We’ve all heard of the saying, “a dog is a man’s best-friend,” but what about a…penguin? 🐧 Roadside Attractions and City Hill Arts are bringing the incredibly heartfelt film, My Penguin Friend, to the big screen and it certainly is one of the best movies to come out in 2024. The remarkable film, which is inspired by a true story, follows a fisherman from Brazil who helps rescue a lost penguin from an oil spill. The two quickly form a unique bond. To the fisherman’s surprise, DinDim the penguin makes his way to the fisherman’s home every winter, swimming over 5,000 miles from Patagonia to an island off the coast of Brazil to reunite with his friend.
The film stars Jean Reno as Joao, Adriana Barraza as Maria, Alexia Moyano, Nicolás Francella, Thalma de Freitas, Pedro Urizzi, Juan José Garnica, Duda Galvão, and Ellen C. Camp.
The brilliant cast joined together for the Los Angeles premiere of My Penguin Friend, which took place on Aug. 10 at the renowned Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California. The spectacular cast celebrated the release of their film and was even joined by João Pereira de Souza, the wonderful man who the film is based off of.
Director David Schurmann shared some special words with de Souza on stage before the screening of the movie. “It was an honor to be able to talk to João, get a little bit from his story, from the source, and be able to put it in the script,” said Schurmann. “The scriptwriters were brilliant bringing it to life. João Pereira is over 80 years old. He made the journey all the way here because it’s his dream to be here amongst us and to be able to celebrate the moment.”
After a screening of the touching and moving film, attendees were able to immerse themselves and feel like they were in Brazil with some Brazilian themed cocktails and cuisine at the after-party. Caipirinhas, brigadeiros, pão de queijo, oh my!
I had a stupendous time attending the premiere of My Penguin Friend. The movie is absolutely beautiful and will bring tears to your eyes. It was masterfully created. More stories like this need to be told and shared on the big screen.
My Penguin Friend makes its way to theaters on Aug. 16 and you don’t want to miss it! Make it a day with your family and be sure to watch this awe-inspiring movie. Check out some more photos from the premiere below.
Photo Credits: Eric Charbonneau / Getty Images for Roadside Attractions
