Jonathan Nix, brother of Best-selling fantasy author Garth Nix, is currently in the midst of post-production on a short (approx. 25 min.) animated film, The Missing Key, which from early indications is set to be a surreal fantasy of great beauty, reminiscent of the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki but distinct from them. It is being produced by Garth’s wife Anna McFarlane and their company Cartwheel Partners.
This is Hero Wasabi, a struggling musician, who has journeyed from the Far East to the Venetian Conservatorium to study piano composition. His head, in case you were wondering, is a gramophone. He has a friend, a cat named Jacuzzi, who plays the oboe.
Below is Morsocodo, a professional thief who communicates using morse code:
And this is Count Telefino, an aristocratic pianist with a six-fingered mechanical hand:
The trailer:
Or check out the trailer on the website.
Beautiful!
Source: The Missing Key website via Garth Nix
