Annecy Details Virtual Mifa Market Highlights

Since announcing an online version of the Annecy Festival and its Mifa animation market (www.annecy.org), an entire team has been busy preparing a virtual 2020 edition that reflects all the richness, creativity, originality, specificity and profusion of the audiovisual and cinematographic production of animation works.

Writers, producers, buyers and studios continue working so we can discover the next animation successes. The industry is facing a huge demand for content, which was already significant before the outbreak of COVID-19, and is intensifying all the more during this period of confinement.

In order to support animation professionals across the world and contribute to the sector’s good health, Mifa organizers have prepared a 2020 edition rich in content and meetings. From June 15-30, the key words will be exchange, discovery, meetings, networking — and, of course, negotiations and acquisitions.

Accreditations open May 6, when “attendees” can start filling their diaries with screenings and meetings.

“We look forward to welcoming the many professionals and talents from around the world. Together let’s make this Mifa 2020 online edition rich with meetings, exchanges, discoveries and of course acquisitions!” said Véronique Encrenaz, Head of Mifa.

Highlights of the online Mifa include…

• Virtual Stands. Build your profile and meet professionals from other countries, either individually or as united delegations such as Japan, China, Malaysia, Belgium, Chile, Russia, Argentina, Mexico, United Kingdom, South Africa and more, and talk live with them via the live-chat. More info.
• Mifa Pitches / Comics Mifa Pitches (new) / Pitching – Territory Focus. Take a one-to-one meeting with over 80 project leaders. There are 38 projects as part of the Mifa Pitches and more than 30 projects in the Pitching – Territory Focus. Coming from Latin America (La Liga), South East Asia (Southeast Asia Focus 2020), Japan, Russia and Africa.
• Share With Sessions. Check out the list of buyers and, at the end of May, reserve a spot with the head buyers from the main channels, platforms and distribution companies (Hop!, Cartoon Network, Tencent, ZDF, France Télévisions, YLE, Super RTL, etc.)
• Mifa Campus. An event just for students and young talents combining technology with creation the artists’ points of view (Juan Pablo Zaramella; Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.) and guidance towards the working world (assistance with creation, behind the scenes of an animation studio, employment market overview, all via the CNC, RECA [list of animation schools], SVA [sound, video, animation]). Open access: Tuesday, June 16 (then available on replay). Official partner: UNITY.
• Meet the… Attend meetings aimed at festival programmers (NY Int’l Children’s Film Festival, Ottawa, Cinekid, BIAF, etc.), composers (in partnership with Sacem) and book publishers (in partnership with SCELF).
• Industry Territory Focus. Come and discover co-production opportunities with China, Japan and others.
• Video Library. Producers can benefit from a viewing space for finished content or a project. Registrations start on May 18 (1 Mifa accreditation = 3 films in the video library). Buyers shouldn’t miss viewing all the content is made available in this space from May 2020 to March 2021 — before, during and after Annecy Online.
• Press Conferences. In these organized live Q&A sessions, discover all the latest news from the main channels/platforms/professional organizations, such as France Télévisions (presentation of their animation line up), the M6 Group (the M6 Group and children’s animation), the SPFA and Digital Lab Africa, and more.
• Mifa Special Events. Tune in and take in the institutions’ talks. On the program: European Film Forum (“The Audiovisual Sector in a Post-Pandemic World: Focus on Animation”), Unifrance and many more.
• Women In Animation and Les Femmes s’Animent will also be presenting a conference.