Disney-Pixar's UP will be the Opening Ceremony film of the 62nd Festival de Cannes in Disney Digital 3-D on Wednesday May 13, 2009, the first time an animated 3-D film has opened at Cannes.
UP, a comedy adventure in which 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen fulfils his dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, only to discover that he has brought with him his biggest nightmare, a 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer stowaway.
UP is directed by Pete Docter, director of MONSTERS, INC. who also developed the story and characters for TOY STORY, Pixar's first full length animated feature film, for which he also served as supervising animator. He served as a storyboard artist on A BUG'S LIFE, and wrote the initial story treatment for TOY STORY 2. The film is co-directed by Bob Peterson, also a screenwriter and author of FINDING NEMO.
UP's producer John Lasseter is Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Oscar-winning director or producer of TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, A BUG'S LIFE, MONSTERS, INC., THE INCREDIBLES, FINDING NEMO, CARS, RATATOUILLE and WALL-E.
Animated features distinguished by their participation in the official selection are, DUMBO (1947), THE FANTASTIC PLANET (1973), FRITZ THE CAT (1974), SHREK (2001), THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (2003), SHREK 2 (2004), OVER THE HEDGE (2006), KUNG-FU PANDA (2008) and WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008).
UP will be released in the United States on Friday, May 29 and in France on July 29.
The Festival de Cannes runs from Wednesday May 13 to Sunday, May 24, 2009.
