Director-producer Tom Van Gestel shares the journey behind this animated drama for (young) adults, which blends magic, realism, and empowerment How far would you go to keep a love one close? Belgian studio Fabrique Fantastique‘s debut animated feature “Juul” comes to TIFF Market a few days after Studio 100 Film announced having picked up this young adult animated drama, marking a significant expansion in the otherwise family-driven catalogue of the independent sales agency, a subsidiary of Studio 100 International. Set in the 1950s, “Juul” follows 17-year-old circus acrobat Juul, whose life changes forever after a tragic accident leaves her in a coma and declared brain-dead.
Facing financial ruin, her magician father takes a desperate and morally complicated decision: he steals her body from the hospital and presents her as a “living puppet” to revive the failing circus. But Juul is still conscious, trapped inside a body she no longer controls. As her anger and resistance grow, her body begins to transform into porcelain, becoming a powerful symbol of her silent rebellion and her fight to reclaim her own identity.
And I’ve read (and written) my share. During that process, Fabrique Fantastique alum Liesbet van Loon was also brought on board as art director on the project, to craft this stop-motion like 3D-animated feature. Van Loon, whose artisanal approach to animation relied on hand-drawn ink, paint and pencils, brought her powerful artistry to the project, crafting unique characters, strange body shapes and spinning environments.
These spirals and movements also informed “Juul”‘s score, which Van Gestel developed with five-time Grammy Award winners Snarky Puppy. Form met substance, and our story informed our technique as well. Animation can sometimes do that, and as a creator, it’s a very nice feeling.” Turning this promising story into a fully animated 90-minute feature has been (and still is, as the film is still deep in post-production with an estimate delivery by the end of 2026) a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the CEO-producer-director.
Sometimes, foolish discussions emerge if production and direction are not in sync, and I think our approach helped us keep a transparent and cleverly used budget.” And as for his responsibilities at the studio, the CEO found (as he did for his film) smart, talented people he could trust to handle the business, and plan the next years for the ever-busy animation studio. Much as Van Gestel was struck by de Gruyter’s story, Studio 100 Film’s teams fell in love early with the project. But being so apart from their usual trade, it took almost a year for Van Gestel to hear back from the sales agent.
We can’t get it out of our head. So even though it goes beyond our catalog, we just feel that we need to do it,’ and that was it. They came on board, helped us find a German co-producer and wrap the financing, and have been supporting all the way.
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