Blab Entertainment
Anna Mantzaris Returns to Short Animation with Stop-Motion Short "Please" - Winner of Animafest Zagrebs Best Short Film, Set for Annecy Screening
When a pandemic‑era Zoom marathon sparked an idea, Anna Mantzaris turned that observation into a stop‑motion short that has already taken the animation world by storm.
The Swedish‑born director, celebrated for the Emmy‑winning Apple short Fuzzy Feelings and the feature‑length Good Intentions, re‑emerges in the short‑film arena with Please. The film, which examines the human craving for affection through a series of loosely connected vignettes, secured the Best Short Film prize at Animafest Zagreb earlier this month and is slated to premiere at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Please is both written and directed by Mantzaris. The narrative unfolds not as a single story but as overlapping scenes that gradually coalesce into a larger emotional arc. In an interview with Creative Boom, the filmmaker explained that the concept germinated during the COVID‑19 lockdowns in London, where she watched people spend long hours on Zoom and become increasingly self‑aware. “I wanted to show the difference between what we show the world and what we actually feel,” she said, adding that the short critiques self‑help culture and acknowledges that “to feel needy or pathetic is part of being human.”
The voice cast features Oscar‑nominated Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård as Winston, accompanied by Molly Nilsson, Jonatan Unge and Ika Nord. Phil Brookes provides the score, weaving a musical backdrop that complements the puppetry’s tactile texture.
Creating Please was a pan‑European endeavour. Production was led by APPARAT Filmproduktion AB and co‑produced by Passion Paris, with participation from Arte, Film i Väst, SVT, Mikrofilm AS, Kuli Film, YLE and Böhle Studios. Distribution is handled by Miyu. The project required coordination across studios in Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Norway and Finland, and Mantzaris highlighted the importance of a style bible and a cinematography supervisor in maintaining consistent lighting and tone across locations.
The stop‑motion technique drew on methods refined in her earlier work. More than 40 puppets were built on wire armatures in her Stockholm studio, allowing for custom shapes and rounded limbs. A costume maker in Prague sewed outfits from textiles sourced by Mantzaris before the puppets were shipped to various shooting sites. The production team noted that shipping costs were significant.
Securing Skarsgård was a fortuitous outcome of a personal connection. Mantzaris said that her producer, Johan Edström, is the landlord of Skarsgård’s Stockholm office and sent the script to the actor. Skarsgård replied, “When can we do it?” and the role was secured.
The short’s focus on longing and vulnerability echoes themes Mantzaris has explored in previous projects. She cited filmmakers such as Roy Andersson, Ulrich Seidl and Liv Strömqvist as influences. In Creative Boom, she described the third act of Please as a point where characters “give in, let go, or lose it,” leading to a more chaotic tone.
Following its win at Animafest Zagreb, Please will be screened at Annecy from 21 to 27 June 2026. The festival’s opening film is the animated feature Minions & Monsters by Pierre Coffin. After Annecy, Mantzaris plans a brief break in Spain and intends to pursue an art grant in Sweden, with additional early‑stage projects slated for development later in the year.
The short’s reception at Animafest Zagreb and its upcoming Annecy screening underscore Mantzaris’s continued relevance in the European animation scene. By marrying stop‑motion puppetry with a candid exploration of human need, Please offers a fresh perspective on the genre’s capacity for intimate storytelling.
The Swedish‑born director, celebrated for the Emmy‑winning Apple short Fuzzy Feelings and the feature‑length Good Intentions, re‑emerges in the short‑film arena with Please. The film, which examines the human craving for affection through a series of loosely connected vignettes, secured the Best Short Film prize at Animafest Zagreb earlier this month and is slated to premiere at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Please is both written and directed by Mantzaris. The narrative unfolds not as a single story but as overlapping scenes that gradually coalesce into a larger emotional arc. In an interview with Creative Boom, the filmmaker explained that the concept germinated during the COVID‑19 lockdowns in London, where she watched people spend long hours on Zoom and become increasingly self‑aware. “I wanted to show the difference between what we show the world and what we actually feel,” she said, adding that the short critiques self‑help culture and acknowledges that “to feel needy or pathetic is part of being human.”
The voice cast features Oscar‑nominated Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård as Winston, accompanied by Molly Nilsson, Jonatan Unge and Ika Nord. Phil Brookes provides the score, weaving a musical backdrop that complements the puppetry’s tactile texture.
Creating Please was a pan‑European endeavour. Production was led by APPARAT Filmproduktion AB and co‑produced by Passion Paris, with participation from Arte, Film i Väst, SVT, Mikrofilm AS, Kuli Film, YLE and Böhle Studios. Distribution is handled by Miyu. The project required coordination across studios in Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Norway and Finland, and Mantzaris highlighted the importance of a style bible and a cinematography supervisor in maintaining consistent lighting and tone across locations.
The stop‑motion technique drew on methods refined in her earlier work. More than 40 puppets were built on wire armatures in her Stockholm studio, allowing for custom shapes and rounded limbs. A costume maker in Prague sewed outfits from textiles sourced by Mantzaris before the puppets were shipped to various shooting sites. The production team noted that shipping costs were significant.
Securing Skarsgård was a fortuitous outcome of a personal connection. Mantzaris said that her producer, Johan Edström, is the landlord of Skarsgård’s Stockholm office and sent the script to the actor. Skarsgård replied, “When can we do it?” and the role was secured.
The short’s focus on longing and vulnerability echoes themes Mantzaris has explored in previous projects. She cited filmmakers such as Roy Andersson, Ulrich Seidl and Liv Strömqvist as influences. In Creative Boom, she described the third act of Please as a point where characters “give in, let go, or lose it,” leading to a more chaotic tone.
Following its win at Animafest Zagreb, Please will be screened at Annecy from 21 to 27 June 2026. The festival’s opening film is the animated feature Minions & Monsters by Pierre Coffin. After Annecy, Mantzaris plans a brief break in Spain and intends to pursue an art grant in Sweden, with additional early‑stage projects slated for development later in the year.
The short’s reception at Animafest Zagreb and its upcoming Annecy screening underscore Mantzaris’s continued relevance in the European animation scene. By marrying stop‑motion puppetry with a candid exploration of human need, Please offers a fresh perspective on the genre’s capacity for intimate storytelling.
