National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Walt Disney Feature Animation released Lilo & Stitch in June 2002, a deliberately smaller-scale production that returned the studio to hand-drawn character work with a loose, expressive line style influenced by watercolor backgrounds. Set in Hawaii and centered on themes of family and belonging, the film became a genuine cultural touchstone and a commercial surprise, earning strong box office returns during a transitional period for Disney animation.

This cell originates from the 2002 promotional trailer created for The Little Mermaid re-release, placing Stitch within that film's underwater world. The confirmed title Stitch Surfing describes the action precisely: Nani Pelekai holds to a surfboard or pole against open blue water while Stitch appears below her in the surf. The three consecutive frames capture a sustained hold within the shot, preserving a quiet moment of physical comedy between the two characters.