Rémi Chayé’s (Long Way North) latest movie, Annecy Cristal winner Calamity Jane, will be the first animated feature film available for worldwide access through The Animation Showcase Streaming platform.
The platform created by Benoit Berthe Siward in 2016 has established itself as a major supporter of animated-short films during the Award Season, spotting and screening most of the nominated films and all the Oscar winners in its annual selection. The films are accessible via free registration for those in the film industry, allowing Calamity Jane to be screened by a wide network of animation professionals.
“I am thrilled to open The Animation Showcase Streaming Platform to an animated feature for the first time with Calamity Jane, one of the most beautiful films of the year,” said Siward. “We always tried to champion the best creations, it seemed natural to support this amazing feature in these challenging times where it has become impossible to meet in person with the studios and the rest of the industry.”
The platform’s founder also points out that this year, The Animation Showcase has secured all 10 of the Academy Awards shortlisted animated short films.
Chayé’s first feature was the 2015 sensation Long Way North, distributed worldwide. ‘Calamity Jane’ premiered in Annecy last year (as Calamity: A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary) where it received the Cristal for Best Feature at last year’s reorganized hybrid festival edition. The film was released in France in October, grossing more than $1 million in box office before it was hit by cinema closures in its second week. (Cinemas have not reopened since.)
The film is now a contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscars as well as this year’s Annie Awards competition.
Henri Magalon and Claire La Combe, producers of the film at Maybe Movies, commented, “We are excited to team-up with The Animation Showcase and experience for the first time an innovative way of exhibiting films. We’ve put so much into the making of Calamity Jane these past five years that it is truly heartbreaking not to be able to share it more widely due to the COVID-19 situation. Benoit’s platform offers a unique opportunity to properly bring awareness on our work to the animation and motion picture community.”
Calamity Jane tells the story of 12-year-old Martha Jane, who must take charge of her siblings after her father is hurt in a serious accident while driving a large convoy to the West in search for a better life. Frustrated by the constraints of being a girl, Martha Jane decides to dress as a boy to better fulfill her duties and pursue her growing thirst for freedom and adventure outside of the constraints of the rigid convoy. One day, after being unfairly accused of theft, she runs away determined to prove her innocence. In the wild, she finds her true self as well as the world that will shape her and confirm her unique personality: that of the legendary and mysterious Calamity Jane.
Produced by Maybe Movies (Long Way North, Zombillenium) and Nørlum (Song of the Sea, Long Way North), Calamity Jane is sold by Indie Sales who is well-known in the animation world for selling films such as My Life as a Zucchini, the high-profile Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, and the 2018 Cannes selection Another Day of Life.
To watch Calamity Jane on The Animation Showcase, click through to the Activation Portal here. You will be asked to provide your email address and proof of work in the film/animation industry (Vimeo account, IMDb page, etc.).
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