Ua young girl rebellious, courageous and determined to fight to save her world. An animated story that tells growth, adolescence, struggle and future: all from a female perspective. This is it Éiruthe animated short film by Giovanna Ferrariproduced by the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and selected for the Oscars 2026 shortlist — the list of the 15 best shorts preceding the five definitive nominations, which will be announced on January 22nd. But who is he? Giovanna Ferrari and how did his young warrior end up among the possible candidates for the Oscars?
A female-driven short film about growth, conflicts and ecology
“I am the proud mother of a teenage girlso the memory of the first days of her adolescence is still fresh in my mind”, explains the director Giovanna Ferrari to Animation Magazine. Éiru tells the story of a young female warriorIron Agesmall but courageous, who must save her village from a mysterious drought by facing dangerous adventures. Ferrari, with his background from animator and storyboard artistha wrote and directed the short filmdrawing inspiration from experiences personal: «I remember the conflict between what I knew I was supposed to be and who I really was — the desire to please mixed with the need to rebel. This search for herself is the essence of Éiru». The story also deals with broader issues, such asecologyand reflects on how war and conflicts they affect communities, always with a sensitive and personal gaze.
Éirua young warrior who wants to be taken seriously
Éiru is a little girl, come on flame-colored hair who lives inCeltic Irelanddetermined to be taken seriously as a warrior. When the village well mysteriously runs dry, iHer being small becomes a strength: she is the only one small enough to go into the depths of the earth and find out what happened. «Some themes are universal and speak to the particular moment we face on Earth…others are more personal, intimate, like my experience as a woman and expatriate» continues the director. «I remember the embarrassment of being a girl in a man’s world, where the only way to be enough is to pretend to be a boy. This eternal feminine search for herself and her own values is the essence of Éiru’s personality.”
A production Cartoon Saloon: «My colleagues are used to success»
The producer Nora Twomey underlines to the press that, although Cartoon Saloon has a long history of successful short films, Éiru was born outside of institutional programs, taking advantage of a short interval between productions and the talent of Ferrari, capable of achieving a lot with a small team. Ferrari began working on the project in 2022resuming production in the spring of 2023. The short film was made in 2D in colorwith a mix of professional tools: TVPaint for the main animation, Moho for some secondary characters and warriors, e Toon Boom for special effects. This approach created a contrast between the Éiru’s fluid and nuanced movement and the rigidity of the clan’s warriors. «My colleagues are used to seeing their projects advance in Academy voting — says the director ad Handle — but for me it’s an incredible emotion! I was afraid of disappointing them».
Who is Giovanna Ferrari?
After scientific high school in BolognaGiovanna Ferrari studied animation at National Center of Cinematography of Turin. Then he lived ten years in Paris and began collaborating with various European studios. His previous works include feature films Song of the Sea, WolfWalkers, My Father’s Dragon And Screecher’s Reachexperiences that consolidated his ability to tell stories visual stories with sensitivity and attention to detail. Enter to Cartoon Saloon represented the realization of a dream: «I am among the few in Europe to work on quality 2D feature films», Ferrari tells Handle.
The wait for Oscar night
Now Giovanna Ferrari awaits the January 22ndthe date on which he will know if he will be able to go on stage at Dolby Theatre for the Oscar ceremony, side by side with colleagues and friends of Playing Godanother Italian short film in the shortlist. An achievement that celebrates not only Italian creativity, but also the talent of a director capable of storytelling universal stories with elegance, sensitivity and feminine strength.
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