Frisson Films has announced the release of their fully animated short film, “Le Desert et la Mer.” The short will run for free on Frisson’s social channels on Jan. 3, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET.

In 2021, the film was Selected as Best Animation at the Albuquerque Film & Music Experience (AFMX), and features the visual work of Joe Bradford and Nadine Picard.

Based on the chalk drawings and poetry of Picard, “Le Desert et la Mer” is about a lonely desert dreaming of his love, the sea. The desert sends his sands to find her and together, they build an island.

Frisson Films took on the project to after a friend of the organization, Carole Rouffet shared her late mother’s artwork with the team. The film interweaves Picard’s original drawings with Bradford’s animation.

Of the film’s genesis, Frisson co-founder and award-winning soprano, Elyse Anne Kakacek, stated in the press release, “Carole had been a voice student and friend of mine for a few years. I knew her mom was artistic, but when she shared this book of poetry and chalk art with me, I was blown away. I brought it to my partner—a composer—and asked if he would be interested in setting it to music.”

The composer, Nathaniel Adams, wrote the music in the style of a French art song for five a cappella voices.

“When I sat down to read Nadine’s work, the words just leapt off the page,” said Adams in the press statement, “The simultaneous brevity and passion of her poetry and the beauty of the French language made this text an absolute dream to set to music.”

Featured vocalists include Kakacek as soloist, Katie Seiler, Tomas Cruz, Nathaniel Adams, and Jared Gravely.

Frisson Films started as an informal collective when filmmaker Ryan Rivard partnered with Kakacek to create their first film, “L’Eraclito Amoroso.” The organization has since produced four short films, with “Le Desert et la Mer” representing Frisson’s sixth.