National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Walt Disney Animation Studios released Lilo & Stitch in June 2002, a deliberately intimate production that stood apart from the studio's earlier musical spectacles. Set in Hawaii and drawn with watercolor backgrounds, the film found unexpected commercial and critical success, resonating with audiences through its themes of family and belonging. The promotional trailer campaign leaned into the film's playful irreverence, often placing Stitch within footage from classic Disney titles to introduce the character to wider audiences before release.

This three-frame strip, titled Stitch Surfing, captures Experiment 626 mid-ride on a large wave beneath an open blue sky, tongue extended in characteristic abandon, a lei visible around his neck. The frames represent a continuous action sequence from the same surfing shot, each positioned slightly differently as the film moved through the gate, preserving a brief but lively moment from this 35mm promotional trailer.