The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily opens the 15th edition of Animest Romania

A charming adaptation of a classic Italian children’s book written by Dino Buzatti in 1945, The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily directed by Lorenzo Mattotti opens the 15th edition of Animest International Animation Film Festival. The film will be screened in Romania for the first time on 9 November 2020 at 7 p.m., on the online streaming platform of the festival, and it invites both children and adults to a special evening, watching a charming story about magic, talking bears and breathtaking landscape, all packed with hidden historical, social and political hints.

Illustrated in 2D and inspired by Dino Buzatti’s original drawings, the story starts with Tonio, the Bear King's son, who is kidnapped by hunters in the Sicilian mountains. When the harsh winter threatens his people with famine, King Léonce decides to invade the land where the men live. With the help of his army, and a wizard, he succeeds and finally finds Tonio. But he soon discovers that bears are not meant to live in the land of men.

“Beautifully drawn with bold colors and appealing shapes, the film’s style is classic animation at its best, clear and pleasing, calculated to charm children and adults alike.”, writes Variety about The Bears’ Famous Invasion. The charming images are accompanied by the narrator’s voice, which intervenes in key moments, giving extra value to the writer’s unmistakable style.

The film was included in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes Festival, and it was one of the audience’s favourites in the feature film competition of Annecy. In 2020, it was nominated for the Best Animated Film at the César Awards.

“Buzatti influenced all my work in general. He wrote several books, and did paintings too. It was the atmosphere that influenced me a lot, his way of telling stories as if they were legends or ancient tales, always full of magic and mystery, and sometimes with a dark atmosphere. I remember other books he wrote which left a strong impression on me.” confesses Lorenzo Mattotti in an interview at Cannes.

The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily is the second film that the famous illustrator directs. Mattotti also signed the official poster of the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, and is famous for his iconic works published in Cosmopolitan, Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, alongside his awarded graphic novels. 

The tickets and passes for Animest 2020 will soon be available on www.animest.ro. 

***
The 15th edition of Animest International Animation Film Festival is organised by Animest Cultural Association, with support from the National Film Centre.

Institutional partners: The Embassy of the Netherlands in Romania, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Embassy of Israel in Romania

Partners: Groupama, Regina Maria Healthcare, Aqua Carpatica.