dir. Benoît Chieux

2023 // 1hr 18 mins // Digital Projection

Inheriting the adventurous spirits of Studio Ghibli, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz, Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds conjures a technicolor fantasia that will delight animation lovers of any age. One boring afternoon, sisters Juliette and Carmen tumble head-over-heels into their favorite book and into the Kingdom of Winds. Now humanoid cats, they find themselves at the whims of a frog-goblin mayor and the hurricanes sent his way by the secretive sorcerer Sirocco. Juliette and Carmen must band up with the ethereal storm chaser-turned-songstress Selma in their quest to find home...just as soon as they find Sirocco.

This female-led adventure fairy tale will capture your heart with its portrayals of empathy, unapologetic confidence, and enduring sisterly love. But its mind-melting style will truly bowl you over. In his first venture as a solo director, Benoît Chieux draws from psychedelic references like Yellow Submarine and French illustrator Moebius to craft a world of pure imagination as dark as it is uncannily comforting. A real highlight, French-Cameroonian jazz vocalist Célia Kameni lends her singular voice to an otherworldly soundtrack. Sailing between breathy fantasy and a grounded story about just how far we’ll go to protect and remember those we love, Sirocco is bound to join its inspirations in the pantheon of great animation.