Roy and Arturo Ambriz, the Mexican filmmaking brothers behind the country’s first stop-motion animated feature, are presenting their next project, “Ballad of the Phoenix,” at the Venice Gap-Financing Market running Sept. 4–6. The film follows their previous work “I Am Frankelda,” which became a box-office success and marked a significant milestone for Mexican animation.
“Ballad of the Phoenix” is a stop-motion fantasy grounded in Mexican folklore traditions. The narrative centers on Virian, a fire-wielding princess who escapes after discovering her father uses dark magic to extend his life by stealing souls. Pursued by her power-hungry father, Virian travels with a spirit guide called Phoenix, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and alchemical learning. The film explores themes of personal transformation, family complexity, responsibility, and grief.
The Ambriz brothers wrote and directed the project through their animation studio Cinema Fantasma, established in 2011. The production involves collaboration with producers from Woo Films and Cine Vendaval. In statements to trade publications, the filmmakers characterized the work as part of a larger vision to establish a distinctly Mexican cinematic universe aimed at children while appealing to broader audiences through emotional and philosophical dimensions.
The siblings’ path to this point involved significant challenges. They initially crowdfunded an early short project that attracted the attention of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. They later mortgaged their house to complete “I Am Frankelda,” which became Mexico’s third highest-grossing film during 2025 and subsequently received global distribution through Netflix earlier this year. The brothers’ development of “Ballad of the Phoenix” began over a decade ago but was paused when they were commissioned to produce an animated television series on Cartoon Network and HBO Max.
Roy Ambriz discussed their focus on integrating Mexican cultural elements into animation and emphasized the importance of expanding what Mexican aesthetics could represent in the medium. He also credited del Toro’s mentorship, recounting that the acclaimed director advised them to increase ambition and investment for their next film rather than cutting costs, a counterintuitive recommendation that guided their approach to “Ballad of the Phoenix.”
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