ANNECY 2024: Five Commissioned Films Highlights
The Commissioned Films category of any festival is a great way to see a wide range of visual styles, animation techniques, and subjects; music videos, festival idents, commercials, charity films – basically any professionally commissioned animated film.
We were pleased to see their usual number of 37 films were again selected for competition, with 6 of them being produced in the UK. Will Anderson picked up the Cristal for Commissioned Film this year, with his minute long Pictoplasma “Opener 2023”. (View all winners here.)
Ahead of the festival, Annecy made the controversial announcement that films made using generative AI will be included at this year’s festival. The first public reaction from the festival audience on this matter came during the first Commissioned Films screening, where music video Chien Méchant “Étoile filante” was booed. This also marks my first experience of a film being booed by an audience at a festival.
Cristol winner “Pictoplasma Opener 2023” (Will Anderson), left, and controversial AI entry “Chien Méchant Étoile filant (Kelzang Ravach), right
This incidence aside, we have picked out five highlights from this year’s selection for you to enjoy and watch below…
Alzheimer’s Research UK “Change the Ending”
Directed by: againstallodds
Production: Passion Pictures (United Kingdom)
This impactful film brings home the importance of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s mission to find a cure and urges the British public to stand with them and support their research. Yes, it starts with the ‘Disney-esque’ fairytale trope that we call know, but keep watching – it packs a poignet punch in just one and half minutes of its duration.
Chinese Man feat. Stogie T, KT Gorique & FP “Too Late”
Directed by: Victor Haegelin
Production: Wizz (France)
Sometimes it is the music itself that leads a good music video, but we found ourselves much more invested in the animation with this commissioned film; there are plenty of background details and references throughout that call for a couple of viewings. The video, directed by Victor Haegelin, uses stop-motion to create a colourful, poetic world: the characters are on a hamster wheel symbolising the perpetuity of life with all its turmoil.
We Campaign Because They Can’t
Directed by: Dane Winn
Production: Blue Zoo (United Kingdom)
A compilation of micro short films designed for social channels; each film follows a different creature – bees, frogs, hedgehogs, woodpecker – taking a stand against the destruction of their habitat whilst encouraging viewers to support RSPB’s conservation. The play on humourous scenarios raises a laugh, while not lessening the impact of the over message.
TED-Ed “How Did South African Apartheid Happen, and How Did It Finally End?”
Directed by: Aya Marzouk
Production: TED-ED (USA, South Africa, Egypt)
It wouldn’t be a Commissioned Films screening without a TED-Ed film… this year there were two. We picked this one for it’s striking visual 2Ds style, and ability to squeeze a complex history into 7 minutes. The video visualises a period that ensured South Africa was dominated politically, socially and economically by the nation’s elitist white population.
World Economic Forum “Dance to Live”
Directed by: World Economic Forum Creative Team
Production: Smog, World Economic Forum, (Switzerland)
Another visually striking film, the animation merges motion graphics, character animation (some nice dance sequences), plus live action in paces. The film is narrated by it’s subject – Ahmad Joudeh – who was a stateless refugee, until dancing changed his life. This film was commissioned by the World Economic Forum for World Refugee Day.