If you grew up on Disney movies, you already know Andreas Deja’s work, even if you don’t know his name. Over three decades at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Deja brought some of the studio’s most memorable characters to life, including Scar in The Lion King, Jafar in Aladdin and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Last month, his own short film, Mushka, took home Best Animation at the 15th annual San Jose International Short Film Festival.
Mushka
Directed by Andreas Deja · Best Animation, 2023
Mushka is Deja’s directorial debut: the emotional, exciting story of a young girl named Sarah and her unlikely friendship with a tiger cub. Every frame is hand-drawn, in the classic style Deja helped define, and the film’s end-credit song, “Mushka’s Lullaby,” was written by legendary Disney songwriter Richard M. Sherman, with an orchestral score by composer Fabrizio Mancinelli. Watch the official trailer below.
Stills from Mushka.
Where It Started
Deja spent years developing Mushka as a personal project, and he shared an early look at the film’s pencil animation long before it was finished. It’s a lovely peek at the drawings underneath the final color.
Pencil animation from an early Mushka teaser.
More Award-Winning Animation
Animation is one of the most popular programs at SJSFF every year. See Mushka alongside all of this year’s winners in our 2023 winners announcement and on our 2023 winners page, and explore animated winners from past festivals on our Awards page.
