story
In 1811, Mary Anning, an inquisitive and tenacious twelve-year-old girl, spends her days searching for fossils. Her father passed on this passion to her, but her life suddenly changes when he disappears, leaving behind a mysterious drawing and a struggling family. Determined to help her mother and brother, Mary tries to uncover the secret of the drawing. She will discover so much more than just fossils: friendships, adventures, and the very start of palaeontology.
author
Born in 1985 in Lodrin, Switzerland. An animated film director and picture book author, Barelli lives and works in Geneva. He loves animals and nature, which is why he develops all his projects in connection with them. His short films have been selected for numerous international festivals, where they have won many awards. Mary Anning is his first feature film.
filmography (selection)
2022 Autosaurus Rex
2024 Martha
2025 Mary Anning
“Mary Anning is a poor girl, barely making it through the day, and society looks at her with disapproval. Her strength is in her consistency, her determination. She embodies the positive force that I wanted to convey in the film; she insists on continuing to do what she loves, something right and important.” - Marcel Barelli
Mary Anning Mary Anning
Screenings
LIFFe / European Arthouse Cinema Day
directed by Marcel Barelli , screenplay Marcel Barelli, Pierre-Luc Granjon, Magali Pouzol , animation Maelle Chevallier, editing Maelle Chevallier, music Shyle Zalewski , producers Nicolas Burlet, Arnaud Demuynck, Tatjana Kozar , world sales Be For Films,
festivals, awards Annecy 2025, Locarno 2025
IMDbThursday, 11. 09. 2025
Kinobalon na LIFFu 2025 - za šole in vrtce
Začutite festivalsko vzdušje tudi s šolo ali vrtcem: filmi za otroke in mlade z vsega sveta. Med 12. in 23. novembrom 2025.
What's On
The Blue Trail O último azul
Gabriel Mascaro
Friday, 21. 11. 2025 / 15:00 / Main Hall
In this dystopian drama, Tereza, a septuagenarian, refuses being sent to a senior housing colony, embarking instead on a journey through the Amazon to realize one last wish before losing her freedom.
Renovation Renovacija
Gabrielė Urbonaitė
Friday, 21. 11. 2025 / 17:00 / Main Hall
Gabrielė Urbonaitė’s 16mm feature debut is an intimate portrayal of the lives of millennials torn between modernity’s endless possibilities and Western Europe’s constant pressure to perform.