The puppet breaks its rig. It doesn't hide the wires or the animator's hands. It simply walks away. That single, defiant choice defined Antonin Niclass’s "Into the Forest," which took home the Young Audience Award at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Most stop-motion films spend thousands of dollars in post-production to erase the mechanical reality of the craft. Niclass did the opposite. He left the rigging visible. He let the human hands stay in the frame. By doing so, he turned a technical limitation into a narrative heartbeat.

The Anatomy of a Breakout

Produced by Milos-Films and shot at Hélium Films’ studios in Lausanne, the short follows three handcrafted monkeys trapped in a cold, industrial animation studio. They don't stay trapped. Using nothing but scraps and sheer imagination, they transform their sterile environment into a vibrant, makeshift jungle.

It is a story about creation as an act of emancipation. The monkeys aren't just building a home; they are seizing autonomy from their creators.

Niclass, a graduate of the U.K.’s National Film and Television School, is no stranger to the festival circuit. His previous works, "Do Not Feed the Pigeons" and "Coup de Théâtre," established him as a technical stylist. With "Into the Forest," he pivots toward a younger demographic without sacrificing his signature visual rigor. The film even features a cameo from Oshi, the baby orangutan from Claude Barras’ "Savages," thanks to a collaborative deal with Nadasdy Film.

Why the Soundscape Matters

There is no dialogue. The narrative relies entirely on the monkeys' cries and a shifting electronic score. Composer Fabio Amurri and sound designer Loic Kreyden were tasked with mirroring the monkeys' emotional arc.

They started with mechanical, industrial rhythms to match the cold studio setting. As the monkeys begin to build, the score shifts. It moves toward melodic, natural ambient sounds. It’s a sonic evolution. The music doesn't just accompany the film; it drives the transition from a prison to a sanctuary.

"We realized our story wasn’t set in Borneo," Niclass told Variety. "It was set in a stop-motion studio in Lausanne." That realization led them away from traditional jungle percussion and toward synthesizers. The result is a soundscape that feels both synthetic and organic, mirroring the monkeys themselves.

The Message Behind the Movement

For Niclass, the film serves as a lesson in resourcefulness. He wanted to show children that creativity isn't about having the best tools. It is about using what is at hand.

"Creation is an act of emancipation," Niclass said. The film’s success at Annecy suggests the message resonated. The jury wasn't just rewarding a technical feat; they were rewarding a story about collective survival. The monkeys succeed because they combine their skills. They work together. They build something that is theirs.

Key Takeaways

  • Visible Rigging: By keeping the animation rigs in the final cut, Niclass emphasizes the theme of puppets gaining autonomy from their creators.
  • Electronic Evolution: The score shifts from cold, industrial rhythms to warm, melodic synthesisers to mirror the monkeys' journey toward freedom.
  • Collaborative Craft: The film features a cross-studio collaboration, including a cameo from the orangutan puppet seen in Claude Barras’ "Savages."

What happens next for the project remains to be seen. For now, the film stands as a reminder that the most compelling stories in animation often happen when the characters stop following the script and start building their own world. The industry is watching. They should be.