The Ottoman
The Ottoman is a 3D animated short film created by a team of artists from around the world. The film is set in a fictionalized Ottoman Empire, with a visual design inspired by European comic-book artists like Jean “Mœbius” Giraud. After many years in development, the film was completed in 2025, and is expected to screen at film festivals in the year ahead.
The Ottoman, a hotshot mechanic and amateur robot gladiator, is looking forward to proving himself in the arena against the reigning Tournament champion and his massive mechanical Scorpion. But when his obsession with victory endangers the lives of his wife and son, the Ottoman must learn some hard lessons about what true strength is all about.
Although similar to the steampunk genre, which combines Art Nouveau, Victorian-era fashion and whimsical steam-powered machinery, dieselpunk merges post-WWII Futurist architecture, greaser/chopper subcultures and diesel-powered vehicles. The tone of dieselpunk tends to be less optimistic than steampunk, often with more of a Cold War-inspired, dystopian atmosphere.
A diverse group of animators, modelers, texture artists, technical directors and cinematographers, the Ottoman team hails from around the globe, from Los Angeles to Madrid to Aukland, NZ.