Motherhood
From the first rules imposed since birth to the turbulent tides of maternity, Motherhood traces one woman’s intimate journey through memory, dream and surreal imagery. Deconstructing reality to reconstruct her inner world, the filmmaker questions what it truly costs to live — and to become a mother. Raw, ambivalent, and entirely personal.
Status
Completed
Format
Animated Short Film
Release
2026
Running Time
17’
PRODUCERS
Aparte Film (Romania),
Camera-Etc (Belgium),
Dream Vessel Films (France)
Director
Anca Damian
Art Director
Virginia Mori
Lead animators
Dan Panaitescu,
Mathieu Labaye
Sound design
David Vranken
Music
Pablo Pico
Bradcaster
Arte
Support
Romanian Film Center,
Centre Du Cinema Et De L’Audiovisuel De La Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles,
Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union,
La Province de Liège,
La Wallonie – Direction générale de l’Economie et de l’Emploi,
La Ville de Liège
From the first rules imposed since birth to the turbulent tides of maternity, Motherhood traces one woman’s intimate journey through memory, dream and surreal imagery. Deconstructing reality to reconstruct her inner world, the filmmaker questions what it truly costs to live — and to become a mother. Raw, ambivalent, and entirely personal.
From the first rules imposed since birth to the turbulent tides of maternity, Motherhood traces one woman’s intimate journey through memory, dream and surreal imagery. Deconstructing reality to reconstruct her inner world, the filmmaker questions what it truly costs to live — and to become a mother. Raw, ambivalent, and entirely personal.
Status
Completed
Release
2026
Format
Animated Short Film
Running Time
17’
PRODUCERS
Aparte Film (Romania),
Camera-Etc (Belgium),
Dream Vessel Films (France)
Lead animators
Dan Panaitescu,
Mathieu Labaye
Sound design
David Vranken
Music
Pablo Pico
Bradcaster
Arte
Director
Anca Damian
Art Director
Virginia Mori
Support
Romanian Film Center,
Centre Du Cinema Et De L’Audiovisuel De La Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles,
Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union,
La Province de Liège,
La Wallonie – Direction générale de l’Economie et de l’Emploi,
La Ville de Liège
PRODUCERS
Aparte Film (Romania),
Camera-Etc (Belgium),
Dream Vessel Films (France)
Sound design
David Vranken
Music
Pablo Pico
Director
Anca Damian
Art Director
Virginia Mori
Lead animators
Dan Panaitescu,
Mathieu Labaye
Bradcaster
Arte
Support
Romanian Film Center, Centre Du Cinema Et De L’Audiovisuel De La Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union,
La Province de Liège, La Wallonie – Direction générale de l’Economie et de l’Emploi, La Ville de Liège
2026 | Sarajevo Film Festival | Short Narative Competition
2026 | Annecy Official selection | Short Films in Competition
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood,” a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
Kevin Giraud
March 27, 2026
Zippyframes noted that Anca Damian, known for Crulic and The Magic Mountain, returns with her 2D/3D short Motherhood as part of the 34-film official shorts competition at Annecy 2026.
ZF Team
March 25, 2026
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood,” a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
Kevin Giraud
March 27, 2026
Zippyframes noted that Anca Damian, known for Crulic and The Magic Mountain, returns with her 2D/3D short Motherhood as part of the 34-film official shorts competition at Annecy 2026.
ZF Team
March 25, 2026
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood,” a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
Kevin Giraud
March 27, 2026
Zippyframes noted that Anca Damian, known for Crulic and The Magic Mountain, returns with her 2D/3D short Motherhood as part of the 34-film official shorts competition at Annecy 2026.
ZF Team
March 25, 2026
Motherhood Selected for Sarajevo Film Festival
Motherhood, directed by Anca Damian, has been selected for the Narrative Short Film Competition of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival. The film will screen as a regional premiere.
See full article: deadline.com
Annecy 2026 Shorts Selection – Motherhood in Official Competition (announced late March 2026)
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood”, a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
See full article: variety.com
The Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood
For the visionary perspective and intimate approach, the Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood. The project is a poetic journey into female body and desire which pairs and entrusts its representation to the surreal visual world of the Italian artist Virginia Mori, created by the award-winning director, writer and producer Anca Damian (Aparte Film, Romania/France), co-produced by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal (Miyu Productions, France).
Motherhood Selected for Sarajevo Film Festival
Motherhood, directed by Anca Damian, has been selected for the Narrative Short Film Competition of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival. The film will screen as a regional premiere.
See full article: deadline.com
Annecy 2026 Shorts Selection – Motherhood in Official Competition (announced late March 2026)
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood”, a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
See full article: variety.com
The Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood
For the visionary perspective and intimate approach, the Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood. The project is a poetic journey into female body and desire which pairs and entrusts its representation to the surreal visual world of the Italian artist Virginia Mori, created by the award-winning director, writer and producer Anca Damian (Aparte Film, Romania/France), co-produced by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal (Miyu Productions, France).
Motherhood Selected for Sarajevo Film Festival
Motherhood, directed by Anca Damian, has been selected for the Narrative Short Film Competition of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival. The film will screen as a regional premiere.
See full article: deadline.com
Annecy 2026 Shorts Selection – Motherhood in Official Competition (announced late March 2026)
Anca Damian returns in official competition at Annecy with “Motherhood”, a 17-minute short crafted around her own experience. The film is described as an 18-minute 2D/3D work, and it is a Belgium-France-Romania co-production. She was listed alongside Don Hertzfeldt, Koji Yamamura, and other major animation directors.
See full article: variety.com
The Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood
For the visionary perspective and intimate approach, the Harmony Premium annual license for a tv special goes to Motherhood. The project is a poetic journey into female body and desire which pairs and entrusts its representation to the surreal visual world of the Italian artist Virginia Mori, created by the award-winning director, writer and producer Anca Damian (Aparte Film, Romania/France), co-produced by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal (Miyu Productions, France).
