I Am Frankelda
Overview
Monte Video, Mexico, 1866. Francisca Imelda wants to be taken seriously as a writer, but the century she was born into has no interest in extending that to women. She publishes under the name Frankelda, buying through a pseudonym what talent alone has not managed to.
Herneval, a tormented prince running out of time, arrives without any warning. The Topus Terrentus is real. It is a hidden kingdom built from Francisca’s horror stories, with every creature she ever wrote living inside it. She travels there as a ghost and walks into a world she invented but never knew really existed.
Procustes is already waiting. The realm's scheming royal writer steals her stories, poisons whatever trust Herneval has in her, and turns her creations against her.
Cast
Assira Abbate
Anahí Allué
Arturo Ambriz
Lourdes Ambriz
Roy Ambriz
Antonio Badía
Claudis Bridgforth
Gabriela Cárdenas
Fun Facts
- I Am Frankelda achieved a massive milestone by becoming the first-ever feature-length stop-motion film produced entirely in Mexico. Historically, the country's stop-motion scene consisted mostly of short indie films. The Ambriz brothers faced heavy skepticism from industry executives who claimed audiences wouldn't want complex, handmade stories. Their initial doubts were completely crushed when the movie opened to massive box office success and a global streaming release.
- Oscar-winning director and fellow Mexican stop-motion visionary Guillermo del Toro served as a major mentor for the film. He didn't just attach his name; he practically became part of the crew. Del Toro hopped on daily video calls with the animators during production to supervise shots, helped pace the film, and even pushed them to animate 10 extra minutes of footage to flesh out the relationship between Francisca and her mother.