Olivia & the Clouds
| Olivia & the Clouds | |
|---|---|
Promotional release poster | |
| Spanish | Olivia & Las Nubes |
| Directed by | Tomás Pichardo Espaillat |
| Screenplay by | Tomás Pichardo Espaillat |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jeremy García |
| Music by | Cem Misirlioğlu |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Miyu Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Language | Spanish |
Olivia & the Clouds (Spanish: Olivia & Las Nubes) is a 2024 Dominican adult animated experimental drama film written and directed by Tomás Pichardo Espaillat in his feature directorial debut.
The film had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival on 15 August 2024.
Summary
Olivia and The Clouds explores love’s complexities through the Rashomon effect. Olivia, haunted by a past love, hides it under her bed. She trades flowers with this ghost in exchange for comforting rain clouds.
Voice cast
- Olga Valdez as Olivia
- Héctor Aníbal as Ramón
- Elsa Núñez as Doña Olivia
- Fery Cordero Bello as Mauricio
- Dominique Goris as Barbara
- Fidia Peralta as Yudelkis
- Lill Taveras as Laura
- Rebecca Dalmasí as Graciela
- Cesar Calcagno as Arturo
- Ricardo Ariel Toribio as Vendedor de flores / Marinero
Production
In an interview with Loud and Clear, Pichardo Espaillat revealed that the production of the film began ten years prior. Different animators contributed different animation techniques to the film. "The film has these different points of views and characters, so I could play around with that idea in the visuals. All these people could bring their own styles and ways of working," he explained.[1]
Release
Olivia & the Clouds had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival on 15 August 2024, competing for the Concorso Cineasti del Presente award.[2] Prior to its premiere, Miyu Distribution acquired the film's distribution rights.[3]
It also competed at the 2024 Ottawa International Animation Festival,[4] in the Sutherland Trophy section of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival where it won a special mention,[5] in the Harbour section of the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam screened in February 2025,[6] in the Contrechamp section of the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival[7] and in the International Animated Feature Films Competition of the 2025 Guadalajara International Film Festival where it won best international animated film.[8]
The film had a limited theatrical release on June 19, 2025, in Dominican theaters in the Fine Arts chain.[9]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locarno Film Festival | 17 August 2024 | Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present | Olivia & the Clouds | Nominated | [10] |
| Junior Jury Award | Special Mention | [11] | |||
| Ottawa International Animation Festival | 28 September 2024 | Best Feature | Nominated | [12] | |
| BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Sutherland Trophy | Special Mention | [13] | |
| Havana Film Festival | 13 December 2024 | Best Animated Film | Won | [14] | |
| Málaga Film Festival | 22 March 2025 | Zonazine – Silver Biznaga for Best Ibero-American Film | Won | [15] | |
| Film Schools Award for Best Film | Won | [16] | |||
| Filmfest Bremen | 23 March 2025 | Best Visual Innovation | Won | [17] | |
| San Diego Latino Film Festival | 23 March 2025 | Best Feature Film | Won | [18] | |
| Athens International Film And Video Festival | 13 April 2025 | Film House Award | Won | [19] | |
| Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film | 10 May 2025 | Animovie | Special Mention | [20] | |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 14 June 2025 | Contrechamp – Best Feature Film | Nominated | [21] | |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 14 June 2025 | Best International Animation Feature Film | Won | [22] | |
| Costa Rica International Film Festival | 29 June 2025 | Best Feature Film from Central America and the Caribbean | Special Mention | [23] | |
| Animator (festival) | 12 July 2025 | International Full-Length Competition | Special Mention | [24] | |
| Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival | 28 September 2025 | Best Feature-Length Fiction Film | Special Mention | [25] | |
| Hispanic Heritage Film Festival | 8 October 2025 | Best Feature Film | Special Mention | [26] | |
| Rengo International Film Festival | 29 November 2025 | Best Feature Film Fiction International | Won | [27] | |
| Best Director International Fiction Feature | Tomás Pichardo Espaillat | Won | [28] | ||
| La Silla Awards | 18 December 2025 | Best Animation | Olivia & The Clouds | Won | [29] |
References
- ^ Stottor, William (20 October 2024). "Interview: Tomás Pichardo Espaillat on Olivia & the Clouds". Loud and Clear. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (10 July 2024). "Locarno Fest Lineup Includes Hong Sang-soo, Paz Vega Films, Honors for Mélanie Laurent, Guillaume Canet". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (1 August 2024). "Miyu Acquires Animated Dominican Feature 'Olivia & the Clouds' Ahead of Locarno, Ottawa Competition Screenings (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (12 July 2024). "Ottawa Int'l Animation Festival 2024 Lineup Announced – Full List". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Award winners announced at 2024 BFI London Film Festival". BFI. 2024-10-20. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ^ "Harbour: Olivia & the Clouds". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (2025-04-23). "Annecy Selects 21 Animated Features For Competition Lineups". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ^ "'O Último Azul', 'Olivia y las nubes' y 'Los inocentes' triunfan en el Festival de Cine de Guadalajara". Programa Ibermedia (in European Spanish). 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ^ Pujols, Daniela (2025-06-19). "Olivia & Las Nubes se estrena hoy en Fine Arts". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (17 August 2024). "Locarno Film Festival Winners: Lithuanian Teen Drama 'Toxic' Takes Top Prize". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Libre, Diario (2024-08-19). "Delegación dominicana en Festival de Cine de Locarno logra tres premios". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-24.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (30 September 2024). "'Flow,' 'La Voix Des Sirènes' Win Top Awards At Ottawa International Animation Festival". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Walton, Ben (20 October 2024). "Adam Elliot's 'Memoir Of A Snail' heads BFI London Film Festival 2024 winners". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Cardin, Adele (2024-12-14). "Mexican and Argentine Films Dominate 45th Havana Film Festival". The Rio Times. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (2025-03-22). "Eva Libertad's 'Deaf' Follows Up Berlin Audience Award With Málaga Best Picture Pick, 'The Exiles,' 'Fury' Score Three Awards Each". Variety. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
- ^ "El Festival de Málaga entrega los premios de ZonaZine, Cortometrajes, Documentales, Mosaico y otros galardones no oficiales | Actualidad | Festival de Málaga". El Festival de Málaga entrega los premios de ZonaZine, Cortometrajes, Documentales, Mosaico y otros galardones no oficiales | Actualidad | Festival de Málaga. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
- ^ "Das Bremer Filmfest 2025". Filmfest Bremen. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Thank You (Mil Gracias) for an Incredible 32nd SDLFF! – SDLFF" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "2025 Awards! – 52nd Athens International Film + Video Festival – April 7-13, 2025". Retrieved 2025-04-13.
- ^ Rebecca (2025-05-10). "Winners | Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart (ITFS)". itfs.de. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (23 April 2025). "Annecy Unveils 2025 Lineup (Full List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ Rodríguez, Andrés (15 June 2025). "El documental 'Llamarse Olimpia', galardonado con el Premio Mezcal a mejor película en el Festival de Cine en Guadalajara". El País.
- ^ CRFIC (2025-06-30). "CRFIC 13 cierra con una noche de premios, música y mucho cine". CRFIC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Festiwal Animator Poznań, 5.- 13.07.2025 - "Autokar" w drodze po Oscara! | Zwycięzcy 18. MFFA ANIMATOR". animator-festival.com (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "TTFF 2025 Closes Honouring Caribbean Film Excellence". The Caribbean Camera. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ^ Libre, Diario (2025-10-21). ""Olivia & las nubes", la aclamada película dominicana es reconocida en Miami". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ Libre, Diario (2025-12-03). "Película "Olivia & las nubes" gana "Mejor largometraje" y "Mejor director" en festival chileno". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-05.
- ^ administrador (2025-12-04). "La magia de 'Olivia y las Nubes': Animación Dominicana que Conquista el Mundo". Cine Dominicano: Noticias y Críticas del Cine en República Dominicana (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-05.
- ^ administrador (2025-12-19). "Premios La Silla 2025: Lista completa de ganadores". Cine Dominicano – Noticias, Estrenos y Críticas del Cine en República Dominicana (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-19.