Animation is superstar in Annecy

by Fabien Lemercier

04/06/2012 - Out of competition, Franco-Belgo-Canadian co-production The Suicide Shop [trailer] 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 [trailer, film focus] 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 [trailer, film focus] by Anca Damian (co-produced by Rumania and Poland), and the Spanish feature film Wrinkles [trailer, film focus] by Ignacio Ferreras (which won two Goyas this year). Franco-Belgian co-production Le Tableau [trailer] (lit. "The painting") by Jean-François Laguionie, Ronal the Barbarian [trailer] 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 [trailer] 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)