Award-winning feature comes to Santa Monica for a run from Dec. 15-21.
The award-winning, hand-drawn, 2D animated feature film Ethel & Ernest will make its U.S. theatrical debut at the Nuart Landmark Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif., running from Dec. 15-21.
Based on the 1998 book by acclaimed British author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, Ethel & Ernest tells the true story of Raymond’s parents -- two ordinary Londoners living through a period of extraordinary events and immense social change. Heart-warming, humorous and bittersweet, the film follows the lives of lady’s maid Ethel and milkman Ernest from their first chance meeting in 1928, through the birth of their son Raymond in 1934, to their deaths, within months of each other, in 1971. From the socially stratified 1920s to the moon landing of 1969, the film depicts, through Ethel and Ernest’s eyes, the most defining moments of the 20th century.
Ethel & Ernest made its U.K. cinema debut at the 60th BFI London Film Festival and was shown on television on BBC One to great critical and popular acclaim. It has since been wowing audiences and awards committees at film festivals around the world, including being named Best of Fest at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2017.
The film is voiced by Oscar winner Jim Broadbent and Golden Globe winner Brenda Blethyn in the title roles, with Olivier Award Winner Luke Treadaway (A Street Cat Named Bob) as Raymond. They are joined by screen legend Virginia McKenna (Born Free) as Ethel’s employer and Pam Ferris (Matilda) as Mrs. Bennet. The film also features a score by internationally-renowned composer Carl Davis and an original song written by Paul McCartney. A team of around 300 people in London, Cardiff and Luxembourg brought Ethel & Ernest to life using a combination of hand-drawn and hand-painted techniques and the very latest animation technology. The finished film consisted of 67,680 individually hand drawn frames, 309 individually colored costumes and 686 hand painted backgrounds.
Ethel & Ernest was produced by Lupus Films in association with Ethel & Ernest Productions, Mélusine Productions and Cloth Cat Animation and supported by the BFI, BBC, Film Fund Luxembourg, UPHE Content Group, Ffilm Cymru Wales and the Welsh Government. It was produced for Ethel & Ernest Productions by Lupus Films’ Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding (The Snowman and The Snowdog) and directed by Roger Mainwood (The Wind in the Willows). The animation director is Peter Dodd (The Illusionist) and the art director is Robin Shaw (The Snowman and The Snowdog). Raymond Briggs was an executive producer on the film, with Stephan Roelants producing for Mélusine Productions and Jon Rennie acting as executive producer for Cloth Cat Animation. International sales are being handled by The Little Film Company with Robbie Little also acting as executive producer.
Source: Lupus Films
Tom McLean has been writing for years about animation from a secret base in Los Angeles.
