Those seeking relief from the loud, predictable world of some of the season’s big CG-animated studio movies would be wise to seek out the wonderful new Brazilian movie Tito and the Birds. Directed by Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar and André Catoto, and penned by Eduardo Benaim and Steinberg, the strikingly original movie made a big splash at Annecy, Toronto and Anima Mundi, makes its U.S. premiere at Animation Is Film on Sunday, Oct. 21, and will be released in select theaters next month, thanks to indie distributor Shout! Studios.
Steinberg and his team at São Paolo’s Split Studio (producer of TV shows such as Monica and Friends, Howdy & Harrdy and Lala) and started to work on raising money for the project almost eight years ago. The film’s animation, which relied on a variety of styles and techniques, took about a year to complete. Steinberg says the animators relied on Toon Boom Harmony as well as compositing tools that allowed them to replicate the feel and look of oil paintings on glass.
The director says he enjoys a wide variety of animated movies and counts Miyazaki’s Ponyo and Brad Bird’s The Incredibles as two of his favorite titles of all time. “I have two little kids, so we also watch a lot of cartoons at home together,” he adds.
Shout! Studios will release Tito and the Birds in select theaters in early December. It will make its U.S. premiere at the Animation Is Film festival on Sunday, October 21 at 4:30 p.m.