Travelling Distribution

Ball Face

A film by

Laurence Thérien

Synopsis

Life throws curveballs, how you react decides if you make it through... An elementary school girl terrified of sports who survives a chaotic ball game. By the end of the game, she’s completely transformed.

Highlights

🏆 Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 2026 *Cristal Award for a Graduation Film

‍

Tags

2026

Comedy

Animation

Genre

Comedy

Country

United Kingdom, Canada (Quebec)

Year

2026

Length

4'32"

Themes

Bullying and Harrassement

Feel-Good

Kid friendly

Sports

School
RCA - Royal College of Art
‍
Production
Laurence Thérien

Director
Laurence Thérien

Scenario, Animation, Artistic Direction, Images, Editing
Laurence Thérien

Sound
Dominic Walther Battista, Joseph Sims

Music
Dominic Walther Battista et Louis Olivier-Desmarais

Interpretation
Thierry Lambert
‍

‍

Director's Statement

Ball Face stems from the feeling of getting unexpectedly hit in the face, both literally and metaphorically, capturing just how chaotic life can feel when you're simply trying to keep up. The film draws from my own experience growing up explicitly labeled as a neurodivergent child, where the desire to fit in quickly turned into overcompensation.

Through humor, absurdity, and the malleability of plasticine, Ball Face explores masking as a survival mechanism. The film portrays childhood as a raw, sometimes cruel territory where coping strategies develop and social hierarchies gradually carve themselves into our identities, ultimately shaping the person we become

Laurence Thérien

‍

Laurence Thérien

Laurence Thérien is a Montreal-based director, designer, and animator with a focus on materiality and claymation. She completed a Master’s in Animation at the Royal College of Art (2025), where she directed her graduate film Ball Face. Laurence has collaborated as a creative director with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA). She is currently developing her next film with the NFB.

Filmography

Social media

No items found.

Festivals

Annecy Animation Film Festival, France | 2026 *Cristal Award for a Graduation Film
Hiroshima Animation Festival, Japan | 2026
Palm Springs International Animation Festival, US | 2026
La Guarimba Film Festival, ltaly | 2026

‍

Press Inquiries

Press Kit

External Links

Social media

Back to catalogue