The Violinist, the animated feature directed by Ervin Han and Raúl García, has been selected for the Official Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.
The project was presented at the tenth edition of the MIA – Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo in 2024, within the ANYSHOW section dedicated to animation features in development. At that stage, it marked one of its first entries into the international market and did not yet include the Italian co-production component.
An international co-production
The film is now a co-production between Singapore, Spain, and Italy. Producers include Ervin Han (Robot Playground Media), Paloma Mora (TV ON Producciones), Raúl García and Cristiano Bortone (Altri Occhi). The project has received support from several institutions, including Singapore Film Commission, ICAA, RTVE, ÀPUNT MEDIA, Afin SGR, Red Sea Film Fund, MiC, and Regione Lazio. International sales are handled by France TV Distribution.
“We are grateful to MIA for providing one of the project’s first opportunities for international exposure and for helping us strengthen our relationship with Italian producer Cristiano Bortone. It marked the beginning of a journey that allowed the project to grow both artistically and in its connections with festivals and institutions,” the production stated.
A story of memory and music
Set between 1930s Singapore and the present day, the film follows Fei, a violinist shaped by war, friendship, and loss. The story weaves together memory, music, and historical transformation.
“With The Violinist, we set out to bring a deeply Southeast Asian story to the global stage through a universal lens of memory, war, and resilience. The film also reflects the strength of international collaboration across cultures,” said Ervin Han.
For Raúl García, the project represents a meeting point between different cultural perspectives: “The film emerges from a dialogue between East and West and from a shared vision of animation as a medium capable of telling universal stories.”
Producer Cristiano Bortone also highlighted the project’s journey: “The Violinist is a timeless love story that reminds us how war destroys lives and dreams. After two years of intense work, its selection at Annecy offers the opportunity to reach a global audience.”
MIA projects at Annecy
The selection at Annecy confirms the project’s international trajectory and highlights the role of co-production markets in the development of globally oriented animated works.
At the same edition, the short film Motherhood has also been selected. The project was previously presented at MIA in 2023 within the animation co-production market as a TV special and was later developed into a short film.
