Families in the New York City area can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as the first to see the new Irish animated movie Puffin Rock and the New Friends. The North American premiere is set for March 17 at the New York International Children’s Film Festival (tickets available here). After N.Y.C., film festival screenings in Annapolis, Winston-Salem, Washington D.C. and more are planned before the home digital release debuts on April 16.
Synopsis:The exciting adventure begins in Puffin Rock, a charming gem off of the coast of Ireland. It’s a warm community and beautiful habitat for all creatures big and small. It makes for an especially calm respite in the storm of migration, and it’s where we find puffin Oona, who looks after her baby brother, Baba, shielding him from any possible dangers the gorgeous flora or fauna may pose.
When Puffin Isabelle and her stepbrother Phoenix arrive on the Rock, Oona knows all the things to do and games to play to help fend off their homesickness. But there are still serious matters at hand. With their pals Flynne the Fox, May the Rabbit, and Mossy the hard-working Shrew on the job, everyone pitches in — even when Isabelle makes a misstep and has a hard time coming clean.
The international voice cast features the series’ narrator, Emmy winner Chris O’Dowd (State of the Union, Bridesmaids), Amy Huberman (The Bachelor Weekend), Beth McCafferty, Eva Whitaker (Wolfwalkers), Jo McDaid, James Henry (The Creator), Anna McDaid (Puffin Rock), Euan McGrath and Aaron MacGregor (Kensuke’s Kingdom).
The film is directed by Jeremy Purcell (Pete the Cat; AD Puffin Rock; “Storyworld” sequence director, The Breadwinner) from a screenplay by Sara Daddy (Olga Da Polga, Tulipop Tales), produced by Paul Young, Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and John McDaid. Puffin Rock is created by Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Lily Bernard.
The National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA) has already awarded the film its 2024 Sustainability Product Award. “I like the concept that when new puffins come to the island, they are welcomed,” wrote one of the reviewers. Another NAPPA judge noted, “I like the overall message of helping each other and protecting our planet.”
Puffin Rock and the New Friends is a brand new story from the Academy Award-nominated Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers | cartoonsaloon.ie) and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears (cheersdogears.com). Cartoon Saloon is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a studio in 2024. As part of its celebration, the studio is participating in film festivals coast to coast.
NYICFF concludes its weeklong festival with the March 17 premiere of Puffin Rock and the New Friends, followed by a filmmaker Q&A. The premiere is part of the festival’s Science on Screen®: Habitat Chat! Attendees are invited to join in for a truly green St. Patrick’s Day celebration exploring eco-science in kid-friendly terms, including the amazing habitats and biodiversity found on Ireland’s Puffin Island, the real-life inspiration for Puffin Rock and the New Friends with the film’s director Jeremy Purcell and animation director Loraine Lordan. Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
From N.Y.C., the film will be showcased at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington D.C. which runs March 21-30, at the Annapolis Film Festival on April 5, at the River Run Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC on April 27, with more festivals to be announced. Purcell will attend the East Coast and West Coast screenings.
Home audiences will also get to enjoy Puffin Rock and the New Friends soon through digital platforms. Shout! Studios is the home entertainment distributor of the film and series in the U.S. and Canada. As of April 16, families can download the 90-minute movie on Google TV, Prime Video and Apple TV to rent or purchase. SRP $2.99 (rent) / $6.99 (buy).
