“Mu-Ki-Ra” Set to Debut at Locarno Kids, Spotlighting Latin-American Childhood Themes

Colombian-Spanish animated feature “Mu-Ki-Ra” will premiere next month in the Locarno Kids sidebar of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. The 85-minute 2-D musical adventure, directed by Estefania Piñeres Duque, is scheduled for an August screening following its selection for the Cannes Marché du Film’s Annecy Animation Showcase in 2024.

Variety Magazine

The film is a co-production of Colombia’s Letrario (led by Alejandro Zapata) and Spain’s Ábano Producions (headed by five-time Goya winner Chelo Loureiro). Latido Films will handle market introduction. “Mu-Ki-Ra” follows Piñeres Duque’s previous work on the Netflix thriller *Delirio* and the award-winning short *Color-ido*. The story follows 13-year-old Cleo and her brother Martín as they confront vegetation-based monsters in a jungle, ultimately learning that fear is “in the eye of the beholder.”

Colombian-Spanish Animated Feature ‘Mu-Ki-Ra’ Heads to Market

Latido Films’ head Antonio Saura described the project as a family-friendly film that uses music and visual storytelling to explore empathy and the value of “the others.” The producers emphasized that the film aims to resonate with children who experience complex environments, offering a hopeful perspective on diversity and friendship.

Variety Magazine

• “’Mu-ki-ra’ is a more than delightful, exquisite and beautifully crafted all family film, which intelligently presents that sometimes the ‘others’ and the ‘different’ are precisely the parts of us that we miss,” — Antonio Saura, Latido Films head

Variety Magazine

• “We hope that everyone that watches this film will experience the joy and fascination we had when we were lucky to be chosen by the producers to represent it.” — Antonio Saura, Latido Films head

Variety Magazine

• “It wishes to be a celebration of their light and a reflection upon their darkness.” — Estefania Piñeres Duque, Director

Variety Magazine

• “Hopefully, it will connect with children who live in similar contexts through hope.” — Estefania Piñeres Duque, Director

Variety Magazine

• “Beneath the disguise, beyond your skin or voice, you’re part of me, we are the same song.” — Film’s musical number (lyric)

Variety Magazine

The film’s blend of Caribbean-inspired colors, 2-D animation, and a musical narrative positions it as a notable entry in the 2026 animated-film slate, with potential appeal to international family audiences.

Variety Magazine