“Chicken for Linda!” has been acquired for domestic distribution by GKIDS. The hand-painted comedy-drama will play in competition at this year’s Annecy International Film Festival and was an official Cannes selection in this year’s ACID program.
“Linda veut du poulet!” is directed by husband-and-wife team Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, who work together frequently on both live-action and animation productions.
Malta primarily works in live-action filmmaking and is best known for “Simple Women” (co-wrote with Laudenbach). Laudenbach is best known for his Annecy Jury Prize-winning debut “The Girl Without Hands.” GKIDS will release “Chicken for Linda!” in theaters in 2024 following a release in France this October.
“Chicken For Linda! is a breath of fresh air in animation,” GKIDS president David Jesteadt said. “Through pairing such a unique and daring visual style with a deeply emotional and universal story about family, directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach have given us something both timeless and new, that we cannot wait to share.”
“Chicken for Linda!” centers on Paulette who feels guilty after unjustly punishing her daughter Linda. With mom attempting to make amends, Linda immediately asks for a meal of chicken with peppers, which reminds her of the dish her late father used to make. But with a general strike closing stores across town, this request quickly leads to an outrageous series of events that spirals out of control, as Paulette does everything she can to keep her promise and find a chicken for Linda.
“It’s a blessing and a privilege to be part of the highly curated lineup of GKIDS,” said Charades’ Yohann Comte. “They committed immediately after seeing the film, which is exceptional given the challenges of the US theatrical market today. After the Oscar-nominated Mirai, Marona’s ‘Fantastic Journey,’ ‘Belle’ and ‘Unicorn Wars,’ we couldn’t wish for a better partner than the GKIDS team!”
International sales are represented by Charades. GKIDS and Charades previously collaborated on local distribution rights for past Oscar nominee “Mirai” and “Belle” and “Unicorn Wars” among others.
