# Julián (film)
**Julián** is a 2026 animated feature film directed by Louise Bagnall and produced by the Irish studio [Cartoon Saloon](https://www.edgepedia.org/cartoon-saloon), adapted from Jessica Love's 2018 children's picture book *Julián Is a Mermaid*. It follows a young boy who spends a summer with his Dominican grandmother in Brooklyn and discovers that he is a mermaid, building toward the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) • [2](https://www.seminci.com/peliculas/julian/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | Louise Bagnall, Cartoon Saloon's creative director; her feature directorial debut[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) |
| Source | *Julián Is a Mermaid* (2018), a picture book by Jessica Love[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) |
| Premiere | 23 June 2026, Annecy Presents strand, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, out of competition[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) |
| Runtime and origin | 85 minutes; Ireland, Luxembourg, Canada, Denmark[4](https://festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl/en/movie/julian/) |
| Screenplay and music | Juliany Taveras (screenplay); La-Nai Gabriel (music)[2](https://www.seminci.com/peliculas/julian/) |
| Lead voices | Knyght Darius Jack (Julián) and Milcania Diaz-Rojas (Abuela)[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) |
| Production | Cartoon Saloon with Mélusine Productions, Aircraft Pictures, and Sun Creature Studio; more than 150 artists worldwide[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) • [5](https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/aircraft-pictures-helps-animated-pic-julian-take-off/) |
| Distribution (as of late 2026) | No US distributor; Gebeka Films (France), Elevation Pictures (Canada), Elysian Films (UK), Wildcard Distribution (Ireland)[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) |
## Spoilers
### Story
Julián, a wide-eyed boy fascinated by the ocean and sea creatures, is sent to Brooklyn for the summer to stay with his Dominican grandmother, Abuela, whom he barely knows.[4](https://festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl/en/movie/julian/) • [3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) In her treasure-filled apartment and her lively Caribbean community, he discovers his family heritage and, most surprisingly, that he is a mermaid.[2](https://www.seminci.com/peliculas/julian/) He befriends a water sprite named Luna, and with friends, a magical whale, and his grandmother he sets out toward the Mermaid Parade, a real [Coney Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/coney-island) celebration of mermaids and sea creatures held since 1983.[6](https://virginiafilmfestival.org/festival/2026/films/julian) • [4](https://festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl/en/movie/julian/)
The central tension is not antagonism but expectations. Abuela initially assumes Julián will be a copy of his father, expects him to speak Spanish, and serves traditional food he dislikes; the conflict instead turns on what kinds of things a young boy is expected to like.[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) The film uses no labels or categories for Julián's interests, presenting him simply as a joyful boy brushing up against societal expectations, with only a single instance of bullying by older boys.[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) Director Louise Bagnall described the film as "really a film about self-expression and the journey to understanding ourselves better," applying equally to Julián and to Abuela, whose connection she called the heart of the story.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/)
## Production
Cartoon Saloon, the Kilkenny studio behind *[The Secret of Kells](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-secret-of-kells)*, *Song of the Sea*, and *Wolfwalkers*, began developing the feature with Bagnall, whose 2019 short *Late Afternoon* was nominated for an [Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-animated-short-film).[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) • [2](https://www.seminci.com/peliculas/julian/) Because Love's book is a fairly short story, the team stretched the narrative timeline to fill a feature, expanding the characterization of both Julián and his grandmother.[7](https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/julian-feature-cartoon-saloon-louise-bagnall-224401.html) • [8](https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/louise-bagnall-julian-cartoon-saloon-263263.html)
The film is a four-country co-production: Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Melusine Studio ([Luxembourg](https://www.edgepedia.org/luxembourg)), Sun Creature (Denmark), and Canada's Aircraft Pictures, with more than 150 artists employed around the world.[5](https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/aircraft-pictures-helps-animated-pic-julian-take-off/) Producer Anthony Leo of Aircraft Pictures noted that experience with funding and distribution mattered in managing the multi-studio pipeline.[5](https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/aircraft-pictures-helps-animated-pic-julian-take-off/) Bagnall has said the production split across four countries required unusually clear communication.[9](https://insessionfilm.com/interview-louise-bagnall-director-of-julian/)
**Visual style.** The film is rendered in hand-drawn 2D animation in a marker and colored-pencil style with a bright palette.[10](https://sgiff.com/film/julian/) Bagnall combines two slightly different styles: simple, boldly outlined characters with largely single-hued, unshaded clothing, placed against richly patterned backdrops whose stroke textures evoke materials Julián himself might use, such as markers, crayons, and coloring pencils.[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) Fantasy sequences use lush palettes and smooth, sweeping movement to render Julián's inner world, which grows into magical realism toward the film's close.[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review)
**Cultural authenticity.** Bagnall credits screenwriter Juliany Taveras with bringing much of the film's cultural grounding, alongside conversations among Bagnall, Taveras, and co-director Guillaume Lorin, and casting actors such as Milcania Diaz-Rojas who connect to the Dominican heritage depicted.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/)
## Release and reception
*Julián* premiered on 23 June 2026 in the Annecy Presents strand at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, out of competition, and screened at the [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival) in September 2026.[3](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review) • [11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31109276/releaseinfo/) Festival bookings followed, including the [BFI London Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/bfi-london-film-festival), the Virginia Film Festival, and the Singapore International Film Festival.[12](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Apermalink=julian-lff26) • [6](https://virginiafilmfestival.org/festival/2026/films/julian) • [10](https://sgiff.com/film/julian/)
As of the Toronto festival the film had no domestic (US) distribution, while Gebeka Films handled France, Elevation Pictures Canada, Elysian Films the United Kingdom, and Wildcard Distribution Ireland.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/) Critics responded warmly: Screen's Wendy Ide called it a vibrant, joyful coming-of-age picture whose message is "delivered with an embrace rather than a lecture,"[13](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/julian-review-latest-animation-from-irelands-carton-saloon-is-vibrant-brooklyn-set-coming-of-age-drama/5217956.article) and reviewers quoted by FilmAffinity praised its handling of identity and intergenerational bonds, including Carlos Aguilar in *Variety*, who highlighted the film's focus on the relationship between generations over supernatural magic.[14](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film347728.html) A dissenting review in *In Review* Online found little for adult viewers beyond the bright colors and whimsy.[15](https://inreviewonline.com/2026/06/27/julian-louise-bagnall-review/)
## References
1. [Drew Taylor, "'Julián' Director Louise Bagnall on Telling a 'Joyful' Story About Kids' Self-Expression," TheWrap, 12 September 2026](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/julian-director-louise-bagnall-interview-tiff-2026/)
2. ["Julián," SEMINCI (Valladolid International Film Festival)](https://www.seminci.com/peliculas/julian/)
3. [Olivia Popp, "'Julián' by Louise Bagnall: Annecy Review," Zippy Frames, 24 June 2026](https://www.zippyframes.com/feature-animation/reviews/julian-by-louise-bagnall-annecy-review)
4. ["Julián," TAURON Young Horizons Film Festival](https://festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl/en/movie/julian/)
5. [Ingrid Randoja, "Aircraft Pictures helps animated pic 'Julián' take off," Canada Media Fund, 19 June 2026](https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/aircraft-pictures-helps-animated-pic-julian-take-off/)
6. ["Julián," Virginia Film Festival 2026](https://virginiafilmfestival.org/festival/2026/films/julian)
7. ["Cartoon Saloon's Louise Bagnall Shares First Details On Her Debut Feature 'Julián'," Cartoon Brew](https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/julian-feature-cartoon-saloon-louise-bagnall-224401.html)
8. [Kambole Campbell, "Louise Bagnall On The Look Of Cartoon Saloon's 'Julián'," Cartoon Brew, 22 June 2026](https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/louise-bagnall-julian-cartoon-saloon-263263.html)
9. ["Interview: Louise Bagnall, Director of 'Julián'," InSession Film, 15 July 2026](https://insessionfilm.com/interview-louise-bagnall-director-of-julian/)
10. ["Julián," Singapore International Film Festival](https://sgiff.com/film/julian/)
11. ["Julián (2026) – Release info," IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31109276/releaseinfo/)
12. ["Julián," BFI London Film Festival 2026](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Apermalink=julian-lff26)
13. [Wendy Ide, "'Julián' review," Screen Daily, 23 June 2026](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/julian-review-latest-animation-from-irelands-carton-saloon-is-vibrant-brooklyn-set-coming-of-age-drama/5217956.article)
14. ["Julián," FilmAffinity (critic quotes)](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film347728.html)
15. [Padaí Ó Maolchalann, "Julián — Louise Bagnall [Annecy '26 Review]," In Review Online, 27 June 2026](https://inreviewonline.com/2026/06/27/julian-louise-bagnall-review/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 2020s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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