3 months ago
This year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival looks to break records pinch a wider world scope and greater workplace information than ever before. Already group to overtake past year’s attendance, nan French lakeside fest, runs June 11-17 and had tally up 13,300 guests by precocious May — among them a U.S. delegation much than 700 strong.
“[This twelvemonth marks] nan astir important U.S. beingness ever astatine Annecy,” says creator head Marcel Jean. “We’re taking successful humanities players specified arsenic Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar who will still come, arsenic good arsenic world platforms specified arsenic Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery. And [we’re welcoming] a number of large titles.”
Disney, celebrating its 100th day complete nan people of nan year, plans a typical screening of “Fantasia 2000” earlier offering Annecy’s famously boisterous and youthful crowd a first look astatine nan upcoming animated philharmonic “Wish.” Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery will coming behind-the- scenes peeks astatine animated features “The Lord of nan Rings: The War of nan Rohirrim” and “Batman Azteca” pinch creators successful tow, arsenic DreamWorks previews “Trolls Band Together” and Netflix world premieres nan Annapurna-produced, Blue Sky-pickup task “Nimona.”
And while immoderate Paramount execs will beryllium connected manus to footwear disconnected a work-in-progress screening of nan very astir vanished “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” different colleagues will clasp down nan fort astatine Paramount’s first-ever guidelines successful Annecy’s Animation Film Market (MIFA).
Among nan afloat scope of panels, transportation sessions, masterclasses, marketplace screenings and different MIFA activities, Variety will beryllium hosting a sheet called Breaking nan Borders of Animation. The discussion, moderated by Variety main movie professional Peter Debruge, features insights from Nora Twomey, co-founder of Cartoon Saloon and head of “My Father’s Dragon”; Latifa Ouaou, exec VP of Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation; Mike Rianda, head of Oscar-nominated deed “The Mitchell vs. nan Machines”; Spela Cadez, head of “Steakhouse” and co-founder Finta Film; and Jeff Rowe, head of nan upcoming “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” They’ll talk nan effect of nan caller activity of exertion and productivity connected nan early of nan creation form.
“We’re not simply successful nan business of buying and trading programming,” says show caput Mikael Marin. “The Annecy Film Market represents nan full worth chain, from schools to platforms, to animation studios, accumulation companies, movie commissions and technology. For us, it was important that [the majors] besides beryllium present, to return afloat advantage of nan full event.
“The marketplace has ever been unfastened to a wide scope of talent,” Marin continues. “Including for students. Only, up until now, location was ne'er a spot to really meet pinch U.S. studios, to really prosecute pinch them connected a much important basis. So we’re thrilled to do truthful pinch Paramount this year, and possibly it will springiness different studios ideas arsenic well.”
This twelvemonth sees maturation crossed nan board, pinch delegations from Canada and Spain vastly expanding their marketplace footprints — reflecting nan surging animation industries successful some countries — while caller entrants for illustration Thailand subordinate nan mart. On nan show side, Annecy will surface 23 features successful 2 charismatic competitions, while boasting a TV competition, and respective Works successful Progress screenings — putting guardant a action truthful jam-packed nan show had to adhd an other day.
Features competing for Annecy’s apical prize see nan eager sci-fi thriller “Mars Express” from head Jeremie Perin, nan Cannes-lauded “Chicken for Linda!” from filmmakers Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, and “The Inventor,” a stop-motion co-production astir nan life of Leonardo da Vinci written and co-directed by Disney vet (as good arsenic “The Lion King” and “Ratatouille” co-scribe) Jim Capobianco, produced successful France and Ireland, and led by nan sound formed of Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard and Stephen Fry.
Filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Jorge R. Gutierrez (“The Book of Life”) will subordinate a 250+ subordinate delegation — including a important number of female creatives and representatives from nan Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) — for a spotlight connected animation from Mexico, Annecy’s impermanent state of honor, while nan show besides showcases respective queer-themed projects, conferences and masterclasses arsenic portion of a programme called Animation, Pride and Diversity.
