GKIDS Bring 'Birdboy: The Forgotten Children' To North America

Back at the recent Cartoon Movie Forum event, GKIDS Films teased that they had acquired the acclaimed feature Psiconautas from Graphic novel artist and animator Alberto Vázquez. It's now been revealed that the film will be released in North America later this year under the title of Birdboy: The  Forgotten Children.

Vazquez's graphic novel Birdboy was originally adapted into an award-winning 2011 short. The short was then adapted for the big screen into a 76-minute feature, directed by Vázquez and Pedro Rivero. The feature has screened to considerable acclaim at festivals worldwide, including Annecy, the BFI London Film Festival, and Fantasia  (where it won the Satoshi Kon award). It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the European Film Awards as well as going on to win at the Goyas (Spain's equivalent of the Oscars).


The film (which screened in some countries under the title of Psychonauts) features anthropomorphic animals- but could not really be further removed from the likes of Zootopia. Set in a dystopian world, the 2D animated feature sees a group of teenage friends desperate to escape their island home. The titular Birdboy, meanwhile hides away from the world- but may well have the power within to change the world forever.

Featuring some highly unusual imagery and seeming to have a feel all of its own, this is looking like one of the stranger animated films you will see get to see this year.


GKIDS will release the film in cinemas in the US and Canada sometime in "Fall 2017". It will screen both in its original language version and with a newly recorded English dub.

"From the first moment we screened the film we knew we had to be involved," Dave Jesteadt, GKIDS president said. "With iconic characters and a storyline that explores universal themes of hope, despair, salvation, and loss with humour and grace, Birdboy pushes the boundaries of animated storytelling in exciting new directions."