DRES THE THIEF to Make World Premiere at Dances With Films Festival

The animated short " Dres the Thief", the first production from the fashion house of Descendants of Thieves, will have its world premiere at this year's Dances With Films Festival June 18-26, 2026 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

"Dres the Thief" is a dark, richly animated film built around the character of Dres Ladro who is based on the lead designer at Descendants of Thieves who sets the tone for the exclusive men's fashion line.

Based on the anecdotal life of the designer, the film shows how the young Ladro is slowly drawn to his destiny of design by stealing several of his father's shirts and remaking them into his own unique style.

The confrontation scene at the family dinner table is fraught with tension as Father shares his frustration about the expensive missing shirts with his Wife while the family dog growls ominously. Dres rushes back to his room and begins another design with a devilish yet determined expression.

The film is the brainchild of Descendant of Thieves founder Matteo Maniatty, who wrote the script, and Suwana Perry, co-owner and COO who served as executive producer. Tomas Vagara, the highly talented and experienced director and animator, was brought in after a meeting of the two men over a lunch in Barcelona.

Maniatty recalls, "From our first conversation, I could tell Tomas saw stories differently. There was a depth to his thinking and visual imagination that immediately stood out. I left that meeting feeling like I had found the person who could bring Dres the Thief to life." The script had been sitting in a vault, awaiting its fate. As the two discussed the project, they discovered a shared commitment to craft, process, and the belief that meaningful work is built with intention, not shortcuts."

The completely hand-drawn and richly textured animation is a hallmark for Vergara who also created "Isolated" and "Quimera". It sets the tone for the story with same style that D.O.T. is famed for.

Descendant of Thieves was founded by Matteo Maniatty alongside the enigmatic Dres Ladro to build something that rejects the mass, assembly-line sameness of fashion. From the start, two rules were set: every piece must be made in tightly controlled batches, and the true identity of Dres Ladro would remain undisclosed.