Studio 100 Film has acquired worldwide sales rights to Juul, a visually striking CGI feature for young adults and adults from Belgian animation studio Fabrique Fantastique, and will introduce the project to international buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The 90-minute feature blends magical realism with emotionally driven storytelling, exploring themes of loss, resilience and hope. The film is aimed at young adult and adult audiences and reflects the growing scope of animated storytelling beyond the traditional family market.
Directed by Tom Van Gestel and written by An De Gruyter, Juul is produced by Fabrique Fantastique in co-production with M.A.R.K.13 from Germany, Keplerfilm from The Netherlands, Miyagi from Spain and Avalon Films from Ireland. The English-language voice cast features Sir Lenny Henry, while five-time Grammy Award winners Michael League and Bob Lanzetti of Snarky Puppy have contributed to the original score.
Currently in production, Juul is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. Studio 100 Film will handle worldwide sales rights, excluding Belgium, Germany, Spain and The Netherlands.
Studio 100 Film sales and acquisitions senior manager Lorena Booth shared, “Juul represents the kind of ambitious animated storytelling we are increasingly looking to bring to international audiences. Its remarkable visual identity, emotional depth and universal themes demonstrate the creative breadth of animation today. We are excited to present the project to buyers at TIFF and to continue expanding our slate with distinctive, filmmaker-driven productions.”
The film marks another step in Studio 100 Film’s efforts to broaden its editorial vision with animated features aimed at family audiences as well as young adults and adults.
Fabrique Fantastique managing director Tom Van Gestel said, “Juul is an incredibly precious project to me, both as its producer and director. For the past eight years, the development has been treated like a precious diamond carefully cut, shaped and polished into a multifaceted jewel, with every aspect crafted to shine.”
Van Gestel added that Juul tackles a dark and difficult subject while keeping its characters deeply human. At its centre is the story of a young girl who is repeatedly challenged by the world around her but continues to fight for herself.
Set in the 1950s, Juul follows 17-year-old circus acrobat Juul, whose life changes after a tragic accident leaves her in a coma and declared brain-dead. Facing financial ruin, her magician father makes a desperate decision to steal her body from the hospital and present her as a “living puppet” to revive the family’s struggling circus. Juul remains conscious but is trapped inside a body she can no longer control. As her anger and resistance grow, Juul’s body begins to transform into porcelain, becoming a symbol of her rebellion and her fight to reclaim her identity.
The film explores themes of letting go, the bond between a father and daughter, and the right to independence and survival. Through its combination of magic and darker emotional themes, Juul aims to deliver a distinctive visual and cinematic experience for young adult and adult audiences.
