Kensuke's Kingdom

TIFF65: Greek Premiere

A young boy and his family set off on a sailing trip of a lifetime. Excitement turns to terror when a violent storm erupts, and Michael and his dog, Stella, are swept overboard. They are washed up on to a remote island, terrified and struggling to survive. One day, Michael discovers he is not alone when he is confronted by a mysterious Japanese man who has lived there secretly since World War II, angry that Michael has arrived. However, as dangerous invaders threaten their fragile island paradise, Michael and the old man, Kensuke, join forces to save their secret world.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Neil Boyle, Kirk Hendry

Script: Frank Cottrell-Boyce (based on the book by Michael Morpurgo)

Editing: Richard Overall

Music: Stuart Hancock

Actors: (With the voices of:) Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy, Raffey Cassidy, Aaron MacGregor, Ken Watanabe

Production: Lupus Films, Jigsaw Films, Melusine Productions, Align, Le Pacte, Bumpybox

Producers: Camilla Deakin, Ruth Fielding, Stephan Roelants, Sarah Radclyffe, Barnaby Spurrier, Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz, Jean Labadie, Anne-Laure Labadie

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: UK, Luxembourg, France

Production Year: 2023

Duration: 84'

Contact: Cinema Management Group

Awards/Distinctions: Best Animated Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Original Music – British Animation Awards 2024, Grand Prize – New York ICFF 2024

Animation director: Peter Dodd
With the support of the BFI and Film Fund Luxembourg.

Suitable for kids over the age of 11.

Neil Boyle

Neil Boyle is a director and animator with credits that include Love, Death + Robots, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Tom and Jerry, The Simpsons, Ethel & Ernest, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Space Jam. Neil was the lead animator on the hugely successful 24-minute short film The Snowman and the Snowdog, screened on Channel 4 during Christmas to 11 million viewers. Neil directed and co-wrote the short film The Last Belle, which premiered at the London Film Festival. It was also nominated for Best British Short Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and won Best Animation at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Filmography

2011 The Last Belle (short)
2016 Made Up (short)
2023 Kensuke's Kingdom

Kirk Hendry

Kirk Hendry wrote and directed the multi-award-winning short Junk, which has been selected at over 150 film festivals worldwide. He has directed commercials and won Gold Promax.