RIOTUS

I had the pleasure of sharing this lovely animated film from GKIDS with the Critics Choice Association Women’s Committee. Here’s what I had to say about LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN:

It must have been a child who discovered we’re the heroes of our own stories. LITTLE AMÉLIE captures that revelation in vivid animation, like a storybook set free to run feral and fantastical. Born to a Belgian diplomatic family in Japan, Amélie is a little girl with an entire universe locked inside her. At first, she is a silent god, then a whirlwind. But ultimately, Amélie is a gentle rain that washes away resentment, revealing love beyond family and a sense of self that crosses borders.

Based on the memoir by Amélie Nothomb and co-directed by Maïlys Vallade, women and girls are more than the heart of this story; they’re also the heartbeat behind the camera. LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN revels in the wild, wondrous surrealities of girlhood and the women who shape us.

As SOFEE¹ director, Tara McNamara said, a Best Animated Feature nomination is likely to follow this story throughout awards season.

WINNER – AUDIENCE AWARD – 2025 ANNECY ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER – GRAND JURY PRIZE – 2025 ANIMATION IS FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER – AUDIENCE AWARD, BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE – 2025 SAN SEBASTIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER – GRAND PRIZE – 2025 BUCHEON INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

A Few of the Women Behind the Movie:

Maïlys Vallade – co-director/co-writer

Aude Py – co-writer

Voice Actors:
Loïse Charpentier (Amélie), Victoria Grobois (Nishio-San), Yumi Fujimori (Kashima-San), Cathy Cerda (Grandma Claude), Laetitia Coryn (Mama Danièle), and Haylee Issembourg (Juliette)

Producers:
Edwina Liard, Claire La Combe, Nidia Santiago

Mari Fukuhara – composer 

Eddine Noël – production designer

1. Critics Choice Association’s Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment (SOFEE) initiative ↩︎