Les Films du Losange on 72 screens).

Amongst today’s 14 releases, it is also worth mentioning Hemel by Dutch director Sacha Polak (video interview - Fipresci Prize at the Forum of the 2012 Berlinale - ASC Distribution on three screens) and The Cardboard Village [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmi (Bodega Films).

(Translated from French)