The Frog King

Name: The Frog King
Released: 1989
Duration: 7 min

1989 · Short film · 35mm · 7 minutes

Still from The Frog King, a green frog watches a crowned princess rubbing her eye beside a red-brown tree

Marjut’s interpretation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. After the frog retrieves her golden ball from the pond, the princess fails to keep her promise to be his best friend, share her plate and let him sleep in her bed.

The film was a winner in Kellogg’s Magic Mirror animated fairytale competition, whose brief asked for a personal interpretation of a classic fairytale.

Still from The Frog King, a castle on a green hill beneath a blue and pink sky

Still from The Frog King, a curved staircase sweeping towards a brightly lit doorway in a dark blue interior

Still from The Frog King, a crowned woman raises her black-gloved hands beside two men at a banquet table

Still from The Frog King, a green frog emerges from dark blue water surrounded by ripples

Awards

🥇 Winner, 1989 Magic Mirror animated fairytale competition (Kellogg’s)

Credits

Script: Simon Bent
Design: Marjut Rimminen
Animation: Marjut Rimminen
Additional animation: Jeff Goldner, Kathleen Houston, Sarah Vincent
Assistant animators: Vanessa Luther-Smith, Caroline Cole
Painting: Heini Kauppinen, Sarah Edwards, Sheila Eaton
Checking: Stoney Parsons
Rostrum camera: Heather Reader
Editing and sound: Picturehead Productions
Voices: Denise Bryer, Peter Hawkins
Director: Marjut Rimminen
Production: Ragdoll for Kellogg Company

Screenings and broadcasts

In Marjut Rimmisen pehmeä paketti lapsille, the children’s programme at Animatricks, Helsinki, 2002

Retrospectives

Anima, Brussels Cartoon and Animated Film Festival 17 to 28 February 1998, retrospective homage at the 17th festival, presented by Marjut from the Tetra Pak commercials through The Frog King and Urpo ja Turpo to The Stain and Many Happy Returns

Writing about the work

Richard Taylor, The Encyclopedia of Animation Techniques, 1996. A captioned still from The Frog King, one of three of Marjut’s films the book shows as “excellent examples” of their techniques, with Some Protection and The Stain.

Get in touch

For festival and screening enquiries, teaching, masterclasses, or correspondence:

marjut.rimminen@gmail.com