GKIDS Films Acquire 'Chicken For Linda'
US distributor GKIDS Films have had a busy week, thanks to their announcements coming out of the Annecy International Animation Festival in France. Hot on the heels of their previous announcements, they have revealed another new acquisition.
They have announced that they have acquired the rights to hand-painted comedy drama Chicken For Linda (Linda veut du poulet!), which is screening in competition at this year's Annecy Festival. The film was also a selection at the Cannes Festival in the ACID program, and was teased at a work-in-progress session at last year's Annecy Festival.
The film is directed by husband-and-wife team Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach who have frequently collaborated on both animated and live-action productions. Malta works primarily in live-action and is known for her feature Simple Women (co-written by Laudenbach). Laudenbach is an acclaimed director of short films, and is best known for the feature The Girl Without Hands.
The film follows young mother Paulette, who feels guilty after unjustly punishing her daughter Linda. Linda asks for a meal of chicken and peppers that reminds her of a dish her father used to make. But with a general strike closing stores and pushing people out onto the streets, this simple request is much easier said than done. It leads to a series of outrageous series of events that spiral out of control as she tries to keep her promise and find a chicken for Linda.
GKIDS will release the film theatrically in 2024, following the film's release in France this coming October. International sales are represented by Charades, with whom GKIDS previously partnered on titles including Belle, Mirai and Unicorn Wars. This will mark the latest teaming up of GKIDS and Laundenbach, following the release of The Girl Without Hands.
"Chicken For Linda! is a breath of fresh air in animation," said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. "Through pairing such a unique and daring visual style with a deeply emotional and universal story about family, directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach have given us something both timeless and new, that we cannot wait to share."
"It’s a blessing and a privilege to be part of the highly curated line up of GKIDS," said Yohann Comte of Charades. "They committed immediately after seeing the film, which is exceptional given the challenges of the US theatrical market today. After the Oscar-nominated Mirai, Marona’s Fantastic Journey, Belle and Unicorn Wars, we couldn’t wish for a better partner than the GKIDS team!"
