A Czech animated feature still years away from release has secured a major international partner, signaling growing interest in the country’s expanding animation sector. Acorn’s Adventure (Kaštánci), the upcoming debut feature from Czech animator Filip Mašek, has been acquired for worldwide sales by French animation company Dandelooo ahead of its planned 2029 release.
The Czech-German co-production is led by Prague-based production company Pure Shore, with German studio Fabian&Fred attached as co-producer. The acquisition was announced during the Cannes Film Festival and follows the project’s recent momentum on the European animation circuit, including winning the Eurimages Co-production Development Award at Cartoon Movie earlier this year.
Directed and written by Mašek, Acorn’s Adventure combines CG animation with a story rooted in childhood imagination and Czech forest landscapes. The film is currently in development and is expected to be presented at Cartoon Movie’s CMC showcase in July.
Czech-inspired story finds international backing
According to producers, the project originated from Mašek’s experiences working with children as a former Boy Scout leader. The filmmaker developed the story after observing how children invent elaborate worlds using acorns, sticks, and objects found in nature.
Set in the fictional forest village of Resinland, the film follows Quido, a boy made of acorns who struggles to discover his purpose in a tightly ordered community. When the village’s resin supply is threatened by mysterious thieves, Quido claims to be a hero and embarks on a rescue mission despite having little idea what heroism actually means.
The filmmakers have described the project as a story about identity, belonging, and self-acceptance. Workshops involving children from several countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, and the Netherlands, reportedly helped shape both the characters and the fictional world.
Producer Kristina Husová said the filmmakers intentionally retained a distinctly Czech identity for the feature, despite its international co-production structure. She noted that Czech audiences would recognize local forests and landscapes reflected in the film’s visual design.
The project has received backing from the Czech Audiovisual Fund alongside support from Creative Europe MEDIA and Germany’s MOIN Film Fund. Husová is producing through Pure Shore, while German producer Fabian Driehorst joined the project in 2024 through Fabian&Fred.
Dandelooo’s involvement gives the film an experienced international sales partner with a strong presence in family and children’s animation. The French company has previously handled award-winning European animated projects and television content aimed at younger audiences.
European animation partnerships remain essential
The announcement also highlighted broader challenges facing independent animation producers in Europe, particularly in Germany. Fabian&Fred co-founder Fabian Driehorst used the occasion to criticize the limited support available for animated filmmaking from German broadcasters.
Driehorst argued that while Germany offers strong institutional backing for live-action film and documentary production, comparable opportunities for animation remain scarce. He said many animated projects increasingly depend on complex multinational co-productions to secure financing and distribution.
That international approach is reflected across Fabian&Fred’s current slate. Alongside Acorn’s Adventure, the company is producing several animated projects scheduled for release over the coming years, including Signe Baumane’s feature Karmic Knot and Raman Djafari’s short film Throwing Sticks at the Sun.
Djafari is known internationally for directing animated music videos including Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart” and Coldplay’s “Feelslikeimfallinginlove.” His upcoming short marks his first narrative fiction project.
For the Czech animation sector, the international attention surrounding Acorn’s Adventure continues a broader trend of cross-border collaboration and increasing visibility at European industry events. Czech animation has long maintained a strong artistic reputation, particularly in stop-motion and auteur-driven projects, though large-scale CG family features remain comparatively rare.
With global sales now secured several years ahead of release, Acorn’s Adventure appears positioned to become one of the Czech Republic’s most internationally visible animated productions in development.
