Studio Dispatch

Upmixing Lotte Reiniger's 'The Adventures of Prince Achmed' into 7.1 theatrical surround sound.

For our fourth season of showcasing globle animation during our Anima Cinefest 2026 animation celebration festival, we wanted to look back at the historical genesis of animated feature film. As a festival that focuses on screening the historical evolution of animated film - from modern independent award-winners like In Half, to historical pieces - we are excited in hosting a centennial screening of the worlds oldest surviving animated feature film,The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926).

To honor the film's textured original orchestral score, our music division at Orbital Sound, has remixed, remastered, and upmixed the soundtrack into a full theatrical 7.1 audio experience for participating cinemas, while engineering a dedicated remixed and remastered stereo mix for our VIP Press Screenings and video on demand for a U.S. streaming audience. In addition to the audio layout, we also retranslated the German intercut titles into a new English version.

Beyond the technical layouts, we wanted to open a dialogue on the film's director, Lotte Reiniger, and her early use of layered glass sheets for visul depth in the film. Her multiplane camera setup predates the Disney design.

From the historical audio live orchestral accompaniment to the physical cardboard frame-by-frame silhouette work, this one hundred year old masterpiece holds it's own in a modern festival theatrical screening. Here's to 100 years of silence!