Following its acquisition by Vistas Media, the company has announced its first animation slate that includes a feature adaptation of ‘Kabuliwala,’ an adult-oriented web series, and big plans for a multi-platform franchise.
Following its acquisition by Singapore’s Vistas Media Capital Pte. Ltd., Toronto-based Paperboat Animation Studios has debuted its first animation slate, which features three diverse projects tailored for the international market.
The new titles were revealed at a special event in Cannes, by Paperboat co-founder and chief creative director Soumitra Ranade, and Vistas Media co-founder and group CEO Abhayanand Singh.
Chief among these productions is Kabuliwala: Man from Kabul, a 3D animated feature based on a short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Ranade adapted the story for Paperboat and is set to direct.
Kabuliwala explores the relationship between Mini, a six-year-old girl from Kolkata, and an immigrant hawker from Kabul. Described by Paperboat and Vistas as “[a] heartwarming film [that] reaffirms that the true essence of peoples’ existence is shared humanity,” the film was awarded the Script Development Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, Brisbane. It was also selected for the MPA-APSA-Busan International Film Festival Project Pitch. All production work on the film is being handled by Paperboat.
Paperboat’s adult-oriented animated project, Itch, is a web series produced by Golden Ratio Films, the content production label within Vistas Media Capital. Its animation production will be done by Paperboat. Ranade wrote the series and will direct, using both 2D and 3D animation styles.
Set against the backdrop of London, Itch is a 10-part series centered on 10 city-dwelling people who cope with the pressures of modern life: “The stories deal with traffic jams, breakdowns in relationships, work, housing loans, loneliness, social media, violence, and dark desire. Itch reflects what a megacity does to an individual, while performing an autopsy on the human condition in ultra-urban spaces.”
The studio’s third project, “Tattva 118,” is described as “a hybrid, multi-platform, metaverse-centered franchise” currently being developed as a wellspring for an animated feature, TV series, and game for all age groups. The project will incorporate both 2D and 3D animation styles.
Named for the 118 elements from the periodic table, the franchise aims to deliver a unique form of edutainment by anthropomorphizing those elements. Paperboat says the franchise will begin with the release of NFTs, “us[ing] blockchain technology to offer movies, metaverse, and magic.”
Paperboat co-founder Aashish Mall is the principal designer of the “Tattva 118” franchise. Paperboat is producing all its content and handling its animation work.
Max Weinstein is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He is the Editor-at-Large of 'Dread Central' and former Editorial Director of 'MovieMaker.' His work has been featured in 'Cineaste,' 'Fangoria,' 'Playboy,' 'Vice,' and 'The Week.'
