Acclaimed local short film maker and disability advocate, Neville Hiatt, has announced that his first silent film, Melanie’s Story, has been officially selected for the prestigious Festival 2026 du film d’animation L’Art en chemin in France.
The selection was made within 24 hours of submission, well ahead of the festival’s scheduled notification date of July 22.
The film is set for its world premiere on September 12, 2026.
Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s famous quote — “If it’s a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on” — Melanie’s Story is a heartfelt, dialogue-free silent film that proves visual storytelling can be both powerful and universal.
Melanie’s Story is a reimagined adaptation of Hiatt’s multi-award-winning stop-motion short film F.O.A. The original disability advocacy song has been re-recorded as a beautiful instrumental track, with all onscreen lyrics removed. The stop-motion sequences have been creatively re-edited to bring Melanie’s emotional journey to an international audience without the need of subtitles. The new version was created with the full blessing of the original mosaic mural artist Bev King.
The film was originally developed as a submission for the SaLSa International Dialog-Free Film Festival, the only dialogue-free film festival in Germany, which runs from November 11–14, 2026, in the historic cultural city of Weimar. With its early selection in France, Melanie’s Story now appears poised for a French world premiere — beating the German festival (who haven’t announced selections yet) to the punch — unless another festival screens the film before September 12.
“This early selection is incredibly encouraging,” Neville said.
“It validates the power of silent, visual storytelling and the universal message at the heart of Melanie’s journey.
“It also further validates the back breaking work of shooting the stop motion sequences. To have that connect without the words of the song means a lot.”
Melanie’s Story continues Hiatt’s commitment to accessible, connective film making that transcends human limitations and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
Neville is an Australian stop-motion animator, filmmaker, and disability advocate known for creating emotionally resonant animated shorts that highlight important social themes. His work has garnered multiple awards and international recognition. He is currently working on his submission for this years Focus On Ability Film Festival.
