{"id":2613,"date":"2026-06-21T11:07:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T11:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2613"},"modified":"2026-06-21T11:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T11:07:46","slug":"yugly-sells-wide-ahead-of-annecy-world-premiere-as-nwave-team-enthuses-at-quirky-characters-european-cg-with-heart-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2613","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Yugly\u2019 Sells Wide Ahead of Annecy World Premiere, as nWave Team Enthuses at Quirky Characters, European CG With Heart (EXCLUSIVE)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tFor the third year in a row, the nWave team boarded the Eurostar from Brussels to its now well-established annual Annecy Animation Festival journey. And this year, they\u2019re bringing man\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2611\">Banijay Kids &amp; Family Close Latin America Deals on \u2018Totally Spies\u2019 Season 8, \u2018MiniHeroes of the Forest,\u2019 \u2018The Game Catchers\u2019 Season 1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tOpening the non-competitive section Annecy Presents, the latest nWave title \u201cYugly\u201d makes its world premiere today at the Bonlieu, the festival\u2019s main venue.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tNWave\u2019s twelth feature, \u201cYugly\u201d is a heartwarming dog comedy following the ugliest mutt in the world, who dreams of achieving the impossible: competing in the prestigious Best in Dog Show. As Yugly sets off on his journey, he\u2019ll meet fellow canines and quirky humans along the way, with the secret hope of ultimately finding his very own family.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tCo-directed by J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Degruson (\u201cBigfoot Family,\u201d \u201cThe Inseparables\u201d) and Yanis Belaid (\u201cLes larmes de la Seine\u201d) and written by \u201cStuart Little\u201d scribe Greg Brooker, the CG animated feature is a Belgian-French co-production between nWave and Octopolis, produced by Matthieu Zeller.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cMatching those two directors from different generations (J\u00e9r\u00e9mie, a nWave veteran and Yanis, an upcoming young filmmaker) was a bet for the studio,\u201d recalls Zeller, \u201ca bet that paid off handsomely. This film is the perfect illustration of what nWave has been aiming at for a long time: cutting-edge CG animation matching the standards of the global industry, along with a unique European way of telling stories with depth and heart, and bringing them on the big screen. \u2018Yugly\u2019 blends both, and I\u2019m truly happy we manage to achieve this as a European studio.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tDegruson and Belaid feel the same way, as they discovered their common references (and love for dogs) over the three-year journey that has been this seamless, benevolent production. \u201cWe had a shared language right from the start,\u201d underlines Degruson. \u201cNot only could we use our pets as references, but we also had similar experiences and a common denominator. Which will, in turn, allow the film to connect with audiences as well.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\n\tThat includes audiences throughout Europe, as nWave, which handles its own international sales, revealed a wave of distribution deals across Europe, West Asia and Africa. Beyond early partners in France (SND) and Benelux (Independent Films), territories include Spain (ACF), Scandinavia (Scanbox), the Baltics (Ad Astra), and many more European markets, with French and English-speaking African territories split between Les Films 26 and Path\u00e9. <\/p>\n<p>\n\tRights are currently available for the U.K., Germany, Italy, North and Latin America along with Australia\/New Zealand and Asian territories excluding Vietnam and Mongolia.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2609\">Cinepolis Picks Up Australian Documentary \u2018Shared Table: Regional Heroes\u2019 for India Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tZeller, Degruson and Belaid all praise the works of their dedicated teams. With 150 people working on the film and a budget of \u20ac25 million ($28.7 million), nWave Studios reached new heights with \u201cYugly\u201d while still keeping their core values in mind: bringing entertaining, heartlfelt CG animated stories to global audiences. \u201cFrom the start, we\u2019ve been involved in the writing process and have helped shape the characters both narratively and visually,\u201d adds Belaid. \u201cAnd it allowed us to hone our dialogs and make every single dog unique. Film-wise, we also had the opportunity to expand on our staging, pushing for more cinema and less talkative characters. In the past, nWave films tended to be all about snappy dialogs and babbling protagonists. With \u2018Yugly\u2019, we went for a \u2018show don\u2019t tell\u2019 approach, and it helped us to bring this film to another level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tBlending Degruson\u2019s experience with Belaid\u2019s live-action, indie references, the duo crafted a family-friendly adventure with memorable characters, lush backgrounds and thrilling chase scenes, going from one setting to another in this bigger-than-life odyssey. Providing decisive help was another duo: CG and backgrounds supervisor Christopher Grao and character design\/storyboard artist Kevin Hermans.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cI think there was a lot of mutual respect between both duos,\u201d underlines Belaid. \u201cWe had our ideas, which we discussed, and they brought their own as well in the mix. It all comes down to understanding the challenges we each face, and what is doable and what\u2019s more complicated. But we firmly believe that in animation, allowing people to propose ideas and remaining open to them is the best way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s more in four heads than two,\u201d continues Degruson. \u201cCreative input at the right time is always welcome, and in some cases it even allowed us to fine tune our writing and adapt.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\n\tBringing \u201cYugly\u201d to this class-A animation festival feels just right for both directors, who are deeply thankful to the festival team. Marcel Jean, Annecy\u2019s artistic director, praised \u201cYugly\u201d earlier this year for its heartfelt story and relatable characters.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cIt feels great to be back in Annecy,\u201d says Degruson, who presented \u201cThe Inseparables\u201d at the Bonlieu three years ago. \u201cWe had other films in the program in the past few years, but being able to present this film that is dear to us as the opening film of Annecy Presents is truly a special honor. To me, animation is all about sharing values with both young audiences and adults alike. With \u2018Yugly,\u2019 we bring this benevolence and acceptance forward. If our film can provide happiness to children, and even people in general, I\u2019ll be a happy director.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2607\">\u2018The Fear\u2019s Artist,\u2019 \u2018We Won\u2019t Get Old Together\u2019 Win Big at Transilvania Industry Awards<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>nWave Studios&#8217; 12th feature, a heartfelt, lush CG animated film about acceptance, has secured deals across Europe, Africa and Asia ahead of Annecy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2222,344,2223,2224,2225],"class_list":["post-2613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-acf","tag-annecy-animation-festival","tag-independent-films","tag-nwave-studios","tag-snd-groupe"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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