Song of the Sea Receives Acclaim at BFI London Film Festival
The acclaimed Irish animation Song of the Sea has received acclaim following its European premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday October 18th.
Directed by Tomm Moore, Song of the Sea is the new feature film from Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon, their follow-up to the Academy Award®-nominated film The Secret of Kells.
The film received positive reviews following its screening in London. On the Empire website, it was hailed it as a "worthy follow-up" to its predecessor, and was noted that "it’s a movie that deserves to be seen by all: children will find it entertaining, adults will find it poignant and everyone will benefit from watching this quietly stunning film." Writing for HeyUGuys.com, Stefan Pape praised the film for being "a glorious, visual experience" and that the "aesthetic is matched by a film bearing so much pathos and heart, sincere and intimate in its depiction."
The film had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it received critical acclaim. The Hollywood Reporter described Song of the Sea as a “gorgeously rendered animated feature from Ireland” and praised the visual flair of the film, describing it as “pleasingly old-school”. Screen Daily called the film a “quite delightful piece of magical animation”, comparing its visuals to “like that of a gorgeously illustrated favourite book”. Indiewire.com described the film as “an even more stunning work of art” than its predecessor and compared director Moore to legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
Song of the Sea tells the story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.
The film features the voices of David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Lisa Hannigan, Pat Shortt and Jon Kenny.
Song of the Sea will receive a US release in December, followed by an Irish release in early 2015.