RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights to director Priscilla Keren’s animated feature “Papaya,” following its world premiere at the Rio Film Festival earlier this week. Gebeka Films, a label specializing in animation, has acquired the French distribution rights to the title, and it is scheduled to be released there next year.
Papaya marks Keren’s feature debut after years of experience in the industry, including directing the Discovery Kids TV series Vivi Villavent and serving as assistant director on Oscar-nominated Ale Abreu’s The Boy and the World. Abreu is the artistic director of Papaya, a non-dialogue animation about a tiny papaya seed wandering the Amazon forest. Passionate about flight, they must keep moving to avoid getting entangled. Through perseverance, Seed discovers the power of his roots, sparks a revolution that changes the world, and realizes his dreams in unexpected ways.
Kellen said of the film that the story was “born out of a deep connection to nature and the idea of transformation.” “We wanted to tell a story about movement, growth, and the courage to put down roots. Best Friend Forever and Gebeka’s acceptance of our film gave us confidence that ‘Papaya’ would reach hearts around the world.”
Best Friends Forever’s Martin Gondle and Charles Bing call the animation “a beautiful, ecological and universal story about the cycle of life.” “With no dialogue and explosions of color, it creates a unique and very poetic musical language. We love how this piece introduces young children to the length of a feature film.”
Leticia Friedrich, the film’s producer under Boulevard Films, said she was “thrilled” to partner with Best Friend Forever and Gebeka Films. “This collaboration strengthens our belief in the universal strength of Brazilian animation and in stories that connect across cultures and time. We are thrilled to see this sensitive and powerful film take flight internationally.”
Best Friend Forever’s Fall 2025 lineup is headlined by Valentin Vasyanovich’s TIFF platform winner “To The Victory!” and TIFF sci-fi title “Egghead Republic” by Pera Kogerman and Hugo Lilja. The company was founded in Cannes in 2019 and is a sister company of Paris-based Indie Sales. It is run by Indie Sales co-founder Nicolas Eschbach, as well as Indie Sales’ former head of marketing and festivals Martin Gondre and former entertainment lawyer Charles Bin.
“Papaya” is produced by Letícia Friedrich of Boulevard Filmes in association with Birdo Studio, Alê Abreu and Priscilla Kellen. “Papaya” is a production of Boulevard Films. The film will be released in Brazil by Cajuína Audiovisual.