Singapore has just scored one of its biggest victories in animation, and it all began with a story about friendship, music and memory. At this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, often described as the “Cannes of Animation,” The Violinist made history by becoming the first Singapore-led animated feature to win the festival’s highest honour, the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film. The film also picked up the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack, cementing its place as one of the year’s standout animated productions.

For Singapore’s creative industry, it’s proof that stories rooted in Southeast Asia can resonate with audiences around the world. And while The Violinist is an international co-production between Singapore, Spain and Italy, its heart remains unmistakably Singaporean.

Co-directed by Singapore filmmaker Ervin Han and Spanish animation veteran Raul Garcia, the film follows two childhood friends whose lives are forever changed by war. Spanning Singapore and Malaya from the early 20th century through the Japanese Occupation, the story explores love, loss, resilience and hope through the universal language of music.

Rather than relying on spectacle, The Violinist tells an intimate, deeply emotional story that reflects the region’s shared history while speaking to audiences everywhere. As its title suggests, music is more than just a soundtrack, and scores the emotional pulse of the film.

The award-winning score was composed by Singapore’s Golden Horse Award-winning composer Ricky Ho alongside Spanish composer Isabel Latorre, while Singaporean violinist Joy Yong performs the film’s soaring violin solos. Their collaboration earned the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack, recognising how music carries the film’s themes of remembrance, separation and resilience.

For director Ervin Han, The Violinist represents more than a decade of work. The feature marks his directorial debut after years of building Robot Playground Media into one of Singapore’s leading animation studios. Over that time, the team developed an ambitious international production pipeline involving artists and studios across Singapore, Spain, Italy and beyond.

The result is one of the most ambitious animated films ever led by a Singapore studio, one that demonstrates the country’s growing ability to produce premium animation on a global scale.

Within the animation industry, there are few accolades as prestigious as the Annecy Cristal Award. Past winners have gone on to receive Academy Award recognition, making Annecy an important launchpad for international success. Winning the Cristal immediately places The Violinist in the global awards conversation and significantly raises its international profile.

Behind the success of The Violinist is years of international collaboration between artists, producers and public institutions across Singapore, Spain and Italy, including support from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

For audiences at home, however, the film’s achievement is about something even bigger. It represents a new chapter for Singapore storytelling—one where locally created stories can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best, without losing sight of the history, culture and emotional truths that make them uniquely our own.

Says Ervin Han, Co-Director and Co-Writer of The Violinist: “To receive the Cristal at Annecy is beyond anything we imagined when we first began this journey. This honour belongs to the extraordinary artists, animators, musicians and filmmakers across Singapore, Spain, Italy and many other countries who gave so much of themselves to this film. We hope this recognition not only celebrates The Violinist, but also encourages more stories from Singapore and Southeast Asia to find audiences around the world.”

Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive at Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), said, “Congratulations to Ervin and the entire team behind The Violinist. This historic win at Annecy validates IMDA’s commitment to developing world-class talent and creating stories that resonate with global audiences. We are proud of what this win represents – the strength of Singapore’s talent, stories, and identity on the world stage.”

Justin Deimen, Executive Producer of The Violinist, said: “The Violinist is a proud global co-production, and this achievement reflects years of collaboration across countries, cultures, and creative disciplines. Above all, we hope Singaporean audiences embrace this story as one that honours our shared history and reflects the resilience, diversity, and spirit that continue to shape Singapore today.”

As The Violinist prepares for its international release, its Annecy triumph is not simply a win for one film. It’s a landmark moment that signals Singapore animation has truly arrived on the global stage.

The Violinist will be released in Singapore in September 2026. Find out more on Robot Playground’s website