Tosin Ajirire
A new Chinese animation movie, Travel With the Wind, has started generating a thick buzz in Nigeria and film lovers, most especially, children cannot wait to see it.
As part of the promotional activities geared towards its global release early next year, Travel With the Wind played host to hundreds of children on September 22, 2018 at Ozone Cinemas, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos.
Hosted by the film producer, Minglang Production and its distributor, Silverbird Film Distribution, the screening saw several school children and their parents, including the media, having the fun of their lives, as they watched on the big screen the High Definition trailer of Travel With the Wind accompanied by powerful, high fidelity surround sound.
Nibbling away on crunchy popcorns and savouring chilled soft drinks, the kids and their parents were excited to share fantastic stories about the upcoming animation movie.
Travel with the Wind tells the tale of a small but courageous dinosaur, Wind, going on an adventure in the Spring Forest. In the forest, Wind meets Lee, a yellow bird who later becomes its best friend. Together, they embark on the journey of friendship, family, adventure, courage and growth
Created by an international team, the animation movie deeply explores profound Chinese arts and culture and delivers universal values. Earlier this year, Minglang Production attended Chinese Animation Season hosted in Nigeria by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Star Times to promote cultural exchange between Nigeria and China. At the event, Travel with the Wind earned high praises from the Nigerian audience and went on to have great impression on many people in film markets in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and France among others.
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A member of the production team and screenwriter of the film, who spoke to the guests through a video played at the show, admitted that children would learn lots of moral lessons by watching Travel with the Wind. “Hopefully, you’ll learn something and a lot of meaning to your life. We sincerely hope Wind can help promote cultural exchange around the world. Hope kids around the world especially kids in Africa will like Wind and the film, Travel with the Wind,” she said.
Also speaking at the screening, Rosana George Hart, Business Manager, Silverbird Film Distribution, stated that Travel with the Wind is all about happiness and friendship and it is one of the Chinese animation movies that her company will be releasing theatrically in cinemas all over Africa in 2019.
“Minglang Production has been promoting Travel With the Wind in big film markets around the world, aiming to enhance cultural exchange and promote international friendship. And knowing fully well that Nigeria is the most robust film market in Africa, Minglang decided to publicise the animation movie in Nigeria, while hoping to maintain a long-lasting partnership with the Silverbird Group.
“The movie is all about happiness and we know how our society is right now and if there is one thing we should be preaching to our children, it is basically happiness and friendship. Happiness will take away lots of stress currently being experienced in our society. So, we are excited to bring Travel with the Wind to cinemas come next year,” she explained.
Daniel Zhang, Digital Marketing Manager, StarTimes, who represented the Vice President, StarTimes Group, Guo Ziqi and Head, StarTimes TV in Nigeria, Wang Jin at the screening, expressed the readiness of the Chinese pay TV outfit to partner Minglang Production in showcasing the rich tradition and cultural values of the Chinese through Travel with the Wind and other artistic contents.
“We have been directed by our parent company in China to be part of this screening. You know that StarTimes is a Chinese cable TV company; so we are ready to partner Minglang Production, another Chinese company, in showcasing our rich culture and tradition through Travel with the Wind and other film contents,” he said.
Expressing her happiness, Chinyere Adidoche, a student of Silvercrest College, Surulere, Lagos, said she really enjoyed watching the trailer of Travel with the Wind and she is looking forward to seeing the full movie when it debuts in the country next year.
“I really enjoyed watching the trailer of Travel with the Wind. From what I gathered, Travel with the Wind teaches a lot of moral lessons for children. So, I am eager to see the full movie when it comes to the cinemas next year,” she enthused.
For Ayomide Akanmu, a primary four pupil of Woodland Nursery and Primary School, Shasha, Lagos, Travel with the Wind is a must watch because of its dinosaur storyline and picture quality.
“I am a lover of animation films. Travel with the Wind is a film on my mind because dinosaurs always fascinate me. So, I want to see how the small dinosaur called, Wind behaves in the forest,” he stated.
One of the parents, Mrs. Temitope Olomola, who brought her two children to the screening, could not contain her excitement seeing the movie trailer. She said: “I came with my two kids to see the trailer of Travel with the Wind. When I first heard about the animation movie, I went to check it up online and discovered that it’s the first Chinese animation film to come to Nigeria and since then I have been looking forward to watching it. Today, I am excited because apart from seeing the film, my children also got lots of branded gifts like teddy bears, T-shirts with dinosaur imprint, and hand fans called windy,” Olomola said.
Meanwhile, teasers and trailers of the movie were giving out freely after the screening, while parents and their kids went home with branded gift items such as T-shirts, teddy bears, hand fans, cups, and notebooks among others. All the guests expressed their deep appreciation, as they posed for photographs against the backdrop of a giant banner of Travel with the Wind.
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Founded in 2009 in Hangzhou, China, Minglang Production has dedicated itself to film planning, producing, marketing, and derivative development with the goal of being recognised as a professional company that does businesses in the entire product chain.
In the past years, Minglang has been driven by its innovative ideas. The company has produced many animation films highly favoured by the audience. These include Legend of West Lake, New Tunnel Warfare 1&2, and Legend of Tang Dynasty.
Established in July 2007 as an independent film distributor of theatrical films, Silverbird Film Distribution Ltd has earned a reputation as a trusted partner in the film supply chain services industry. The company continues to be the resource for some of the most invigorating voices in modern cinema.