2012 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

WINNER! BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS - GOYA AWARDS

*****

ALMOST UNIMAGINABLY RICH AND RESONANT!
A reminder not only of the aesthetic vitality of hand-drawn, two-dimensional animation, but also of the form's ability to provide entertainment and enlightenment for adults.
- AO Scott. NY Times

A SWOONINGLY BEAUTIFUL, ADULTS-ONLY DRAMA!
Give the Academy major props for handing a Best Animated Feature Film nomination to something as wonderful as "Chico & Rita"!
- Lou Lumenick, New York Post

PICK OF THE WEEK!
"CHICO & RITA" IS THE FIRST BIG SERENDIPITOUS SURPRISE OF 2012!
A DAZZLING AND DELIGHTFUL WORK OF MODERNIST ANIMATION!
A fantasy of the best and most beautiful kind, infused with passion and tragedy ... along with a supremely romantic conclusion that left me weeping in the dark. I'm pretty sure I wasn't alone, because the press screening I attended broke into spontaneous applause during the closing credits (and that pretty much never happens).
- Andrew O-Hehir, Salon

FOUR STARS!
I LOVE IT! LUSHLY SCORED AND MAGICAL, THE BEST MUSIC FILM IN ANY GENRE IN A LONG TIME!
- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

FOUR STARS! A PASSIONATE, GLOBE-HOPPING LOVE-STORY
AN ANIMATED GEM!
The epic sweep of Trueba’s heart-tugging story is anchored in Mariscal’s gorgeous cityscapes: pre-Castro Havana is a cozy tangle of mottled wood and Tropicana rhythms, while the towering skyscrapers of New York and the sprawling soundstages of Hollywood emphasize just how far – artistically and emotionally – our lovers have come.
– Time Out London

FOUR STARS! A SEXY, SOULFUL ANIMATION FOR GROWN-UPS!
All buzz, color, and sublime jazz, Chico & Rita is an instant classic!
- Total Film

FOUR STARS! MAGNIFICENT! DELICIOUS! RAVISHING!
Swaying, snake-hipped Latin music from Bebo Valdés, Tito Puente and others reinforces the languid, sensual mood!
– The Telegraph

FOUR STARS! A LOVE-STORY FOR THE AGES!
By turns wistful, passionate, indignant and melancholy, this is an exquisitely composed piece of storytelling.
– The Independent

EXUBERANT! BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
A visually hypnotic, musically electric film!
– The Hollywood Reporter

FOUR STARS! BEAUTIFUL! A SWAYING, SEXY, DREAM OF A MOVIE!
The year's best musical, and one of the year's finest animated films! This utterly delightful movie is an affecting, funny, historically accurate and at times pleasingly erotic story of the on-again, off-again love affair between Chico, a Cuban jazz pianist and composer, and the feisty Cuban chanteuse Rita. The graphic stylization, with its blocks of color and hard black outlines, is elegant, energetic and witty, bringing to mind Steinberg, Patrick Caulfield, Al Hirschfeld, and Cuban poster artists.”
– The Observer

FOUR STARS! A SEXY, SOULFUL ANIMATION FOR GROWN-UPS!
All buzz, color, and sublime jazz, Chico & Rita is an instant classic!
- Total Film

FOUR STARS! MAGNIFICENT! DELICIOUS! RAVISHING!
Swaying, snake-hipped Latin music from Bebo Valdés, Tito Puente and others reinforces the languid, sensual mood!
– The Telegraph

“FOUR STARS! A LOVE-STORY FOR THE AGES!”
“By turns wistful, passionate, indignant and melancholy, this is an exquisitely composed piece of storytelling.”
– The Independent

"FOUR STARS! A PASSIONATE, GLOBE-HOPPING LOVE-STORY!"
“An animated gem! The epic sweep of Trueba’s heart-tugging story is anchored in Mariscal’s gorgeous cityscapes: pre-Castro Havana is a cozy tangle of mottled wood and Tropicana rhythms, while the towering skyscrapers of New York and the sprawling soundstages of Hollywood emphasize just how far – artistically and emotionally – our lovers have come.”
– Time Out London

“FOUR STARS! HISPANIC ART DECO MEETS
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE!"
“The music is a splurge of euphony, featuring classics from Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.”
– Financial Times

“FOUR STARS! SEXY, SUNNY AND SWEET-NATURED!”
“A Wonderfully Passionate Film!”
– The Guardian

“ONE OF THE BEST FILMS EVER MADE ABOUT JAZZ!”
– Gary Giddins, Film Comment

CHICO & RITA
Animation, Trueba/Mariscal/Errando, Spain/UK, 2010, 94 minutes
In Spanish with English subtitles

Oscar®-winning director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque, Calle 54) and Spain’s legendary illustrator Javier Mariscal celebrate their passion for the music and culture of Cuba with an epic story of love, passion, and heartbreak.

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas. With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist and five-time Grammy®-winning composer Bebo Valdés, Chico & Rita captures a defining moment in the evolution of history and jazz, and features the music of (and animated cameos by) Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, and others.

Soundtrack now available on Calle 54 Records / Sony Music US Latin.

Coming to theaters in early 2012.
For booking information, please contact:
Dave Jesteadt, GKIDS
dave@gkids.com