Say hello to Shooom and Squeek, the ridiculously cute owlet stars of Julien Bisaro and Claire Paoletti’s L’odyssée de Choum. As I’m making my way through all of the amazing content online as part of this year’s Annecy Festival, I’m fairly certain I won’t find a more adorable, more heartwarming, or more life affirming film than Shooom’s Odyssey.

Set in a seaside town inspired by the Louisiana bayou, the story focuses on two owlets: Shooom, who hatches first and passionately protects her as-yet-unhatched sibling; and Squeek, that unhatched owlet who spends much of the film rolling around inside his egg.

Separated from their parents in the wake of a hurricane, the 24-minute short (intended for TV) follows the owlets on an adventure that finds them separated, reunited, and separated again. Along the way, they encounter other wild animals before falling in with Walter and Rosie – two children who take it upon themselves to save the pair.

Think of it a bit like Are You My Mother? crossed with Wall*E. But way cuter.

Julien Bisaro and Claire Paoletti previously worked together on the 2015 short Bang Bang!, which was nominated for Best Animated Short at that year’s César Awards. And the design of the two films feels very similar.

Created with a digital 2D technique, the film brings the audience down to the owlets’ level and lets us experience the enormity of the world around them. And though it was ostensibly conceived for an audience of 4- to 7-year-olds, nothing about Shooom’s Odyssey screams “preschool.”

There’s no moralizing or pandering here. Scenes aren’t bursting with vibrant, headachey, attention-grabbing colors; absent is hyperactive, split-second editing ubiquitous in so much modern animation for kids; and the human characters aren’t simplified life lessons masquerading as people (or goofball doofuses).

Shooom’s Odyssey is a mostly quiet story that takes advantage of its relative lack of dialogue to draw out scenes and let the viewer connect the dots. Further, character designs and backgrounds have a muted watercolor look that draws you in to the story and grants the film a more “artistic” feel.

In short, this isn’t the templated, simplistic garbage that has taken over Cartoon Network and other U.S. kids networks. This is art, and it would feel perfectly at home in a collection of Pixar shorts.

Hopefully, the film will get some kind of distribution so it can be seen on a wider scale. But until you can see the film for yourself, I highly recommend watching this 6-part making-of series of videos the filmmakers have put online.

Originally planned to be the first of a trilogy of short TV specials following the adventures of baby oviparous animals, Shooom’s Odyssey certainly sets the bar impressively high. Bisaro and Paoletti intend each story to follow a somewhat similar path in which the characters hatch into an environment turned upside down and are forced to find – and redefine – a new home.

Hopefully, the other “eggs films” – one starring a platypus named Ooola (set in Tasmania) and the other featuring a penguin named Coookie (set in New Zealand) – are still on their way.

Also, please watch and support animation from around the world. There’s so much to see and enjoy, and so much that’s worth your time. Enjoy!