Welcoming a New Life: ‘Papaya’ Debuts Trailer as Director Priscilla Kellen Talks Crafting Non-Dialogue Hope-Filled Narratives (EXCLUSIVE)

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• Related Stories Keira Knightley, Alicia Vikander, Jamie Dornan and Erin Kellyman to Star in Dark Comedy 'The Worst' (EXCLUSIVE) 'The Last Day,’ Starring Alicia Vikander, Wagner Moura, Victoria Pedretti, Boarded by WestEnd, First Image Revealed (EXCLUSIVE) Best Friend Forever handles international sales for Priscilla Kellen’s animated feature “Papaya”, with animation specialist label Gebeka Films handling French distribution rights to the title, scheduled for 2026.
• Popular on Variety Variety spoke with Kellen ahead of the Berlinale premiere about the personal and professional journey that is “Papaya,” a family friendly, non-dialogue animated feature that uses digital cut-out technique and lush colors to bring forth a tale of parenthood, independence and how to fight against environmental degradation.
• Variety has also had access in exclusivity to the trailer for “Papaya.” Before you started your career, can you recall your very first vivid memory of animation?
• The first image that comes to mind, more of a baby’s feeling than a proper memory, is of the characters and colors of the “Barbapapa” family.
• I was a middle-class child in a large city in the ‘80s, so besides playing with my neighbors in the street, we spent a good part of our time gathered in front of the TV playing Atari and watching everything that was on broadcast television.