Annecy Nominated Indie Short "Christo the Civilized Barbarian" Showcases a New Era of 3D Animation
Shaddy Safadi, creator of Christo the Civilized Barbarian, has revolutionized the pipeline and cost of 3D animation. He will join audiences on June 9th for the film’s silver screen debut at the 49th Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The short has been selected as part of the Official TV Film Competition, marking a major milestone for the independent production. To celebrate, the team has also unveiled a special Annecy tribute short.
“Annecy has always been a place where boundaries in animation are pushed,” said Shaddy Safadi “and we’re honored to share the finalists line-up with such incredible talent and to introduce Christo’s story to an international audience.”
Crafted with a lean team, Christo the Civilized Barbarian pushes the limits of what’s possible in indie animation. Utilizing cutting-edge tools like iClone, Blender, and Quick Magic, the team explored rarely used tools and workflows designed to maximize both time and cost efficiency across the entire production pipeline.
“The technology available now is completely democratizing animation and filmmaking,” said Safadi. “For example, I can capture motion data with just a smartphone, and our renders cost a fraction of typical productions. So, for me, this project wasn’t just about Christo, but can I make a vehicle to keep telling stories without getting anyone’s money or permission.”
Shaddy Safadi served many roles on the project, including writer, director, producer, editor, and voice actor; the first episode was developed over a four-month period and the Annecy short took two weeks. The pilot episode represents a new wave of creator-driven animation which is nimble, expressive, and unconstrained by traditional studio models.
Christo the Civilized Barbarian will be screened at Annecy on the 9th, 12th and 13th of June.
Annecy Competition Page: https://www.annecyfestival.com/en/the-festival/official-selection-2025/tv-films/christo-the-civilized-barbarian-hunting-party
About Shaddy Safadi
Shaddy Safadi is Creative Director and Founder of One Pixel Brush. With 15 years of industry experience, Shaddy has worked with some of the most talented developers in the world on projects such as Uncharted 2,3,4, Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us 1,2, Call of Duty and dozens of other AAA games. Shaddy is commonly featured in Imagine FX, Expose, and Kotaku, and spoken at the Game Developers Conference and workshops around the world.
About Christo the Civilized Barbarian
It’s 400 AD, at the height of tension between the unruly Barbarian Clans and the imperialist Roman empire, Christo, a civilized barbarian, consistently tries and fails to bring Roman-esque decency, decorum, and cleanliness to his dim-witted yet affable brethren. An animated “Curb Your Enthusiasm-like” comedy that deals in purposely low stakes 21st century grievances against the backdrop of a high-stakes ancient world.
Christo the Civilized Barbarian is a revolution in independent 3D animation. This short first episode was made for 100x less per minute than your average studio animated feature.
About the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Recognized as the premier event for animated storytelling since 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival brings together filmmakers, studios, and fans from around the globe to celebrate the art and evolution of animation in all its forms.