The Violinist Wins Cristal Award and Best Original Soundtrack at Annecy, Marking Historic First for Singapore Animation

The Violinist, a Singapore-led animated feature and official Singapore-Spain-Italy co-production, has won the Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, to achieve the festival’s highest honour and one of the most prestigious accolades in animation.  The film also received the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack in a Feature Film, further recognising the strength of its music and storytelling on the international stage. According to the official website, more than 4,000 entries across all categories, including Feature Films, Short Films, Immersive Works and many more were received for the competition.

Directed by Singaporean Ervin Han and Spanish animation veteran Raul Garcia, with support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA), The Violinist’s double win marks a historic first for a Singapore-produced animated feature at Annecy and represents a landmark moment for Southeast Asian animated cinema on the global stage, underscoring the region’s growing ability to originate ambitious, internationally competitive animated features across both visual storytelling and original music.

Ervin Han, Co-Director and Co-Writer of The Violinist, said, “To receive the Cristal at Annecy is beyond anything we imagined when we first began this journey. This honour belongs to the extraordinary artists, animators, musicians and filmmakers across Singapore, Spain, Italy and many other countries who gave so much of themselves to this film. We hope this recognition not only celebrates The Violinist, but also encourages more stories from Singapore and Southeast Asia to find audiences around the world.” 

Widely regarded as the “Cannes of Animation”, the Annecy Film Festival 2026 is considered the highest international platform for animated filmmaking. The Cristal Award has historically recognised films that go on to achieve international critical and commercial success, while the SACEM Award honours excellence in original music composition for feature animation.

Winning the Cristal places The Violinist firmly in the global awards conversation. As the highest honour at the world’s leading animation festival, the award has become a powerful launchpad for films that go on to receive Academy Award recognition for Best Animated Feature Film, such as Arco (2025), which received its Academy Award nomination for the 98th Oscars, and Flow (2024), which was nominated and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 97th Oscars edition. For Singapore animation, the victory marks a historic milestone and significantly strengthens the film’s profile as it begins its international awards campaign.

The film’s success has also extended beyond winning the top prize. Music forms the emotional backbone of The Violinist, with an original score by Golden Horse Award-winning Singaporean composer Ricky Ho, in collaboration with Spanish composer Isabel Latorre, and lead violin performances by Singaporean violinist Joy Yong. The SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack in a Feature Film recognises how the score anchors the film’s themes of love, memory, separation and resilience.

Justin Deimen, Executive Producer of The Violinist, said: “The Violinist is a proud global co-production, and this achievement reflects years of collaboration across countries, cultures, and creative disciplines. Above all, we hope Singaporean audiences embrace this story as one that honours our shared history and reflects the resilience, diversity, and spirit that continue to shape Singapore today.”

The Violinist spans Singapore and Malaya across the early 20th century through the Japanese Occupation, following two childhood friends bound by music whose lives are reshaped by war, displacement, and time. Blending intimate human drama with sweeping historical scope, the film explores memory, loss and resilience through the language of love and music, bringing a deeply Southeast Asian story to an international audience.

Produced by Robot Playground Media, the film is an official co-production with Spain’s TV ON Producciones and Italy’s Altri Occhi, with worldwide sales handled by France tv distribution. The project brings together creative and production teams across Singapore, Spain, Italy and other countries, reflecting years of international collaboration and long-term creative ambition. The film is expected to roll out internationally following its Annecy premiere.

The film received support from public institutions and broadcaster participation across all three co-producing nations, including the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, Spain’s Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), Valencian Institute of Culture (IVC), Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE), ÀPUNT MEDIA, Afin SGR, along with Italy’s Ministry of Culture, Regione Lazio, and the Red Sea Film Fund.

Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive at Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), said, "Congratulations to Ervin and the entire team behind The Violinist. This historic win at Annecy validates IMDA's commitment to developing world-class talent and creating stories that resonate with global audiences. We are proud of what this win represents – the strength of Singapore’s talent, stories, and identity on the world stage.”