Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! New Zealand’s first stop-motion animated feature film, is set to make its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026.
The film will screen on 24 June at 2:30pm at Bonlieu Petite Salle, followed by an interactive session with voice actors Jemaine Clement (Moana) as Lou and Olivia Tennet (Lord of the Rings) as Kiri, alongside animation director Antony Elworthy. Additional screenings will take place on 23 June at Pathé five, and 25 June at Pathé nine & 10 at 9:30am.
The film is produced by Stretchy in partnership with New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Hinterland, it will be released in New Zealand and Australia by Vendetta Films, while Cake will oversee distribution in the rest of the world. Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is written and directed by Harry Cake.
Based on the Bafta -nominated animated series Kiri and Lou, the 60-minute prequel follows Lou, a gentle purple creature, and Kiri, a young dinosaur, as they embark on an exciting prehistoric adventure that explores friendship and discovery.
Cake CEO Ed Galton stated, “Kiri and Lou has quietly built a global audience, and the feature is the natural next step for the brand. Annecy is exactly where it belongs, in front of buyers who understand what this property can do theatrically and on platform. We’re looking forward to taking it out from there.”
Producer Fiona Copland mentioned, “Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! has been crafted with enormous care by a dedicated team of artists sculpting its evocative stop-motion world frame by frame. This recognition from Annecy 2026 is a proud moment for everyone who has helped bring this world to life.”
New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) deputy CEO and co-production and incentives head Chris Payne shared, “With Annecy’s présente section focusing on family-oriented animation, this is the perfect world premiere for Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!. Both this film and the acclaimed series preceding it have a distinctive voice, a deep sense of care for young audiences, and world-class talent behind them. We’re delighted by the film’s selection for the world’s leading animation festival and can’t wait for longtime fans and new viewers to fall in love with Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!”
Blending warmth, humour, and heartfelt storytelling, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! features handcrafted clay characters and richly detailed paper-built environments, all created at Stretchy Studio in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is written and directed by Harry Sinclair with visual development by Elworthy (Pinocchio) and music and songs by Don McGlashan in collaboration with Sinclair (The Front Lawn).
