The Academy Awards are almost here (March 15th, 2026), and while a lot of the films fall outside of what we’d consider the “scrappy” type, the shorts, and in particular the animated shorts, of course exhibit a lot of independent, scrappy ethos.
One of these films is Papillon (Butterfly). This animated short, which follows the harrowing and heartbreaking story of a swimmer recounting some of the best and darkest days of his life in the water is special not only in the true story it represents, but also in its style. Sure, there are some great hand-drawn animated shorts out there, but this is something more rare: This is a hand-painted short. While we sometimes say each frame is a painting in great looking films, in this case it’s actually true.
While hand-painting each frame is rare, it certainly isn’t new for director/animator Florence Miailhe, who has been working in this style for more than 30 years. This story is also personal for Florence, as she had swimming lessons with William Nakache, the brother of Alfred Nakache, who’s life is the focus of the film.
So take fifteen minutes, and watch what most likely will be the Academy Award winning animated short, Papillon: