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The Violinist, an animated film set in Singapore and parts of Malaya across the 20th century, has been selected for the official competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.<\/p>\n
Often described as the \u201cCannes of animation\u201d, the Annecy festival, first held in 1960, is one of the industry\u2019s most prestigious events, bringing together filmmakers, studios and audiences from around the world annually each June in France.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The selection of The Violinist marks the first time a Singapore-produced animated feature has been included in Annecy\u2019s main competition in the festival\u2019s 65-year history.<\/p>\n
Set during colonial Singapore and other parts of Malaya and spanning the Japanese occupation to post-war years, The Violinist follows the life of Fei, a young, musically talented Peranakan girl, as she grows and matures into an accomplished concert performer who spends years searching for her long-lost childhood friend, Kai, a fellow violinist who disappeared after joining the resistance during the war.<\/span><\/p>\n The film explores themes of friendship, loss and resilience, with music as a central narrative thread.<\/p>\n It is co-directed by Singaporean filmmaker and animator Ervin Han and Spanish animator Raul Garc\u00eda, known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios on classic films such as Aladdin and The Lion King.<\/p>\n Voicing the characters are Singapore heavyweight Tan Kheng Hua as the older Fei and rising star Fang Rong as the younger Fei, as well as actors Adrian Pang and Ayden Sng.<\/span><\/p>\n The film, supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, is produced by Singapore\u2019s Robot Playground Media, co-founded by Han, in collaboration with Spain\u2019s TV ON Producciones and Italy\u2019s Altri Occhi.<\/p>\n The wider team includes Singaporean composer and conductor Ricky Ho, known for his work on films such as A Chinese Ghost Story and 12 Lotus; violinist Joy Yong, a classically-trained musician and dancer who serves as the film\u2019s lead violinist; and producer Leonard Lai, who has worked on local films Ah Boys To Men and Long Long Time Ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n