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GIFFONI FILM FESTIVAL 2018 - 20.28 july

Sections & Films

MAYA THE BEE: THE HONEY GAMES

Category: Edition 2018

Synopsis
Maia’s beehive is in turmoil. The summer harvest of honey is over and from Buzztropolis arrives an empress’s ambassador with an important message for the Queen Beatrix. Does he want to announce that the beehive of Maia will finally be invited to participate in the Honey Games? Unfortunately, the initial enthusiasm turns off when the messenger informs the inhabitants of the Poppy Field that they are not allowed to participate in The Games and that, at the request of the Empress herself, they must donate half their already poor summer harvest to help nourish the athletes of the Olympics. Maia decides to disobey her queen and go to Buzztropolis to confront the Empress. In this long and dangerous journey to accompany her there is her trusted and faithful friend Willi. The Queen Beatrix accepts, in spite of herself, the imperial order even knowing that this means not having enough honey for her bees to face the winter. Maia, with her proverbial inability to accept injustice, decides to disobey her queen and go to Buzztropolis to confront the Empress. In this long and dangerous journey to accompany her there is her trusted and faithful friend Willi. Arrived in the lush Buzztropolis, the little bee will discover a world absolutely unknown to her, will have to deal with individuals never met before as Violet, an envious bee who hardly hides her disdain for Maia and will try in every way to separate her from her friend Willi. Maia's heartfelt appeal to participate in The Honey Games in the presence of the Empress, will actually culminate with a resounding accident that will make things worse. Deeply offended, and determined to teach Maia a lesson, the Empress makes her an deal: Maia’s beehive will be able to participate in the The Honey Games but if it loses the games it will have to deprive itself not only of the summer honey, but of the entire harvest. Flanked by an unusual and extravagant group of insects, Maia will compete in various Olympic disciplines and learn the true meaning of teamwork. Fortunately, her best friend Willi, the adorable and clumsy ants Arnie and Barney and her trusty adviser Flip the cricket, will always be by her side. Will Maia succeed in saving her hive?

Original Title MAYA THE BEE: THE HONEY GAMES
Italian Title L'APE MAIA - LE OLIMPIADI DI MIELE
Category Out of competition
Section Premiere
Tipology Animation, Feature Film
Duration 83'
Production Year 2018
Nationality Australia, Germany
Directed by Noel Cleary, Sergio Delfino
Screenplay Fin Edquist, Noel Cleary, Alexs Stadermann
Editor Adam Rainford
Produced by Tracy Lenon, Brian Rosen, Thorsten Wegener

 regista Noel ClearyNOEL CLEARY
Noel Cleary is a director, a story artist and a character animator whit extensive experience in film and TV series work. He is very passionate about all aspects of his profession and strives to produce emotive, compelling stories and characters. Amongst other projects he was co-director for BLINKY BILL – THE MOVIE and episodic director for TV series TASHI for 26 series’ episodes. Before that we worked as character animator and story artist for THE LEGEND OF GUARDIANS for Animal Logic and in story on BBC’s WALKING WITH DINOSAURS and on the short film THE POLAR BEARS. He spent many years working for Walt Disney Studios in Sydney as supervising animator on 12 films and several TV series.

 regista Sergio DelfinoSERGIO DELFINO
Sergio Delfino has 18 years’ experience working in the animation industry, spending the majority of his time at the renowned Claymation studio, Aardman Animations. During this time Sergio worked as a model maker and stop frame animator for commercials and films, including the Oscar-winning animated short film A CLOSE SHAVE featuring Wallace and Gromit (1994) and CHICKEN RUN (1999). Sergio was the creator/director of the hit series CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS, which was produced by Aardman for Cartoon Network. The series was nominated for BAFTA. In 2010 Sergio left Aardman and the UK for Australia. Since then he has been living and working in Sydney as a senior animator and animation lead on feature films LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS, HAPPY FEET 2 and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE. He then joined the team at Flying Bark productions as animation director on the fantasy adventure series TASHI, and head of script development on buddy comedy adventure series THE WILD ADVENTURES OF BLINKY BILL. Sergio has now moved to Studio B to share the director tole on MAYA THE BEE – THE HONEY GAMES.

 

production
world sales
Studio 100 Film GmbH
(Germany)
www.studio100film.com

Italian distribution
festival contact
Koch Media
(Italy)
www.kochmedia-film.it