This year’s online Annecy Festival and MIFA (June 15-30) is aiming to deliver all the fascinating, diverse programming that attendees are accustomed to at the physical editions. To prime animation palates for the future of the artform, the confab is once again gathering celebrated masters and up-and-coming creators to discuss their works in progress, preview exclusive images and materials of their upcoming films, and recap the secrets to their successes with “making of” and masterclass sessions.
The Work in Progress (WIP) section will spotlight projects from around the world. All of these works are different and unique, using diverse techniques such as cut-out elements for The Island, puppets, live-action shots and photos for No Dogs or Italians Allowed, 2D for The Summit of the Gods and The Cuphead Show! and drawings on paper for Mum Is Pouring Rain.
WIP Features
- No Dogs or Italians Allowed by Alain Ughetto | Production: Alexandre Cornu, Enrica Capra, Nicolas Burlet, Ilan Urroz, Jean-François Le Corre, Manuel Poutte | Distibution: Gebeka Films (France, Italy, Belgium)
- The Summit of the Gods by Patrick Imbert | Production: Jean-Charles Ostorero, Damien Brunner, Stéphan Roelants | Distribution: Diaphana Distribution (France, Luxembourg)
- My Love Affair with Marriage by Signe Baumane | Production: Roberts Vinovskis, Sturgis Warner (Latvia, U.S.)
- Inu-Oh by Masaaki Yuasa | Production: Fumie Takeuchi, Eunyoung Choi, Yuhai Cheng | Distribution: Asmik-Ace, Inc. (Japan, China)
- The Island by Anca Damian | Production: Anca Damian, Gregory Zalcman, Augusto Zanovello, Mathieu Rolin, Gina Thorstensen (Romania, France, Belgium)
- Len and the Song of the Whales by Joan Manuel Millán and Manuel Alejandro Victoria | Production: Julián Danilo Londoño Navarro, Marcial Quinones | Distribution: Latido Films (Colombia, Argentina)
- Lamya’s Poem by Alexander Kronemer | Production: Unity Productions Foundation (U.S., Canada)
- New Gods: Nezha Reborn by Ji Zhao | Production: Xi Lu | Distribution: Alibaba Pictures Group Limited (China)
- Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds by Benoît Chieu | Production: Ron Dyens | Distribution: Haut et Court (France)
WIP Series
- The Cuphead Show! by Dave Wasson and Cosmo Segurson | Production and Distribution: Netflix (U.S., Canada, Ireland)
WIP TV Specials
- Mum Is Pouring Rain by Hugo de Faucompret | Production: Antoine Lietout, Ivan Zuber, Emmanuèle Petry Sirvin, Jean-Baptiste Wery | Distribution: Dandelooo (France)
WIP XR
- The Hangman at Home by Michelle and Uri Kranot | Production: Lana Tankosa Nikolic, Katayoun Dibamehr, Avi Amar, Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Marc Bertrand | Distribution: ONF, Miya Distribution (Denmark, France, Canada)
- New immersive projects by Baobab Studios
Previously Recorded WIP Sessions
- 2018: The Swallows of Kabul by Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mevellec | Production: Les Armateurs | Distribution: Memento Films International (France, Luxembourg)
- 2019: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal by Genndy Tartakovsky | Production: Adult Swim, La Cachette | Distribution: Adult Swim (U.S., France)
Animation lovers can catch up on the evolution of intriguing new projects from across Europe in the Preview sessions, covering:
- Even Mice Belong in Heaven by Denisa Grimmová and Jan Bubeníček | Production: Vladimír Lhotak, Alexandre Charlet, Grzegorz Wacławek, Marek Jenicek | Distribution: Charades, Gebeka Films, Cinemart, M2 Films Poland (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, France)
- Dislocation by Veljko and Milivoj Popovic | Production: Veljko Popovic, Milivoj Popovic, Veronique Siegel | Distribution: BonoboStudio (Croatia, France)
- Vanille by Guillaume Lorin | Production: Folimage, Reginald De Guillebon, Nadasdy Film, Nicolas Burlet | Distribution: Folimage (France)
In the Making Of program, directors Tony Brancroft and Scott Christian Sava will discuss the Animal Crackers adventure (distribution: Netflix; U.S.), its production, premiere at Annecy in 2017, and the obstacles that followed meeting its audience.
And Gutsy Animations will draw virtual attendees into Tove Jansson’s Moomin world, created for the first time in the 1940s and given a contemporary flavor in their creative new series, Moominvalley by Steve Box. (Distribution: PGS Entertainment; Finland, U.K.)
Plus, there will be live Q&A sessions throughout the two-week festival. All videos will be presented either in English or with English and/or French subtitles.
