Indian animated feature Return of the Jungle (ROTJ) from Vaibhav Studios will be showcased to the international audience at Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, courtesy National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), India. Entertainment major Toonz Media Group has come on board as the film’s sales agent for worldwide territories excluding India.
Drawing timeless stories from hugely popular ancient fables Panchantantra and retelling them with a quirky and contemporary flavour, Return of the Jungle is set in contemporary India and revolves around a group of classmates from junior school who must outwit the biggest and meanest bully in the school. With a cool and loveable grandpa Thatha by their side who peps the fourth graders with highly inspiring stories from the jungle, can they stand up to the challenge?
The 105-minute, multi-genre animated feature film comprises of two interwoven plots – a “real world” featuring children and their challenges; and a “Jungle world,” featuring animals facing similar adversities – and these worlds magically meet to inspire each other. The film was first screened on 21 November 2023 at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, India.
Produced by Vaibhav Studios, India’s only Emmy nominated animation studio, the film is directed by Vaibhav Kumaresh, the man behind highly-popular and successful series like Emmy-nominated Lamput which is in its fourth season on Cartoon Network, and Simpoo, the much-loved mascot of Channel [V].
Vaibhav Studios founder and creative director Kumaresh said, “I am extremely thankful to my dear friends from Toonz Media Group for their support. With their experience and expertise in global sales and distribution, their international goodwill and network, I am looking forward to the promotion of ROTJ at Cannes. I am happy that they are wholeheartedly supporting an indie studio with a truly Made in India product that will surely find favour in the global market place.”
Toonz Media Group chief executive officer P Jayakumar said, “We are thrilled to join hands with Vaibhav Studios to present Return of the Jungle to worldwide audience. The animated feature film with the universal theme of friendship, courage and timeless ancient wisdom provides a wholesome family entertainment and I am confident that the movie will grab the attention at Cannes Film Festival, which will mark its foray into international market.”
Toonz will present its feature film slate at Cannes, which includes new projects that are in development like G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time), an animated feature where football legends Pele and Maradona come back to Earth to play the game of the millennium, and Santa On A Panda where Santa must team up with a most unusual ally to save Christmas as all of Santa’s reindeer goes missing. Other animated feature films in the slate include Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk, Zombie Town, and Emma’s Big Adventure.
The Cannes Film Festival will take place from 14 to 25 May 2024 at Cannes city in France.