The Indo-French animated function “Heirloom” has formalized its French co-production with Paris-based Condor Movies and secured the CNC‘s Aide aux Cinémas du Monde grant. The interval household fantasy marks the debut function of Upamanyu Bhattacharyya.
Bhattacharyya beforehand gained the Metropolis of Annecy Award in 2020 for his brief “Wade.”
Set in Ahmedabad in 1960, “Heirloom” centres on Kirti, a younger businessman dedicated to preserving handloom traditions, and his spouse Sonal, who’s slowly dying of a hereditary illness and urges the household to pivot to the powerloom business to safe their future. The couple’s battle sharpens after they uncover a tapestry that maps their total household historical past, forcing a reckoning between progress and the pull of the previous. The movie is animated utilizing uncooked, hand-drawn 2D strategies mixed with stop-motion embroidery.
The movie is produced by Odd & Even and Otter Studios alongside Condor Movies and the Nationwide Movie Growth Company of India (NFDC). Condor Movies, the manufacturing arm of arthouse distributor Condor Distribution, serves because the French artistic and financing companion. Extra co-producers are Tarun Lakshminarayanan, Sanyukta Srinivasan, and Bangalore-based promoting company Proficient.
“Securing the Aide au Cinéma du Monde grant is a powerful endorsement of Upamanyu’s vision and of a film six years in the making,” stated Arya A. Menon and Shubham Karna of Odd & Even. “Our partnership with Condor Films brings together two countries and two of cinema’s richest filmmaking traditions, exactly the kind of bold, borderless storytelling ‘Heirloom’ was always meant to be. We can’t wait to share what we create together.”
“We’re really excited to be able to partner with Condor, and to be able to help continue their exceptional run of taking unique South Asian projects to the world,” added Bhattacharyya. “The Cinema Du Monde grant was something for us to aspire towards for a long time, and we’re now very eager to pursue an enriching collaboration with France thanks to it. We’re very grateful to the commission for their consideration!”
“Rarely do you encounter an animated project that feels so distinctive in both its storytelling and its craft,” stated Condor Movies’ Alexis Mas and Martin Jérome. “‘Heirloom’ immediately resonated with us through its rich emotional core and extraordinary visual ambition. We are delighted to accompany the film creatively and financially, and to embark on this collaboration with such a talented team.”
The undertaking has an extended improvement path by way of the worldwide co-production circuit. It was developed on the Annecy Residency in 2021 and pitched at MIFA Options Pitches the identical yr, with backing from the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Département de la Haute-Savoie. It appeared at Cannes 2023 by way of Cannes Animation Day and the Annecy Goes To Cannes showcase, in addition to the NFDC-India Movie Bazaar Co-Manufacturing Market. The undertaking gained the WIP Award at HAF (HKIFF) 2024 and was included in HAF Goes To Cannes that yr. In 2025, it was chosen for Annecy Work in Progress and was the only real animated movie on the Venice Hole-Financing Market.
