{"id":517442,"date":"2026-06-25T08:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517442\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T08:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:50:10","slug":"lucija-stojevic-susana-casares-romina-marti-otoole-set-for-annecy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517442\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucija Stojevi\u0107, Susana Casares, Romina Marti O’Toole Set for Annecy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSix emerging female animation directors in Spain, some with a considerable career in cinema such as IDFA Audience Award winner Lucija Stojevi\u0107<\/a> (\u201cLa Chana\u201d), will unveil their latest projects at Annecy June 25 at Women in Animation<\/a> from Spain.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe titles say much about the state of animation \u2013 in Spain and beyond.<\/p>\n

\n\tThree of the five titles are Catalan productions as Catalonia builds as an exciting European animation hub<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe works divide the way the whole international animation industry is going, split between commercial IP and auteur-driven creative work, at least in how they are conceived by their creators.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t(One crossover sweet spot between the two trends is of course original IP. \u201cWe believe \u2018Night Forest\u2019 has strong potential beyond the screen, as it is conceived as a transmedia IP that can grow through community building, publishing, merchandise, events and digital experiences,\u201d says director Natasha Barreto)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAbove all, the five titles are about something, whether power (the attractively mordant \u201cWho Killed Cock Robin\u201d), discrimination (\u201cA Dangerous Journey\u201d), difference (\u201cNight Forest\u201d), motherhood (\u201cThe Journey\u201d) and rural diaspora (\u201cA la fresca\u201d). \u201cThis film is not only Lola\u2019s story; it is the story of countless villages slowly falling silent, and of the people who refuse to fade away with them,\u201d says director-producer Sandra Mor\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

\n\tA closer look at the titles:<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA Dangerous Journey\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDirectors: Lucija Stojevi\u0107, Carla Melo, Iulia Voitova, Laura Gin\u00e8s<\/p>\n

\n\tProducers: Noon Films (Spain), Avec ou Sans Vous (France)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tA first of two projects at Annecy this year from Barcelona\u2019s rated Noon Films, which made the Doctors Without Borders short \u201cLost at Sea,\u201d seen at Annecy in 2023. This transmedia project portrays three children classified as \u201cundesirables,\u201d interned at the Rivesaltes concentration camp in France during World War II. Co-directed by Colombia\u2019s Melo \u201c(\u201cLa Perra\u201d),\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s Voitova (\u201cLongue Distance\u201d) and experimental animator Gin\u00e8s (\u201cSalvaxe, Salvaxe\u201d).<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA la Fresca\u201d (\u201cSitting Out\u201d)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector: Sandra Mor\u00e1n<\/p>\n

\n\tProducer: Sandra Mor\u00e1n<\/p>\n

\n\tLola, in her 80s living alone in a village, summons her deceased friends every full moon to cope with loneliness, until present changes begin to transform her world. As places shift, their bond weakens and breaks, forcing Lola to face the change. A story depicted in unpretentious hand drawn 2D digital animation, about \u201chow loneliness can transform into companionship, humor, and a renewed desire for life,\u201d says Mor\u00e1n.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Journey,\u201d (El viaje\u201d)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector: Susana Casares<\/a>, J\u00falia Francino<\/p>\n

\n\tProducers: Desarrollos Medi\u00e1ticos Internacionales (WKND), Dos Soles Media (Spain); Nu Boyana (Portugal)<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter a period devoted to motherhood, Agus sets off for a long yearned-for trip to Japan with dear friend Loly. \u201cBut buried fears and a hidden secret threaten the journey, turning an exotic adventure into a heartfelt reckoning eased by humor, friendship, and self-forgiveness,\u201d the synopsis says. The 2D pitch based on the graphic novel by Agustina Guerrero is \u201ca warm and engaging narrative, addressing complex subjects such as reproductive choice, unrealized dreams of motherhood, and the existential uncertainty that emerges when life diverges from our expectations,\u201d say Casares and Francino.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cNight Forest\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector: Natasha Barreto<\/p>\n

\n\tProducers: LaMola Studio (Spain), Piragna Animation (Colombia), Artyc Content (Spain)<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the legendary Night Forest, Kai, a lonely deer-fox, Aspen, a healer axolotl, and Onyx, a red panda warrior, must stop a dark energy from consuming their world, unaware that it stems from Kai himself. Break the cycle or repeat his history? A fantastic 2D animated series, mixing cutout and traditional style, about identity and acceptance. The series speaks to a generation that is questioning its identity and searching for belonging. We want to create a world where being different is not something to hide, but something to embrace,\u201d Barreto tells Variety.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWho Killed Cock Robin\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector: Romina Marti O\u2019Toole<\/p>\n

\n\tProducers: Frog Animation and Alhena Production<\/p>\n

\n\tCock Robin is found hanging dead from the balcony of his country house. \u201cWho Killed Cock Robin?\u201d the villagers ask in shock. \u201cI,\u201d Sparrow replies calmly. As the funeral unfolds, however, the village\u2019s dark secrets slowly emerge. From Frog, set up in 2023 by Montse Cap\u00f3n, Mireia Hern\u00e1ndez and Xavi Carmona, and veteran Norbert Llamas at Alhena (\u201cThe Coffee Table\u201d). A potentially shrewd portrait of power dynamics. \u201cEven when the visible face of power disappears, the system that created it will always find a replacement, allowing the cycle to continue,\u201d Marti O\u2019Toole tells Variety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Six emerging female animation directors in Spain, some with a considerable career in cinema such as IDFA Audience…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517443,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[212628,93,61,60,220779,270,220780,220781,66474],"class_list":["post-517442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-annecy-animation-festival","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-lucija-stojeviu0107","tag-movies","tag-romina-marti-ou2019toole","tag-susana-casares","tag-women-in-animation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}