☔️ Years later, it was time to start the pre-production of UMBRELLA. Laura Guedes, a talented concept artist, created the concept design of all the characters, which was inspired by real people from Helena´s family. It was a fundamental and amazing collaboration process that defined the colors and overall mood of the characters. 🤩😍✏️ #umbrellaanimatedshort #conceptart #conceptdesign
A yellow umbrella that holds a lifelong story.
While visiting a home for children, a little girl meets Joseph, a boy whose only dream is to have a yellow umbrella.
This unexpected encounter awakens his memories of the past.
Inspired by true events, Umbrella is an award-winning animated short film created and produced independently at the creative studio STRATOSTORM and it is the only Brazilian animated short film qualified for the 2021 Academy Awards Consideration.
Filled with messages of hope and empathy, the animated short film Umbrella was written and directed by Helena Hilario and Mario Pece it is their duo directorial debut.
Umbrella follows Joseph’s story, a boy who lives in an orphanage and dreams of having a yellow Umbrella until he unexpectedly meets a little girl, who awakens his memories of the past.
Premiered in North America at the prestigious TRIBECA Film Festival, and before that, the film screened in Northern Ireland’s Foyle Film Festival. Umbrella was screened in the Official Selection at 19 Academy Award® Qualifying Film Festivals around the world.
“The story is inspired by heartbreaking true event that happened with my sister in the south of Brazil back in 2011,” says Director Helena Hilario. “The message of the film is empathy for others,” says Hilario and Pece. “That one can make a huge difference in the lives of others by just being kind. It makes us reflect on the importance of observing, listening, and understanding that we cannot judge people without knowing what is behind their experience. Everyone goes through situations that we can’t even imagine, so we must be kind to each other. That´s why we thought about bringing empathy and hope to this narrative. Something we need more and more. The Stratostorm team worked tirelessly and passionate about bringing this project to life, and they all loved the story because our main character, Joseph, never turns negative on the world or his life. Through the story, we find out why a simple yellow umbrella holds a lifelong fascination for him.”
ACCOLADES
ROADSHOW SCREENINGS
- ESCAPE STUDIOS (London)
- VFX RIO (Rio de Janeiro)
- UNLOCK CCXP (São Paulo)
NEWS
☔️ The heartbreaking story of Umbrella is inspired by true events that happened in early December 2011 in an orphanage in the south of Brazil. The writers-directors Helena Hilario and Mario Pece turned the pain into art and wrote the first draft of the script full of emotion, empathy, and kindness in late December 2011. Over the years, only three scenes were added in the first original draft. Everything else was there on paper since day 1! UMBRELLA follows Joseph’s story, a boy who lives in an orphanage and dreams of having a yellow umbrella until he meets a little girl that awakens his memories of the past. ☔️🥰🤗💜 🗞 #umbrellaanimatedshort #screenplay #script #shortfilm #animation
☔️ We are thrilled to announce our Canadian Premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival – CIFF from Sep 4- Oct 4. Umbrella will be playing online and in-cinema! It’s going to be fun! Please join us there! Tickets on sale now!! Thank you so much, CIFF! 🤗🥰❤️🇨🇦 #umbrellaanimatedshort #CIFF #CIFF2020
☔️ Hola Mexico! We are excited to share that Umbrella will be playing at the Guanajuato International Film Festival, Sep 18-27. Check out and watch online their great 2020 lineup 🤩 Muchas Gracias GIFF ❤️🥰 #umbrellaanimatedshort #GIFF2020
Have you seen the adorable back of our postcard? It’s so cute #umbrellaanimatedshort #postcard
Hola Mexico! We are excited to be playing Umbrella at the Shorts México September 2-9! Check our their page to watch great animated films! Muchas Gracias #shortsmexico #umbrellaanimatedshort
Montana! Umbrella will be at Bozeman Film Celebration from Aug 26-Sep 5! Please join us and get your virtual pass now!! Thank you, BZN! #umbrellaanimatedshort #bzn2020
☔️ We are thrilled to share with you that Umbrella will be playing in Japan! Our Japanese premiere will be at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia on Sep 16-27 !! We can´t wait! Thank you so much, SSFF! ありがとう 🇯🇵❤️🤗🥰
☔️ Umbrella is premiering in India at the Bengaluru International Film Festival!! We’re looking forward to streaming Umbrella alongside some other great shorts! Join us at the online festival Aug 13-16! Thank you BISFF 🤗🤩💚🇮🇳 #umbrellaanimatedshort #bisff
☔️ Yaaay! We´re very excited to share that Umbrella is heading to the Rhode Island International Film Festival Film Festival Aug 4- 9!!! We can´t wait to share our film with you! Stay tuned for the Umbrella screening date and check out the amazing 2020 lineup and daily schedule updates on their website! www.film-festival.org/
Thank you, RIIFF! 💜🤗🇺🇸
#umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️💜 Thank you so much Heartland Film Indy Shorts for the Audience Award and all those who watched and voted for Umbrella! We are thrilled and proud to be part of this incredible Academy Award®-qualifying festival! Thank you, thank you! 🤗🥰🙌
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Congrats to our entire talented team of fantastic artists that brought this film to life! ☔️👏
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#umbrellaanimatedshort #indyshorts2020
☔️💜 We’re excited to share that Umbrella has won the Best Family Film Award at the Cordillera International Film Festival! Thank you to the amazing jury and everyone that supports our short-film. 🤗🤩🥰
☔️ Our beloved Umbrella is also available online at the Cordillera International Film Festival !! Please get your tickets NOW and watch our film and many other fantastic films! Available only between July 23-26! 💚🤗
☔️ It starts tomorrow!! 🤗 Umbrella will be available online only between July 21-26 during the Heartland Film Indy Shorts at the Kids and Family Program! Pre-order Umbrella now and watch it at home!! Check out the fantastic festival lineup 2020 and share your thoughts with us about Umbrella!! We’d love to hear from you! 💜🤗☔️
Tickets here: bit.ly/indyshorts2020tickets
☔️🇬🇧 Happy to share that Umbrella is an Official Selection at the British Animation Film Festival! Thank you The Film Festival Guild ! Check out the incredible 2020 lineup, streaming for free between July 13-19! Don’t miss it out! 🤩🤗 #umbrellaanimatedshort #britishanimationfestival
☔️🇮🇹 Ciao!! We are coming back to Italy! 🇮🇹
Umbrella will be screening at Cartoon Club Animation Film Festival, tomorrow July 16 at 9:30pm.
If you are in the beautiful Rimini, please come to watch Umbrella and many other fantastic short films!! Thank you Cartoon Club! 🤗🤩
#umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ We’re thrilled to announce that Umbrella has won Best 3D Animated Film at the Florida Animation Festival this year! Shout out to the incredible animators, 3D artists and our entire team, who brought Umbrella to life! 💜👏Thank you #FloridaAnimationFestival🤗🏆🥇
#umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ We are honored and happy to announce that Umbrella will be heading to Indianapolis’s Indy Shorts!! Thank you so much Heartland Film 💜🤗🤩
The 2020 Official Selections will be streaming July 21-26! Tickets are on sale, pre- order now! 👏🇺🇸
#umbrellaanimatedshort #indyshorts2020 #indyshorts #heartlandfilmfestival
☔️ We are very excited about the in-person screening of Umbrella at the 50th USA Film Festival in Dallas on Saturday at 4:15 pm as part of the Animated Short Films Program. 🤗💜 Tickets are free, and seating is limited but must be reserved by telephone at 214.821.6300 ☎️🇺🇸 #umbrellaanimatedshort #usafilmfestival
☔️💜 Film still from Umbrella passing through your timeline 🤗☂️🌧 #tbt #umbrellaanimatedshort #filmframe #filmstill #3danimation
☔️ More festival news! Umbrella is a finalist for the 50th USA Film Festival! 🤗🙌🇺🇸 If you are in Dallas next week, stay tuned to attend the in-person screening! 🥰
Thank you #USAFilmFestival!
☔️ We are so excited to be part of the 2020 Florida Animation Festival Official Selection! 🤗 The festival this year will be completely virtual, and many wonderful films will be available for streaming only from June 11-14. Please check out TODAY!
☔️ Umbrella was named Winner of Best Original Score in Animation Film! Yaaay!! We are so happy! Thank you so much Cinematography Awards and #NYAFA 🤗🎻🎶 #umbrellaanimatedshort
Complete list of winners and official selection here: http://nyafa.com/
☔️ We wish we could be in the sunny Gran Canaria this week at @animayofestival, screening Umbrella for the first time in Spain and celebrating animation together! 🇪🇸☀️
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But what is still very cool is that the amazing international jury is viewing and voting the films in the competition categories via an online platform today and tomorrow! 🤞 Muchas Gracias for the opportunity Animayo Film Festival ! 🤗☔️💜🎉 #umbrellaanimatedshort #animayo #animayovirtual
💕 As we count down the days until we can start social contact with our loved ones again, Joseph and Helena want to remind you of some essential precautions to protect yourself and others! 💕🤗😷☔️
#umbrellaanimatedshort #covid19 #coronavirus #quarantine #socialdistancing #PSA
☔️ We are thrilled to announce that Umbrella is selected for the @animayofestival 2020!! We are coming – virtually – to Spain!! Stay tuned for streaming dates and more! Muchas Gracias Animayo! 🇪🇸❤️
🤗 #umbrellaanimatedshort #animayo #animayovirtual #virtualanimayo
☔️ Ohio! We’re coming to you! While we are saddened we can´t be there in person, the amazing organizers of Cleveland International Film Festival are supporting their 2020 storytellers and proceeding with the juried awards for short films!🤞They also launched the #CIFFStreams, for you to stay home and watch the features and short films originally slated to screen at #CIFF44! Isn´t It Awesome?🤗📺 ⠀
Umbrella is now available on the platform until April 28 (link below) with access geo-restricted to viewers in Ohio! Thank you so much CIFF!!! ❤️🇺🇸
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https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/2020/umbrella
#umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ Umbrella officially premieres in North America this week at Tribeca ´s 2020 Animation Short Competition! The access to our film is exclusive to the fabulous juries, members of the press and industry! Wishing good luck to our beloved film 🤗💛🤞🙏☔️🍀🗽🇺🇸
#umbrellaanimatedshort #TriBeca2020 #TriBecaStrong #TribecaFilmFestival
☔️ We would like say a massive Thank You to the entire incredible Tribeca team for their continued support to storytellers during this strange and uncertain times.
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Without the in-person festival in April, the organizers had an amazing initiative and announced that some of the Tribeca’s competition programming, including our beloved Umbrella will be available online for the illustrious juries, members of the press and industry! 💕🙌
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While we are devastated we can’t screen our film with a wider audience at this time, we are grateful and honored to have this incredible opportunity. Umbrella carries a heartwarming message that feels particularly timely: Empathy, hope and kindness, after all, this is all we need right now!🤞🙌💛
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#umbrellaanimatedshort #tribeca2020 #tribeca #tribecastrong #staystrong #weareinthistogether 🇺🇸🗽❤️
#weareinthistogether 🇺🇸🗽❤️
☔️💔🦠😷
The Coronavirus outbreak is rapidly-spreading and it is affecting entertainment events around the world, from the theatrical releases, to film festivals and conferences.
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Many incredible film festivals that Umbrella is selected to screen in March and April are currently postponed or cancelled. This is a difficult time for everyone and for our entire industry but unfortunately in this moment of uncertainty this is the best decision in order to protect the health and safety of the public. We will update you in the next few weeks as soon as we have more information from the festivals.
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We are devastated with this news but we are here to express our love and support to all the programmers and organizers for their hard work, and our gratitude for the opportunity given to our beloved Umbrella. Sending our empathy and kindness in this unprecedented situation to the entire film festivals teams and to our fellow filmmakers. Stay strong! 💜🙏 ☔️💔🦠😷
The Coronavirus outbreak is rapidly-spreading and it is affecting entertainment events around the world, from the theatrical releases, to film festivals and conferences.
⠀
Many incredible film festivals that Umbrella is selected to screen in March and April are currently postponed or cancelled. This is a difficult time for everyone and for our industry but unfortunately in this moment of uncertainty this is the best decision in order to protect the health and safety of the public. We will update you in the next few weeks as soon as we have more information from the festivals.
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We are devastated with this news but we are here to express our love and support to all the programmers and organizers for their hard work, and our gratitude for the opportunity given to our beloved Umbrella. Sending our empathy and kindness in this unprecedented situation to the entire film festivals teams and to our fellow filmmakers. Stay strong! 💜🙏 Tribeca Cinequest Cleveland International Film Festival American Documentary And Animation Film Festival and Film Fund San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
☔️💜 We are incredibly honored and excited to announce that Umbrella will be screening at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival in April. Tickets will go on sale on March 17th at 11am ET. We can’t wait to see you at #Tribeca2020! 🤗🚀🇺🇸🗽
☔️💜 Never before seen film frame of Umbrella passing through your timeline 😍🥰
💜 #umbrellaanimatedshort #filmstills #filmframe #3danimation #shortfilm #CGI
☔️ Ohio! We’re coming to you! Umbrella is proud and very excited to be selected to screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival. See you there! March 25 – April 5. Thank you so much CIFF!!! 💖🤩🤗🤞🇱🇷
☔️ Umbrella was created with passion, dedication and tireless commitment of our team at StratoStorm in Brazil, who worked so hard in this room over months and months of production to bring our beloved short film to life! We’re so thankful to our amazing 3D artists! 💜🙌🤗🇧🇷 #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ See you soon San Luis Obispo! Umbrella is excited to be a part of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival for 2020!! We’ll see you there, March 17-22! Thank you SloFilmFest! 🤗🤩🇺🇸 #umbrellaanimatedshort #slofilmfest
☔️ We are is thrilled to be selected to screen Umbrella at @amdocfilmfest in Palm Springs!! We’re looking forward to seeing you there!! March 27-30 !! Thank you so much AmDocs!🤞💜🌴☺️
#umbrellaanimatedshort #amdocs
☔️ We´re proud to share that Umbrella will be screening at the amazing Cinequest !!!🤞🤗 Please save the date and join us in San Jose / Sillicon Valey, March 3-15! We can´t wait! THANK you so much Cinequest!! 💜🇱🇷
#umbrellaanimatedshort #Cinequest
☔️💜🏆 Grazie, Italia! 🤗❤️🇮🇹 #umbrellaanimatedshort #animotionfilmfest
☔️🇮🇹 Italia!! With Mario Pece, one of our directors coming from Italy, we are pretty excited for this screening! If you are in Firenze, please come to see Umbrella at Animotion Film Festival on Saturday! We’ll see you there 🤗🤞
#umbrellaanimatedshort
#animotionfilmfest
❤️🇮🇹 We’re very excited to share that last night Umbrella won the Best Animation Award at the Animotion Film Festival for 2020! Thank you to the judges and everyone that supports the our short film! ☔️🏆🎉🤞☺️
☔️ Thank you so much Silk Road International Film Festival for naming Umbrella “Best Short Animation” this year, and to all those that came out to see our film! We are so happy!! 🥰
💜 Congrats to our amazing team and to our animation supervisor Hannry Cabelo who represented Umbrella at the festival in Dublin last Saturday! 🤗
#umbrellaanimatedshort #silkroadinternationalfilmfestival
☔️ Wonderful news! Umbrella was just nominated for @premios_quirino for Best Sound Design and Original music of Ibero-American Animation work, alongside 5 amazing projects from Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, and Spain, including the Academy Award Nominee, Klaus. Thank you so much, we are thrilled!! 💜🤗🤞🇪🇸 #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️🇮🇪 Ireland! The @silkroadfilmfestival starts today, and we want to invite you to come and support our screening on Saturday, Jan 25th at 12:30pm!! 🤗🤞
#umbrellaanimatedshort #silkroadinternationalfilmfestival
☔️🇮🇹 Ciao Italia! We are so excited that Umbrella will be screening at Animotion Film Festival l!!
Please join us in Firenze on February 1st! Grazie Animotion! 🤞 #umbrellaanimatedshort #animotionfilmfest
☔️ Umbrella is coming back to Ireland! Excited to share with you that we are in the official selection at Silk Road International Film Festival. Thank you SRIFF!
☔️ Click the link below to check the full Short Film Program and get tickets to watch Umbrella on Jan 25th at 12:30pm!
🎄✨Happy Holidays!!! ❤️
We are so grateful to the audiences and juries at the film festivals for the recognition and support. Thank you so much to everyone that has liked our Instagram and Facebook page, shared our news, followed and supported Umbrella since its debut in November. 🙌🤞🙏
More exciting festival news are coming in 2020!! We’ll see you soon! ☔️ #umbrellaanimatedshort #happyholidays
☔️ Umbrella was named Best Original Score and received a Bronze Medal at Global Music Awards! Congrats to our amazing composer Gabriel Dib for the beautiful score and Thanks to GMA for the reconigzion 💛🎶🎻 #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️💜 Thank you so much to São Paulo Film Festival for voting for Umbrella, we are happy to be part of such a great festival! #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ We are so happy to share that Umbrella is selected as the semi-finalist at São Paulo Film Festival ! Thank you SPFF, we’ll see you there on Dec 12th! 💛
#umbrellaanimatedshort #saopaulofilmfestival
☔️ We’re excited to share that Umbrella will be screening at the Unlock CCXP CCXP today! With our production team based in São Paulo, we’re thrilled to bring this short to Brazil at this incredible event! 💜
☔️ We’re excited to share that Umbrella will be screening at the Unlock CCXP CCXP today! With our production team based in São Paulo, we’re thrilled to bring this short to Brazil at this incredible event! 💜
☔️🇧🇷 Thank so much for the warm reception from the team at VFX Rio and to everyone who attended Umbrella’s screening. We are so grateful for all the love and support!! 💛#umbrellaanimatedshort #vfxrio
💛🇧🇷 Brazil! We’re coming to you! Umbrella is so excited to be part of VFX Rio next Monday for our Brazilian premiere! ☔️
💛☔️ Thank you so much Oniros Film Awards for the Best Animation Award and Honorable Mention for Best Screenplay. We are so excited!! 🤗 #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ Amazing news!! We are thrilled to have received the Best Animation and Best Children Short Platinum Award. Thank you so much IMDB Independent Shorts Awards for the recognition and congratulations to our amazing team!! 💜🤗 #umbrellaanimatedshort
☔️ It was a pleasure to show Umbrella at Espace Studios and meet so many talented students! Thank you so much Escape Studios and to everyone who attended our screening! 💜
☔️ Hello London!!! Excited to announce our first roadshow private screening, tomorrow at Escape Studios! 🇬🇧
☔️💜 Thank you so much to Foyle Film Festival ‘s team and everyone who came to watch and support Umbrella and many other amazing independent short and feature films over the weekend! We had a great time! 🇮🇪
🇮🇪 Heading to Ireland for Foyle Film Festival?
☔️ Come to check out our first public screening!!!!
Saturday, Nov 16th at 1pm at Nerve Centre Cinema, Derry.
We are very excited and honored to announce that Umbrella has been selected for the Foyle Film Festival. We are the finalists for this year’s Light in Motion Awards for Best Animated Short Film
After several months of production,Umbrella teaser is here! We are thrilled to share it with you!
Umbrella follows the story of Joseph, a boy who lives in an orphanage and dreams of having a yellow Umbrella, until he unexpectedly meets a little girl, who awakens his memories of the past.
Here’s one more character shot from Umbrella as we prepare to release our teaser next week!
As we get closer to the release of the teaser, we thought we’d share a still from the film with you! This is our main character, Joseph. 💜
Here’s our official film poster! Stay tuned, Umbrella is coming this fall to a film festival near you!
Coming soon to a film festival near you!
The Team
Written and Directed by
Helena Hilario and Mario Pece
Produced by
Helena Hilario
Animation Studio
Stratostorm
- Executive Producers: Helena Hilario, Mario Pece, Louis Lee
- 3D Supervisor: Alan Prado
- Art Director: Dhiego Guimarães
- Animation Supervisor: Hannry Pschera
- Lead Character Artists: Victor Hugo, Felipe Pardini
- Rigging Supervisor: Danilo Pinheiro
- Technical Director: Mario Pece
- Concept Artists: Laura Guedes, Giovanni Pedroni
- Storyboard: Laura Guedes, Giovanni Pedroni
- Color Script: Murilo Justiniano
- Graphic Designer: Lucas Araújo
- End Credits: Cynthia Liz
- Publicist: Steve Fisher, Alberto Pereira
- Making of: Igor Dias, Troy Chiu, David T.W. Yu
- Website Design: Luis Mourão, Lídia Ganhito
- 3D Artists: Alan Prado, Dhiego Guimarães, Felipe Pardini, Samuel Simões, André Nunes, Joyce Amaral, Gabriel Escame, Douglas Giarletti
- Camera and Layout: Dhiego Guimarães
- Pipeline: Alan Prado, Mario Pece
- Character Artists: Alan Prado, Samuel Simões, Douglas Giarletti
- Lighting: Alan Prado, Dhiego Guimarães, Felipe Pardini
- Dynamics: Alan Prado, Mario Pece, Felipe Pardini, Samuel Simões, André Nunes, Joyce Amaral, Gabriel Escame
- Rigging: Danilo Pinheiro, Apolo Osornio, Glauber Belo, Matheus A. Silva
- Animators: Christian Weckl, Hannry Pschera, Odair Martins, Leonidas Maciel, Daniel Oliveira
- Additional Animation: Carlos Braz
- Special Thanks: Elem Mery Lechinoski, José de Augustinho Hilario, Juciely Hilario, José Luiz Hilario Camargo, Marly Hilario, Helena Lechinoski, Hilario Family, Lechinoski Family, Elvira & Vincenzo Pece, Alessio & Simone Pece, Carla & Daniela Pece, Maria & Douglas Hilario, Marily Raphul, Grant Miller, Pece Family, Izzo Family, Meola Family, João Kowalski, Matteo Moriconi, Jazmin Kuan, Shad & Paula Azimi
- Color and Finish by: Company 3
- Senior Finishing Artist: Charles Bunnag
- Finishing Producer: Jessica Stone
- Post Production Executive: Kingsley Fialho
- Account Executive: Jackie Lee
- Original Music by : Gabriel Dib
- Score Produced by: Luiz Augusto Buff, Vivian Aguiar Buff
- Orchestrator: Benjamin Shirley
- Contractor and Conductor: Peter Rotter
- Sound Designer: James Tose
- Re-recording Mixer: Blue Infinity Media
- Capitol Studios:
- Recording Engineer: Steve Genewick
- Contrabass: Thomas Harte, Geoffrey Osika, Stephen Dress
- Oboe: Claire Brazeau
- Viola: Andrew Duckes, Victor de Almeida, Aaron Oltman, Carolyn Riley, Nikki Shorts
- Cello: Jacob Braun, Paula Hockhalter, Dennis Karmazyn, Michael Kaufman
- Clarinet: Stuart Clark
- Violin: Serena Mc Kinney, Eun-Mee Ahn, Marisa Kuney, Kevin Connoly, Ana Landauer, Wynton Grant, Natalie Leggett, Benjamin Jacobson, Rafael Rishik, Dennis Kim, Ashoka Thiagarajan, Irina Voloshina, Josefina Vergara
In loving memory
Alberto Lechinoski, Altamiro Miguel Lechinoski, Adelino Hilario, Pedro Hilario, Vivaldina Hilario, Nicacio Bueno, Vincenzo Pece, Anna Santangelo