The Debutante

Fonic recorded the voice talent and covered full audio post production on Elizabeth Hobb’s latest film ‘The Debutante’.

Based on a story of the same name by Leonora Carrington and tells the story of a young debutante who frees her friend, a hyena from London Zoo, so that it might take her place at her coming-out ball. Carrington (1917 – 2011) was a British-born Mexican artist, surrealist painter, and novelist and ‘The Debutante’ expressed Carrington’s feelings about the society she was being moulded to as a young woman in England, which was at odds with her defiant and more wild nature. Hobbs celebrates Carrington’s bold and funny story with using a rostrum camera, and drawn using many techniques and materials including ink on bathroom tiles, typewriters, watercolour on paper, butterfly prints and rubber stamps. The film was accompanied by a score by composer by Hutch Demouilpied. The Debutante was produced by Animate Projects, with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery, and with thanks to the Estate of Leonora Carrington.

Hobbs is an animated filmmaker based in East London. Her films are created under a rostrum camera, and are made with many different techniques and materials; ink on bathroom tiles, typewriters, watercolour on paper, butterfly prints and rubber stamps. Her films are experimental but with a clear narrative, often based on unusual and overlooked historical stories and figures. In 2019, she received a BAFTA British Short Animation nomination for I’m OK, and in 2020, she was invited to become a member of the Short Films and Feature Animation branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The film has been very successful on the festival circuit, being selected for the following:
• Grand Prix, the Golden Pegasus, at the 15th International Animated Film Festival ANIMATOR 2022, Poland. (Making The Debutante now eligible for the Academy Awards 2023.)
• Yarnspinner Special Mention, at Animist Tallinn 2022, Estonia.
• Grand Prize, International Competition Short Film, at Bucheon International Animation Festival, South Korea.
• Winner of the Melies D’Argent Award for Best European Short Film, at San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, Spain.
• Nominated for the Mephisto 97.6 Audience Award, at DOK Leipzig, Germany.
• Official Selection, Short Films Competition, Annecy Festival, France, June 2022
• Official Selection, Main competition, 15th International Animated Film Festival Animator, Poland, July 2022
• Official Selection, International Competition, Insomnia International Open-Air Animation Film Festival, Russia, July 2022
• Selected for Panorama Out of Competition, 13th Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosovo, July 2022
• Official Selection, Short Animation, Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico, July 2022
• Official Selection, Animals, Animist Tallinn, Estonia, August 2022
• Official Selection, International Competition, 7th Turku Animated Film Festival, Finland, August 2022
• Official Selection, Competitive Programme, Imaginaria, Italy, August 2022
• Official Selection, Ladies First Programme, Linoleum Animation Festival, Ukraine, September 2022
• Official Selection, Narrative Short Animation Category, Ottawa International Animation Festival, Canada, September 2022
• Selected for International Panorama, Animasyros Festival, Greece, September 2022
• Selected for Panorama Generations, 20th Tirana International Film Festival, Albania, September 2022
• Selected for Viborg Animation Festival, Denmark, September-October 2022
• Official Selection, Shorts Programme: The Path of Most Resistance, 66th BFI London Film Festival, United Kingdom, October 2022
• Screened at The University of Cyprus, Greece, October 2022
• Official Selection, Best of International Programme, Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway, October 2022
• Official Selection, International Competition, Animest – Bucharest International Animation Film Festival, Romania, October 2022
• Official Selection, International Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film, International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – DOK Leipzig, Germany, October 2022
• Official selection, International Competition, Animatou, Switzerland, October 2022
• Official Selection, Competitive Programme, Bolton International Film Festival, United Kingdom, October 2022
• Official Selection, BIAF2022 Short Competition, 24th Bucheon International Animation Festival, South Korea, October 2022
• Official Selection, International Short Film Competition, San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, Spain, October-November 2022
• Official Selection, Competitive Programme, BITBANG International Animation Festival, Argentina, October-November 2022
• Official Selection, AFI FEST 2022, United States, November 2022
• Selected for the 67th Cork International Film Festival, Ireland, November 2022
• Official Selection, This Is England, France, November 2022
• Official Selection, International Competition, New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Japan, November 2022
• Selected for Short Films Panorama, Manchester Animation Festival, United Kingdom, November 2022
• Official Selection, Competitive Programme, Animage, Brazil, November 2022
• Official selection, Competition section: International Animation, PÖFF Shorts International Short Film and Animation Festival, Estonia, November 2022
• Selected for GIRAF 18, Canada, November 2022
• Official Selection, 19th International Animated Film Festival Tindirindis, Lithuania, November 2022
• Official Selection, Programme 4 Being Human, London International Animation Festival, United Kingdom, November-December 2022
• Official Selection, Anima, 29th International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima, Poland, November-December 2022
• Selected for Animateka International Animated Film Festival, Slovenia, November-December 2022
• Selected for Animated Womxn Programme, Manipulate Festival, United Kingdom, February 2023