Arco

In Ugo Bienvenu's debut animated feature, Arco is a boy from a distant future where families soar between sky-platform homes in rainbow flying suits. A fall during a family outing sends him hurtling to 2075, where a young girl and her robot companion take him in — and the three must unravel a mystical puzzle to get him back.

The film draws clear comparisons to Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, with the same care for world-building down to the smallest invented detail. Two distinct visions of the future are rendered in hand-drawn animation that rewards close watching, and the story keeps its focus on two children from different backgrounds finding common ground under pressure.

Arco earned a nomination for best animated feature at the Academy Awards and took home best feature at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. A proper cinema treat for older children and their parents.