Netflix has acquired Mexico’s first stop-motion feature I Am Frankelda (Soy Frankelda), from brother filmmakers Arturo and Roy Ambriz, slating the film for release worldwide later this year.
Protégés of Guillermo del Toro, whose Netflix stop-motion animation Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won the Oscar for Best Animation in 2024, the Ambriz brothers’ film is set in 19th-century Mexico and tells the story of Frankelda, a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed. Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her. But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life.
Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, Frankelda must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse. Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse. To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller—before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation.
The Ambriz brothers developed the project through their Mexico City-based studio, Cinema Fantasma, and wrote, directed and produced it themselves. Described by Del Toro as “a landmark in Mexican Stop-Motion animation and a true triumph of vision, tenacity and love for the craft,” the film is set to compete for Best Independent Feature at the 53rd Annie Awards, which are set to take place this Saturday, February 21.
English (US) ·