2023 Archives
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The 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival will be etched in its annuls, reminding everyone of the importance and essential essence of animation film: a time for sharing, transmission and conviviality. The extraordinary growth of the Festival and the Mifa is testimony to this staggering success.
Annecy International Animation Film Festival (11th to 17th June 2023)
This year, Director Jorge R. Gutierrez honoured the Annecy Festival with his ubiquitous presence and his consummate talent! Our 2023 official poster designer and jury member, and patron of this year’s Mifa Campus, it was his task to inspire the future animation professionals and transmit his passion to all the Festivalgoers!
In all, 15,820 accredited attendees (a 19% increase on 2022) from 102 countries gathered together making Annecy’s heart come alive.
The world’s best animation took the spotlight over the course of 7 full days (one day more than usual!). The Annecy International Animation Film Festival presented 350 screenings, attracted 4,000 to 8,000 spectators every evening to the open-air screenings and lastly, organised 156 events and professional meetings.
The inventiveness and talent of the joyful award-winners will remain engraved in our memories. In the Feature Films category, it was Chicken for Linda! that scooped the Cristal and the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. Sirocco and the Kingdom of Air Streams received the Audience Award, Four Souls of Coyote claimed the Jury Award. Lastly, Robot Dreams was crowned with the Contrechamp Grand Prix and Tony, Shelly and the Magic light took the Contrechamp Jury Award.
In the Short Films category, 27 claimed the Cristal. Drijf was awarded the Jury Award and new for 2023, the Alexeïeff – Parker Award was presented to Eeva. Lastly, the short Nun or Never went home with the Audience Award.
Check out the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s full list of Official and Special Prizes listed on our special page.
This year, the Festival put Mexican animation in the limelight. With no less than 7 Mexican films featuring in the Official Selection in competition across various categories and 88 short films were screened in the Special Programmes. The infectious energy of the Mexican professionals and artists created a tremendous impetus at the 2023 Festival.
Mexico was also shining bright in the famous opening credits by the students from the GOBELINS – Paris, this year ten were presented in all the Festival cinema theatres before the film screenings.
This edition also celebrated "Animation, Pride and Diversity" with a jam-packed short films programme. The Festival presented its Honorary Cristal to the animation genius Barry JC Purves. The creator of a major body of stop-motion work, he broke taboos and opened new vistas in the world of animation by tackling controversial themes on homosexuality.
2023 was an exceptional year for its record number of Screening Events. Whether they were first looks or previews, all the festivalgoers fell under their spell: Fixed, Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine, Wish, Migration, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The First Slam Dunk, Nimona, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story... An abundance of highly anticipated films awaiting their release in cinema theatres or on platforms!
Another highlight at this edition was the presentation of a Golden Ticket (lifetime accreditation) to Chris Meledandri, Founder and CEO of Illumination, the creative visionary behind the franchise Despicable Me and The Minions.*
We look forward to seeing you at the next Annecy International Animation Film Festival, from 9th to 15th June 2024, where Portuguese animation will be in the limelight.
Annecy International Animation Film Market (13th to 16th June 2023)
The Annecy International Animation Film Market, which brings together the entire industry’s professionals, also smashed all its records this year.
The 6,410 accredited Mifa attendees were hosted on a colossal 10,000 m² of floor space! In all, 3,463 companies were present during the event, 969 were exhibiting, which in particular included 179 major stands, and 97 countries were represented!
More than 150 events dedicated to animation industry professionals were held during the Mifa 2023, including Conferences, Share With, Demo Sessions, Meet the..., Studio Focus, and Mifa Pitches (with 32 projects selected, 16 of which won awards). For the very first time, a day was devoted to music, in partnership with SACEM.
Another exciting feature this year was the brand-new venue Le Campus – a prime location for students and young talent – which greeted some of the greatest names in animation who came to share their passion for animation. The esteemed guest speakers included Guillermo del Toro, Jérémy Clapin, Dan Levy and of course Jorge R. Gutierrez, who inaugurated the venue as patron of the Mifa Campus!
The Mifa Animation Industry Award was presented to José Iñesta. The Pixelatl Co-Founder’s work has contributed to Mexican animation’s incredible adventure at the Annecy Festival, as well as developing a real industry in the country serving all the studios, no matter their size, to enable Mexican talent to express itself through animation across the world.
We look forward to seeing you at Annecy’s lakeside from 11th to 14th June 2024 to attend the new edition of the International Animation Film Market once again and to celebrate Portuguese animation!