S'pore film 'The Violinist' set during Japanese occupation to compete at top international animation festival

"The Violinist", an animated film set in Singapore and Malaya across the 20th century, has been selected for the official competition at the Annecy International Film Festival 2026.

According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) press statement, it is the first Singapore-produced animated film to be selected for the prestigious main competition in the festival's 65-year history.

IMDA said: "The festival is widely regarded as the highest honour in international animation and often described as the 'Cannes of Animation'."

The hand-drawn animated feature is directed by Singaporean Ervin Han and Spaniard Raul Garcia, the latter of whom worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios on classics like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King".

Backdrop of Singapore, Malaya, and Japanese occupation

"The Violinist" is rooted in Singapore's history and heritage, following two childhood friends bound by their love for music.

According to Animation Magazine, the film begins in 1930s British colonial Singapore, where two musicians, Fei and Kai, dream of becoming world-class violinists.

As war breaks out in 1941, Kai joins the resistance and disappears after, with Fei refusing to accept his absence.

She devotes herself to becoming a soloist, touring the region in search of Kai.

The characters' lives are shaped by the geopolitical realities of the time, and the story's main themes are love, loss and the power of memory.

"Its story of survival, displacement, and the fragile threads that hold communities together reflects not only Singapore’s own history of resilience, but also the enduring role of music in times of upheaval," IMDA said.

The film's timeline spans decades and generations across the early 20th century, including the Japanese Occupation.

"More than a decade to realise"

The main characters in the film are voiced by local actors and actresses Tan Kheng Hua, Fang Rong, Adrian Pang and Ayden Sng.

The film score is led by Golden Horse Award-winning Singaporean composer Ricky Ho in collaboration with Spanish composer Isabel Latorre.

Lead violin performances were recorded by Singaporean violinist Joy Yong.

Han, the co-writer and co-director, said the project took more than a decade to realise and evolved from a short film made in 2015 for SG50.

Han said: "We’re extremely proud to bring a Singapore story onto this stage, and to see it recognised at this level.”

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International co-production

The film is an international co-production between Singapore, Spain and Italy.

Singapore's IMDA, public institutions and broadcasters from across all three countries are supporting the film's run.

IMDA added that the project is distributed worldwide by France TV Distribution, allowing the film to reach key European and global markets.