Photo from “Forgotten Island”
DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature “Forgotten Island” is generating strong buzz months ahead of its release, following a successful screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
The animated film received a five-minute standing ovation after its festival presentation.
Critics have also been quick to praise the project, with some describing it as “the best DreamWorks film of the decade.”
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Among those celebrating the milestone was Filipino American actress Liza Soberano, who shared the news on X. The actress, who voices one of the film’s lead characters, reposted footage of the standing ovation and reacted with three crying emojis, joining fans in expressing excitement over the film’s growing international recognition.
— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) June 24, 2026
During Annecy, the film’s creators described the project as a heartfelt tribute to the Philippines, highlighting the many Filipino artists and creatives who helped bring the story to life.
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Director Joel Crawford paid special tribute to the Filipino talent working behind the scenes, including the film’s composer and the artists from Manila-based Snipple Animation. The filmmakers emphasized that the collaboration with Filipino artists helped shape the film’s identity.
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Adding even more Filipino representation to the project is acclaimed theater and music icon Lea Salonga, who voices one of the movie’s central characters. However, audiences expecting Salonga to play a traditional hero may be surprised.
Salonga, according to producer Januel Mercado, “ain’t no hero in our movie,” as the legendary performer lends her voice to the Dreaded Manananggal. The creature is one of several supernatural beings featured in the film.
The post ‘Forgotten Island’ earns standing ovation at Annecy Film Festival appeared first on USNewsRank.
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