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‘Arco,’ an animated time-travel feature film produced by Natalie Portman, has won the prestigious Cristal Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The film marks the feature debut of French illustrator Ugo Bienvenu and centers on Arco, a 10-year-old boy from the year 2932 who accidentally travels back to 2075. There, he befriends a young girl named Iris, who lives amid environmental devastation. The rest of the story depicts how she helps her friend return home.
Describing the film, Bienvenu said a few words, according to a report in Ikon London Magazine. He said:
“A big hug, a beautiful story to give us a renewed spirit, a breath of fresh air [because] more than ever, I think that we need hope and tenderness.”
Arco debuted as a Special Screenings title in the Official Selection at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025, prior to its screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Continue to read more details about the film.
What else do we know about Natalie Portman’s Arco?
According to a report in Deadline, Arco is produced by Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas at their joint production company, MountainA. They collaborated with Félix de Givry from the Paris-based production company Remembers for this project.
The film features the voices of Portman and others, including Swann Arlaud, Alma Jodorowsky, Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, William Lebghil, and Oxmo Puccino, according to the outlet.
Arco was awarded the best original soundtrack prize during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2025. The prize was given to composer Arnaud Toulon for his work on the animated film, per a report in Variety.
The Feature Jury Award went to Japanese director Yasuhiro Aoki’s ChaO. The story revolves around the coexistence of humans and mermaids. The film is produced by Studio 4°C, while GKIDS holds the North American rights. Additionally, the Paul Grimault Award was presented to Momoko Seto’s Dandelion’s Odyssey.
The Gan Foundation award went to Irene Iborra Rizo’s Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake. It was co-produced by Spain, France, Belgium, Chile, and Switzerland, while the audience award went to the French feature Little Amelie or the Character of Rain.
After directing the short films Maman and L’entretien, Arco is Ugo Bienvenu’s first feature film. According to his bio on his official website, he is a French drawer, director, publisher, and producer.
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His mother was a graphic designer who worked for magazines like Playboy in the 80s and 90s. His father was a diplomat and a doctor in philosophy. Ikon London Magazine reported that Bienvenu studied at some of the top animation schools worldwide, including Estienne, Gobelins Paris, the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, and the Paris School of Decorative Arts.
He has produced around ten comics and directed several videos and short films, including a miniseries for Marvel and Disney.
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