Jun 24, 2022

Latin America Shines in Annecy: "Perlimps," "They Shot The Piano Player," "Arbor," "Petra and Sun

Less than a week after the Annecy International Animated Film Festival came to a close, we are still trying to wrap our heads around all the films we saw at the French festival.

We have already covered some exciting projects from Nigeria, Europe, and feature pitches from around the world, and now we turn our focus to Latin America.

This profile highlights four promising upcoming titles (two features and two shorts) that we saw in various sidebars at this year's festival. Latin America has cast an increasingly influential shadow over Annecy in recent years, and this trend is likely to continue next year, when Mexico will be proud to be the featured country at Annecy 2023.

Director Aleh Abreu

Producers Buriti Filmes, Laís Bodanzky

What to look for: distributors

The only completed film on our list, "Perlimps," the Academy Award-nominated "Boy and World It is the latest film by Allee Abreu and was screened out of competition during the festival. Set in a colorful tropical rainforest, the film follows Claye and Bruo, two secret agents who are anthropomorphic wolves and bears, representing the kingdoms of the sun and moon, respectively. Breathtaking visuals and innovative light effects, combined with top-class sound engineering and an often startling soundtrack, make "Perlimps" a feast for the senses. The release date has not yet been set, but watch out for it, as it is well worth seeing on the biggest screen possible.

Directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

Producers Fernando Trueba PC, They Shot the Piano Player AIE, Les Films D'ici Méditerranée, Submarine Animanostra - Cinema, Audiovisual e Multim

Looking for: Academy Award nominees Fernando Trueba (screenwriter, Belle Epoque) and Javier Mariscal (co-director, Chico and Rita), a young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr. and re-tells the story of a New York music journalist's search for the truth behind the tragic disappearance of the young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr. Screened at Annecy's Work in Progress session, the film celebrates the Latin music movement bossa nova and the fleeting creative freedom of the 1960s and 1970s, a turning point in the region's history, just before the continent was overrun by totalitarian regimes. It proposes a snapshot of a fleeting period of creative freedom at a turning point in the region's history, the 1960s and 1970s, just before the continent was overrun by totalitarian regimes. Using digital 2D techniques, the film offers scenes in a variety of styles and palettes, depending on the tone of the narrative. The interview scenes are nicely colored with everyday tones, while the bossa nova scenes set in Rio feature more explosive colors.

Director Valentino Lasso

Producer: None

Call for submissions: screenwriter, compositor, distributor, producer/co-producer

A 6-minute, 2D short about two brothers wearing bird masks who ask: "How far do trees How far are trees really alive? To find the answer, they embark on a sensory journey into the mysterious and unknown world of trees. The project attracted attention at the MIFA pitching session and won the Ciclic - Shortway Prize.

Directed by Stefania Maracchini and Maria Luisa Frutche

Produced by: a stop-motion short that won the Pitching Session's Open Workshop Prize. When there is an unprecedented thaw in the region, she discovers the perfectly preserved body of a dead climber, and her dog urges her to take him home. As the police search for the missing body, she develops a romantic interest in the stiff.