Autour de Minuit and Spamflix Join Brazilian Stop-Motion Feature ‘The March of the Sunflowers’
6 reported
France's Autour de Minuit, producer of the Oscar-winning short "Logorama," and Portugal's Spamflix have boarded Brazilian filmmaker Erick Ricco's stop-motion feature "The March of the Sunflowers." The project was presented at the Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM) after gaining attention at December's Animation! In Ventana Sur. The film is a joint production between Ricco's Tuba Studio and Ricco Filmes in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and producer Ivan Melo's Cup Filmes in São Paulo. The story follows 9-year-old Marialice and her chick Marques on a journey across Brazil's backlands after the sun fails to rise. The film is aimed at children aged 6 to 9 and family audiences, currently in pre-production with shooting scheduled to begin in 2027. Producer Ivan Melo stated it will be the first stop-motion feature produced in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Autour de Minuit CEO Nicolas Schmerkin said the company plans to contribute French talent and expertise in CGI and compositing.
What’s reported
Autour de Minuit and Spamflix have joined "The March of the Sunflowers" as co-production partners.
The film is a stop-motion animated fantasy adventure aimed at children aged 6 to 9 and family audiences.
It is currently in pre-production and scheduled to begin shooting in 2027.
Producer Ivan Melo stated it will be the first stop-motion feature ever produced in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
The project is supported by the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil's Ministry of Culture, Energisa, and Animaparque.
The film is written by Rafael Assunção and marks the first feature film project from Ricco's Tuba Studio and Ricco Filmes.
Key figures
Erick Ricco: Brazilian filmmaker and cinematographer, director of "The March of the Sunflowers"
Ivan Melo: Producer at Cup Filmes in São Paulo
Nicolas Schmerkin: Founder and CEO of Autour de Minuit
Rafael Assunção: Screenwriter of "The March of the Sunflowers"
Ulisses Tavares: Art director for the project
Sources: Variety
