Annecy animated film festival: "this digital edition opens up the field of possibilities"

Text by: Siegfried Forster

Annecy, the largest animated film meeting in the world, starts this Monday, June 15 with a historic offer: access to festival films worldwide. Transformed into digital publishing, it clearly displays its ambition to set the "standard" in the cinema sector shaken by the coronavirus pandemic. Without forgetting Africa.

Publicity

The International Animated Film Festival on the shores of Lake Annecy, in the south-east of France, is the world leader in its field, as is the Cannes Festival or the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival which took place in January. Each year, it welcomes more than 12,000 accredited members, registers 120,000 admissions and projects some 200 films in the official selection, chosen from among the 3,000 short and feature films received from some 100 countries.

And, unlike the Cannes Film Festival, the animation film capital has not given up on its 2020 edition, far from it. In the absence of an event that can be carried out locally, it seized the opportunity of the coronavirus crisis to widen its reach and its digital borders: the official competition will indeed take place, journalists and the general public are invited to discover the films and to debate it, the filmmakers to explain their vision of film and the world, and the juries will award the prestigious prizes including the coveted Cristal d'Annecy which led, last year, I lost my body , by Jérémy Clapin, at the Oscars.

Online publishing is therefore a leap into the unknown, a digital revolution undertaken despite the apprehension of renouncing during an edition the artistic achievement of the big screen and the human need for physical encounters. A choice that is both painful and assumed in the name of supporting the art of animated film and with the agreement of the vast majority of directors and professionals in the sector. Interview with Mickaël Marin, director of the Festival, the Film Market and the City of the moving image of Annecy (Citia).

RFI : The Annecy Animation Film Festival was born in 1960, 60 years ago. For the first time, it will be digital. What is for you the biggest challenge of this 2020 edition ?

Mickaël Marin : When we announced to do a digital edition, we had to discuss film by film to know which film we can count on for the competition. There were many discussions with rights holders to explain what we are going to do and to reassure them. We were pleasantly surprised to lose very few films on the official selection. Festival goers will be able to discover almost the same selection as if the festival had been held physically. The other issue is mainly technological. Beyond the technologies already developed, in particular the digital video library, it was necessary to find other technologies, in particular for the video platform, so that festival-goers and accredited members of the Film Market could work and discover the films in the best conditions.

Among the highly anticipated feature films in competition, there is Petit Vampire , by Joann Sfar, and Calamity, a childhood by Martha Jane Cannary , an animated western by Rémi Chayé. What is for you the highlight of the official selection this year ?

The selection of Annecy - and that it will be online will not change anything - will further demonstrate the vitality, strength and creativity of the animated film. There is also diversity in the geographic origins of the films, in the subjects treated which are very related to our news, ecology, migrations… Animation pushes the boundaries of art from an artistic point of view and technical and pushes back geographical boundaries with many new producer countries. There is an incredible vitality on the side of South America, but also in Africa or Asia. And each year, we are the showcase.

Unlike digital editions of other festivals such as Vues d'Afrique in Canada or Gabès Cinéma Fen in Tunisia or Visions du Réel in Switzerland, access to films will not be geolocated. The works can be viewed in all countries of the world. What are the advantages of this digital festival for you ?

Thanks to this digital edition, Annecy is playing its unifying role even more. What we have observed in recent weeks, many studios take the opportunity to take a large number of accreditations to allow in their studio that all the animators participate in the festival in this way. In a way, this allows us to be even more connected with the animation film community. And since the price is relatively affordable, we also hope that we will reach the general public. This opens up a little more the field of possibilities from the point of view of an animation cinema community or simply of the public.

For 15 euros, you can watch 60 hours of films. With this digital edition that will last one more week, will your relationship with the public change ?

What may change is that Annecy may still gain notoriety. This will allow to have even more public. We are a link between the works and the artists and the public, either professionals in animation, or the general public at large. So I think that will allow us to strengthen our role as a link and a catalyst. One week a year, Annecy is the world capital of animation cinema. This year, by testing new things, we will see what works, what does not work. We will probably keep certain devices and certain things. This will perhaps allow, throughout the year, to forge a new and enriched relationship with the public.

The Mifa is the largest market in the world entirely dedicated to entertainment. What is the state of the international animation film market today ?

The market dedicated to animation and animation cinema is very dynamic, growing. This dynamic is driven both by demand from broadcasters, but also by demand from platforms and the development of animated feature films. And then, everywhere, by the content needs of different broadcasters and platforms around the world.

What has the coronavirus crisis changed ?

In the short term, the animation film studios got organized very quickly. It was a feat. In 48 hours, the studios put hundreds of people on telework to continue producing. Today, the strength of animation cinema is that it has been able to continue producing. Admittedly, there will be a small delay in production, but the studios will be able to deliver content. In the medium term, we must be very vigilant. Because of the economic situation, there will likely be a slowdown. However, in the short term, it is a market that is holding up well. In Annecy, at the Marché du film, today we have almost the same number of accredited online as last year, accredited physical.

At the Annecy Festival, there is no opposition or rivalry between cinemas and platforms. What is your relationship with American platforms like Disney + or Netflix ?

For many years, we have had a relationship of trust with the American majors, and in particular with the studios which, like Disney, have created a platform or with native platforms, like Netflix. Each year, with the artistic director of the festival, we travel to the United States to meet all the studios to discuss projects, content, films and series that are being prepared. The strength of Annecy is to achieve balance. There are the productions of the majors which are often presented in preview. But, that does not prevent us, and it is even the DNA of Annecy, from showing independent production, short films, student films. For us, it's not the big gap, it's just showing the diversity of animation cinema. We want to show and promote both.

This year you have received more than 3,000 films from 94 countries. Among the films selected : the Mauritian feature film Jungle Beat, by Brent Dawes, and the short film Machini,  by Frank Mukunday and Trésor Tshibangu (DRC / Belgium). How big is the presence of African filmmakers at the festival this year ?

There is a presence, but it could have been more important. We had planned to pay an important tribute to African animation. Many delegations of creators and creators had to go to Annecy. Following the coronavirus, we decided to postpone this tribute to 2021, because we really wanted them to meet other professionals on site. This tribute should be done as part of the Africa 2020 Season which was also offbeat.

And then we have six African films in competition, which is a very good figure. We see that the animation of the African continent is developing and emerging. There are really a lot of talents and projects that we are seeing happen. For example, The Knight and the Princess , an Egyptian feature film by Bashir El Deek, short films also from Egypt, South Africa, Ivory Coast…

We have a variety of techniques, of geographical origins. There is a growing African presence. And we, in Annecy, intend to do everything to support the animation movement in Africa. The largest event in the world has enormous interest and respect for this work. Often, this helps creators and sometimes allows them to have recognition, even in their own country. For us it is very important.

What kind of dynamic have you noticed in Africa ?

There is a dynamic that dates back several years. For that, we had decided to pay tribute to African animation, because now is the time to do it. Last November, we went with colleagues to South Africa. We were able to meet many creators and had working sessions to support and select projects that will be “pitched” and presented during this year's Mifa. There is an extraordinary generosity and desire to produce and to create. Our duty is to accompany this. There is an extraordinary dynamic, as also on the South American continent. The African continent will count in the world of animation cinema worldwide. It's certain.

For rights reasons and respect of the media chronology, only twelve out of twenty feature films from the official selection will be accessible in full during this 2020 digital edition of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. For the others, the discovery will be limited to video extracts. 

►  The official website for the digital edition of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, from June 15 to 30, 2020.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Cinema
• Culture
• Culture Africa
• France
• Ground floor
• Egypt
• Mauritius
• our selection

On the same subject

Cannes 2020: Congolese Dieudo Hamadi in official selection with "On the road to the billion"

The new digital frontiers of the Cannes Festival 2020

Views of Africa: the “exceptional” assessment of the digital edition of African cinema