Attendees at this year’s CTN Expo in Burbank were treated to a special screening of Mushka, a new short film from legendary animator (and Disney Legend) Andreas Deja. Deja himself introduced his film, which he started working on 12 years ago.
Mushka tells the story of the Ukrainian girl Sarah who raises a Siberian tiger during the 1970s. She calls him Mushka, when she discovers an “M” shaped birthmark on the tiger cub’s forehead. The word “Mushka” is a Russian term of endearment, like sweetheart. As the tiger grows into adulthood, Sarah finds out that a few shady people in the village plan to kill and sell him for profit. In an effort to save him she takes Mushka deep into the forest to the same spot where she found him as an orphaned cub. Sarah hopes that her tiger will stay in the forest and learn how to be a wild animal, far away from any humans. Mushka is about the challenge of having to let go of someone you love, even if it is the hardest thing. The heartwarming story concludes with a reminder that life has a way to provide hope and happiness again, even amidst adversity.
The short retains a sketchbook quality, an intentional decision by Deja that was quickly grasped by his visual team. The story, a dramatic tale, takes place in a Siberian landscape that is, according to Deja, quite accurate. He also shared the fun story that he (perhaps jokingly) intended to name the titular tiger “Frank,” but it didn’t work and might even be too comedic for the story.
Deja, who is widely recognized for his animation accomplishments at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, including the characters of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Scar from The Lion King, and Jafar from Aladdin, stands by the craft of traditional 2D animation, and assembled a small team of those who could help bring his vision of Mushka to life. He even found his supervising animator, Courtney Dipaola, at the CTN Expo back in 2014.
Disney Legends Don Hahn and Andreas Deja discuss "Mushka" at CTN Expo 2023
His supervising animator wasn’t the only person he found at CTN Expo. One of the highlights for those in attendance is always a breakfast where up and coming artists can eat and chat with seasoned pros, including Deja. The restaurant itself, The Daily Grill, is also a mainstay for those attending the event, and was the location for a lunch between Deja and fellow Disney Legend, songwriter Richard M. Sherman. It was there he presented the story for Mushka when Sherman presented the idea that his film needed a lullaby, suggesting possibilities for what it could entail. That’s when Deja got his songwriter, joining his composer Fabrizio Mancinelli. The poignant orchestral score provides a heartfelt backdrop to the hand-drawn animated short film, which due to its dramatic nature, is grounded in realism, especially when compared to other shorts screened at the Expo, including fellow Disney alum John Musker’s I’m Hip.
The score and song from Mushka are both now available to stream on download on major platforms from Lakeshore Records, having debuted on November 17th. Just hours before the screening at CTN Expo, “Mushka’s Lullaby” won the Best Song in a Short Film award at The Hollywood Music in Media Awards, an industry group which honors original music in visual media around the globe. The song is performed by veteran singer and actress Holly Sedillos.
Mushka is currently making its way through festivals and expos like CTN, and more information can be found at the official site here.