Russian Animation on Ice

How Moscow studio Wizart Animation is updating the nation’s CG industry with its first feature effort, The Snow Queen.The worlds of fairy tales and animation are inextricably linked—from the earliest days of long-form animated film, fanciful tales from around the world have found new life through the freedom of artistry and suspension of disbelief inherent in the medium. Even as time and technology march on and live-action directors try their hand at reinventing the genre with eye-dazzling visual effects, it is hard to find a more winning combination than a well-known magical story and the storytelling magic of animation.One of the most ambitious projects in the European animation scene right now is such a combination. Russia’s Wizart Animation, with studios in Moscow and Voronezh, is putting the final touches on their stereoscopic 3-D CG take on The Snow Queen, based on the beloved story by Hans Christian Andersen. This first for the Russian animation industry is being co-produced by INLAY Film and has piqued international curiosity.