Niko and the Way to the Stars & Kisses playing in Irish Cinema
NIKO AND THE WAY TO THE STARS, an animated feature film from Galway based Magma Films is set to hit cinema screens from this Friday, November 28th and KISSES continues to play to major critical acclaim across cinema nationwide.NIKO AND THE WAY TO THE STARS is an animated film directed by Michael Hegner and Kari Juusonen and tells the story about a reindeer boy who longs to fly and dreams of one day meeting his father who is a celebrity member of the famous Santa's Flying Forces. His desire to fly and find his real father leads him on a difficult and exciting journey accompanied by his true friend Julius, a flying squirrel, and Wilma, a singing weasel whom they meet along the way.
"Niko is currently on release in Finland and enjoying the highest audience figures ever for a children's movie after its fifth week. Altogether it has sold to over 120 countries and the Weinstein Company has bought the film for the US market and Pan Latin America," explains Ralph Christians, executive producer with Magma.
Irish based writer Marteinn Thorisson co-wrote the screen play, while young Irish actor and voice talent Andrew McMahon gives the voice to Niko.
Morgan Jones, Paul Tylak, Aileen Mythen, Alan Stanford and many other Irish actors feature in the film's voice track which was originally cast and recorded in Ireland. Wicklow based composer Stephen McKeon has also created the orchestral film score. The Foley, sound-track and Dolby Print-Master were all done at Ardmore Sound.
Together with Finnish film company Anima Vitae, Galway based Magma's own daughter company Ulysses Films in Germany and Afilm in Denmark, Niko and the Way to the Stars picked up both the Cinekid Lion Award and the Audience Award for Best Film in Amsterdam earlier this month. It's the first time ever a film has picked up both top awards.
KISSES open last weekend to major critical acclaim. Written and directed by Lance Daly, the film stars 12 year old Kelly O'Neill and Shane Curry as Kylie and Dylan, two young children who decide to run away from their dysfunctional homes and spend a night on the streets of Dublin's inner city. Produced by Macdara Kelleher with Fastnet Films (The Halo Effect, Tonight is Cancelled), the film was funded by the IFB, Film I Vast, the BCI, TV3, and Zentropa. The international rights for the film are being handled by Focus Features.