"We wanted to bring a different, ungraspable character that differs from all the other represen

Festigious' Best Picture winner Anacronte started as a dream, or a fantasy. Raul Koler (co-writer & co-director) was walking on a beach in the south of Bahia, Brazil, when he began to feel some weird, full of color sensations. A few years later, he teamed up with Sabrina Pace (co-writer) and Emiliano Sette (co-director), and together they created this fabulous piece about evil in a way that hasn't been seen before on screen.

Last month, Anacronte won Best Picture at Festigious, and was described as "an incredible visual experience that will take your breath away".

We asked the creators, Raul Koler and Emiliano Sette, to join us for an interview.

Raul and Emiliano, congratulations on winning Best Picture! Anacronte is such a fascinating visual celebration. Simply breathtaking! Before we discuss it, let’s talk about your background. How did each of you get into the animation world?

Raúl: Before writing the bases of what would eventually become a film script, in order to disseminate this work I went through other possible media, a fantastic novel, a gigantic painting that contained the scenes.

The time passed until, from the casual meeting with a filmmaker friend, I began to dream with the idea of an animated short film, always based on a hyper realistic design.

Emiliano: I entered the world of animation as a scriptwriter of children's TV series, I worked for several years with products that reached channels such as Disney, Discovery kids, Netflix, among others. From there, I started working for several animation production companies as scriptwriter and Director of the animated series that we developed. A couple of years later we created Mr bug along with my partner Alejandro Dajil, where we developed content for film and television in all its forms.

How did you meet each other, and how did you meet Alejandro? Is this your first collaboration?

Emiliano: A friend in common pushed the domino, Raúl had told her a story with

cinematic power and immediately gathered us. When you listen to the story told by Raúl, you have no choice, you are bewitched. We started working on the story while we called the team together. Yes, it is our first collaboration, I would say impeccable!

Tell us about Anacronte. How did it all start?

Raúl: Several years ago, on a sunny afternoon, I was walking on a beach in the south of Bahia, Brazil, when I began to feel sensations full of color. Little by little the scattered images took on meaning until they became an intangible but strictly precise work.

In order to preserve even the smallest details, I ran back to where a group of friends were talking, and I told them, meticulously, what I had experienced so accurately.

"You drank so much beer” they said amidst laughter. That scene accompanied the details of what would be the basis of this short film.

Can you take us through the process, from start to finish, and how long did each stage take? How did you recruit the team?

Emiliano: We started the development in Mr bug, Raúl wrote the script with Sabrina Pace and then we developed the storyboard with Franco Guzzo. We allied with Celeste studios and Exodo animation studios (Guadalajara-Mexico) because of the challenging project.

Nelson Luty and his art team revealed Anacronte's look and we came face to face with him.

Andres Goldstein and Daniel Tarrab created the soundtrack that finished installing the emotions of each scene.

It was a process of almost three years, a lot of learning, a lot of effort.

If you don’t mind sharing, what was the budget for the project, and how did you raise it?

Raúl: Like most of these ventures, the final amount doubled the most optimistic forecasts. But how to cut scenes or definitions in the middle of a search for the greatest perfection? Without external impositions, it was not necessary to adapt the project to its financing, but quite the opposite.

What was the most challenging thing you encountered during the making of Anacronte?

Raúl: The permanent requirement of the characters and the scenarios, to differentiate themselves from the classic cliche of the model. So both Anacronte and the other sorcerers of evil, lack all kinds of feelings, evil, revenge, fear. In the midst of the characteristical nature of scenes, with an apparent disdain, without hesitating they fulfill their fate, at night or in the light of the sun, to transmit each one their evil.

Emiliano: Engaging a story with an emotional premise that touches us all personally.

For us, Anacronte represents all those evils that we faced and will face until the last of our days. The process undoubtedly had its technical setbacks, but a great team in charge of Ezequiel Greck showed off in every occasion.

Were there any creative disagreements and if so, how did you resolve them?

Emiliano: A long process with a great commitment of all of us, always brings discussions about personal desires. But the direction that Raúl marked in the story was very clear and we created a very valuable synergy so that the project reaches here. We trust each other very much.

What message were you hoping to convey with the Anacronte?

Raúl: Perhaps to name something unnamed until today, a different intangible, ungraspable, that differs from all the other representatives of evil, which, with prizes and punishments, honor each divinity.

In Anacronte, evil is present in each moment but succumbing or surviving it is a

decision and possibility that depend on everyone of us.

The sound design and score blend perfectly together and create a terrific experience for the viewers. How did you go about creating these? Was there a collaboration between the sound and music departments?

Raúl: Of course, a permanent interaction between the direction and the excellent musicians, facilitated the creation of a sound adapted millimetrically to each scene.

Emiliano: Daniel Tarrab and Andrés Goldstein are referents of the industry, sensitivity and craft made every encounter in the studio an intense battle in which we all won.

What is behind the brilliant choice of placing Mozart’s Lacrimosa in the film?

Raúl: Lover of classical music, I always felt the sensation that Mozart offered us, not only the possibility of enjoying his music, but the opportunity to participate with him by musicalizing these scenes.

Nothing more emotional than, from his hand, we have adapted his symphony to the

deceased saints, to represent all human pain.

Is there anyone you wish to thank?

Emiliano: To Pilar Estévez for pushing the domino that connected me with Raúl and fundamentally to Raúl Koler for trusting and sharing his revealing gaze of worlds.

What’s next for you and what are you currently working on?

Emiliano: As storytellers we keep writing and writing. Several TV series are on

the way, but our heart is with movies. We hope soon to be premiering a new short and why not the Anacronte movie!