For those in the know, a new animated feature from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon is just as momentous an occasion as the latest from other, more well-known outposts like Pixar or LAIKA or Aardman or Studio Ghibli. This is, after all, the studio that gave us such treasures as “Wolfwalkers” and “Song of the Sea,” among others.
The studio’s latest, “Julián” (a co-production with Mélusine Productions, Aircraft Pictures and Sun Creature Studio) marks the feature directorial debut of Louise Bagnall, the creative director of Cartoon Saloon. She began as a character designer on 2017’s “The Breadwinner” and by 2019 had written and directed her own short, “Late Afternoon,” which was nominated for an Oscar.
Bagnall told Jada Yuan at TheWrap’s studio at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival that she was immediately enchanted by Jessica Love’s 2018 children’s book “Julián Is a Mermaid” about a young boy who wants to become a mermaid and participate in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
“I was just captivated by the illustrations and the characters, but especially by the the story at the heart of it. It’s a beautifully told story, doesn’t dictate to the reader, and it has this really joyful tone to it,” said Bagnall. “And I felt like there were themes in there that really could be explored deeper in a feature film. It was a great start.”
The TIFF synopsis reads: “While his father is away for work, seven-year-old Julián goes to stay with his Dominican grandmother in Brooklyn. Their time together begins sweetly, if a little awkwardly, but the neighborhood soon opens itself to him as a place of imagination, new friendships, and discovery. Immersed in the sights, sounds, and traditions of the borough’s Caribbean community, Julián develops a deeper connection to his family’s roots.”
“It’s really a film about self-expression and the journey to understanding ourselves better, and that goes for Julián, and also goes for Abuela within the film, and I think the connection between the two of those characters is really at the heart of it all,” said Bagnall.
Much of the cultural authenticity of the film comes from “Julián’s” screenwriter Juliany Taveras, according to Bagnall.
“They really brought so much insight into that particular topic, but also a lot of conversations between myself, Juliany, and my co-director Guillaume Lorin as well, and we really started to be able to open up those topics within the film, and speak about them from a place that felt real and felt personable,” explained Bagnall. “But also when we were able to cast for the film, we got some fantastic actors such as Milcania, who connect to that heritage as well, so it’s layered in from the beginning, I think, and that was important. And listening to people like Juliany and their lived experience was important too.”
While “Julián” does not have domestic distribution yet, Gebeka Films is distributing in France, Elevation Pictures is handling in Canada, Elysian Films in the United Kingdom, and Wildcard Distribution in Ireland.
