Disney Legend Andreas Deja announces his award- winning animated short Mushka will be released worldwide on December 15, inviting audiences everywhere to experience its heartfelt story of love, courage and letting go. The 28-minute hand-drawn animated film will be available on all major streaming VOD platforms.
Since premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Mushka has been an official selection at over a dozen major festivals worldwide. The film tells the story of Sarah, a young Ukrainian girl who discovers an orphaned Siberian tiger cub and must decide whether to raise him or leave him to the dangers of the wild, and man. The name “Mushka” — a Russian term of endearment meaning “sweetheart” — capturing the emotional depth of their bond.
Inspired by the visual style of Disney classics 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, Mushka features beautiful hand-drawn 2D animation. It represents a deeply personal culmination of Deja’s artistry — a film nearly a decade in the making, created in the tradition of Disney’s golden era with a small but passionate team of collaborators from around the world.
A 30-year veteran of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Deja is known for animating iconic characters including Scar (The Lion King), Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), Jafar (Aladdin), Hercules and Lilo (Lilo & Stitch). For Mushka, Deja assembled a team of top animation and production talents, including composer Fabrizio Mancinelli, who created the film’s sweeping orchestral score. The soundtrack also features an original end-credit song, “Mushka’s Lullaby,” composed by legendary Disney songwriter Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book) and performed by Holly Sedillos. The song was among Sherman’s final compositions.
“I wanted to create something timeless, like the Disney classic films of Walt’s era that inspired me to follow a career in animation,” said Deja. “Hand-drawn animation still has the power to move audiences unlike anything else.”
Over the course of Mushka‘s festival run, its accolades include the Kids’ Choice Award and Best Animation from Palm Springs International ShortFest, Best Animation from San Jose International Short Film Festival, the Children’s Jury Award from Encounters Film Festival (U.K.) and the SIFF Kids Award from Sulmona International Film Festival (Italy). The film was also an official selections at HollyShorts, Cleveland, Stuttgart, Animayo, Foyle, Mammoth and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, among others.
Deja also presented the film and led masterclasses at CTN Animation eXpo, Lightbox Expo, VIEW Conference (Italy), and at studios including Sony Pictures Animation, Disney Animation, DreamWorks, Skywalker Sound, LAIKA Studios, and more.
Born in Germany, Deja began his Disney career under legendary animator Eric Larson, one of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men.” His 30-year career includes supervising animation on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules and Lilo & Stitch. In 2015, he was named an official Disney Legend by The Walt Disney Company. Mushka is his first independent directorial effort — a passion project dedicated to his mentor, Larson.
Deja is currently in production of a forthcoming live-action documentary about one of the Nine Old Men; is continuing his work on an upcoming oversized book that will celebrate one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century, Milt Kahl; and working with Walt Disney Imagineering as a consultant on the recently announced Villains-themed Land at The Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida.
Learn more about the film at mushkathemovie.com.
