email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

ANNECY 2022

Twenty feature films to compete in Annecy, the world’s animation capital

by 

- Signe Baumane, Alain Ughetto, Alberto Vazquez, Anca Damian, José Miguel Ribeiro and Pierre Földes, among others, will battle it out for the 2022 Crystal

Twenty feature films to compete in Annecy, the world’s animation capital
Blind Willows, Sleeping Woman by Pierre Földes

After a wholly online edition in 2020 and the hybrid event which unfolded last year, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (headed up by Mickaël Marin) is returning to its usual scale - as befits the genre’s biggest global event - for its 41st edition which is set to unspool between 13 and 18 June. Following the revelation of the Mifa Pitches projects last week (read our news), it was the turn of the official selection of feature films (put together by Artistic Director Marcel Jean) to be unveiled last night, a line-up notably consisting of 20 titles (out of one hundred submissions) shared across two competitions.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Eight European (co-)productions shine bright among the ten works wrestling it out for the 2022 Crystal in the Official Selection, namely Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Földes
film profile
]
by Pierre Földes (an adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s novel), No Dogs or Italians Allowed [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alain Ughetto
film profile
]
by French director Alain Ughetto, Nayola [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Portugal’s José Miguel Ribeiro (hereby signing his name to his country’s first animated feature, made in association with Belgium, the Netherlands and France) and My Love Affair with Marriage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Signe Baumane
film profile
]
by Latvia’s Signe Baumane.

Jostling alongside them, we find Charlotte [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by French filmmaker Éric Warin and Canadian talent Tahir Rana, Unicorn Wars [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Spain’s Alberto Vazquez, the French-Luxembourg co-production Little Nicholas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amandine Fredon and Benjami…
film profile
]
by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre (set to enjoy its world premiere in a Special Screening in Cannes) and The Island [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Romania’s Anca Damian (well-received in Rotterdam’s Big Screen competition). These movies will be pitted against various Japanese productions.

Five European (co-)productions steal focus among the ten features selected for the Contrechamp competition: My Grandfather's Demons [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Portuguese helmer Nuno Beato, Yaya e Lennie – The Walking Liberty [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Italy’s Alessandro Rak (screened in Locarno’s Piazza Grande last year) Aurora's Sunrise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Inna Sahakyan
film profile
]
by Armenia’s Inna Sahakyan, the French-Japanese production Dozens of Norths [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Koji Yamamura, and Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by China’s Lei Lei (produced by the USA and the Netherlands). It’s a line-up reflecting the highly globalised nature of animation of late, showcasing productions hailing from Mexico, Algeria, Colombia, the USA and South Korea.

Also well worth a mention are a multitude of feature film Special Screenings, namely for Le Pharaon, le Sauvage et la Princesse [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Michel Ocelot (who’s set to receive this year’s Honorary Crystal, alongside American actress Jennifer Lee), the French-Belgian production My Father's Secrets [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Véra Belmont and blockbuster movie Minions: The Rise of Gru, which is scheduled to open the festival. And that’s without forgetting the first images which are due to be shown from the much-anticipated movies Ernest and Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Jean-Christophe Roger and Julien Chheng, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One).

The selected feature films are as follows:

Official Selection

Charlotte [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Éric Warin and Tahir Rana (Belgium/Canada/France)
Goodbye, DonGlees! - Atsuko Ishizuka (Japan)
No Dogs or Italian Allowed [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alain Ughetto
film profile
]
- Alain Ughetto (France/Italy)
Little Nicholas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amandine Fredon and Benjami…
film profile
]
- Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre (France/Luxembourg)
The House of the Lost on the Cape - Shinya Kawatsura (Japan)
My Love Affair with Marriage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Signe Baumane
film profile
]
- Signe Baumane (USA/Latvia/Luxembourg)
Nayola [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- José Miguel Ribeiro (Portugal/Belgium/the Netherlands/France)
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Földes
film profile
]
- Pierre Foldes (Canada/France/Luxembourg)
The Island [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Anca Damian (Roumanie/France/Belgium)
Unicorn Wars [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Alberto Vazquez (Spain/France)

Contrechamp

Aurora's Sunrise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Inna Sahakyan
film profile
]
- Inna Sahakyan (Germany/Armenia/Lithuania)
Home Is Somewhere Else - Carlos Hagerman et Jorge Villalobos (USA/Mexico)
Khamsa – The Well of Oblivion - Khaled Chiheb (Algeria)
The Other Shape (La otra forma) - Diego Guzman (Colombia)
My Grandfather's Demons [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Nuno Beato (Spain/France/Portugal)
Dozens of Norths [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Koji Yamamura (France/Japan)
Quantum Cowboys - Geoff Marslett (USA)
Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Lei Lei (USA/the Netherlands)
Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On - Jun-pyo Hong (South Korea)
Yaya e Lennie – The Walking Liberty [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Alessandro Rak (Italy)

Out of Competition Special Screenings

Minions: The Rise of GruKyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan Del Val (USA) (opening film)
Le Pharaon, le Sauvage et la Princesse [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Michel Ocelot (France)
LightyearAngus McLane (USA)
No.7 Cherry Lane - Yonfan (Hong Kong)
The Sea BeastChris William (USA)
My Father's Secrets [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Véra Belmont (France/Belgium)

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy