My Father's Dragon

The film adapts Ruth Stiles Gannett's 1948 children's novel My Father's Dragon, a beloved American chapter book that was a Newbery Honor recipient. The novel spawned two sequels, Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland, forming a trilogy. Cartoon Saloon's adaptation reimagines the story with a more emotionally grounded tone focused on Elmer's relationship with his mother.

The film was produced by Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio internationally acclaimed for The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and Wolfwalkers (2020). It was directed by Nora Twomey, who also directed The Breadwinner (2017). The film was distributed by Netflix.

The story follows a boy named Elmer who moves with his mother from the country to the city, where they struggle financially. Elmer travels to Wild Island to rescue a dragon named Boris, hoping the dragon can help his family. On the island he encounters talking animals and must use creative problem-solving to navigate their demands.

Cartoon Saloon is known for its hand-drawn, geometrically stylized 2D animation inspired by Celtic art and medieval illumination. My Father's Dragon carries this distinctive aesthetic into a warmer, more storybook-influenced visual palette while maintaining the studio's characteristic flowing lines and bold use of color. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.