TANGLES

Canada, USA | 2026 | 102′
In English with Slovenian subtitles

ABOUT THE FILM

Sarah leaves her exciting life as an activist and artist in 90s San Francisco to return to the small, conservative hometown she fled when Alzheimer’s begins to erode her mother’s vibrant personality. Forced to grow up quickly, she juggles a new relationship, long-held career ambitions, and an eccentric family she literally follows to Mexico and back in a last-ditch effort to make them take the situation seriously. Confronting a disorienting reality she can’t control, Sarah must find her footing, learning to accept her mother’s decline and the imperfect beauty of her family, in order to become the daughter they need.

CREW

Directed by: Leah Nelson
Written by: Leah Nelson, Sarah Leavitt, Trev Renney
Based on the graphic memoir: Sarah Leavitt, Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me
Music: Dan Romer
Editing: David Avery
Sound Design: Miguel Araujo
Art Director: Manddy Wyckens
Animation Director: Eric Bofa Nfon
Producers: Vicky Patel, Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, Lauren Miller Rogen, Jennifer W. Ray, Jay Grandin, Teresa Toews, Leah Nelson, Ross Murray, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Production: Monarch Media, Point Grey Pictures, Giant Ant Films, Lylas Pictures
Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Abbi Jacobson, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen, Samira Wiley, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Bowen Yang, Pamela Adlon, Fern Grandin

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

My approach to the visual treatment was inspired by the way a single panel in the comic could make you understand viscerally what the protagonist, Sarah, was feeling. I made the decision to exist solely inside the psyche and memories of our lead, never being without her, and ensuring that we are always experiencing the scene from her perspective. I didn’t want to tell what happened, but rather what it felt like for her.

We crafted a world both grounded in reality and wildly unhinged, offering a window not into the mind of the Alzheimer’s sufferer, but into that of our fiercely loving, imaginative, neurotic, and beautifully flawed protagonist. Visually, I wanted to retain the grittiness of a hand-drawn comic while building out a world that was rich and cinematic. Working with the most talented designers, animators, editors, and sound designers, we all embraced the mantra “keep Tangles weird” and committed to serving the story first. Choosing stark black and white, with small whispers of colour only when Sarah’s emotions overspill, was an easy decision and one that was right up the alley of our Art Director, Manddy Wyckens. It allowed us to focus on giving every shot a rich cinematic treatment and to delve deep into Sarah’s anxieties and fears using the limitless medium of animation.

At its heart, this film is about the creative ways we learn to cope and realize what’s truly important. It was handmade by talented humans who poured their hearts into it, and I hope that it moves you, holds you, and sets you down gently.

AWARDS AND FESTIVALS (SELECTION)

  • Cristal Award Nominee, Annecy IAFF 2026
  • Golden Camera Nominee, Queer Palm Nominee, Cannes FF 2026
  • Jury Prize, Critics Award, Deauville FF 2026
  • Sebastien Award, San Sebastián IFF 2026
  • Grand Jury Prize, Animation Is Film Festival 2026
  • Centrepiece Program, Toronto IFF 2026
  • Official Competition, Ottawa IAF 2026
  • Grand Jury Prize, Buchon IAF 2026