June 11, 2023 The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is set to make history this year with its largest international presence and increased participation from renowned studios. It will take place from June 11 to 17, the festival has already surpassed last year's attendance with over 13,300 guests. One of the main events of the animation industry, The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and its MIFA market, both organized by the Center national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) and CITIA, have started its 60th (June 11-17) and 35th (June 13-16) editions respectively in Annecy, France. Both events are leading ones on the agenda for everyone involved in the animation industry, that each year reunite creators, producers, distributors, buyers, students and interested attendees. Notably, a U.S. delegation of more than 700 people, including industry giants like Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, Netflix, Paramount and Warner Bros. will be in attendance, making it the most significant U.S. presence ever at Annecy. Disney, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, plans to commemorate the occasion by screening "Fantasia 2000" and offering a sneak peek of "Wish." Warner Bros. will provide behind-the-scenes insights into "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" and "Batman Azteca," while DreamWorks presents a preview of "Trolls Band Together" and Netflix premieres the "Nimona," acquired from Blue Sky Studios. This year's editions celebrate diversity in all its forms, and Mexico has been selected as the focus country, as it is one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the animation industry. ‘Everyone knows Guillermo del Toro, Jorge R. Gutierrez, but what do we really know about Mexican animation? Annecy Festival 2023 will give pride of place to Mexican animation. We’ve asked Mexican programmers to provide us with an overview of this great country's entire historical production', said Marcel Jean, the Festival's Artistic Director.
