The Violinist, a hand-drawn feature from Singapore, has won the Cristal Award for best film at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The period drama from directors Ervin Han and Raúl García traces the history of Singapore and Malaya, from 1929 to the present, as it follows two childhood friends, both gifted violinists, who lives are torn apart by war and the Japanese occupation.
The film is the first Singaporean feature to play in competition at Annecy. The Violinist was produced by Singapore’s Robot Playground Media, with TV ON Producciones in Spain, and Italy’s Altri Occhi. France tv distribution is handling worldwide sales.
Annecy’s Jury Award, as well as the Audience prize, went to Iron Boy, the debut feature from French animator Louis Clichy, who previously worked on Pixar hits Wall-E and Up.
The film follows Christophe, an 11-year-old boy growing up on a struggling farm in rural France in the 1980s. Making matters worse, Christophe has a spinal condition that requires him to wear a massive metal back brace 24/7, turning him into a pre-teen metal monster. Iron Boy premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar, where it was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics.
