Visionality, creator of the BAFTA and Rose d’Or nominated BooSnoo! for Sky Kids, is launching its highly original and atmospheric Christmas family film BUNNY at MIPJUNIOR/MIPCOM.
The 30-minute mixed media film (live action with 3D CG and 2D animation) which is perfect for all ages, is a journey through the beautiful British countryside on a clear, crisp Christmas Eve. It follows the adventures of the beloved toy Bunny of a young deaf girl who returns home from a raucous shopping trip and is being ignored by her hearing (and very noisy) family.
When her toy is dropped getting out of the car, it seems like another disaster for the girl. But then, in the quiet solitude of the driveway, the toy bunny comes to life. It takes some time out to explore the peaceful environment. The toy bunny doesn’t go far and as it relaxes into its surroundings, it finds itself immersed in a series of increasingly joyful, sensory moments that blend fantasy and reality and lead her from family chaos to festive fun.
Like all the best Christmas stories, there’s a twist. In BUNNY, just as we enjoy the moment the toy bunny returns home, we get a whole new perspective with a final reveal that shows us that the little girl (who felt invisible in her family) has been with us on the journey the whole time – a moment guaranteed to give the audience goosebumps.
All the moments of fantasy and imagination merge together into a bold and uplifting orchestral Christmas symphony. Viewers will be able to SEE the sound and SEE the music, animated throughout the natural world, so every child of whatever hearing ability, can enjoy the BUNNY experience together.
The film is bold in its approach, using minimal words with immersive sounds and visualized foley, and is deaf and sensory focused, but is accessible for all viewers. Julian’s experience working on BooSnoo! has strengthened his love and expertise for word-free storytelling based on visuals, sound and music. In particular, he is excited that, like BooSnoo!, the film provides space for the young viewers to share their observations with their co-viewing family members, without being bombarded with complex narrative, words, noises or songs with lyrics. A truly peaceful Christmas Eve experience.
Julian Bashford says:
“What started as an idea a few years ago has developed into a film that we genuinely believe can become an annual family favourite and Christmas Eve viewing tradition. We are excited to introduce BUNNY to broadcasters at MIPJUNIOR and MIPCOM for commission or pre-buy.”
BUNNY is created by Julian Bashford and produced by Ceri Barnes (Floogals).The screenplay, puppeteering, models and 3D and 2D animation together with the disability advisory experts all comes from leading UK talent.
