Ahead of its own June festivities in the French Alps, the Annecy Festival will present an Annecy Animation Showcase as part of the Festival de Cannes’ Animation Day (May 18). The showcase will present five feature films from established filmmakers and upcoming storytellers on the global scene.
Variety shared the details of the featured movies:
Julián
Louise Bagnall | Cartoon Saloon
Ireland, U.K., Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg | 2026
Synopsis: Adapted from the beloved picture book Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, Julián follows a boy who wants to be a mermaid. The wide-eyed Julián spends a summer of discovery in N.Y.C. with his Abuela. Nearly strangers, they brace themselves for tense conversations and new adventures. The colourful chaos of Abuela’s world, and the stories she tells him, awakens something within Julián… questions about who he is and who he could be. Julián’s journey will reach across the diaspora, from Brooklyn block to the depths of the ocean, in an intergenerational ebb and flow. Through Abuela’s world, Julián explores his identity, gender expression and the hidden heritage of his family.
Sunny
Michael Arias | GKIDS
Japan, U.S. | 2029
Synopsis: From Tekkonkinkreet director Michael Arias, Sunny is a moving narrative set in 1970s Japan. The film takes viewers inside Star Kids, a foster home that’s a sanctuary for children caught in the cracks of society. Told through the eyes of its young inhabitants, Sunny explores the fragile strength of found families and childhood resilience. Though still a few years from completion, the project already signals the return of a masterful voice in anime cinema with a poignant, socially resonant story.
Ana, en passant
Fernanda Alves Salgado | Apiario Creative Studio
Brazil, Portugal | 2026
Synopsis: Loosing herself in a new city, Ana finds Alice, her doppelgänger, and follows her. Face to face, glimpsing their respective abysses, they will discover what it means to become themselves, as they uncover new paths amidst the memories, languages and images of the cities they inhabit.
Dante
Linda Hambäck | Lee Film
Sweden, Denmark, Norway | 2026
Synopsis: Alternately titled Me, Dante and the Dump, the film is based on Frida Nilsson’s book, directed by Lee Film founder Linda Hambäck (who previously adapted Nilsson’s The Ape Star) and written by Hambäck and Jessika Jankert. The comedy-mystery centers on Helge, a prime suspect in the theft of millions. What follows is a narrow trash can escape and the acquaintance of an obnoxious dump-dwelling rat named Dante.
Mu Yi and the Handsome General
Julien Chheng | Studio La Cachette
France | 2026
Synopsis: Somewhere in a picturesque and peaceful countryside of China, Mu Yi, 14, uncovers terrible secrets about the circumstances of her birth. Embarking on an epic quest for justice, she finds the most unlikely allies: a beautiful hero from past legends, and a tiger-riding god. What is Mu Yi could rewrite History ?
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