It’s the most glorious time of the year again—Annecy time! Since its inauguration in 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival has grown to become the world’s largest annual gathering of animators and animation, drawing audiences of around 15,000 from the most far-flung corners of the globe to the lakeside town nestled in the mountains that separate France from Switzerland. There’s nothing like it on Earth, and for the past couple of years, it’s been my privilege to attend on behalf of BtT.
In previous years, I simply wrote up reviews of some of the films I was able to see and posted them as the movies received international release throughout the year. This year, I’ll do something a little different—more like what we do for First Impression season. This here will be the Master Post!
What does that mean? Basically, I’ll update this post each day or so with first impressions of what I’ve been able to see, and link to any full-length film reviews as well. Don’t hold your breath for those straight away, though—Annecy is intense! With access to four screenings a day, plus a wide range of other events (exhibitions, pitches, interviews, and of course the beautiful lake itself!) to check out, there isn’t a great deal of time for writing.
True to our focus here at BtT, I’ll be covering mainly the anime that is screening at Annecy, but I’ll also include a few other Asian titles from China and South Korea, and anime-inspired works from other countries. Here’s the list of titles I aspire to view, but it’s subject to change. Internal links will go live as I update each section.
So, without further ado, “Ça va faire tout noir!”
Annecy Anecdotes • Sunday 8 June • Monday 9 June • Tuesday 10 June • Wednesday 11 June • Thursday 12 June • Friday 13 June
Feature Films:
100 Meters (Hyakuemu) • All You Need Is Kill • ChaO • The Girl Who Stole Time (China) • Jinsei • The Last Blossom (Housenka) • Mononoke The Movie: Chapter II – The Ashes of Rage • Nightmare Bugs • The Square (South Korea)
Shorts, VR & Works-in-Progress:
Daisy’s Life (WIP) • Get Jiro (WIP, Warner Bros) • Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom (VR) • The Mourning Children: Nagiko and the Girls Wearing Tsurubami Black (WIP) • Ordinary Life (short) • Star Wars: Visions “Black” (short)
Annecy Anecdotes
The first thing you need to know about Annecy is that it is replete with its own winsome traditions—especially when it comes to the screenings!
First, the paper airplanes. Even if you have secured a ticket in advance, you will generally queue up for a good half hour before the screening begins, filing into the theater well before start time. So, what to do as you wait for the movie to begin? Why, make paper airplanes, of course! Any planes that float near the stage in front of the screen (the largest screen, the Bonlieu Grand Salle, is essentially an opera house, with seating for 1000) are encouraged along their flight path by a rising chorus of “Oooooohh” from the audience, which errupts into a sympathetic sigh or a roar of applause, depending on whether or not it hits the target. Planes that crash into the screen itself are celebrated with unbridled enthusiasm, as the aviation engineers behind their creation take a bow.
Once the lights dim, it’s time for the traditional call-and-answer: “Ça va faire tout noir!” someone shouts (“It’s going dark!”), possibly with mock panic in their voice; “Ta gueule!” comes the response (“Shut up!”). Occasionally, I’ve heard a final comeback, but I couldn’t make it out.
Each screening then opens with a couple of shorts: first, the main short animation for the festival that year, celebrating Annecy; and second, a “short of the day” from the spotlighted country, so this year, they’ll be from Hungary. Here’s where the tradition kicks in: whenever a rabbit appears on screen, the audience shouts, “Lapin!” or “Rabbit!” By Day 3, everyone has the timings down to an art for the rabbit appearances in the main short, and it becomes a competition as to who can claim first mention for each rabbit appearance.
My favorite tradition, though, tends to be reserved for the Grand Salle screenings or smaller screenings where the director or other members of the animation team are in attendance: nearly everyone remains seated, applauding throughout the credits as the hundreds and sometimes thousands of names of everyone involved in bringing the work to life receive their due from the audience. Annecy is the only place I’ve been where the compositors and effects team, key animators, and in-betweeners receive more cheers than the actors. It’s pretty heartwarming. Last year, there was a certain stunning French sci-fi film that had been egregiously snubbed a couple of weeks earlier at Cannes, but the outpouring of support for the director and production team at the Annecy premiere was like a soothing balm, bringing a tear to more than a few eyes. Annecy is a special place for animation and animators.
Sunday 8 June (Opening Ceremony)
Star Wars: Visions, Season 3, episode “Black”
dir. Shinya Ohira, David Production
“A psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, and life and death plays out in the haunted psyche of an Imperial trooper who is on the cusp of defeat.” — Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
Monday 9 June
Jinsei (Life)
dir. Ryuya Suzuki, solo project
“From birth to death, each person goes through life with a variety of nicknames, and sometimes derogatory. The story depicts the beautiful yet sorrowful life of the protagonist who, unintentionally, rises to the top, against a backdrop of problems we are facing today, such as elderly drivers, the dark side of the entertainment industry, the unknown deaths of young people, and war.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
The Mourning Children: Nagiko and the Girls Wearing Tsurubami Black
dir. Sunao Katabuchi, work-in-progress for 2027 release, studio Contrail
“‘I didn’t know the meaning of the bad omen then…’ At the time, there was still smoke rising from Mount Fuji. Kyoto was the capital of Japan. But the solar eclipse, comet and other signs of disaster came one after another, and many people in the city died of illnesses. Beyond despair and absurdity lies a story of daily life and determination that will be passed on to the next generation.” ~ Annecy Film Program
Work in Progress panel with speakers: Director Sunao Katabuchi and co-director Chie Uratani from Contrail, and producer Manabu Otsuka from MAPPA.
First Impression: coming soon!
Tuesday 10 June
Nightmare Bugs
dir. Saku Sakamoto & Osamu Fukutani, Zelico Film
“College student Rin and high-school student Tamahi investigate the secrets hidden in a vintage apartment building that has been the subject of rumors of psychic phenomena and strange deaths.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon! (midnight screening, so expect delays!)
Wednesday 11 June
Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom
VR Works In Competition, dir. Kenichi Suzuki, Bandai Namco Filmworks and Atlas V
“Universal Century 0096. Three years after the last conflict between Neo Zeon and the Earth Federation, an independent mercenary organization is hired by the Earth Federation to track down a former Commander who joined Neo Zeon remnants ‘Sleeves’. An all-new and epic adventure into the heart of one of Japan’s most iconic anime universes.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon! (This one is first come, first served, so I may not get in…)
The Girl Who Stole Time
China, dir. Ao Yu & Tienan Zhou, Maoyan Entertainment
“Qian Xiao, a girl from a humble fishing village, comes into possession of the “Time Dial” after an accidental ship collision. This mysterious device grants her the ability to control time but also draws the attention of a powerful organization determined to hunt her down. As Qian Xiao uses the Time Dial to evade her relentless pursuers, she encounters Seventeen, a member of the criminal organization. Their initial clash turns into an unexpected camaraderie as they embark on whimsical adventures in the bustling city.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
The Square
South Korea, dir. Bo-Sol Kim
“Isak Borg is First Secretary of the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, so is constantly under surveillance and scrutiny. Borg has been secretly dating Bok-joo, a local traffic officer. They know their time is limited, so they cherish their secret meetings. One day, after a shady looking man visits their secret meeting spot, Bok-joo suddenly disappears. Bori searches for Bok-joo and becomes suspicious of his interpreter, Lee Myeong-jun.” — Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
Mononoke The Movie: Chapter II – The Ashes of Rage
dir. Kenji Nakamura & Kiyotaka Suzuki, GENO Studio
“Shortly after the frenzied battle against the mononoke, Karakasa, the Medicine Seller returns to Ōoku. There, the aftermath of the previous incident has left its mark, causing a shift in the power dynamics inside the inner chambers. In his pursuit to defeat the mononoke, Medicine Seller delves deeper into the darkness that lurks within Ōoku, seeking to uncover the threefold truth of form, truth, and reason to confront the mononoke and resolve the crisis.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon! (midnight screening, so expect delays)
Thursday 12 June
Get Jiro
Work-in-progress for 2025, dir. Rick Morales, Warner Bros.
“From Warner Bros. Animation and based on “The New York Times” bestselling DC/Vertigo graphic novel, “Get Jiro” is set in a not-too-distant future Los Angeles where master chefs rule the town and people literally kill for a seat at the best restaurants. A mysterious sushi master named Jiro enters a bloody culinary war to craft his recipe for revenge. Join members of the creative team for an exclusive exploration of the creative and production process of bringing this exciting graphic novel to life.” ~ Annecy Film Program
Work-in-Progress panel with speakers: Director Rick Morales, Art Director Jonathan Hoekstra, Executive Vice President Peter Girardi, Warner Bros. Animation
First Impression: coming soon!
Housenka (The Last Blossom)
dir. Baku Kinoshita, CLAP
“Autumn 2023. Akutsu, an elderly inmate serving life in prison, is on the verge of a lonely death in his single cell. A talking Housenka flower says to him, ‘What a rotten life you had.’ Akutsu starts reflecting on his past. Summer 1986. Akutsu is living with Nana and her son Kensuke in a shabby apartment with a garden full of Housenkas. It is the tale of a one-night victorious comeback by a dying yakuza, and his family’s story told by a flower that blooms in prison.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
Hyakuemu (100 Meters)
dir. Kenji Iwaisawa, Asmik Ace
“Togashi is born to run. As a kid, he is naturally gifted and effortlessly wins every 100-meter race. But in sixth grade, he meets Komiya, a transfer student who is full of determination but lacks technique. In teaching him, Togashi gives Komiya a new purpose: to win no matter what. The years pass, Togashi and Komiya meet again as rivals on the track, and it will reveal their true selves.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
All You Need Is Kill
dir. Kenichiro Akimoto, Studio4℃
“Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The Boso Peninsula. A massive, unidentified plant from outer space, known as ‘Darol,’ has spread its roots across the land, wreaking havoc with its electromagnetic waves and high-concentration gas, devastating the environment on a massive scale. To aid in the recovery efforts, volunteers from across the country and abroad have been randomly selected.” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
Friday 13 June
Daisy’s Life
Work-in-progress for 2026, dir. Masaaki Yuasa, Ame Pippin, Asmik Ace, & MIYU Productions
“Daisy’s loved ones always leave her behind. On a rainy day, six-year-old Daisy loses her mother, who is her only family, in a traffic accident. One night, when she is unable to sleep at her aunt’s house, a girl appears at the window.” ~ Annecy Film Program
Work-in-Progress panel with speakers: Director Masaaki Yuasa (Ame Pippin), character designer Izumi Murakami & producer Fumie Takeuchi (Asmik Ace, Inc.), head of production Tanguy Olivier & visual development Batiste Perron (MIYU Productions)
First Impression: coming soon!
Ordinary Life
dir. Yoriko Mizushiri, animated short
“Life repeats itself every day while the succession of moments that we endlessly repeat is never the same.” — Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
ChaO
dir. Yasuhiro Aoki, Studio4℃
“In a future society where humans and mermaids coexist, Stephan, a regular office worker at a shipbuilding company, is suddenly proposed to by Chao—a princess from the mermaid kingdom! With no time to make sense of what’s happening, Stephan finds himself living together with Chao. As he is showered with Chao’s pure and wholehearted love, Stephan gradually begins to fall for her. What will become of their unlikely romance?” ~ Annecy Film Program
First Impression: coming soon!
Beneath the Tangles
