As the Annecy International Animation Film Festival approaches, Filipino animators are set to present a number of projects that highlight original stories and homegrown creative work on the international stage.

Among the upcoming releases is Lovers, a highly anticipated adult animated short film from independent studio Heartbreak Studio, which released a teaser still on Tuesday, 19 May. The project has also generated attention among online audiences ahead of its scheduled festival screening.

Produced by independent studio Heartbreak Studio, Lovers follows Sara, a young chef tasked with running her family’s restaurant, who encounters Sirena, a literal siren. The adult “enemies-to-lovers” story features Valorant voice actor Vanille Velasquez as Sara and Dawn Bennett as Sirena.

The studio’s Kickstarter campaign raised $400,000 in 45 days from more than 7,000 backers. The film is scheduled to screen at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which will run from 21 to 27 June.

In a reply to its post, Heartbreak Studio said the short film will later be released for free on YouTube after completing its festival run.

The project includes more than 200 animated shots, 10,000 frames, 900 storyboards, 200 background paintings, and six fully realized 3D sets. In January, Heartbreak Studio said development began when its creators were sophomores in college and had not attended art school. The project took nearly four years to complete.

Other Filipino animated projects set to be featured include Zsazsa Zaturnnah, 58th, Sun Chaser, and Forgotten Island.