Mano Animation Studios’ ‘The Glassworker’ will join an exclusive club when its film features in the work-in-progress category at France's Annecy 2022, a platform for future standout awards and box-office successes.

The category gives industry professionals a 75-minute opportunity to showcase their work at France's prestigious event — the Annecy International Animation Film Festival is a leading global gathering for all things animation.

Recent high-profile projects that featured in the category include Sony Pictures Entertainment's Oscar-winner ‘Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse’, Oscar nominees in Netflix's ‘Klaus’ and ‘Over the Moon,’ Cartoon Saloon's 'Wolfwalkers,’ Michael Dudok de Wit's 'The Red Turtle,’ and Dean DeBlois' 'How to Train Your Dragon 2.’

“With this amazing opportunity, we will be able to showcase the incredibly meticulous work we are doing at Mano Animation Studios," director Usman Riaz was quoted as saying in a press release.

"To be the first hand-drawn feature film to come from Pakistan and for it to be acknowledged by our peers is extremely encouraging. I love the craft of animation more than anything in the world, I have dedicated my life to it. With ‘Annecy Work in Progress’, we are in an incredible position to share love for the craft with the most outstanding studios, artists and animators in the world."

The Glassworker will feature a location inspired by Pakistan and is slated for release in 2023. The studio, based in Pakistan, employs a group of talented artists with collaboration extending across Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Peru, Argentina, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Renowned Spanish producer Manuel Cristóbal will also join the team of the feature film.