Fragrant Nature Film Creations (FNFC) has taken Indian distribution rights to the acclaimed French animation Little Amélie, signaling the launch of a new international acquisitions and distribution division and a Feb. 22 premiere at AniMela in Mumbai
Fragrant Nature Film Creations, the Kochi-based banner, has made its first public foray into acquisitions and distribution by securing Indian theatrical rights (airline rights excluded) to the French animated film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, produced by Paris’s Goodfellas Animation.
The deal inaugurates FNFC’s new acquisitions and distribution arm, expanding the company’s footprint beyond its Kerala production base. The arrangement gives FNFC the exclusive theatrical run across India, with plans to handle regional licensing, festival bookings and downstream sales such as streaming and ancillary windows.
About the film
Little Amélie is a hand-drawn feature directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. It premiered at Cannes and has drawn awards-season attention—among its accolades are the Annecy Audience Award and nominations across major ceremonies. The film, produced with partners including Maybe Movies and Ikki Films, blends whimsical visuals with themes of grief, cultural adjustment and childhood memory.
What FNFC will do next
FNFC intends a measured rollout that begins with festival showings and metropolitan theatrical dates before widening to regional circuits and digital platforms. The company will prepare dubbed and subtitled versions in major Indian languages and work with local distributors to reach screens beyond big cities. The acquisition excludes airline exhibition, which narrows the initial licensing scope and simplifies that piece of rights management.
The company will launch the Indian campaign with a premiere at AniMela—supported by Annecy—at Whistling Woods International in Mumbai on Feb. 22, followed by a broader national release. FNFC says it will stagger releases to build momentum from festivals into box office and post-theatrical sales.
People and structure
The transaction was led internally by Riya Rajiv, head of film operations, with Sidharth S. Nair coordinating on sales. Jason Bressand represented Goodfellas on the deal. FNFC’s managing director, Anne Sajeev, framed the acquisition as a deliberate step to curate an international slate alongside the company’s homegrown productions, aiming to bring high-quality global animation to Indian audiences.
Context and prospects
For FNFC, this is also a strategic play: adding internationally recognized titles can deepen the company’s catalogue and strengthen its negotiating position with streaming platforms and overseas partners. Success will hinge on careful rights management, targeted marketing and effective festival-to-theatre timing—classic challenges for any distributor introducing a foreign arthouse animation to diverse local markets.
Company background and pipeline
FNFC has made a name regionally with titles such as Pranayam (2011) and the crime series Golam (2026), and it is in post-production on the vampire action film Half (2026). The company indicates more acquisitions are on the way as it builds its distribution arm in Kochi. Observers will be watching whether the company can convert that critical momentum into sustained box-office and streaming interest.