Light Boxes was presented to international financiers, sales agents and distributors, and it has already attracted interest from several international sales companies. As projects in that section must have at least 70% of their financing in place, Light Boxes came to Venice with public and institutional support secured across its territories, looking to close the remaining gap.

The film is produced by the Bulgarian company Cinelibri, which specialises in film adaptations and which organises the International Book-to-Film film festival of the same name in Sofia. It is coproduced by Thalie Productions (Canada), Bravo Charlie (Canada), Foliascope (France), EchoBravo (Belgium), and WJTeam (Poland).

The total budget is approximately 3 m EUR. The project already benefits from support from the Bulgarian National Film Center and other Bulgarian funding sources, as well as SODEC. Support from Telefilm Canada is expected to be confirmed within the next few weeks, while applications are currently pending with Wallimage and CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde.

Light Boxes is adapted from the cult debut novel by American author Shane Jones, a surreal, poetic tale about a town trapped in an endless winter, whose residents rise up against February itself. Spike Jonze acquired the film rights in 2009, with Ray Tintori set to direct, but the project never moved forward.

Ushev takes the story in a new direction, transforming its battle against winter into a contemporary exploration of war, love, displacement and resistance, with the war in Ukraine central to his interpretation. Ukrainian-language live-action sequences are woven into a stop-motion world of puppets and handcrafted miniatures, gradually blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.

Ushev wrote the screenplay, which was subsequently translated into English by Ottawa International Animation Festival artistic director Chris Robinson. The stop-motion sequences will be in English.

“In keeping with the spirit of our CineLibri productions, Light Boxes continues our commitment to bringing distinctive literary works to the screen. It will be among the first feature-length stop-motion films produced in Bulgaria and, in financial terms, our most ambitious project to date, with Bulgaria as the majority producer. Foliascope will lead the animation, with an additional European studio likely to join the production, while part of the animation work will also take place in Bulgaria,” producer Jacqueline Wagenstein told FNE.

The sales agent has not yet been confirmed, while national distribution will be handled by Cinelibri. The producers are seeking additional financing and partners for the stop-motion animation. The premiere is expected in 2029.

Born in Kyustendil in 1968, Ushev has been based in Montreal since 1999, creating many of his films with the National Film Board of Canada. His award-winning work includes the Oscar-nominated Blind Vaysha and The Physics of Sorrow, both adapted from works by Georgi Gospodinov. His short animated film The Wolf was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, while Life with an Idiot opened the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. His latest work, The Unknown Cities of Missing Mothers, has recently been greenlit by the National Film Board of Canada.

Production Information:

Producer:
Cinelibri (Bulgaria)
Jacqueline Wagenstein:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coproducers:
Thalie Productions (Canada)
Bravo Charlie (Canada)
Foliascope (France)
EchoBravo (Belgium)
WJTeam (Poland)

Credits:
Director: Theodore Ushev
Scriptwriter: Theodore Ushev
Script consultant: Chris Robinson