Simon Wells - Balto (1995) Original animation drawing of Boris Original and unique piece, hand drawn by the animators of the production from this famous series. The works belong to the process of creating one of the sequences of one episode of this famous cartoon series. Very Good condition with the signs and normal wear of a drawing used in an animation production. See images, very good condition. Balto is a 1995 animated adventure film directed by Simon Wells, produced by Amblin Entertainment, and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is loosely based on the true story of the dog Balto, who helped save children infected with diphtheria in the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film stars voice actors Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Phil Collins, and Bob Hoskins. Though primarily an animated film, it uses a live-action framing device that takes place in New York City's Central Park and features Miriam Margolyes as an older version of one of the children. This is the third and final film to be produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, before the studio's closure in 1997. Released theatrically in the United States on December 22, 1995, the film was a financial failure due to being overshadowed by the release of Toy Story, but its subsequent sales on home video led to two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002) and Balto III: Wings of Change (2004).