Exclusive: Director Lino DiSalvo’s new project Twisted (aka Badalisc) is among the several high-profile animated features debuting at the Cannes Film Market this week. The CG-animated movie, which is slated for a first quarter 2027 delivery, is produced by leading European animation studio Mediawan Kids & Family (and repped internationally by Sola Media). Set in a picturesque Italian village, Twisted centers on a young girl who accidentally derails her town’s beloved festival and unleashes a swarm of mischievous magical creatures—each born from a lie she tells to cover her tracks. The film’s talented director Lino DiSalvo (director of Playmobil: The Movie and Reindeer in Here, head of animation on Frozen, supervising animator on Tangled and Bolt) and veteran animation producer Emmanuel Jacomet (Miraculous: Ladybug and Cat Noir, The Playmobil Movie,) were kind enough to offer us an exclusive first look at his upcoming movie:
It’s great to see that you have an exciting new movie debuting at the Cannes Market this year. Can you give us a little bit of history on the project?
Lino: I grew up hearing stories about this magical truth-teller from Italian folklore, the Badalisc. At first, I thought it was just a story, a myth. But when I got older and realized it was an actual festival that takes place every year in a small village in Northern Italy, I knew I had to tell this story.
I’m a proud child of Italian immigrants. My parents moved from Italy to Brooklyn in the early ’70s to chase the American dream. I was born there. Our home was filled with love, tradition, and a lot of expectations. Like many kids of immigrant families, I felt this pressure to make them proud by following a path they understood—like taking over the family pizzeria. So, I told them that’s what I wanted, even though it wasn’t true.
The truth was, I dreamed of becoming a Disney animator. (And that dream did come true—but that’s a whole other story.) Eventually, I had to face something harder than disappointing them—I had to stop lying to myself. That’s what this movie is really about.
It’s set against the backdrop of this wild, beautiful festival at the base of the Alps, where a creature tells the town all their secrets. But at its core, it’s about something deeply personal: the cost of pretending, and the freedom that comes with being truly honest—with others, but more importantly, with yourself. That’s why I’m telling this story.
When did you start working on the movie?
Lino: I first pitched the idea to producer Emmanuel Jacomet about seven years ago. He saw the potential right away. We were both knee-deep in other projects, but on the side, we just kept coming back to it—writing, researching, obsessing. The story of a tiny mountain village in Northern Italy that celebrates a truth-telling monster every year? That’s just too wild and too good to ignore.
Over time, we set up interviews with locals in Andrista, the actual town where the festival takes place. That research shaped the soul of the film. Just this past April, our production design and story team traveled to Andrista — we got to walk the streets, meet the people, even touch the Badalisc costume. It was emotional. That trip brought the whole thing into focus.
Emmanuel: I looked it up in my emails, and the very first time ever Lino brought up the story of the Badalisc to me was 2016!Things started to really accelerate through over the past 4 years. We met our Italian writer Kissy Dugan and then started to finance the project. A decisive event on the project for us was Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux in 2024. Jean Labadie from Le Pacte loved the pitch and trusted us. Then we were able to continue the financing notably with Sola Media as our sales agent and France 3 Cinéma.
What is the estimated budget for the movie?
Emmanuel: Around 15 million euros
Where is the animation being produced?
Emmanuel: I am very happy and proud to be making Twisted mostly in France. Lately, we’ve all been hearing gloomy news about our industry. Proving that we can still finance and produce compelling original stories thanks to the craft of a world-renowned community of artists from all across the country is very rewarding.
All the front-end work—art, visual development, production design—is being done by the insanely talented team of the newly formed company La Grange Animation, led by Clément Dartigues and Emmy Martino, in the southwest of France. The film’s storyboards are helmed by Cory Evans (The Willoughbys). And the animation is being brought to life by Dwarf Animation Studio in Montpellier. We met and started talking to the founder Olivier Pinol and his fantastic team a couple years ago. These are artists who are pouring love and personality into every frame. They understand very well the current market and what it means to commit to the best quality. There’s this great feeling at Dwarf to see that every penny we invest goes to the screen.
What do you love about the film? What makes it stand out in a crowded animation space?
Lino: It’s personal. I get to honor my Italian roots, and shine a light on a part of Italy that’s rarely shown on screen. This is a small alpine town with a tradition that’s ancient, bizarre, and beautiful. Every January 5th, they bring a creature — the Badalisc —into the town square. And it just… tells everyone’s secrets. Publicly. It airs out the town’s grievances so they can live the upcoming year in harmony.
Thematically, we lean into that — truth vs. lies. Is it ever okay to lie? Is brutal honesty always the answer? The Badalisc can only tell the truth, and that creates tension and comedy and heart. We explore that question throughout the film.
What are your biggest challenges right now?
Lino & Emmanuel: We’re in a landscape dominated by sequels, reboots, and IP-driven content. So just getting an original idea off the ground—something fresh and personal—that’s a win we’re very proud of. It took years, but we got there, thanks to the partners that trusted us.
How would you describe the visual style?
Lino: I’ve always dreamed of a CG-animated movie that actually looks like the concept art— that painterly, emotional feel that usually gets lost in translation. That’s what we’re going for. The world of this film is rich with history, culture, and texture, and our artists are doing stunning work to capture all that. It’s grounded, it’s stylized, and it’s visually rich in ways that feel both fresh and timeless.
Final question: What do you hope audiences take away from your movie when it arrives in theaters in early 2027?
Lino: The big question we ask is: Is it ever right to lie? I mean, sometimes it feels necessary… but is that true? Our main character, Angelina, is someone who tells everyone what they want to hear. It’s how she copes. It’s easier than dealing with conflict—especially in her loud, passionate, very Italian family. But over the course of the story, she learns the most important lesson of all: you can debate if it’s right or not to lie to someone, but one thing is for sure, one should never lie to yourself. That’s where things fall apart. I hope audiences walk away feeling that too.
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