Producer Eddy Cinema is backing the animated feature “Wilderness of the Greenriver” at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei. The project, directed by Barcelona-based Hong Kong director Ellis Kayin Chan, follows Arin, a man with no memory of his past, who discovers a patient named Zia is the sister he lost. The story takes place in a world where technology allows people to wipe out painful memories. Upon this discovery, Arin's beliefs are shaken as he unlocks forgotten childhood memories, forcing him to choose between upholding the system or embracing his humanity.
Director Ellis Kayin Chan stated that the story is rooted in his own loss. He said the film grew from a simple conviction: “Pain is not the enemy of being human – forgetting is.” Chan explained that he grew up believing that staying calm and not feeling too much would keep him safe. He said, “When my sister and I grew apart, I tried to erase the pain connected to her. What I didn’t realize was that I was also erasing the tenderness, the care, the love that had shaped who I was.”
Chan shared that when he received news that his sister had taken her own life, everything he had buried returned at once. He said, “I cried like a child. My heart hurt in a way I couldn’t control. And in that moment, I understood something very clearly: pain was not what destroyed me. Pain was what proved that love had existed.” He added that the film does not romanticize suffering, but instead asks a quieter, more uncomfortable question: “if we remove pain to survive, what parts of ourselves do we also erase?”
Chan, a Gobelins graduate, previously served as animation supervisor on “Lost in Starlight,” Netflix’s first Korean animated feature, and has worked for Burberry and Balenciaga. His short films include “Monsoon Blue” and “Bluebird in the Wind.”
The project has already received several honors. A three-minute proof of concept was created with support from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. In 2025, it won the top award at Taipei’s Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (FPP), with the prize money used for writing and development. This year at Annecy, it received awards from Ciclic, SACD and Titra in the feature pitches.
Chan is currently turning the treatment into a screenplay with writer Clément Roussier, with a goal to finish the script in early 2027. Storyboard, casting and editing are scheduled to wrap by early 2028, with animation running from 2028 into 2029. A theatrical release is planned for 2030.
The film is produced by Paris-based Eddy Cinéma, with founding member Nicolas de Rosanbo serving as executive producer. The company co-produced Louis Clichy’s “Iron Boy,” which won a Special Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and the jury and audience awards at Annecy this year. The producers have worked with Chan since he left Gobelins.
The producers stated, “We have long admired the strong direction, delicate artwork and poetic writing which characterize Ellis’s work, and are delighted to collaborate with him on his first feature.” They describe the film as a hopeful story about family and the ethics of technology, believing it has appeal for both family audiences and arthouse viewers. They also stated, “We believe the film will have a strong market potential in Europe and Asia.”
In Taipei, the team is seeking animation studios, distributors, sales companies, and co-production partners in Asia. The Taiwan Creative Content Fest, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), runs Nov. 6–9 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
