Regulatory News:
Xilam Animation (ISIN code: FR0004034072, Ticker: XIL) (Paris:XIL), an independent producer and distributor of animated content, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Netflix, the world's biggest SVOD platform, for the global acquisition of its first animated film for an adult audience, I Lost My Body, winner of the International Critics' Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Festival.
Directed by Jérémy Clapin, a multi-award-winning director of short films, co-written by Guillaume Laurant the writer of Amélie, and produced by Marc du Pontavice, this feature film is an adaptation of Guillaume Laurant's novel Happy Hand. The story is about a cut-off hand that escapes from a dissection lab with one crucial goal: to get back to its body. As it scrambles through the pitfalls of Paris, it remembers its life with the young man it was once attached to… until they met Gabrielle.
I Lost My Body is the studio's first foray into animated films for adults. After a lengthy development period and production in Xilam's studios, notably those in Lyon and Paris, the film was shown for the first time at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a unanimous warm welcome and was awarded the prestigious International Critics' Week Grand Prize, a first for an animated film.
Impressed by the quality of the story and the film's graphical inventiveness, Netflix has acquired the global distribution rights for I Lost My Body in all territories except France, the Benelux countries, Turkey and China. The film will also be released in theatres in several key territories in November 2019, notably France, the USA and the UK, and will be shown at several festivals. Netflix will also provide all its support for the Oscars campaign.
With I Lost My Body, despite its modest budget of €4.8 million, Xilam Animation has demonstrated its ability to create original feature-length content to meet the ever-growing demand for animation for an adult audience. Such content is particularly sought after by the major international SVOD platforms. Xilam Animation expects growth in both volume and value for content of this sort, with the production budgets allocated to these new formats being significantly higher than for other types of programme.
"We are very proud of the success enjoyed by this film, a project developed since 2011 in Xilam's studios. Initially conceived as a research project to explore new ways of storytelling for an adult audience, I Lost My Body is now ready to reach out to an audience of cinema lovers, as evidenced by the Grand Prize received at the Cannes Festival. It will also reach a wider audience thanks to the distribution agreement with Netflix. These achievements reflect the expertise of the studio and its ability to attract the best talent and position itself as a forerunner in the animation sector."
ENDS
About Xilam
Xilam is one of Europe's leading animation companies, creating, producing and distributing original children's and family entertainment content across TV, film and digital media platforms.
Founded in 1999 by Marc du Pontavice, Xilam owns a catalogue of more than 2,000 animated episodes and three feature films including strong brands such as Oggy the Cockroaches, Zig Sharko,The Daltons and its first pre-school series, Paprika.
Broadcast in over 190 countries on all the major TV networks and digital platforms, including YouTube with over 300 million video views monthly, Xilam's programme catalogue makes the company one of the top global content providers in animation.
Xilam employs more than 400 people, including 300 artists, who are based across its four studios located in Paris, Lyon, Angoulême and Ho-Chi-Minh City in Vietnam.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190527005242/en/
Contacts:
Charlotte Newcombe at DDA Blueprint:
+44 7726 901129 or xilam@ddapr.com
