A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dreaded dinner dance being held in her honour. Their plan requires a surprising amount of artistry and violence. The Debutante is based on a short story written by the artist Leonora Carrington, who was presented at the court of King George V and herself became a debutante in 1936. The film is animated with ink and paint on paper, with some collage and cut-out animation, captured under a rostrum camera. I’ve also used rotoscoping to summon up the glamour of the 1930s, which is when the story is set. The film is my tribute to an extraordinary artist, who’s courage, feminism and connection to the natural world are an inspiration to us even now.
The Debutante is produced by Animate Projects, with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery, and with thanks to the Estate of Leonora Carrington.
● Grand Prix, the Golden Pegasus at the 15th International Animated Film Festival ANIMATOR 2022, Poland
● Grand Prize, International Competition Short Film at Bucheon International Animation Festival 2022, South Korea
● Animated Short Jury Award at SXSW 2023, USA
● Melies D’Argent/Silver Melies Award for the Best European Fantastic Short Film at San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival 2022, Spain
● Lab Special Jury Prize at the 45th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France
● Bronze Jabberwocky prize, at Etiuda & Anima 2022, Poland
● Yarnspinner’s Favourite: Special Mention, at Animist Tallinn 2022, Estonia
● Prix Sauvage (Wild-Untamed Award) and the Prix de la Spontanéité (Spontaneity Award) at the Paris International Animation Film Festival 2023, France
● Shortlisted for the Animated Short Film Award at the 95th Academy Awards 2023
- Official Selection, Short Films Competition, Annecy Festival, France, June 2022
- Official Selection, Main competition, 15th International Animated Film Festival Animator, Poland, July 2022
- Official Selection, International Competition, Insomnia International Open-Air Animation Film Festival, Russia, July 2022
- Selected for Panorama Out of Competition, 13th Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosovo, July 2022
- Official Selection, Short Animation, Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico, July 2022
- Official Selection, Animals, Animist Tallinn, Estonia, August 2022
- Official Selection, International Competition, 7th Turku Animated Film Festival, Finland, August 2022
- Official Selection, Competitive Programme, Imaginaria, Italy, August 2022
- Official Selection, Ladies First Programme, Linoleum Animation Festival, Ukraine, September 2022
- Official Selection, Narrative Short Animation Category, Ottawa International Animation Festival, Canada, September 2022
- Official Selection, Sydney Underground Film Festival, Australia, September 2022
- Selected for Viborg Animation Festival, Denmark, September-October 2022
- Official Selection, Best of International Programme, Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway, October 2022
- Official Selection, International Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film, International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – DOK Leipzig, Germany, October 2022
- Official selection, International Competition, Animatou, Switzerland, October 2022
- Official Selection, Competitive Programme, Bolton International Film Festival, United Kingdom, October 2022
- Official Selection, This Is England, France, November 2022
- Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) in South Korea, October 2022
- Official Selection, Paris International Animation Film Festival, France, January 2023
- Official Selection, 16th British Shorts Film Festival, Germany, January 2023
- Official Selection for the Lab Competition, 45th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France, January-February 2023
- Selected for Animated Womxn Programme, Manipulate Festival, United Kingdom, February 2023
- Official Selection for Shorts 3, Animac, Spain, February 2023
- Official Selection for International Competition – Professional Short Films, Anima 2023, Brussels, February 2023
- Official Selection, Animated Shorts, South by Southwest Film and TV Festival, United States, March 2023
- Official Selection, International Competition, Tampere Film Festival, Finland, March 2023
- Official Selection, International Competition, TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES 2023, Austria, March 2023
- Official Selection, Cardiff Animation Festival, United Kingdom, March 2023
- Official Selection, REGARD – Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay, Canada, March-April 2023
- Official Selection, Kaboom Animation Festival, The Netherlands, March-April 2023
- Official Selection, 32nd Aspen Shortsfest, United States, April 2023
- Official Selection, International Competition, 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, Germany, April 2023
- Official Selection, International Competition, 35th Filmfest Dresden, Germany, April 2023
- Official Selection, Grand Competition – Short Film, Animafest Zagreb, Croatia, June 2023
Elizabeth Hobbs 