Caricaturist Manfred Deix had an unrelenting view of his compatriots: portly and deformed in stature, lecherous, reactionary and hostile to foreigners in manner: thus the Deixian depiction of the average Austrian is preserved in countless publications. Deix’s provincial childhood in the Lower Austria of the 1950s and 60s may have provided the first impulses for his drawings; it has certainly proved inspirational for the first full-length Austrian animation film, directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller und Santiago López Jover. SNOTTY BOY borrows the spirit and silhouettes from Deix’s cosmos of characters, portraying with humor and a light touch the confines of an era which resonates down to the present day in terms of certain political attitudes.

It's an absolute first: SNOTTY BOY, inspired by characters created by late Austrian caricaturist Manfred Deix, is the first feature length animation film produced with an Austrian funding majority. Which makes us all the more proud to announce that SNOTTY BOY has been selected to celebrate its world premiere in the main competition of the top-notch festival for animated films the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Es war ein Sprung ins kalte Wasser. Ein Animationsfilm in der Länge eines Kinofilms war zuvor noch keiner in Österreich entstanden. Ästhetik und Spirit der Karikaturen des österreichischen Unikums Manfred Deix einer filmischen Erzählung zugrunde zu legen, war eine gewagte Idee. Der Mut zum Pioniergeist hat sich gelohnt. Produzent Josef Aichholzer über eine lange Reise mit dem österreichischen Animationserstling ROTZBUB, der mit der Weltpremiere beim renommierten Festival von Annecy seine ersten Lorbeeren erntet.

SNOTTY BOY, Austria’s first feature length animation film, borrows the spirit and silhouettes from the unique cosmos created by late Austrian caricaturist Manfred Deix. Santiago López Jover co-directed the film together with Marcus H. Rosenmüller, adding his profound experience as animation artist to an ambitious project which respectfully translates the essence of the legendary cartoons.

Here are the first press reviews on SNOTTY BOY after its world premiere at the Annecy Festival.
Screen International: meticulously and wittily detailed and like Deix himself, confrontationally iconoclastic, fearlessly tackling religious and social mores, and skewering hypocrisy and bigotry.
Deadline: an affectionate, playful homage to Deix

Franz Klammer’s historic Olympic downhill race of 1976 revived on the big screen: a gala night will be dedicated to the world premiere of Andreas Schmied’s vibrant CHASING THE LINE at the 17^th ZFF. Another gala screening for Annecy entry WELCOME TO SIEGHEILKIRCHEN and two contenders to the Fokus competition – GREAT FREEDOM and ROOM WITHOUT A VIEW – add to a strong Austrian presence at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (Sept 23 to Oct. 3)