©Regina Pessoa & Le Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy
First held in 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy, abbreviated as AIAFF) is not only the world’s oldest animation festival, it is also the world capital for animation films, the biggest, by a wide margin.
The 2015, feature films are „Adama” by Simon Rouby (France), „April and the Twisted World” (Avril et le Monde Truqué) by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci (France), „Mune” by Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon (France), „Possessed” (Poseso) by Sam (Samuel Ortí Martí, Spain), „Sabogal” by Juan José Lozano and Sergio Mejía Forero (Colombia), „Miss Hokusai” by Keiichi Hara (Japan), „The Case of Hana & Alice” (Hana to Alice Satsujin) by Shunji Iwai (Japan), „Long Way North” (Tout en haut du monde) by Rémi Chayé (France&Denmark).
The Annecy International Animated Film Festival will make history during its 2015 festival by having an all-women jury for the first time in its 55-year existence. The initiative is part of a broader celebration of its women-in-animation festival theme:
“Women are set to be the stars of Annecy 2015. Filmmakers who have left their mark on the history of animation, current figureheads and promising young creatives from film schools… all these representatives of the fairer sex will be taking top billing. To this end, the Festival organization has confided the task of creating the official poster to Regina Pessoa, well-known personality in the world of animation and winner of the Annecy Cristal in 2006 for her short Tragic Story with Happy Ending. Her poster will be revealed in March 2015.”
This feminine spotlight will also take various other forms including an all-female jury, programmes of films by women directors, a tribute to female animation pioneers made through films specially created by students from GOBELINS, l’école de l’image, and many other surprises.
The Annecy International Animated Film Festival is one of the most celebrated animation gatherings in the world. Created in 1960, the festival takes place each June in France, this year featuring 215 films in competition from 40 countries. More than 125,000 tickets were sold last year, proof of this surging market.
A record-breaking 7,700-plus attendees descended on the French alpine resort town of Annecy for a weeks’ worth of film screenings, conferences, workshops, and the important International Animation Film Market (Mifa), celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998. It is one of the four international animated film festivals sponsored by the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (or ASIFA, the International Animated Film Association).
Every year in June, attending this festival allows people to understand why the whole world loves this art and comes to Annecy.
Several countries meet here to elect the best animation film of the year, in different categories, from short film to feature film.
Three features that will screen in competition at Annecy this year (l. to r.): “Miss Hokusai,” “Adama” and “Long Way North.” (©AIAFF)
From dystopias to tales of supernatural horror as Spain’s latest animated feature ‘Possessed’.
From left : Marcel Jean, the artistic director of the Annecy animation festival. (© S. Matter/CITIA) and Mickaël Marin, head of economic development and Mifa. (© G. Piel/CITIA)
The festival brings together animation fanatics and professionals from across the globe.
Says Canada’s Marcel Jean, director of the event, “I don’t think there is an animation festival in the world which competes with Annecy. Having a public festival and the film industry at one event is quite exceptional. It compares to the large, traditional film festivals in Venice, Locarno, Toronto … we will leave aside Cannes!”
Also in the spotlight this year in Annecy is a celebration of 100 years of Spanish film animation, from the early days of black and white to today’s 3D works.
Hundreds of films, short and feature film competitions, retrospectives, outdoor screenings, and pre-screenings… prestigious Annecy is now recognised as the location for animated film.
Marcel Jean, the Annecy festival’s artistic director, and Mickaël Marin, the head of Mifa, created the festival’s unique acknowledgement of women animators, within the booming global animation market, emphasized the importance of government investment in industry infrastructure, and the growing number of Los Angeles artists who attend the festival every year.
This is a unique occasion to see world premieres or enjoy open air free showings every evening on the Pâquier, in an international and warm atmosphere.
And don’t forget that it is also a strategic place where producers and distributing agents from many countries come to sell or buy the latest news at the International Animation Film Festival (MIFA).
Discover the Annecy Festival, the place of reference for animation in the world with the Mifa, the professional appointment for the industry, the conferences and the Call for projects.
- The Festival: the world’s top reference for animation films.
Check out the latest animated gems, find out about current and future trends, meet up with your favourite film directors and up-and-coming talents, track down new associates and partners… in the fun and friendly atmosphere of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
There are a number of theatres in and around Annecy screening Festival films from 10 am to 11 pm.
Each evening at 10:15 pm, there is also a screening on the giant screen on the Pâquier lawn (free to all).
- The International Animation Film Market (Mifa).
Don’t miss the animation industry’s foremost showcase in terms of co-producing, purchasing, selling, financing and distributing animation content for all broadcasting platforms.
The Mifa is held in over 4,000 m2 of exhibition space and welcomes 470 international exhibitors.
Located at L’Impérial Palace, the exhibitors’ market is open from 9 am to 7 pm with the visiting professionals’ market open between 9:30 am and 7 pm.
PLACE
The festival is a competition between cartoon films of various techniques (animated drawings, cut-out papers, modelling clay, etc.) classified in various categories:
Feature films
Short films
Films produced for television and advertising
Student films
Films made for the internet (since 2002)
Throughout the festival, in addition to the competing films projected in various cinemas of the city, an open-air night projection is organized on Pâquier, in the centre of town, amongst the lake and with the mountains. According to the topic of the festival, classic or recent films are projected upon the giant screen. On Saturday evening, all the award winners are presented.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy, abbreviated as AIAFF) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became an annual event in 1998. It is one of the four international animated film festivals sponsored by the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (or ASIFA, the International Animated Film Association).
The festival is a competition between cartoon films of various techniques (animated drawings, cut-out papers, modelling clay, etc.) classified in various categories: Feature films, Short films, Films produced for television and advertising, Student films, Films made for the internet (since 2002).
Throughout the festival, in addition to the competing films projected in various cinemas of the city, an open-air night projection is organized on Pâquier, in the centre of town, amongst the lake and with the mountains. According to the topic of the festival, classic or recent films are projected upon the giant screen. On Saturday evening, all the award winners are presented.
The Conferences were able to find their relative public after being redesigned, expanded and divided into the three categories of Creation, Business and Production Organisation.
There was also a sharp increase of exhibiting companies at the Mifa, along with American majors including Nickelodeon, Disney, Pixar and Cartoon Network. Next year the Market will be celebrating its 30th birthday, presenting the perfect occasion to celebrate the evolution of the animation industry and its future.
Opening the festival this year is “The Prophet”, produced by Salma Hayek-Pinault and directed by the The Lion King’s Roger Allers. It is based on the literary bestseller of the same name written in the ’20s by Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran. A message of peace, love and brotherhood, the adaptation is a collection of nine stories of a poet imprisoned for his writings. Through his adventures, he delivers poems to others which serve as life lessons.
The festival brings together animation fanatics and professionals from across the globe. Also in the spotlight this year in Annecy is a celebration of 100 years of Spanish film animation, from the early days of black and white to today’s 3D works. Hundreds of films, short and feature film competitions, retrospectives, outdoor screenings, and pre-screenings… prestigious Annecy is now recognised as the location for animated film.
COMPETITION SELECTIONS
Adama by Simon Rouby (France)
“12-year-old Adama lives in a remote village in West Africa. Out beyond the cliffs lies the Land of Breaths, peopled by wicked war-hungry spirits. When his big brother suddenly vanishes from the village, Adama decides to go look for him. Full of desperation and childish innocence, he will traverse Europe at war. The love that he has for his brother will lead to an unexpected end to his journey.”
April and the Twisted World (Avril et le monde truqué) by Franck Ekinci, Christian Desmares (France)
“1941, Napoléon V is the ruler of France and scholars keep mysteriously disappearing. Without modern technology, the world runs on coal and steam. A young girl named April goes off in search of her scientist parents who vanished. Accompanied by her talking cat Darwin and a young rogue named Julius, she will brave mysteries and danger in order to discover who is capturing the scholars and why.”
Long Way North by Rémi Chayé (Denmark, France)
“1892, Saint Petersburg. Sasha, a young Russian aristocrat, has always been fascinated by her grandfather’s life as an adventurer. A renowned explorer, he designed a magnificent arctic ship, but he hasn’t returned from his last expedition to the North Pole. To save her family’s honour, Sasha runs away. Headed towards the Great North, she follows her grandfather’s trail in search of his famous ship.”
Miss Hokusai by Keiichi Hara (Japan)
“A lively portrayal of Master Hokusai’s daughter, O-Ei, a free-spirited, outspoken and very talented woman who changes with the seasons. “We’re father and daughter with two brushes and four chopsticks. I guess we can manage, one way or another.”
Mune by Alexandre Heboyan, Benoît Philippon (France)
“In a fantastical world, Mune, a mischievous faun, is chosen to be the Guardian of the Moon: the one who brings about the night and watches over our dreams. But catastrophes occur and the underworld demon steals the Sun. With the help of Sohone, proud Guardian of the Sun, and fragile Glim, Mune embarks on an extraordinary quest that will make him a legendary guardian!”
Possessed (Pos eso) by Samuel Orti (Spain)
“Trini, the world-famous flamenco dancer, has been deeply depressed and has abandoned the stage. Damian, her 8-year-old son, is possessed by a malicious devil that makes him do the most bloody and cruel misdeeds.”
Sabogal by Juan José Lozano, Sergio Mejía Forero (Colombia)
“A judicial thriller that takes us into a fascinating visual universe where Sabogal, lawyer and human rights defender, investigates several crimes against humanity in modern Colombia. With the country in crisis, the protagonist is in constant danger and fights relentlessly, almost obsessively, for justice.”
The Case of Hana & Alice by Shunji Iwai (Japan)
“Alice, a new transfer student at Ishinomori college, hears a strange rumour that one year ago, “Judas was killed by four other Judas”. Her classmate Hana lives next door in the “Flower House” that everyone is afraid of. Hana, who recently chose to stay home instead of attending school, may know something about the mysterious murder.”
OUT-OF-COMPETITION SELECTIONS
by Diego Guerra (Colombia)
by Yuefeng Song (China) : “The quiet land of Altera is inhabited by humans and elves but suddenly, freed from the dark mountains, groups of beasts attack peaceful human towns. This signals the return of the Black Dragon and the destruction of all of Altera. Decades of distrust have kept the humans and elves separated in Altera, but now they must form an unlikely alliance.”
Eden’s Edge by Gerhard Treml, Leo Calice (Austria, USA)
Extraordinary Tales by Raúl Garcia (Belgium, Spain, USA, Luxembourg) : “An anthology of five animated tales based on classic Edgar A. Poe stories presented in a feature film format. Through his encounters with the Raven, Poe is given one last chance to divert his destiny in a series of macabre adventures. Using sophisticated 3D rendering and lighting techniques, each segment will visually express the graphic universe of illustration masters, thus visually matching the expressionist genius of Poe’s writing.”
Little from the Fish Shop by Jan Balej (Czech Republic, Slovakia, France)
Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy el Cachondo) by Javier Fesser (Spain)
Rocks in My Pockets by Signe Baumane (USA, Latvia)
Stand By Me Doraemon by Takashi Yamazaki, Yagi Ryuchi (Japan)
The Snow Queen 2 by Alexey Tsitsilin (Russia)
Baby Nap (Pui de somn) by Paul Muresan (Romania)
“What starts out as a good night’s sleep throws us into a storm of dreams and nightmares that begs for our attention and refuses to tell us when it’s going to be over, making us the protagonist in the mind’s hidden playground, the subconscious.”
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/festivals/annecy-selects-17-feature-films-for-2015-edition-112475.html
http://www.annecy.org/programme:lmc
“As Animation Booms Globally, So Does Annecy” : http://www.cartoonbrew.com/festivals/annecy-2015-marcel-jean-mickael-marin-114337.html
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Pics © Courtesy of AIAFF
Annecy, France