Miyu Distribution has acquired Dominican director Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat’s animated feature ‘Olivia & The Clouds’ ahead of its world premiere in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at the Locarno Film Festival later this month. Following its debut in Switzerland, the film will screen in the feature competition at the prestigious Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Miyu is renowned as one of the top animated short distributors in the world and regularly represents films that make significant festival and awards season impacts. Recent Oscar-nominated films in the Miyu Distribution catalog include “Garden Party,” “Negative Space,” “Bestia,” “Pachyderme” and “Letter to a Pig.”
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“Olivia & The Clouds” is the company’s third feature pickup and is indicative of Miyu’s desire to push further into feature animation distribution. Miyu’s other catalog features are Annecy Contrachamp award-winner “Dozens of North” by Koji Yamamura and Contrechamp Jury award-winner “Archipelago” by Félix Dufour-Lapperiere.
According to Miyu co-founder and Head of Distribution Luce Grosjean,” Expanding international sales in animated features has always been a key objective. Films like ‘Dozens of North’ and ‘Archipelago’ have bolstered our presence in global animation markets, underscoring our commitment to identifying unique cinematic voices and our knowledge of the international festival circuit.”
An official synopsis for “‘Olivia & The Clouds” reads: “Olivia, haunted by a past love, hides it under her bed. She trades flowers with this ghost in exchange for comforting rain clouds. Barbara, rejected by Mauricio, escapes reality through fantastical stories. Mauricio, full of regrets, is swallowed by the Earth. Ramón, smitten by Olivia, witnesses the growth of a strange plant mirroring her. With surreal elements, ‘Olivia & The Clouds’ delves into the enduring power of love’s memory.”
Aesthetically, the film is vibrant and energetic, fueled by multiple animation styles and techniques. It’s also worth noting that the entire film was created by Dominican artists and could be a sign of bigger things to come from the nation’s nascent animation industry.
An industry-exclusive screening for “Olivia & The Clouds” will be held on August 11, followed by four subsequent public screenings on the 15-17.
As to where the company’s latest pickup fits into that strategy, Grosjean added, “‘Olivia & The Clouds’ resonates deeply with us; its creative vision and original narrative captivated our team. The film’s portrayal of relationships and its vibrant musical world struck a chord. We believe this film not only introduces a talented new animation director but also offers audiences a rich cultural journey. I’m excited for both festival audiences and, hopefully, a broader audience to discover the film.”
In addition to expanding its ambitions in feature animation, Miyu has also stepped up its presence across the Atlantic in the Latin American market. Recent pickups include the aforementioned “Bestia,” which won awards at the Berlinale, Annecy, Clermon-Ferrand and the Annies before notching its Oscar nomination.
