Anna Mantzaris' New Stop-Motion Film 'Please' Releases Trailer

Please is a stop-motion dark-comedy short by Anna Mantzaris, linking stories of city dwellers seeking affection and acceptance. It had its world premiere at Animafest Zagreb on June 8, 2026, with Stel

Anna Mantzaris's Please is a 9-minute stop-motion dark comedy about urban characters trying to hide their desire to be loved. The film had its world premiere in the short film competition at Animafest Zagreb on June 8, 2026, with Stellan Skarsgård voicing Winston, a lonely CEO.

Where Tenderness and Embarrassment Overlap

The film consists of several loosely connected episodes. The characters, searching for relationships and recognition, find themselves in comic yet bizarre situations, and the story does not shy away from intimacy, romance, or the desire to depend on others. At its center is an unflinching look at the feeling of “being needed” within a culture that encourages self-control.

Urban Loneliness Made with Felt Puppets

Mantzaris uses felt-textured puppets and finely detailed everyday spaces to visualize the characters' awkwardness. This materiality brings exaggerated gestures and expressionless spaces to life together, allowing funny scenes to quickly give way to a lonely mood. The official description explains that the story takes shape as a portrait of collective longing through repetition and overlap.

International Production and Later Award

A co-production between Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Finland, the film involved production companies including Apparat Filmproduktion AB, while international distribution and sales were handled by Miyu Distribution. That same month, the film received the Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.