Chinese filmmaker Zhigang Yang, known as Busifan, showcased his latest film, “The Storm,” at the prestigious Annecy Film Festival, where it competed in the Feature Films section. This 1-hour 42-minute film employs traditional Chinese ink art to tell a captivating story featuring a charming young boy, horse-riding soldiers, mysterious creatures, magical objects, and talking spirits.Busifan’s inspiration for “The Storm” is rooted in his childhood memories of exploring mountains and streams. As he grew older, he witnessed both the development of infrastructure and the resulting environmental degradation, which deeply influenced his perspective. “To me, the storm represents the wrath of nature but washes away the waste, returning everything to its original state. This belief is the inspiration behind ‘The Storm’,” Busifan told AnimationXpress in an interview at the festival.Discussing the film’s unique animation technique, Busifan explained, “Since the ink style is traditional, the key is to adapt it with the latest animation techniques.” This adaptation was challenging; the director and his team conducted numerous experiments to find the most effective style for the film.With a small team of just 30 artists, Busifan collaborated with other studios and industry friends for parts of the feature. “We want to try out a lot of things, and the other studios work very differently, so the challenge was to understand what they want, communicate our vision, and ensure they believe in the same,” he shared. Although Busifan has previously attended screenings in China, this was his first time at the Annecy Film Festival. “I took a while to understand the traditions here, like the paper planes throwing,” he laughed, referring to the audience’s practice of flying paper planes in the theater before a movie begins. “I am familiar with the local audience’s reception to my film, so I was curious about how my work will be received outside China. But it is exciting and refreshing to be here.””The Storm” is currently running in cinemas in China, and his team is negotiating with distributors for an international release.He concluded, “At Annecy, it’s impressive how people can just purely enjoy animation. This is an unforgettable experience. The festival is like a dream world, a utopia of sorts for all animators and artists.””The Storm” is written and directed by Busifan. It is produced by Busifan and China’s CMC Pictures and distributed by Play Big – Ahaverse.