Germany’s Sola Media has taken worldwide distribution rights to Norwegian animated feature “Anchors Up: Boat to the Rescue.” Sola will present first footage from the film to buyers at the Cannes Film Market.
The CGI animation features a young rescue boat named Elias, a popular character created by Sigurd Slåttebrek and Alf Knutsen. Elias has been the star of animated television series, films and games since his debut in the mid-1990s. The television series was acquired by Netflix for English-speaking territories and has sold to broadcasters in almost 100 countries.
“Anchors Up” sees Elias pull off a brave rescue mission, which sees him hailed as a hero and headhunted for a new job in the big harbor, leaving his old life and friends behind. But when Elias discovers that a local gang is mining an illegal precious metal that has the power to alter the weather, he realizes that what he most needs to expose the mining operation is the help of his old friends.
“‘Anchors Up’ is a fun, suspenseful film with heart for the whole family, with a universal message that ‘together we are stronger,’” said Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media.
It is directed by Simen Alsvik and William John Ashurst and produced by Slåttebrek for Norwegian animation house Animando in co-production with leading Scandinavian animation studio Qvisten Animation. The film is scheduled for a wide release in Scandinavia by SF Film in October this year.
