Lorenzo Mattotti's animated film 'The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily' premieres at Cannes

Lorenzo Mattotti's directorial debut, the animated film 'La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia', premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. Based on Dino Buzzati's 1958 novel, the film follows King Leonzio, leader of the bears, who descends from the mountains to the plains to find his lost son Tonio and survive a harsh winter. With his army and a magician's help, he defeats the evil Grand Duke but realizes bears are not meant to live among humans. The film features voice actors Toni Servillo, Antonio Albanese, Corrado Guzzanti, and writer Andrea Camilleri. Mattotti cited influences from Walt Disney, Hayao Miyazaki's 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya', 'Yellow Submarine', and Roland Topor's 'The Fantastic Planet'. He aimed for a cinematic scope akin to 'Lawrence of Arabia' through expansive landscapes. The project took five years to complete.