Annecy announces first guests & events for 2017 edition
The Annecy International Animated Film Festival has revealed a first look at what’s in store for this year’s edition. Leading with the announcement of two of its prominent keynote speakers Kristine Belson (President of Sony Pictures Animation) and Eric Coleman (Senior Vice President Original Programming/General Manager, Disney Television Animation), the 2017 edition of the event also promises a variety of Studio Focus presentations, with Cartoon Network, Passion Pictures, The Foundry, Google, Ankama, Original Force and Pixar already confirmed to be participating.
The first confirmed Masterclass presentation will be from Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, the multi-talented artistic team behind Clyde Henry Productions in Montreal, a company whose award-winning animated work includes the Oscar-nominated, envelope-pushing NFB film Madame Tutli-Putli (2007), their Maurice Sendak adaptation Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life (2010) and their 2013 PHI Films production Cochemare. Learn more about the work of Clyde Henry Productions in our 2013 interview with Chris Lavis and Peter Bas.
Among the WIP (Work in Progress) presentations – in which festivalgoers are offered an exclusive look at upcoming animated productions from major animation studios/talents – will be the multi-studio (Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, Canada’s Aircraft Pictures and Luxembourg’s Melusine Productions) production The Breadwinner (AKA Parvana). Adapted from the children’s novel by Deborah Ellis and directed by Nora Twomey (The Secret of Kells), the film tells the story of “a little girl living in Afghanistan who dresses up as a boy so that she can work to support her family”.
Also among the presentations will be a look at Ella, Oscar & Hoo, a preschool television series produced by Studio Normaal that explores emotions, adapted from Theo de Marcousin and Oscar-winner Michaël Dudok de Wit (Father and Daughter, The Red Turtle)’s book series Oscar and Hoo.
The 2017 edition of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market takes place from June 12th to 17th. Keep your eyes on Skwigly for further updates and visit annecy.org for more info