CAKE and New Zealand’s award-winning animation studio Stretchy have announced that the stop-motion animated feature Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! will officially hit UK cinemas on October 16. The 60-minute feature will open in Odeon and VUE cinemas nationwide, marking a new theatrical distribution partnership between children’s entertainment specialist CAKE and AliLeo Media.
Serving as a prequel to the BAFTA-nominated preschool series Kiri and Lou, the film transitions the property from its standard five-minute television format into a feature-length adventure designed specifically as a gentle “my first film experience” for young viewers. The story follows Lou, a gentle creature with an embarrassingly stretchy trunk, as he rescues Kiri, an ungrateful dinosaur, from a flood, launching the duo into a prehistoric journey where they discover that friendship can be found in the wildest of places. The film features the voice talents of Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do In the Shadows) as Lou and Olivia Tennet (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Power Rangers RPM) as Kiri.
Written and directed by Harry Sinclair, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! represents a major industry milestone as the very first feature-length stop-motion film made in New Zealand. The movie was handmade by Stretchy in association with the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Hinterland. The production features visual development by Ant Elworthy (Pinocchio, Isle of Dogs, Coraline) and music by Don McGlashan. Prior to its UK launch, the film had its international premiere in the official selection at the Annecy International Film Festival in June and saw a successful theatrical release in Australia and New Zealand via Vendetta Films.
Dominic Gardiner, MD of Distribution at CAKE, highlighted the franchise’s strong local resonance: “Ever since Kiri and Lou became a beloved fixture for UK families on BBC iPlayer, audiences have embraced its signature warmth, humour, and emotional honesty. Premiering Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! on big screens across the UK is a major milestone and we are delighted to partner with AliLeo Media to bring this charming, handcrafted prehistoric adventure to cinemas—giving young children and parents a whole new way to experience Kiri and Lou together”.
Writer and director Harry Sinclair noted the expanded creative scope of the feature format: “The film has allowed us to take a leap into an epic space, with epic emotion and epic fun, as it tells the story of how Kiri and Lou became friends. At its heart, it speaks about how we can reach out to others — how we can let go of suspicion and fear and embrace the possibilities of growing up and exploring our world. How we can move beyond the selfishness of contemporary life and learn to share the world and care about the other, even if the other is completely different from us”.
Fiona Copland, Producer at Stretchy, emphasized the cross-generational appeal of the movie: “We really wanted to make a film that would entertain the whole family, with layering for parents and the older siblings of pre-school children. It’s been great seeing adults full of emotion in screenings while their kids are just laughing their heads off”.
Annie Murray, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Film Commission, praised the local achievement: “Great storytelling travels, and Kiri and Lou are wonderful proof of that. As New Zealand’s first feature-length stop-motion film, this is a landmark achievement for Stretchy and our animation community… We’re thrilled that families across the UK will now have the chance to experience it together in cinemas”.
Greta D’Este-Donelan, Director at AliLeo Media, added: “Great storytelling deserves to be experienced on the big screen, and we’re delighted to partner with CAKE to bring Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! to cinemas across the U.K. At the heart of this wonderful film there is a story about friendship, curiosity and embracing what makes us unique – themes that will resonate with children and families alike. For AliLeo Media, bringing Kiri and Lou to cinemas is also about creating memorable experiences for the audiences of the future, and we are thrilled to play a part in introducing this much-loved property to a new generation of cinemagoers”.
