Monsters are having a moment, and this lot comes with music, mystery and a big heart. Latido Films is taking Mu-Ki-Ra, a vibrant 2D animated feature, to Locarno Kids next month, giving the Colombian-Spanish co-production its latest international outing.
The 85-minute feature will be introduced to buyers and festival audiences at the family-focused sidebar of the Locarno Film Festival after being selected for the Annecy Animation Showcase at the Cannes Marché du Film in 2024.
Directed by Colombian actor, writer and director Estefania Piñeres Duque, known for Netflix’s Delirio and the award-winning animated short Color-ido, Mu-Ki-Ra is produced by Colombia’s Letrario and Spain’s Ábano Producións.
The production is led by Ábano Producións founder and producer Chelo Loureiro, a five-time Goya winner whose credits include Valentina, Sultana’s Dream, Decorado and Unicorn Wars. Loureiro is joined by Letrario producer Alejandro Zapata.
The story centres on 13-year-old Cleo, whose younger brother Martín is abducted by a mysterious monster made of vegetation. Determined to bring him home, Cleo embarks on a perilous journey through the jungle with the help of Iolo, a magical old woman, and an unlikely travelling companion, an irrepressible anteater.
As the adventure unfolds, Cleo discovers that the creatures lurking beneath giant fur coats are not quite what they seem. The film swaps scares for surprises, blending folklore, humour and music into a coming-of-age tale where the biggest monsters may be misunderstood.
Fresh from Cannes and now bound for Locarno, Mu-Ki-Ra is looking to prove that the road to friendship sometimes winds through the wildest jungles, and that every monster has a story waiting to be told.
