Pixar’s Up Will Open Cannes Film Festival

By Jeff Olson
March 20, 2009
Source: Cannes Film Fesival

The new Disney Pixar animated film, Up, will be the opening night film for the annual Cannes Film Festival. This is quite remarkable since this is the first time that both a Disney film and animated film will open the film festival. The prestigious festival begins May 13th in France. It’s even cooler that Up is being shown in digital 3D, and that is how it will be presented on opening night. I look forward to hearing the response from those who get to see it at the festival. To hear what Disney had to say about this honor continue reading.

Disney chairman Dick Cook stated:

“It’s a great honor for The Walt Disney Studios, and our incredibly talented cast members at Pixar Animation Studios, to have ‘UP’ selected as the first animated feature to ever open the Cannes Film Festival. Adding to this historic milestone, ‘UP’ is also the first digital 3D film, and the first Disney film selected for the coveted opening night slot at Cannes. We are so proud of this terrific movie, and can’t wait to share it with the filmmaking community and festival-goers on Wednesday, May 13, and the rest of the world starting on May 29th.”

John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer for Disney and Pixar Animation Studios stated:

“We are absolutely thrilled that the Cannes Film Festival has chosen ‘UP’ to be its prestigious opening night offering. This is a huge step for animation, and further supports our belief that a great animated film is simply a great film. Pete Docter, the director of ‘UP,’ and the amazing team of artists, animators, technicians, and storytellers at Pixar have worked so hard to create a great motion picture that is impressively fresh, funny, and powerfully emotional.”

It is an honor for any film to open the film festival, but having an animated film be the kickoff is groundbreaking. If any studio deserves this honor it has to be Pixar. They have released many incredible films, and their newest adventure, Up, appears to follow that trend.

Pixar’s Up lands in theaters May 29, 2009!