France’s École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) has announced that five short films from its 3D animation and special effects programs are now available on Disney+. Their inclusion on the platform highlights the standard of work achieved by the student production teams at the institute.
The films originate from ESMA’s CG Animation & FX programme, which focuses on training students in industry-standard 3D animation and visual effects production. The inclusion of these works on a global streaming platform highlights the continued visibility of student projects beyond the academic environment.
ESMA’s graduation films are produced as part of the final-year curriculum, with students working in teams to create short animated projects that replicate professional studio pipelines. The school is ranked fourth in The Rookies’ Top Creative Schools for 3D animation. ESMA trains French-speaking students across six campuses in France, while also offering its English-taught programme at three of these sites, enabling international students to benefit from this training. These films are regularly published online through ESMA’s official channels, including its YouTube platform, which has built a substantial international audience over time.
The selected films are:
- Swing to the Moon: In the forest, Temi, a little spider, dreams of catching the Moon. She’ll do anything to reach it. The film is directed by Marie Bordessoule, Adriana Bouissie, Nadine De Boer, Elisa Drique, Chloé Lauzu, Vincent Levrero and Solenne Moreau.
- Coquille: In a small French cove, Bernard, a small and egocentric hermit crab, loses his shell. He has to face the dangers of the beach to find a new one. With the help of a strange crab to protect him, the two of them have adventures that will bring them closer together. The film is directed by Justine Aubert, Cassandra Bouton, Grégoire Callies, Maud Chesneau, Anna Danton, Loic Girault, Gatien Peyrude and Justine Raux.
- Je suis un caillou: Bulle, a young otter, lives with a group of stones that she considers her family. She imagines them to be normal otters, but little by little she becomes aware of their true nature, and has to come to terms with her loneliness. The film is directed by Mélanie Berteraut Platon, Yasmine Bresson, Léo Coulombier, Nicolas Grondin, Maxime Le Chapelain and Louise Massé.
- La source des montagnes: The Paccha-Picchus are joyful creatures whose lives depend on the Mountains that lift their oasis into a beloved winter climate. When the Mountains stop appearing, KinKo’s impatience drives him to seek them out. The film is directed by Adrien Communier, Camille Di Dio, Benjamin François, Pierre Gorichon, Briag Mallat and Marianne Moisy.
- Œil pour œil: A one-eyed pirate captain makes one attempt after another to steal treasure, each time recruiting a crew just as one-eyed as himself. The film is directed by Thomas Boileau, François Briantais, Robin Courtoise, Alan Guimont, Malcolm Hunt and Mathieu Lecroq.
This reflects the school’s production-focused teaching approach, which is aligned with industry standards and prepares students for careers in animation and visual effects. ESMA alumni have contributed to major international films, and a recent graduation project was a finalist at the Annie Awards 2026.
The release of these five films on Disney+ provides an opportunity to explore the work of emerging animation talent. Viewers can watch these short films for the first time or revisit them, sharing stories created by ESMA students with family.
