Portugal

Portugal - Photo : Aayush Gupta

Portugal is in the Spotlight

From 9th to 15th June, the Annecy Festival is putting Portuguese animation centre stage! 

With a Berlin ball (Bola de berlim), a glass of sumo and a few vira dance moves you’ll be ready to celebrate Portugal in style!

Annecy Festival 2024, vamos lá!

This year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival plunges you into the captivating world of Portuguese culture, its ocean of colours, sounds and emotions, and invites you to sway to the rhythm of their frenzied dances.

Let’s head to Portugal for a trip to remember!

Imagine yourself at the heart of the French Alps, in Annecy, surrounded by glittering lights and joyous laughter. The festivities organised as part of the Festival will sweep you off to Portuguese cobbled streets where Fado traditional songs ring out, or to the banks of the Douro that stretch into the horizon. The welcoming atmosphere and colourful facades of the traditional houses are infused with the tantalising aroma of pastéis de nata on every street corner.

Maisons traditionnelles portugaises

Photos : Leandro Barreto & Wirestock

So, to ensure that the Annecy Festival is a heartfelt ode to Portuguese culture, come and join us from 9th to 15th June 2024 to celebrate the charm of Portugal.

Regina Pessoa delivers a visually perfect fusion between Annecy and Portugal

Portugal is taking over the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and spreading its warm and festive vibes around the city, starting with the Festival poster designed by Regina Pessoa.

Affiche Annecy 2024

A few words from Marcel Jean and Regina Pessoa

"The Festival has shared a special relationship with Regina Pessoa for many years. A talented artist and director, we collaborated on the poster in 2015 and have been delighted to see her win several awards for her work. With Portugal as our guest country this year, it was only natural to invite Regina to design the poster for this edition." 
Marcel Jean, Annecy Festival’s Artistic Director 

 

"The Annecy Festival has been an integral part of my life for more than 30 years and many key moments in my artistic career have happened here. It is a great honour to be invited to design the Festival poster for a second time, especially as Portugal is this year’s guest country! To create this image, I drew on my deep love for Annecy, for Portugal and its history, but also the fact that I’m a woman. Hence, a woman is at the heart of the poster’s image as a tribute to them. They are endowed with supernatural powers, these unsung, overshadowed heroines and devoted their entire lives to their families. And yet, they still sing and dance.  

In the clear Annecy Lake waters or in our Portuguese ocean, this woman represents the balance between grace and power in the face of adversity. She is both a swimmer and dancer as she sings in her long dress. A reference to the fado, an expression of the balance between exhilaration and solemnity, intertwines with red carnations, a symbol of the democratic revolution celebrating its 50th anniversary this year." 
Regina Pessoa 

 

See how the illustrator has intertwined the two universes of Annecy and Portugal to give a glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming 2024 edition. An enticing invitation to get a taste of Portugal’s culture and animation in the heart of our beloved Annecy city on 9th to 15th June.

We bet you can’t wait to join us and celebrate Portugal! In the meantime, get practising some traditional dances, cook up the best Portuguese dishes and cakes, and learn a few words of this Ibero-Romance language. Now you’re all set for this edition, which promises to be bursting with colour and animation!

Find out more about the 2024 Annecy Festival poster, such as its design and its illustrator and take a plunge into Portuguese culture!

Portugal on the Festival’s side

7 films in production or co-production, spread across various categories, are representing Portugal in the Official Selection in competition:

Films Portugal


The Special Programmes pay tribute to Portuguese animation with no less than 61 short films in 7 programmes:

The selection showcases numerous Portuguese films including 4 by Regina Pessoa, Patron of Le Campus Mifa, of which Uncle Thomas, Accounting for the Days (Tio tomás, a contabilidade dos dias) received the Annecy Festival Jury Award in 2019 and Tragic Story with Happy Ending (História trágica com final feliz) winner of the 2006 Annecy Cristal as well as various prizes at different cultural events. Other multi-award-winning films will also be presented including Ode to Childhood (Ode à Infância) by João Monteiro and Luís Vital, and The Peculiar Crime of Strange Mr. Oddball (O peculiar crime do estranho sr. Jacinto) by Bruno Caetano.

Portugal also graces the juries

This year, the Festival will welcome three Portuguese jury members:

  • Leonor Silveira in the Feature Film category  
  • José Miguel Ribeiro in the Contrechamp Feature Film category  
  • David Doutel in the VR Works category  
Leonor Silveira, José Miguel Ribeiro, David Doutel

Leonor Silveira, José Miguel Ribeiro (photo : Marta Duarte), David Doutel

This year, the jury for the Perspectives category will be made up of three young Portuguese professionals who will present the City of Annecy Award:

  • Adriana Andrade  
  • Carolina Batista
  • Marta Ribeiro  

Portugal on the Mifa’s side

In this 2024 edition, the Mifa is putting Portugal in the spotlight, most notably with a pavilion hosting 18 Portuguese professional animation studios.

A wide range of fascinating events dedicated to Portugal will also be held throughout the week including Pitch Sessions, a masterclass by Regina Pessoa, Patron of Le Campus Mifa, as well as XR Conferences and Showrooms. 

Mifa Pitches

Mifa - Photo : ANNECY FESTIVAL/C. Sirieys

 

Programme 2024