Brussels-based sales company Best Friend Forever has signed a series of distribution deals for the Japanese animated film Frozen, with French distributor Arthouse Film acquiring the rights in France, HBO Max acquiring the rights in Eastern Europe, and Serbia’s Megacom Film inking distribution deals in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia.
The sales announcement comes after the film’s world premiere at the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus section earlier this year, and ahead of its screening at the Annecy Presents section at the Annecy Animation Film Festival.
Directed by Yusuke Hirota and produced by Studio4°C, “The Frozen World of Entotsu Town” brings audiences to the rich setting of the 2020 animated film “Poupelle of Entotsu Town,” based on the work of Japanese creator Akihiro Nishino.
Set one year after the events of the original film, the story follows Lubitsch as he enters the mysterious Millennium Fortress, where time has stopped and a giant clock has remained stuck at 11:59 for 100 years. Determined to uncover the truth behind the phenomenon and reunite with his missing friend Poupelle, he embarks on a fantastical adventure that explores the power of courage, friendship, and faith.
Directed by Yusuke Hirota. Provided by Best Friend Forever
Hirota, who directed both films, spoke to Variety magazine during the Berlinale about his excitement to return to this world. “I’m really happy to be able to explore this world beyond Entotsu Town, where the first film was set,” he said. “The world of the Millennium Fortress that Lubitsch navigates reflects the inner world of the character Witch. The city, the buildings, everything is connected to this idea, and that’s why I was interested in this new story.”
Expanding on the character design, Hirota emphasized the quirky appearance and specificity of his artistic direction, which was directly inspired by children’s play and flawed crafts. “On the other hand, the cat with Lubitsch has a very fluffy, almost water-like body that can change shape awkwardly. And I think we were able to achieve that. Lubitsch is innocent and a very traditional Japanese comedy figure, yet we come across a strange but relatable character.”
Production-wise, Entotsucho followed the same workflow that brought Poupelle to life, but both Hirota and his team had more experience. “When I launched Poupelle, I had been working with Studio4°C for a long time – 20 years to be exact. For me, it was always important to find a good balance between CG and more classic analogue animation. This time I used both 3D and 2D animation, but I wanted to delve deeper into the actual directorial process for this animated feature.”
Compared to “Poupelle of Entotsu Town,” “Entotsu Town” is more colorful and has a more diverse background. This is a playground for Hirota, who wanted to add more warmth to this fantasy world. The animators and rigging artists also pushed themselves beyond their limits to add emotion to the characters, raising Entotsu Town to emotional heights time and time again.
“Entotsu Town”, which uses music composed by the famous Japanese pianist Harumi Fuki, is a very unique proposal among this year’s Annecy selection, which is filled with proposals from all over Asia. “It’s a family-friendly movie, but for me it felt a little more dramatic in scale,” Director Hirota concluded. “Bringing together this story, Harumi Fuki’s music, and the team’s impressive art was an impressive experience.”
Following the world premiere of Berlinale, Best Friend Forever has begun marketing the film, with negotiations underway for additional territories.
In addition to The Town, Best Friend Forever also brings the quirky French cut-out feature Blaze to the Annecy-Contrechamps selection, after premiering the film as part of the Cannes ACID selection.
