Fox and Hare Save the Forest

{{Infobox film

| name = Fox and Hare Save the Forest

| image = Fox and Hare Save the Forest film poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Mascha Halberstad

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Janneke Van de Kerkhof
Bruno Felix
Eric Goossens
Anton Roebben
David Mouraire
Emmanuelle Vincent
Pierre Urbain }}

| writer = Fabie Hulsebos

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = André Dziezuk

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Mascha Halberstad
Gijs van der Lelij
Eva Krispijn
Rem Berger

}}

| animator = Jasper Kuipers

| layout_artist = Leo de Wijs

| background_artist =

| color_process = Color

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Submarine
Walking the Dog
Doghouse }}

| distributor = Periscoop Film

| released = {{Film date|df=y|2024|2|18|Berlinale}}

| runtime = 71 minutes

| country = {{Plainlist|

Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg

}}

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Fox and Hare Save the Forest ({{langx|nl|Vos & Haas redden het bos}}) is a 2024 animated adventure drama film directed by Mascha Halberstad and written by Fabie Hulsebos. Adapted from Flemish author Sylvia Vanden Heede’s Vos en Haas en de Bosbaas book series, it tells the story of a forest where strange things begin to happen.{{Cite web |url=https://www.filmfund.lu/film-catalogue/films/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest |title=Fox and Hare Save the Forest |access-date=13 February 2024 |website=Film Fund Luxembourg |language=en |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226091556/https://www.filmfund.lu/film-catalogue/films/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url= https://cineuropa.org/film/456912/ |title= Fox and Hare Save the Forest |first= Mascha |last= Halberstad |date= 18 January 2024 |access-date= 18 February 2024 |website= Cineuropa |language= en |archive-date= 18 February 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240218000535/https://cineuropa.org/film/456912/ |url-status= live }}

A European co-production, it was selected in the Generation Kplus section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 18 February and compete for Crystal Bear for the Best Film.{{Cite web |url= https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/454955/ |title= Berlin unveils the entirety of its Generation line-up |first= Vassilis |last= Economou |date= 18 January 2024 |access-date= 13 February 2024 |website= Cineuropa |language= en |archive-date= 4 February 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240204104658/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/454955/ |url-status= live }}

Story outline

Beaver, a small and arrogant creature, proudly unveils his huge dam in a big clearing in the woods. He and two Rats have stopped the river from flowing. The water quickly fills up the area and creates a massive lake. Beaver is very pleased with himself, but he is sad that no one is there to praise his work. Meanwhile, Fox and Hare have been having fun with their friends at a party. Owl goes back to his home after the party and sees weird water currents near his tree. He gets scared and runs away into the forest. The next day, Fox and Hare notice that Owl is gone. They and their friends go looking for him, but they only find the strange lake. How did the water get there? As they keep looking for Owl, the water level keeps rising, putting the forest in danger. Their mission to rescue the forest will challenge their friendship like never before!

Production

The film was produced by Submarine, Doghouse Films and Walking The Dog. The film is distributed by Doghouse Films in the Netherlands and Urban Sales has global sales rights of the film.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cartoon-media.eu/movie/archives/cartoon-movie-2022-2/projects-2/project-cartoon-movie-project-submission-form-67060-232253 |title=Fox and Hare Save the Forest |access-date=13 February 2024 |website=Cartoon Media |language=en |archive-date=13 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213092346/https://www.cartoon-media.eu/movie/archives/cartoon-movie-2022-2/projects-2/project-cartoon-movie-project-submission-form-67060-232253 |url-status=live }} The film is adaptation of Sylvia Vanden Heede’s children book series illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing.{{Cite web |url= https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/03/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest-a-sneak-peek-at-submarines-friendship-fueled-adventure/ |title= 'Fox and Hare Save the Forest': A Sneak Peek at Submarine's Friendship-Fueled Adventure |author= Ramin Zahed |website= Animation Magazine |date= 3 March 2023 |access-date= 13 February 2024 |language= en |archive-date= 31 March 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230331032244/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/03/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest-a-sneak-peek-at-submarines-friendship-fueled-adventure/ |url-status= live }}{{Cite web |url= https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/fox-and-hare-mascha-halberstad-video-226803.html |title= Go Behind The Scenes Of Mascha Halberstad's Upcoming Feature 'Fox And Hare Save The Forest' In This Exclusive First-Look Video |author= Jamie Lang |website= Cartoon Brew |date= 3 September 2023 |access-date= 13 February 2024 |language= en |archive-date= 22 September 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230922041850/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/fox-and-hare-mascha-halberstad-video-226803.html |url-status= live }}

Voice cast

Rob Rackstraw for Beaver, Rat, Tusk, Jack
Dan Renton Skinner for Fox, Rat
Jamie Quinn for Owl
Teresa Gallagher for Hare
Sarah Madigan for Pingwin, Mermaid

Release

Fox and Hare Save the Forest had its world premiere on 18 February 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Generation Kplus.{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/berlinale-unveils-complete-2024-panorama-generation-forum-sections/5189510.article |title=Berlinale unveils complete 2024 Panorama, Generation, Forum sections |first=Ben |last=Dalton |date=17 January 2024 |access-date=13 February 2024 |website=ScreenDaily |language=en |archive-date=21 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121055123/https://www.screendaily.com/news/berlinale-unveils-complete-2024-panorama-generation-forum-sections/5189510.article |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2024/programme/202407066.html#screening_dates |title=Fox and Hare Save the Forest |work=Berlinale |date=6 February 2024 |access-date=13 February 2024 |archive-date=13 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213080726/https://www.berlinale.de/en/2024/programme/202407066.html#screening_dates |url-status=live }}

Urban Sales has sold the film into more than 50 territories including France, Germany, Poland, Russian Report, Baltic Countries, Norway and Denmark and Sweden, Ex-Yugoslavia, Czech Republic & Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Romania and Benelux.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest-deals-50-territories-urban-berlin-efm-1235829489/|title='Fox & Hare Save The Forest' Sells To 50+ Territories For Urban Ahead Of Berlinale Premiere – EFM|first=Melanie|last=Goodfellow|date=17 February 2024|access-date=18 February 2024|website=Deadline|language=en|archive-date=17 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240217234027/https://deadline.com/2024/02/fox-and-hare-save-the-forest-deals-50-territories-urban-berlin-efm-1235829489/|url-status=live}}

It featured in the International Competition of Feature Films in the children’s category on 30 May 2024 in the 64th edition of the Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth held in the Czech Republic.{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/462177/ |title= The Zlín Film Festival set to showcase diverse youth cinema from around the globe |first= Martin |last= Kudláč |date=13 May 2024|access-date=23 May 2024 |website= Cineuropa |language=en}}

Reception

Marta Bałaga reviewing for Cineuropa criticised the story of the film, writing, "the story is thin" also found the 3D animation lacking in comparison to the director's stop-motion delight Oink stating "not as charming, or as quirky". Bałaga opined, "Mascha Halberstad’s animated characters really do need to save the forest – but before that, they have to deal with massive egos and tiny underwear."{{Cite web |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/457603 |title=Review: Fox and Hare Save the Forest |first=Marta |last=Bałaga |date=26 February 2024 |access-date=26 February 2024 |website=Cineuropa |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226122130/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/457603 |url-status=live }}

Accolades

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Award ! Date ! Category ! Recipient ! Result ! {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
scope="row" \|Berlin International Film Festival \| 25 February 2024 \| Generation Kplus Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film \| Mascha Halberstad \| {{Nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="1"\|{{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/berlinale-2024-full-panorama-forum-generation-line-ups-1235795060/\|title=Berlinale Unveils Full Panorama, Forum & Generation Line-Ups With New Films By Nathan Silver, Levan Akin, André Téchiné & Bruce LaBruce\|website=Deadline\|first=Melanie\|last=Goodfellow\|date=17 January 2024\|access-date=13 February 2024\|archive-date=3 March 2024\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303122520/https://deadline.com/2024/01/berlinale-2024-full-panorama-forum-generation-line-ups-1235795060/\|url-status=live}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! Award

! Date

! Category

! Recipient

! Result

! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" |Berlin International Film Festival

| 25 February 2024

| Generation Kplus Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film

| Mascha Halberstad

| {{Nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="1"|{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/berlinale-2024-full-panorama-forum-generation-line-ups-1235795060/|title=Berlinale Unveils Full Panorama, Forum & Generation Line-Ups With New Films By Nathan Silver, Levan Akin, André Téchiné & Bruce LaBruce|website=Deadline|first=Melanie|last=Goodfellow|date=17 January 2024|access-date=13 February 2024|archive-date=3 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303122520/https://deadline.com/2024/01/berlinale-2024-full-panorama-forum-generation-line-ups-1235795060/|url-status=live}}