by Nefeli Soteriou for Winter Film Festival
See the NYC Premiere of the animated short film A Bear Named Wojtek on February 21 @12:00PM at REGAL Union Square (850 Broadway) as part of New York City’s 14th Annual Winter Film Festival. Tickets now on sale!
Film A Bear Named Wojtek is not just an animated film—it is a narrative into history, friendship, and the extraordinary bear who became a soldier. Based on true events, the film tells the tale of Wojtek, a Syrian brown bear adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II. While the story is developed based on historical facts, the filmmakers embraced dramatization, focusing on human connections. That is a heartwarming film worth checking out.
The film’s heart is universal while the war is the backdrop. It celebrates friendship, compassion, and the bond between humans and animals.
The film was born from a personal fascination. Director Iain Gardner first encountered Wojtek’s story as a student in the 1990s during visits to Edinburgh Zoo. Through extensive archival research, visual references, and conversations with Polish refugee Krystyna Ivell, who lived through the war, he immersed himself in the bear’s legend. His desire led to a masterful creative expression. The story remains authentic to the spirit of Wojtek’s life and the broader historical context of Polish experience during the war.
The production of A Bear Named Wojtek was a truly international collaboration, co-produced by The Illuminated Film Company in the UK and Filmograf in Poland. It is important to mention the writer, Wojtek Lepianka, Executive Producer Nick Harvey, and Producers Iain Harvey and Włodzimierz Matuszewski.
From initial concept to submission to its first festival, the journey spanned nearly a decade. Polish producer Włodzimierz Matuszewski, described the project as “a difficult and challenging experience.” The project sought financing from multiple sources. As Executive Producer Nick Harvey explained, “From when the director first introduced us to the project and getting the co-production agreed in 2017, we then managed to get development funds in the UK in 2018 via Creative Scotland, and likewise for our co-producers in Poland with funding from the Polish Film Institute. With the script complete, we were in the position to apply for production funding via the BFI Young Audience Content Fund (‘YAC Fund’ which supported UK regional public service broadcasters) with BBC ALBA attached and were awarded in 2020, followed by an award for funding from Screen Scotland in 2021. Likewise, our co-producers raised their funding simultaneously and production started July 2021. It was May 2023 when we first submitted the film to festivals and we had our first selection at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival in August 2023 when the final post was also completed”.
A wide range of animators worked on the film, a total of fifteen. They brought life to the cast and rich environments, creating a seamless visual world. Animation Director Ross Hogg contributed to the layout for the characters and rough timings. Lead animators, such as Jana Shypova, contributed significant portions of the bear’s screen presence. The beautiful music score is by composer Normand Roger and the stellar sounds, by Sound Designer Pierre Yves Drapeau.
The film’s visual artistry is guided by a close partnership between Gardner and Art Director Rachel Bevan-Baker. Their shared vision led every aspect of the animation—from sketching in Photoshop to building complex multi-layered scenes in TVPaint. Some sequences, such as Wojtek climbing the ruins of Monte Cassino, required intricate multi-plane techniques and long rendering hours; these indicate the technical skill and dedication of the team. Wojtek’s vocals were crafted from high-quality sound libraries, showcasing a meticulous approach in detail from the sound and animation crew.
Bilingualism is brilliantly depicted in the film. English is used for accessibility, while Polish dialogue is interwoven naturally, preserving the authenticity of the characters without relying on subtitles. This careful balance invites audiences to experience Wojtek’s world, and feel the cultural nuances that shape the story. As the director Iain Gardner shared, “My cultural experience of WWII as a Brit living in the UK from countless stiff upper lip British War Films and English focused documentaries gave the impression that the Brits defeated the Nazi’s single handedly. It’s certainly a jingoistic trope exploited by populism active in the UK. Hence it was important for me that our English speaking (for necessity of accessibility to the film) protagonists dip back into Polish to remind British audiences of their nationality and not assume our heroes are English.”
The film’s heart is universal while the war is the backdrop. It celebrates friendship, compassion, and the bond between humans and animals. Gardner emphasizes that the story is more about “the emotional impact of conflict on innocent individuals caught up in the machinations of those seeking power.” Producer Iain Harvey pointed out how, “The most memorable and moving moment was a screening we organized at the Ognisko Polskie Polish Club in London. Over half the audience were direct descendants of the wartime Polish refugees. You can imagine the emotional impact.”
Since its release, A Bear Named Wojtek has been embraced by festivals worldwide, earning multiple accolades and even making the Oscar shortlist. Distribution efforts continue to bring the film to international audiences through platforms like Amazon Prime in the UK, SBS in Australia, and Tenk in Canada, with further expansion planned for the United States.
A Bear Named Wojtek is more than a film—it is an artful narrative borrowing from historical memory, and a strong example of the boundless possibilities of animation. Its creators hope that audiences of all ages will be inspired by Wojtek’s journey, forging their own connections to the tale and perhaps discovering the broader truths of history through this charming, heartfelt narrative.
About Winter Film Festival
Winter Film Festival is an all-volunteer women and minority-run organization as part of Winter Film Awards Inc, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2011 to celebrate emerging talent in local and international filmmaking.
The 14th Annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026 includes a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC’s REGAL Union Square, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 22 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.
Winter Film Festival programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
For more information about Winter Film Festival, visit WinterFilmFest.org
email us at info@winterfilmawards.com and visit us at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
