PLOEY at the Americal Film Market

Posted on October 27, 2016 by admin

ARRI Media will bring brand new footage from the upcoming animated feature film “PLOEY – You Never Fly Alone” to the American Film Market that starts on November 2, in Santa Monica. ARRI’s booth at AFM is at Loews 627. The footage is available to selective buyers only. Meanwhile production is in full force in GunHil’s studio in Reykjavik and Cyborn’s Antwerp studio where dozens of professional work hard towards the late 2017 delivery deadline. Below is a still from the material that ARRI will bring to the market.

Ploey tells of af young plover that is unable to fly and migrate south when fall comes. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and learn to fly to be united with his loved ones next spring.

A new PLOEY book in Iceland

Posted on October 13, 2016 by admin

Veröld Publishers in Reykjavik are releasing in Iceland a new book that contains the original story of PLOEY – You Never Fly Alone.

From the book cover:

An unexpected incident causes Ploey the plover chick to be left behind when his very best friend Ploveria flies south with all the other migrating birds in the fall. Ploey is determined to fight for his life and be reunited with Ploveria in the spring. He faces countless challenges; Shadow the falcon is among other predators who want him dead, and not least the freezing arctic winter. With the help of new friends, he achieves the impossible – and then some!

A major international screen version of this this sweet and exciting story is currently in production, from the makers of Legends of Valhalla – Thor, the biggest Icelandic international box-office success in history.

The publishing day for the book is October 24, 2016. The book is available in Icelandic and English.

‘The Beacon’: GunHil ventures into live action TV Series

Posted on June 13, 2016 by GunHil

GunHil has signed a landmark contract for the company, marking the company’s first ever live action TV Series currently entitled ‘The Beacon’. A contract was signed with veteran writer Árni Thorarinsson who writes the 6 x 50′ series with Hallur Ingólfsson and Hjálmar Hjálmarsson.

The series are sets in Reykjavik in the 80’s and tells of young journalists battling corruption, serious business interests and themselves in a society that simply refuses to change. A very relevant topic in the wake of recent years in Iceland.

It is estimated that the series will be shot in 2017 with intended release in early 2018. RÚV – The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service has secured broadcasting rights in Iceland.

From the signing – from left: Hjálmar Hjálmarsson, Hallur Ingólfsson, Árni Thorarinsson, Hilmar Sigurdsson & Gunnar Karlsson.

Ploey gets a composer

Posted on April 27, 2016 by GunHil

GunHil has signed a contract with composer Atli Örvarsson for composing and arranging the music for PLOEY – You Never Fly Alone, which is now in full production in Reykjavik and Antwerp in Belgium.

Atli is a very seasoned film composer with scores for films like Babylon A.D., Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters og The Mortal Instruments to name few.

The music recordings will take place in HOF, in Akureyri with participation of the North Iceland Symphony Orchestra. All information on Atli are available on his website.

PLOEY in full production

Posted on February 4, 2016 by GunHil

Production of Ploey is in full force at GunHil in Reykjavik and Cyborn in Antwerp in Belgium. The tale of the bird who was unable to fly when the flock migrated south will be coming to the silver screen at the end of 2017. Arni Olafur Asgeirsson directs, with Ives Ageman and Gunnar Karlsson co-directing and being the visual creator for the film. Music will be by Atli Örvarsson and Ives Agemans and Hilmar Sigurdsson produce. World sales is by ARRI Media which already have closed sales to a number of territories including Russia CIS, S-Korea, China, Poland, Baltics, Turkey and many more.

Arni Olafur the Director presents his vision for the film at a kick-off meeting in Antwerp recently.

‘Hitchhiking with Dad’ finds home in GunHil

Posted on October 12, 2015 by GunHil

GunHil has signed a contract with authors Vala Thorsdóttir and Kolbrún Anna Björnsdóttir for writing of a screenplay for a feature film based on their book ‘Hitchhiking with Dad” that was published in Iceland last year. Racing against time a resourceful eleven year old girl whisks her father and little brother off on an unexpected hitch hiking adventure from Sicily to the east of Iceland, to reach her mother before her carefree Dad misses the opportunity of a lifetime.

Nordic Film & TV Fund supports Ploey

Posted on October 11, 2015 by GunHil

The Nordic Film & TV Fund has announced a production support of 2.4 M NOK to Ploey – You Never Fly Alone. NFTF is established in 1990 with primary purpose to promote film and TV productions of high quality in the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), by providing support for top-up financing of feature films, TV-fiction / series and creative documentaries. We at GunHil appreciate greatly the Fund’s support!

GunHil and Cyborn seal a co-production agreement for Ploey

Posted on May 22, 2015 by GunHil

The animated feature film Ploey – You Never Fly Alone hit a major production milestone with the signing of a co-production agreement between Icelandic production company GunHil and the Belgian based Cyborn animation studio. The film will be a joint production between the two companies and is scheduled for release in 2017.

Ploey – You Never Fly Alone tells the story of a plover chick that has not learned to fly when his family migrates south for the winter. He must survive the harsh winter to save his beloved one from becoming a pray next spring.

Ploey is being sold by ARRI Worldsales and has already been sold to over 20 countries worldwide, including Russia, the Baltics, Finland, Turkey, Poland, Middle East and S-Korea to name a few.

GunHil has developed the film, which will be directed by Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson (Brim) and visually- and co-directed by Gunnar Karlsson. The Story and the Screenplay is written by Fridrik Erlingsson (Legends of Valhalla, Benjamin Dove). Hilmar Sigurdsson and Haukur Sigurjónsson of GunHil and Ives Agemans of Cyborn are the producers of the film.

Cyborn was established in 1998 by Ives Agemans and specializes in 3D Animation and CGI. The studio has a vast experience in film, TV series and commercial work. Cyborn is involved in all parts of the production of the film, from modelling through compositing.

GunHil was formed in 2012 by Gunnar Karlsson and Hilmar Sigurdsson, animation pioneers in Iceland. Their previous work includes ‘Legends of Valhalla – THOR’, produced by Hilmar and visually and co-directed by Gunnar.

“We are very pleased with becoming a partner in the project, which is based on a fabulous story, a great script and fascinating characters. It is very exciting to bring this first ever Belgium-Icelandic co-production to the world”.

-Ives Agemans of Cyborn

“This is a great milestone for our ambitious international co-production and we are very pleased with getting Cyborn on board the production, with all their expertise and experience in animation,”

– Hilmar Sigurdsson, CEO of GunHil.

PLOEY at Le Marché du Film in Cannes

Posted on May 1, 2015 by GunHil

Even though most of the migrating birds have returned to their nesting grounds, Ploey will be at Le Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival. ARRI Worldsales will continue to offer the hot property to selective distributors at the market in Cannes, so there is the change to join forward looking distributors from Russia CIS, the Baltics, Finland, S-Korea, China, Middle-East, Turkey and more.

If you are interested, please contact Moritz Hemminger, Director of Sales & Acquisitions of ARRI Worldsales, MHemminger@arri.de, http://www.arriworldsales.de/ or come by at the ARRI Worldsales booth

Red Waters at Cartoon Movies

Posted on December 19, 2014 by GunHil

GunHil will introduce its newest property at Cartoon Movies in Lyon coming March. Red Waters is based on an Opera by Lady & Bird (Barði Jóhannesson and Keren Ann Zeidel). The opera was staged in Orleans and Rouen.

The river of Red Waters roots in an ancient myth where young lovers that turned out to be twins separated at birth die in the river, transforming the river water into ruby red wine with healing powers. The only thing that the river demands is that each time twins of opposite sex are born in the village they should be sacrificed before the end of their 25^th birthday.

Every day the whole village partakes in a drinking ritual where everyone accepts the elixir of the river and miracle pilgrims come for cures. But when all of a sudden the wine turns to vinegar it is evident that a twin birth has been kept secret, the divine order has been violated.