This year, the 44th Annecy Animated Film Festival (running 8 to 14 June) has chosen to shine a light on Hungary’s rich animated film heritage, as well as the dynamism of its modern-day filmmaking which has been recognised across the world in recent times.

In the words of the Annecy Film Festival’s artistic director Marcel Jean, "despite political upheavals, the rich history of Hungarian animation has never wavered. Over the past twenty years, numerous student films have heralded the arrival of a new wave, while the recent successes of films by Flóra Anna Buda (director of short film 27, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes), Balázs Turai (director of short film Amok), Nadja Andrasev (direcctor of short film Symbiosis) and Áron Gauder (Four Souls of Coyote [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Áron Gauder
fiche film]) have confirmed this blossoming, and demonstrate the cultural dynamism and profound originality of this country's production. The major digitization and restoration work carried out by the Hungarian National Film Institute will enable Annecy 2025 to present the great classics of Hungarian animation in the best possible conditions."

Stealing focus within the Official Selection set to showcase in the Savoyard town is the feature film The Quest (Csongor és Tünde) by Máli Csaba and Pálfi Zsolt, a Cinemon Entertainment production which will enjoy a Special Screening in the Annecy Presents section and which charts the misadventures of a young prince who embarks on a magical journey in search of happiness, meeting fairies, witches and mischievious devils in a vibrant and enchanting fairy-tale world where love and courage are put to the ultimate test…

Likewise gracing the agenda are the short films Dog Ear by Péter Vácz (competing in the Official Competition – produced by Boddah and Filmfabriq), Capriccio by Gábor Ulrich (competing in Off-Limits – produced by Vertigo Média), The Last Drop by Anna Tőkés (competing in Graduation Films – produced by MOME - Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest) and Kippkopp and Tipptopp by Tama Mikori (competing in TV Films – produced by Loomfilm).

Nine sections, meanwhile, will be dedicated to Hungarian animation (selected by Anna Ida Orosz, an animation specialist within the Hungarian National Film Institute’s Film Archive) in order to highlight the full diversity of Magyar production, notably consisting of female-driven works which are proving particularly striking in recent years, from both a visual and a thematic viewpoint.

Three Hungarian jurors will be involved in the festival’s various categories: György Ráduly (Director of Film Archives at the Hungarian National Film Institute) within the Official Feature Films Competition, director and executive producer Nadja Andrasev within the Contrechamp Feature Films Competition and her peer Réka Bucsi within the Graduation Films Competition and Off-Limits Short Films Competition, while the jury for the Perspectives section will be composed of three young Hungarian professionals who’ll hand out the City of Annecy Prize: Máté Józsa, Emma Nyári and Máté Horesnyi.

Last but not least, Hungary will also be boasting a presence in Mifa (Annecy Animated Film market) (running 10 to 13 June), whose agenda includes a pitching session for five projects, an industry panel entitled "Production power, Global vision: Futureproofing Hungarian Animation", and filmmaker Áron Gauder’s sponsorship of Campus Mifa.