04/06/2012 - The world's most important animation film festival is screening 231 films, including its opening film The Suicide Shop.

Out of competition, Franco-Belgo-Canadian co-production The Suicide Shop [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Patrice Leconte (read the interview) today opened the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (from June 4 to 9). Up to 231 films have made it to the official selection this year, and many are European productions. Over 2,300 professionals from 70 different countries are expected to attend the event's market (MIFA - from June 6 to 8) to discuss the future of a dynamic sector rich in co-productions.

The following films will premiere out of competition at the festival: France-Belgium-Luxembourg co-production Ernest and Celestine [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benjamin Renner, Vincent Pa…
film profile] by the trio Stéphane Aubier - Vincent Patar - Benjamin Renner (well-reviewed at the recent Directors' Fortnight in Cannes - read the review), Day of the Crows by Jean-Christophe Dessaint (France, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg), Moon Man by Stephan Schesch (Germany, France), and Spanish co-production Anima Buenos Aires.

Seven European animated features are running in the competition to be judged by a jury including Belgian director Stéphane Aubier and British producer Sue Gofffe. Among the contenders for the 2012 Cristal d'Or (lit. "Golden crystal"), the following stand out: Approved for Adoption by the duo Laurent Boileau - Jung Henin (read more - co-produced by France, Belgium, South Korea, and Switzerland), Crulic - the Path to Beyond [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anca Damian
film profile] by Anca Damian (co-produced by Rumania and Poland), and the Spanish feature film Wrinkles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ignacio Ferreras
interview: Ignacio Ferreras
film profile] by Ignacio Ferreras (which won two Goyas this year). Franco-Belgian co-production Le Tableau [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (lit. "The painting") by Jean-François Laguionie, Ronal the Barbarian [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by the Danish trio Thorbjorn Christoffersen - Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen - Philip Einstein Lipski (read more), Tad, the Lost Explorer by Spanish filmmaker Enrique Gato, and Zarafa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by the duo Rémi Bezançon - Jean-Christophe Lie (news - discovered in the Generation section at the 2012 Berlinale 2012, and 1.36 million admissions in France) will also be competing for the award.

This year, the Annecy film festival will celebrate Ireland, its Work in Progress section will explore how several animation films were made (including Metegol by Juan José Campanella, Extraordinary Tales, Aya of Yop City, Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill, and Deep), and that the conferences will focus on hybrid animation and funding animated features.

(Translated from French)