The second season of Lakeside Animation’s horror anthology series "Red Iron Road" will launch with the world premiere of “In The Heat” at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The episode is the second short film produced in collaboration with Look Mom! Productions, and helmed by the award-winning team of director Sam Chou and writer Ellery Vandooyeweert. “In The Heat”, is the only Canadian project selected for the TV FILMS competition where it will go head-to-head with heavy hitters like Netflix’s "Agent Elvis", "The Sandman", and "Oni: Thunder Gods tale", and HBO Max’s "Scavengers Reign."
"Red Iron Road" is the hotly anticipated animated horror anthology series created by Aljosha Klimov and Iouri Stepanov, produced by Lakeside Animation and Studio Metrafilms Moldova. The first season features 6 episodes based on the works of famous European authors. The "In The Heat" episode was adapted from the short story of the same name, by the “Russian queen of horror, Anna Starobinets”.
"In The Heat" is a gripping 17-minute animated thriller that defies genre conventions. The story begins with investigators interrogating a man disguised as Santa Claus over a heinous crime. As the plot unfolds, the detectives become increasingly absorbed in the case, realizing that the outcome is intertwined with their own past experiences. The situation becomes more intricate and twisted (and horrific) as the investigators embark on a shocking journey that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Iouri Stepanov, Lakeside’s CEO says: “We are thrilled to see our continued collaboration with Sam, Ellery and the team at Look Mom! has been recognized by Annecy. Sam and Ellery are wonderfully talented and richly deserve this honour. We are all excited to share this story with the festival audience this June."
Sam Chou, Creative Director of Look Mom! Productions says: “Being selected for the Annecy Film Festival is an absolute honor and a career highlight. Competing with the best in animation on television is a surreal experience. It's a lifelong dream that I have worked hard for in my career, and being recognized by Annecy is a humbling achievement.”
"Red Iron Road" has circled the globe as episodes have premiered at film festivals around the world. Since its premiere last year, episodes have screened in festivals including Toronto After Dark, Lusca Fantastic Film Fest (Puerto Rico), FilmQuest (Utah), Rojo Sangre Horror Film Festival (Buenos Aires), New York City Horror Film Festival, Tokyo Anime Awards, Nevermore Film Festival (North Carolina), and several others, with over 14 awards and recognitions to date.