ANDREAS DEJA ANNOUNCES HAND-DRAWN SHORT ‘MUSHKA’

Disney ‘Legend’ Andreas Deja proudly announces his award-winning animated short Mushka will be released worldwide on December 15, 2025, inviting audiences everywhere to experience its heartfelt story of love, courage, and letting go.

The 28-minute hand-drawn animated film will be available on all major streaming VOD platforms. Since premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Mushka has been an official selection at over a dozen major festivals worldwide. The film tells the story of Sarah, a young Ukrainian girl who discovers an orphaned Siberian tiger cub and must decide whether to raise him or leave him to the dangers of the wild, and man. The name “Mushka” — a Russian term of endearment meaning “sweetheart” — capturing the emotional depth of their bond.

Inspired by the fantastic visual style of Disney’s classic 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, Mushka features beautiful hand-drawn 2D animation. It represents a deeply personal culmination of Deja’s artistry — a film nearly a decade in the making, created in the tradition of Disney’s golden era with a small but passionate team of collaborators from around the world.

A 30-year veteran of Walt Disney Animation Studios and a designated Disney “Legend,” Deja is known for animating some of the most iconic characters in animation history, including Scar (The Lion King), Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), Jafar (Aladdin), Hercules, and Lilo (Lilo & Stitch). For Mushka, Deja assembled a team of top animation and production talents, including composer Fabrizio Mancinelli, who created the film’s sweeping orchestral score. The soundtrack also features an original end-credit song, “Mushka’s Lullaby,” composed by legendary Disney songwriter Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book) and performed by Holly. The song was among Sherman’s final compositions.