Ventana Sur‘s Animation! WIPs by Annecy, curated by the prestigious French festival, has unveiled the five features set to participate in its 2024 edition, coming later this month.
Titles selected for this year’s Montevideo-set get-together come from across Latin America and feature co-producers from Europe and North America. Countries with producers involved in this year’s lineup include Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Canada, France and the U.S.
According to the selection’s organizers, “This year’s selection brings together proposals that stand out for their narrative and technical diversity, confirming the moment of growth that the region’s animation industry is experiencing.”
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Below, we take a closer look at the diverse and promising slate of feature titles that will be presented at this year’s Animation! WIPs by Annecy.
Popular on Variety
“Heart of Darkness” Rogério Nunes (Brazil, France)
Based on the classic 19th-century novel but set in modern-day Brazil, this 2D feature follows Marlon, a police officer assigned to find Captain Kurtz, a legendary fellow officer who went missing under mysterious and dangerous circumstances. To find the AWOL officer, Marlon must take a boat on a treacherous journey through the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
“This production delves into the moral conflict and spiritual struggles of Rio’s outskirts, juxtaposing the iconic beauty of the city with the harsh realities faced by its inhabitants,” says director Rogério Nunes, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sérgio Nesteriuk and Vini Wolf.
Production is being handled by Karmatique Imagens and Split Filmes in Brazil and Special Touch in France and is currently in its final stages, with a release planned for the first half of 2025. Around for several years now, this is one of Latin America’s buzziest upcoming animated features and has been backed by support from Rio Content Market Lab, Annecy Goes to Cannes, PROAC-SP, Ancine and Rio Filme.
“The Last Wave” Karen Viajera (Mexico, Canada, U.S.)
Probably the wildest of this year’s participants, “The Last Wave” follows two teenagers, a senior fish and an avocado, on an otherworldly road trip down the Mexican coast as they attempt to find new lives for themselves. Followed by their families and a group of dangerous gang members, the ragtag group finds itself mixed up in all kinds of wild situations in an unconventional journey of self-discovery.
“‘The Last Wave’ is a film about doubting our own decisions and still embracing change, even when it seems overwhelming,” says director Karen Viajera. “Our greatest desire is to share with the audiences the film’s mantra: it’s okay to have no idea.”
A three-country co-production between Gasolina Studios (Mexico/Canada), Benuca Films (Mexico) and Womo Studio (U.S.), this vibrant project has been a hit at several markets and festivals around the world over the past two years and picked up project financing from the Imcine Scriptwriting Fund, Imcine Film Production Fund and the State of Jalisco Seed Capital Risk Fund. Delivery is expected in late 2026.
“Spark Jet & the Mechas” Milton Guerrero (Peru)
Currently in pre-production at Red Animation Studios in Peru, this 2D feature is the story of Spark Jet, a brash and talented young Beagle who dreams of competing on a premiere Mecha Racing team. After finally gaining entrance into the big leagues, the would-be pilot sniffs out an evil plot to control the intelligent machines they use to race and must follow his nose to uncover secrets about Mechas’ origins and his own family history.
“This film is based on our mutual childhood passions for Formula One car racing and all-animal worlds,” says director Milton Guerrero. “We want to bring the excitement of a ‘need for speed’ to kids while also portraying the emotional impact of ‘pets’ —our Mechas— being mishandled by bad actors.”
Red Animation in Peru is producing, having previously worked on several “Angry Birds” shorts and teaming with animation giant Moonbug on the “Little Angels” preschool show.
“Mu-Ki-Ra” Estefania Piñeres (Colombia)
Colombian producer Letrario and Spain’s Abano Producións are behind this breathtaking 2D feature, which turned heads at the Marché du Film’s Animation Day earlier this year. Creator, screenwriter and director Estefanía Piñeres Duque, who co-wrote with María Barro Guntín, says the film’s vibrant and energetic aesthetic was inspired by the work of artists Brecht Evens as well as the techniques of the indigenous Emberá and Kuna peoples.
“I think that we have worked really hard at finding our own voice, both in images and sound,” says filmmaker Estefania Piñeres. “As a team, we have committed to create a visually powerful universe that reveals aspects of what the movie is trying to say.”
“Mu-Ki-Ra” takes place in a land haunted by monsters made of vegetation. There, Cleo, a 13-year-old girl, will face a horrible nightmare when her younger brother Martín is devoured by one of the native beasts. With the help of a magical old woman, Cleo attempts to track down Mukira, the monster who took her brother, and bring the boy home.
“Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope” Beñat Beitia, Elio Quiroga (Spain, Chile, Argentina)
Another hugely anticipated project, “Winnipeg” has been a hot property since 2020, when it was selected by the Ibero-American Animation La Liga program at Annecy. Spain’s Dibulitoon Studio, Dibulitoon AIE and La Balleta, Chile’s El Otro Film and Argentina’s Malabar TV are teaming to produce the trans-Atlantic film.
“The true drama of the Winnipeg is a story as universal as it is exemplary, full of the best that human beings can give to others; thousands of desperate refugees crowded on the borders of old Europ, a story is more significant than ever,” director Elio Quiroga tells Variety.
Mixing 2D and CG techniques, the historical drama tells the story of Victor, a widowed father who left Barcelona in 1939 with his daughter Julia. If the two try to cross the border into France, concentration camps and hardships await them. But there is a chance to escape aboard the Winnipeg, a ship that the legendary Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the Quakers in Paris have chartered to take more than 2,000 people safely to a new destination: Valparaíso, Chile, where a new life is possible.
