A sun-kissed story about formative childhood friendships, Luca is set in the late-1950s in the Italian seaside town of Portorosso. Timid sea monster boy, Luca, is forbidden to go anywhere near the surface by his parents, who fear that humans will hunt him. But the temptation to explore dry land becomes irresistible when Luca meets Alberto, a much braver and more adventurous sea monster boy, who shows Luca that sea monsters can turn into humans and remain that way as long as they stay dry. The two boys befriend Giulia, a human girl, who encourages them to team up for the annual Portorosso Cup, a triathlon of swimming, pasta-eating, and cycling. But will Luca and Alberto be able to hide their true form from the mean bully Ercole Visconti, who senses something fishy going on?

Luca is like a mini-vacation to Cinque Terre, with its impeccably animated settings and characters. All the molto bene Italian clichés are there: pasta and gelato, fountains and Vespas – there’s even a nod to regular Fellini collaborator Marcello Mastroianni, and clear influences taken from Fellini’s films I Vitelloni and 8½. Young actors Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer do a wonderful job of voicing Luca and Alberto, respectively. Watch for any sea monster transformations in the cinema because by the end, there won’t be a dry eye in the house!

Luca screens with the Pixar animated short film For the Birds.