Pixar's Up To Open Cannes

Disney/Pixar's Up will be the Opening Ceremony film of the 62nd Festival de Cannes. This is not only the first Walt Disney Picture to Open the Cannes Film Festival, but the first animated film to open at the fest. It's also the first 3-D film to open the festival, but I think that might be more obvious. Full press release after the jump including quotes from Dick Cook and John Lasseter.

UP, the new animation film from the Disney•Pixar studios, will be the Opening Ceremony film of the 62nd Festival de Cannes in Disney Digital 3-D

UP, the new animation film from the Disney•Pixar studios, produced under John Lasseter's supervision, will be the Opening Ceremony film of the 62nd Festival de Cannes in Disney Digital 3-D on Wednesday May 13th, 2009.

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 8-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.

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.

This is the first time that an animation film, and a 3-D film, will be the Opening Ceremony film at the Festival de Cannes.

Animations 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 29th and in France on July 29th.

The Festival de Cannes runs from Wednesday May 13th to Sunday 24th of May, 2009.

The President of the Jury is French actress Isabelle Huppert.

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said, "It's a great honor for The Walt Disney Studios, and our incredibly talented cast members at Pixar Animation Studios, to have 'UP' selected as the first animated feature to ever open the Cannes Film Festival. Adding to this historic milestone, 'UP' is also the first digital 3D film, and the first Disney film selected for the coveted opening night slot at Cannes. We are so proud of this terrific movie, and can't wait to share it with the filmmaking community and festival-goers on Wednesday, May 13, and the rest of the world starting on May 29th."

John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, added, "We are absolutely thrilled that the Cannes Film Festival has chosen 'UP' to be its prestigious opening night offering. This is a huge step for animation, and further supports our belief that a great animated film is simply a great film. Pete Docter, the director of 'UP,' and the amazing team of artists, animators, technicians, and storytellers at Pixar have worked so hard to create a great motion picture that is impressively fresh, funny, and powerfully emotional."