Gkids has acquired rights to the French animation feature Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds. Kinology arranged the deal with Gkids and will represent international sales.

Directed by Benoît Chieux (Midnight’s Garden, Tigers Tied Up in One Rope), the fantasy film follows two sisters Juliette and Carmen who get sucked into their favorite book, The Kingdom of the Winds. The pair must find their way back to reality while encountering adventure and a world full of fantastical creatures.. Kingdom of Winds marks Chieux’s second film to be distributed by Gkids. His first feature with the company was the 2008 animated film Mia and the Migoo, which won the European Film Award. 

Gkids president David Jesteadt called Sirocco “a timeless fairy tale that we are sure will enchant American audiences,” via Deadline.

Grégoire Melin, the CEO of Kinology, said about the film, “We’re thrilled and honored to be teaming up again with Gkids on this little gem that Sirocco is, also a tribute to many animation masterpieces starting with Hayao Miyazaki’s work which Gkids has done magnificently well in releasing his last masterpiece The Boy and the Heron.”

At the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Sirocco had its world premiere and will have its New York premiere at FIAF Animation First Film Festival on January 26. 

Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds had a theatrical release in France on December 13.