The Indo-French animated feature “Heirloom” has formalized its French co-production with Paris-based Condor Films and secured the CNC‘s Aide aux Cinémas du Monde grant. The period family fantasy marks the debut feature of Upamanyu Bhattacharyya.
Bhattacharyya previously won the City of Annecy Award in 2020 for his short “Wade.”
Set in Ahmedabad in 1960, “Heirloom” centres on Kirti, a young businessman devoted to preserving handloom traditions, and his wife Sonal, who is slowly dying of a hereditary disease and urges the family to pivot to the powerloom industry to secure their future. The couple’s conflict sharpens when they discover a tapestry that maps their entire family history, forcing a reckoning between progress and the pull of the past. The film is animated using raw, hand-drawn 2D techniques combined with stop-motion embroidery.
The film is produced by Odd & Even and Otter Studios alongside Condor Films and the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). Condor Films, the production arm of arthouse distributor Condor Distribution, serves as the French creative and financing partner. Additional co-producers are Tarun Lakshminarayanan, Sanyukta Srinivasan, and Bangalore-based advertising agency Talented.
“Securing the Aide au Cinéma du Monde grant is a powerful endorsement of Upamanyu’s vision and of a film six years in the making,” said Arya A. Menon and Shubham Karna of Odd & Even. “Our partnership with Condor Films brings together two countries and two of cinema’s richest filmmaking traditions, exactly the kind of bold, borderless storytelling ‘Heirloom’ was always meant to be. We can’t wait to share what we create together.”
“We’re really excited to be able to partner with Condor, and to be able to help continue their exceptional run of taking unique South Asian projects to the world,” added Bhattacharyya. “The Cinema Du Monde grant was something for us to aspire towards for a long time, and we’re now very eager to pursue an enriching collaboration with France thanks to it. We’re very grateful to the commission for their consideration!”
“Rarely do you encounter an animated project that feels so distinctive in both its storytelling and its craft,” said Condor Films’ Alexis Mas and Martin Jérome. “‘Heirloom’ immediately resonated with us through its rich emotional core and extraordinary visual ambition. We are delighted to accompany the film creatively and financially, and to embark on this collaboration with such a talented team.”
The project has a long development trail through the international co-production circuit. It was developed at the Annecy Residency in 2021 and pitched at MIFA Features Pitches the same year, with backing from the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Département de la Haute-Savoie. It appeared at Cannes 2023 through Cannes Animation Day and the Annecy Goes To Cannes showcase, as well as the NFDC-India Film Bazaar Co-Production Market. The project won the WIP Award at HAF (HKIFF) 2024 and was included in HAF Goes To Cannes that year. In 2025, it was selected for Annecy Work in Progress and was the sole animated film at the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
