Panique! and Pájaro Board ‘Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake,’ as KMBO Lands French Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)

Callum McLennan
·2 min read

Belgium’s Panique! (“Adoration,”), and Chile’s Pájaro have joined Oscar-nominated Vivemant Lundi! (“Flee,” “Mémorable,”) and Spanish collective Terremoto AIE to round out the co-production force behind the animated feature, “Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake.”

Filmax will handle distribution in Spain. KMBO will handle its domestic release in France. The Gallic distributor is on a roll with strong animation box office performances in France for “Amazing Maurice” and current Ukrainian hit “Mavka: The Forest Song,”

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Spearheading the production is Terremoto AIE, which includes Citoplasmas Stop Motion studio, Cornelius Films, and Bígaro Films, all contributing to the feature.

Directed by Irene Iborra, who founded Citoplasmas with Eduard Puertas and Adrian Iborra, the film brings to life the children’s book, “La Pelicula de la vida,” by Maite Carranza. The title sold over 24,000 copies in Spain and has been translated into seven languages. Adding a dash of French talent, artist Morgan Navarro has crafted the character designs. Jean-François Le Corre, director of the Rennes-based production outfit Vivement Lundi! told Variety, “When pitching the project, I like to say it’s a mixture between “My Life as a Courgette,” and Ken Loach.”
The animated feature turns on a young heroine, 12-year-old Olivia, as she navigates through her tumultuous life after her family’s facing eviction from their apartment.

The plot takes a curve when Olivia conjures up a cinematic universe to protect her younger brother Tim from their harsh reality. “Olivia discovers the most important things in life are not material…that with those closest to you, you can face the earthquakes that you find in your life,” Mikel Mas, producer at Cornelius Films, told Variety.

With a budget of approximately €5 million ($5.45 million), the film has secured backing from various Spanish entities including RTVE, Televisió de Catalunya, À Punt, ICAA, ICEC, IVAC, Ibermedia, and the City of Barcelona. International co-development support was initiated by Bretagne Cinéma, with additional production support recently contributed by the Breton regional fund.

The co-producers plan to lock in the film’s financial plan in 2023, with shooting to begin at the start of 2024. Barcelona serves as the scenic backdrop for the film, with the Spanish premiere of “Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake” tentatively penciled for Fall 2025.

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