Companies FILM.UA and Animagrad started to work on the first feature-length animated film based on the classic work by Lesia Ukrainka - "Mavka. The Forest Song". For the first time, our literary classics will be presented to the audience with such bright, impressive and memorable images.
"Mavka. The Forest Song" is an amazing and exciting film for the whole family, which will enchant with its good, light and brilliance. "Forest Song" was chosen for a reason, this work, which is based on an ancient mythological thinking of our people, in a precise and poetic form reveals the universal picture of the world. Authors' of "Mavka. Forest Song" will not just adapt a classical piece. They will create a new work by changing the plot, and the tragic tone of the original, while maintaining thinness, lyricism, beauty and fabulousness of the play. The story will be complemented by modern stories and images, and will please not only with the new comedic characters, but also with a happy ending. Thanks to the hard work of the writers, as well as splashes of ethnic motifs in the patterns and costumes, and careful work on the soundtrack of the picture, "Mavka. Forest Song" will open a unique world of original and amazing Slavic mythology to the viewers worldwide.
- Today, full-length animation for the family audience is one of the strongest trends in the movie business, as well as one of the most profitable. Examples of foreign and Russian colleagues suggest that investments in such projects, if successful, will pay off in spades. For FILM.UA Group creating animated features is a new strategic direction. In addition to "Mavka. Forest Song", wich release is scheduled for 2017, we have a package of animated films in development. The company's plan is to release one film each year, - says the producer of the project Irina Kostyuk.
The idea to create a story based on the Slavic myths and classic play by Lesia Ukrainka belongs to Sergei Sozanovsky and Irina Kostyuk. According to Irina, Ukrainian and Slavic theme is now a worldwide trend. Unique authentics in conjunction with the universal image is a key to success, both on the local and international market. "The combination of the modern and the eternal, pure Slavic and universal, love story and humor, action and fantasy - should work out and make the project unique. Our images are not similar to any other in the animation and the story is very original. That is why there will be interested viewers worldwide. Mavka is our unique and luxurious fairy tale character, and she deserves the same remarkable embodiment and love of the audiences around the world, as, in its time, Rapunzel, Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Snow White and other heroines of the fairy tales and legends, immortalized in popular cartoons", - says Irina Kostyuk.
This is a story about love: the love between Mavka, the young guardian and mistress of the forest, and a simple village blacksmith named Lukash. The two protagonists come from such different worlds one from the world of magic and nature and the other from the world of everyday human grind – that their happiness seems doomed from the start. But love overcomes all obstacles and conventions, uniting these sweethearts.
Creating high-quality animation, that can compete with global analogues, was the main challenge of the project. "We feel sure in ourselves as we've already created Mavka, trailblazing image of the film, and we know what it will be in artistic terms. A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step, and we have already walked through a sufficient path to understand that we'll succeed", - said the director of Animagrad Yegor Olesov. Inspired by the myths and legends, studio artists' have developed a truly unique character. For example, Mavka is a personification of nature itself and will change the color of her eyes and hair, depending on the mood and time of year. She'll also wear luxurious garlands of fluttering butterflies, fireflies and ladybugs. "We have an ambition - Mavka should be a new favorite image of girls from all over the world", - say producers of the project.
Creative group "Sakhar +1 kg", on account of which such successful projects as "The Jungle" and the animated film "Wolves and Sheep", works on the script. The prototypes of all the major locations of the cartoon are real Ukrainian natural reserves: Ukrainian Venice - Vilkovo village, tunnel of love in Klevan, Buksky canyon and, of course, the Carpathians. In addition, famous Ukrainian designer Olga Navrotskaya will make the costumes, and the soundtrack to the film will be written by Ukrainian stars of contemporary music.
Official website: mavkamovie.com
Genre: fantasy, lovestory, comedy
Run time: 85 min
TA: family
Format: 3D stereo
Style: 3D animation
Sound: Dolby Digital
Language: English, Russian, Ukrainian
Budget: $5 million
Production: Animagrad and FILM.UA
Scenario: scenic artist SAKHAR + 1kg
Status: In development
Completion: End of 2017
