Award-Winning Director Ida Melum Returns with Bold New Stop-Motion Short ‘Ovary-Acting’
Skwigly
Following her BAFTA-nominated and Annie Award-winning short Night of the Living Dread, director Ida Melum returns with Ovary-Acting, a new stop-motion animation set to have its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the animated shorts curated by Whoopi Golderg. The film, starring Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho, Miss Austen) and Sofia Oxenham (Extraordinary), will also compete in the Official Selection at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025.
Ovary-Acting (Dir. Ida Melum)
A comedic and deeply personal story, Ovary-Acting explores the emotional rollercoaster of what it means to consider having kids today. The film probes parenthood through the lenses of biology, ethics, practicality and bodily autonomy with wit, honesty, cheek and meticulously handcrafted animation. With backing from the Norwegian and Swedish Film Institutes, as well as Film i Väst among others, the film cements Melum’s position as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary animation.
The project reunites Melum with BAFTA-nominated writer Laura Jayne Tunbridge (Sweetpea, Requiem), whose layered and incisive script balances humor with heartfelt storytelling. The film was produced by an international team including Kjersti Greger (Klipp og Lim, Norway), Michelle Brøndum (Jante Films, UK), and Johan Edström (Apparat Filmproduktion AB, Sweden), with Brøndum and Greger bringing years of experience in both festival success and creative development.
The world of Ovary-Acting is brought vividly to life through the work of production and character designer Svein Erik Okstad (Fanitullen, Bug City). His intricate designs and handcrafted environments add charm and emotional depth to the film’s miniature universe. The visual storytelling is further enhanced by Director of Photography Jøran Wærdahl, whose 25 years of experience at Klipp og Lim have made him an expert of puppet animation cinematography.
Editor Lesley Posso (Broken Bird, Turn Up the Sun!) continues her close collaboration with Melum, bringing her award-winning talent to Ovary-Acting, and shaping the film’s pace and tone with a deft editorial hand.
The film’s soundtrack features a playful, charming score by Joseph Stevenson (Mayflies, His Dark Materials) and an extravagant original song by Alastair McNamara (Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, The Other Fellow), paying homage to Broadway and classic Hollywood musicals.
With its distinctive blend of absurdist humor, social commentary, and technical artistry, Ovary-Acting promises to resonate with global audiences while showcasing the joy and continued evolution of stop-motion animation in the festival circuit.
OVARY-ACTING will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 7th at 5:30 pm in New York, at the Shorts Theater in Spring Studios and screen as part of Annecy’s 2025 Official Selection