Director-producer Tom Van Gestel shares the journey behind this animated drama for (young) adults, which blends magic, realism, and empowerment
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.
“From the first time I read the script, I knew we had something very special in our hands,” recalls Tom Van Gestel, CEO of Fabrique Fantastique, who also leads “Juul” as both director and producer. “If I’m being honest, it was the first I experienced so many emotions and goosebumps while reading a story. And I’ve read (and written) my share. ‘Juul’ drew me in, and I knew we had to be on top of it from the start.”
The script of this rare young adult animated Belgian feature was brought to Van Gestel by An de Gruyter, refined over and over with the studio’s teams. 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. “This technique was a clear choice for us, because of the physicality it brings to our story. ‘Juul’ is all about flesh, and how does one turn from flesh to porcelain, visually speaking.”
To be able to bring this transformation to the screen, along with the character’s spiraling descent into the darkest places they could actually go, 3D felt like the more natural technique the Belgian studio could use. 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. “Like a carousel, they draw you in as well, into these dark places,” adds Van Gestel. “And as we kept exploring, it all came together. 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. “Doing three is not ideal,” confesses Van Gestel. “But on the other hand, I’ve always liked to be a director who actually knows where the money’s going to. 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. “They called me and basically said ‘look, it’s now been a year, and we’re still thinking about this movie. 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. It’s truly a joy.”
Lorena Booth, senior manager sales & acquisitions at Studio 100 Film, shares this enthusiasm and has been eager to present the project to buyers for a long time. “For us, ‘Juul’ represents the kind of ambitious animated storytelling we are increasingly looking to bring to international audiences,” she adds. “Its remarkable visual identity, emotional depth and universal themes demonstrate the creative breadth of animation today, and we are excited to present it at TIFF, and to continue expanding our slate with distinctive, filmmaker-driven productions.”
As production wraps up with a final sprint, Van Gestel reflects on his own journey with the film. “I’m a bit of a black-or-white person,” he confides, “either things are terribly bad, or they’re super awesome. And building an animated feature, you have to trust in the process because when you look at the work-in-progress images, there’s always something to redo, to improve. But with ‘Juul’, when we hit the approved button in our projection room, I am amazed at how good every shot looks. That’s both the joy and torture of making animated movies.”
Van Gestel, as animators hardly ever do, doesn’t forget to thank his teams, and the artists who jumped on this passion dream project turned reality.
“Finally being able to share it, and to get people’s reactions (and we’ve been getting a lot), it’s truly a joy. I’m very enthusiastic to see how audiences will react, and how we will build the promotion around the world we’ve crafted.”
Studio 100 Film brings “Juul” to TIFF Market along with its extensive slate, but there is indeed something special about this title. And, beyond its distinct look, it’s the love that radiates from all who’ve gravitated around this film, born in the heart of Belgium.