Lumière has added Peter Monsaert's debut feature Offline to its international sales line-up. Offline is the second title confirmed for the Benelux distributor's brand new world sales arm. At Cartoon Movie in Lyon, Lumière VP Annemie Degryse announced that international rights to the animated Phantom Boy would also be sold by the new sales agency.
Starring Wim Willaert and Anemone Valcke, Offline tells the story of Rudy who after a seven-year prison sentence returns to society. He has set himself two clear objectives: get back to work as a repairman, and – more importantly – become reconciled with the family he had left behind. But just when a reunion eventually comes within sight, the past gets the upper hand again, and Rudy has to take the toughest decision of his life. DOP is Ruben Impens while Alain Dessauvage is responsible for the editing. A theatrical release is set for this fall. Lumière's subsidiary Lunanime produced the film.
The first title Lumière announced for its sales division was Phantom Boy, the new animated feature by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, the directorial team behind Oscar-nominated A Cat in Paris. Co-produced by Lumière's production subsidiary Lunanime, the company also signed for the Benelux release of the film.
In Phantom Boy, 11-year-old Leo is stuck in hospital. A seriously ill patient, Leo has the ability to leave his body at will. The boy can fly and pass through walls like a phantom, invisible to all. Thanks to him, an injured police officer and an intrepid journalist can assume the roles of guardian angels when a disfigured gangster threatens the city.