The Norwegian animated film by Mikkel B. Sandemose will be pitched March 9 at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux.

Valemon: The Polar Bear King (Kvitebjørn) produced by Cornelia Boysen for Maipo Film, was allocated a NOK 3 million (€305,203) production grant from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

The film is a modern take on the beloved Scandinavian folk tale, adapted for the screens by multi-awarded Maja Lund (Battle, The Crossing).

The main character is the adventurous girl Liv, who dreams of leaving her home in the woods. When the polar bear Valemon offers her family a way out of poverty if she comes with him, she accepts. A friendship starts to form between the two. For Valemon is in reality a prince, once cursed by a witch. With her animal friends by her side, Liv sets out on a journey to confront the witch and save Prince Valemon.

Besides director Mikkel B. Sandemose (The Ash Lad films, Ragnarok), the artistic team includes New-York-born Peter DeSève (Mulan, Finding Nemo), who has created the initial character designs.

'We are very excited about this new project from Maipo Film, which I'm sure will take us all on a heart-warming and magical journey. With such a strong production team and incredibly creative people behind, we have very high expectations,” said TrustNordisk’s managing director Susan Wendt.

The ambitious animated feature is co-produced by Belgium’s Vivi Film and Belga Productions, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme. Nordisk Film will handle the domestic release, set for December 25, 2024.