Violette is a thoroughly modern orphan. Her parents were murdered in a terrorist
attack. The film never mentions who the perpetrators were. Maybe it was radical
Unitarians. Regardless, Violette is now a ward of the state, but she will live
with her Uncle Regis, as per her mother’s wish. He resides in one France’s
stateliest homes: Versailles. Technically, he lives in cabin on the grounds,
but she will largely have the run of the palace. She warms to it. She might
just warm to him too in Clemence Madeleine-Perdrillat & Nathaniel H’limi’s
animated feature, My Life in Versailles, the audience spotlight
selection of the 2026 New York International Film Festival.
Violette’s
parents were not on good terms with Regis, so she is definitely surprised to
find herself entrusted to his care. He also smells like cleanser. Regis works
as a custodian and maintenance man at Versailles, which his family looks down
on. He knows nothing about parenting, but Violette would be tricky for anyone to
handle, given her understandable baggage. Not so shockingly, she frequently runs
away from home, back to her old flat in Paris. Yet, she eventually finds
herself trying to convince the busybody social worker to allow her to stay.
Regis’s
co-worker Olga also looks out for Violette. Even the ghost of Louis X1V isn’t
so bad once she gets to know him. However, she still has a lot of grieving and
healing to do. She also starts to understand Regis has a lot to work through,
as well. In fact, she eventually understands him better than her parents or
grandparents ever did.
Madeleine-Perdrillat’s
screenplay is episodic but gently endearing. It also fully capitalizes on the
romantic Versailles setting, exploring the palace’s secret passages and
underground tunnels. The animation deliberately evokes the style of children’s
book illustrations, but many of the richly detailed Versailles interiors are
truly eye-popping.
WHOEVER STEALS THIS BOOK (screening at NYICFF'26) promotes literacy in a roundabout, counterintuitive way. However, it also has manuy of the staples anime fans love (including shapeshifting, magical libraries, and a plucky young heroine) in an endearing, bittersweet genre-hopping fantasy. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.
MY GRANDFATHER IS A NIHONJIN illuminates the Japnese-Brazilian immigrant experience through its charming hand-drawn animation and vibrant tropical colors. It incorporates very real history in an easily relatable family story. CINEMA DAILY US NYICFF '26 review up here.
Who needs a brain, if you’ve already found the one? Harry O’Hay and Betty O’Barley are
perfect for each other, but he could lose her, because he is a little slow—in more
ways than one. Hopefully the titular ceremony still happens in Samantha Cutler
& Jeroen Jaspaert’s animated short, The Scarecrows’ Wedding, the
latest BBC & Magic Light Pictures adaptation of a Julia Donaldson children’s
book, which screens as part of the Shorts for Tots block at the 2026 New York International Children’s Film Festival.
It used
to just be O’Barley in the field, but it attracted more crows than she could
shoo, so the farmer added O’Hay. They immediately make a good team. Soon, they also
discovered they make a good couple. Despite his shyness, O’Hay proposes and she
accepts. Of course, even in a field, a wedding requires a lot of preparation,
but unfortunately, O’Hay mistakenly accepts help from some of the lowest animals
in the local ecosystem.
His
long absence starts to alarm O’Barley, especially when the farmer replaces him
with Reginald Rake, a smarmy ladies’ man scarecrow. O’Barley can tell he is bad
news, but he keeps hitting on her, in less and less charming ways.
Rob
Brydon has been a mainstay of the Magic Light Pictures Donaldson adaptations.
In this case, he sounds hilariously sleazy as Rake. He gives this short film the
infusion of personality its lead voices, the blandly vanilla Jessie Buckley and
Domhnall Gleason can’t supply.
