The Disney Legend’s 28-minute hand-drawn animated short, nearly a decade in the making, tells the heartwarming story of a young Ukrainian girl who must decide to save or leave in the wild an orphaned Siberian tiger cub she discovers; coming to all major global VOD platforms.
Disney “Legend” Andreas Deja has just shared with AWN that his award-winning animated short will be released worldwide on December 15, 2025.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, 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 and , represents a deeply personal culmination of Deja’s artistry.
The beautiful hand-drawn 2D animated film, nearly a decade in the making, was created in the tradition of Disney’s golden era with a small but passionate team of collaborators from around the world.Enjoy the trailer: 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 (), Gaston (), Jafar (), Hercules, and Lilo ().For , 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 (, ) and performed by Holly Sedillos.The song was among Sherman’s final compositions.
“I wanted to create something timeless, like the Disney classic films of Walt’s era that inspired me to follow a career in animation, said Deja.“Hand-drawn animation still has the power to move audiences unlike anything else.” ’s award-winning festival run included: Palm Springs International ShortFest — San Jose International Short Film Festival — Encounters Film Festival (UK) — Sulmona International Film Festival (Italy) — HollyShorts, Cleveland, Stuttgart, Animayo, Foyle, Mammoth, and Chicago International Children’s Film Festivals, among others.Deja also presented the film and led masterclasses at CTN Animation Expo, Lightbox Expo, VIEW Conference (Italy), and at studios including Sony Pictures Animation, Disney Animation, DreamWorks, Skywalker Sound, Laika Studios, and more.
Following the film’s festival success, Deja and Mancinelli released the via Lakeshore Records, along with a moving music video for The song earned the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Song – Short Film.Watch the music video here: YouTube.com/OfficialAndreasDeja
Stream the soundtrack: Lakeshore Records – Mushka Original Score
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
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