Merrimundi
Animated short, 21 minutes.
Written and directed by: Niles Atallah. Produced by: Lucas Engel. Executive production: Juan Cifuentes Mera. Cinematography: Niles Atallah and Diego Seye. Art direction: Niles Atallah. Principal art and animation team: Coni Maldonado Dávila, José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack and Matías López. Original music composed and performed by: Paco Pasquette. Editing, sound design and image post-production: Niles Atallah. 3D animation and computational programming: Felipe Elgueta @elguet_. Production: Pista B Producciones, Diluvio and Fósfora.
Full credits
Production
Written and directed by: Niles Atallah
Produced by: Lucas Engel
Executive production: Juan Cifuentes Mera
Production companies: Pista B Producciones, Diluvio and Fósfora
Cinematography
Cinematography: Niles Atallah, Diego Seye
Camera: Celeste Rojas Mugica, Coni Maldonado Dávila, José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack, Sofía Alvarado, Javiera Román Ruiz, Aurora Molina López, Matías López
Still photography: Isidora Melo, Celeste Rojas Mugica, Norkys Sarai
Art & Animation
Art direction: Niles Atallah
Art production: Coni Maldonado Dávila, José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack
Principal art and animation team: Coni Maldonado Dávila, José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack and Matías López
Art and animation team: Matías López, José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack, Coni Maldonado Dávila, Sofía Alvarado, Paco Pasquette, Javiera Román Ruiz, Aurora Molina López, Niles Atallah, Rai Bucher, Micaela Moreno Barril, Diego Seye
Titiriteros dementores: Paco Pasquette, Matías López, Coni Maldonado Dávila, Sofía Alvarado, Javiera Román Ruiz, Niles Atallah, Diego Seye, Rai Bucher
3D animation and computational programming: Felipe Elgueta @elguet_
Music, Voices & Sound
Original music composed and performed by: Paco Pasquette
Double bass: Marcela González Guillén
Lyrics: Niles Atallah
Voices: Niles Atallah and AI
Editing, sound design and image post-production: Niles Atallah
Sound mix: Sonamos — Roberto Espinoza, Pablo Bahamondes
Foley: Javier Zomosa
Titles & Post
Videomix y glitch master: José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack
Sing-a-long títulos: Juan Cifuentes Mera
Title and credits design: Niles Atallah
Data mismanagement: Lucas Engel
Spiritual coach: Alelí
Distribution
International Distribution: Miyu Distribution — Luce Grosjean
National Distribution: El Camino Pictures — Andrés Cortés
World Premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival, Italy 2025
A twisted utopia unfolds as singing cherubs melt to the sound of decay. Created by what might be a sentient machine or an unknown form of intelligence—consciousness manifesting itself in new and exuberant forms—it reveals its own strange version of paradise.
MERRIMUNDI is a Molotov cocktail we throw into the world, celebrating and singing in the face of the darkness and violence of our times. It sings against algorithmic homogeneity, against the corporate and conservative aesthetic that is mistaken for cinematic language and lulls the spirits to sleep. It sings: “Long live creative anarchy and beauty in all its wild and disobedient forms!”
Awards
2025 ZINEBI / Cineclub FAS, Bilbao, Spain — FAS Special Mention.
2026 14th Golden Ger International Film Festival, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — Best International Animated Short.
2026 Kaboom Animation Festival, Netherlands — Audience Award for Best Experimental Short.
2026 18th Festival de Cine Chileno / FECICH, Quilpué, Chile — Best Animation, Visual and Sound Proposal.
2026 CHILEMONOS, Santiago, Chile — Best Experimental Short Film.
2026 Desenzano Film Festival, Italy — Grand Jury Prize.
Festivals and screenings
2025 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Italy — Orizzonti — International Short Film Competition; world premiere.
2025 23rd BOGOSHORTS, Bogotá, Colombia — Out of Competition; Cinemateca de Bogotá and Alianza Francesa de Bogotá.
2025 32nd FICValdivia, Chile — Animamundi; Chilean premiere.
2025 8th Festival Internacional de Cine de Chiloé, Chile — Retrospective.
2025 Cineclub FAS, Bilbao, Spain — Post-festival presentation.
2025 Lima Alterna, Peru — Festival selection.
2025 Viennale, Vienna, Austria — Festival selection.
2025 ZINEBI, Bilbao, Spain — International short-film selection; FAS Special Mention.
2025 10th Proceso de Error, Valparaíso, Chile — Opening film; Cineteca PUCV.
2026 13th FECINA, Cineteca Nacional de Chile, Santiago — Pre-release Screenings.
2026 15th Chilemonos, Santiago, Chile — Latin American Experimental Animated Short Film Competition.
2026 18th FECICH, Quilpué, Chile — Chilean festival selection; named animation/visual/sound award.
2026 66th Kraków Film Festival, Poland — Short Film Competition 2.
2026 7th Festival de Cine de Ñuble, Chile — Official Short Film Competition.
2026 7th Frontera Sur, Concepción, Chile — Como me da la gana.
2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France — Off-Limits Competition.
2026 Athens International Film + Video Festival, Ohio, United States — Jump Scare programme.
2026 Cineteca Nacional de Chile / UDP, Santiago — Chilean Animation Today; screening and cine-forum.
2026 Curta Kinoforum, São Paulo, Brazil — Unlimited 3.
2026 deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma City, United States — Mind’s Eye programme.
2026 Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, Mexico — Rigo Mora animation competition.
2026 FICBUEU, Bueu, Spain — Descubertas; announced programme, festival underway in September 2026.
2026 Golden Ger, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — International animated short competition; award winner.
2026 Golden Harvest Film Festival, Taiwan — Festival screening.
2026 Hong Kong International Film Festival — 50th edition.
2026 IndieLisboa, Lisbon, Portugal — Silvestre 3.
2026 Kaboom, Netherlands — Experimental short / Poetry in Motion; audience award winner.
2026 KINO Athens International Independent Film Festival, Greece — International Short Films, programme 7.
2026 SMOF — Stop Motion Our Fest, Buenos Aires, Argentina — Festival selection.
2026 Turku Animated Film Festival (TAFF), Finland — International Competition.
2026 Mediamorfosis, Viña del Mar, Chile — Festival film programme; Teatro Municipal de Viña del Mar.
2026 SEEYOUSOUND International Music Film Festival, Turin, Italy — 7INCH short-film competition, Avant-Garde programme.
2026 Courtisane Festival, Ghent, Belgium — Undercurrents 9: Swan Songs, curated by Basma al-Sharif; ARCA.
2026 Leiden Shorts, Leiden, Netherlands — Late Night: Monstrous, Kijkhuis.
2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival, United Kingdom — Animation Shorts; UK premiere.
2026 Ravenheart International Film Festival, Oslo, Norway — Animation A: Art in Motion, Cinemateket.
2026 El Día Más Corto, Centro Gabriela Mistral (GAM), Santiago, Chile — Sala A1 screening, 21 June.
2026 · forthcoming Image Forum Festival, Tokyo, Japan — Announced: programme M, Visions of the 21st Century; Japanese title メリムンディ.
2026 · forthcoming Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan — Announced International Competition nomination.
2026 · forthcoming Monitos a mano, Chile — Announced theatrical anthology programme.
2026 · forthcoming Sapporo International Short Film Festival, Japan — Announced late-night programme.
2026 · forthcoming Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway — Short Film Competition; announced October programme.
Distribution
2025–2026 Miyu Distribution, France — International distribution; distributor film page and English-language press kit.
Expanded exhibition presentation
2025 · Omni Soundlab, Santiago, Chile — Merrimundi immersive exhibition, with Christopher Manhey (sound). Separate from the film’s soundtrack credits; see Exhibitions, installations and visual art.
Funding and development
c. 2024 Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cultural y las Artes, FONDART, Chile — Support for Merrimundi.
Selected voices
“A sensory feast and creative impulse that expands the imagination and broadens horizons.”
Film stills
The process of creating MERRIMUNDI
Process photographs: Celeste Rojas Mugica, Norkys Sarai, and Isidora Melo.
