May 18, 2023

Neon acquires U.S. distribution rights to Pablo Berger's Cannes and Annecy film "Robot Dreams".

Neon's first acquisition at this year's Cannes Film Festival is Spanish director Pablo Berger's animated feature "Robot Dreams," which will have its world premiere at the French festival on Saturday.

2012's "Blancanieves (Snow White)" is considered a modern Spanish classic. The film has won numerous national and international awards, including 10 Goya Awards from the Spanish Academy.

"The Robot's Dream" is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Sarah Vallon. The official synopsis of the film reads: "A dog and a robot are the best friends in the world. One fine day, they decide to go to the beach, but at the end of the day, the robot is rusty and completely paralyzed! Not knowing what to do, the friends leave the robot behind. As the season passes, the dog tries to find a new friend, with little success, but the robot can only dream of a more ideal situation.

Berger produced this 2D animated feature with Yvon Kolmenzana, Ignasi Estape, Sandra Tapia Diaz, and Angel Durández, with Jérôme Vidal, Sylvie Piala, and Benoît Quiñon co-producing.

Neon has proven to be one of the shrewdest buyers at Cannes in recent years. The company has won the last three Palme d'Or awards, for Triangle of Sorrow, Titane, and Parasite.

Cartoon Brew's take: The acquisition of Robot Dreams stands out not only because it is one of Neon's few animated films, but also because it is a kids and family title. We will be keeping a close eye on how the company distributes the film. Of course, Robot Dreams is in good company; in 2020, Neon handled the U.S. distribution of Flee, which was nominated for three Academy Awards."