Annecy Animation Festival is filled with unmissable events, ranging from global premieres to niche boutique screenings.
Near or at the top of that list are the MIFA Pitches, showcasing what indie directors and producers from all over the world have planned for the future of animation. An event carefully monitored by nearly every Annecy attendee, the sessions have more often than not proven to be the birthplace of true animated gems.
Initially split into four categories—feature Films, Short Films, TV Series & Specials, and Immersive Experiences—MIFA’s 40th birthday also celebrates the addition of a fifth category dedicated to animated documentaries.
In the Feature Films category, twelve film projects were selected this year at MIFA from no less than 201 candidates. Pitching at MIFA, where teams have ten minutes to dazzle potential partners, distributors, investors, sales agents and broadcasters alike, can prove tremendously valuable for such projects.
Michel Ocelot’s 1998 groundbreaking feature “Kirikou and the Sorceress” was pitched at MIFA in 1991, while “Heirloom,” an Indian feature presented last year in the same event, is now part of the Work-in-progress session, backed by a German co-producer.
Last but not least, a Latvian cat created by indie director turned Oscar-winner Gints Zilbalodis was presented at the MIFA pitches back in 2021. Four years later, “Flow” wrote a new chapter in European animation history.
Here are our picks for five projects that stood out from this year’s selection.
‘Acorn’s Adventure’
Filip MAŠEK
Acorn’s Adventure
What if children’s animation was crafted by the children themselves? This idea drove director Filip Mašek to create “Acorn’s Adventure,” a smashingly beautiful CG project with forest characters designed by the daring imaginations of nature-loving children.
Quido, a boy made of acorns, appears in Resinland, a village hidden deep in the forest where everyone seems to have a predefined purpose except for him. Suddenly, the village ‘s vital resource, resin, comes under attack from an unknown ring of thieves. So, Quido declares himself the hero and sets off on an epic mission to save the village along with daredevil race-driver wannabe Mary.
Quirky characters such as posh champagne-cork Mayor or chestnut odd-looking villagers populate the luscious project, which has been built so far under the careful scrutiny of — you guessed it — children.
“This story is about acceptance and finding who you are”, explained Mašek. As a teenager and Boy Scout leader, he was always amazed to see what stories children could create with twigs and acorns. Bringing this story to life with the same elements and the same energy resonated with him as well as Annecy’s audience.
Using Unreal Engine and Blender technology mixed with cutting-edge photogrammetry and motion-capture, the Czech-German co-production brings a teaser to Annecy, along with a second draft of the script. The project is looking for co-producers, broadcasters, investors and sales opportunities.
Co-producer Kristina Husová concluded that their main goal was to foster this creativity and imagination. “Our main wish is that children will run from the screening straight to the forest and use their limitless imagination to create their own ‘Acorn’s Adventures.”
‘Crocodile Dance’
Shofela COKER
Crocodile Dance
Annie/Emmy-nominated Shofela Coker (“Kizazi Moto: Moremi”) and Nadia Darries (“Star Wars Visions: Aau’s Song”) dazzled Annecy’s audience of professionals with “Mami Wata,” a South-African 2D-CG hybrid animated feature film bringing forth the West African folk tale of Mami Wata.
When the ancient water goddess threatens her town, Roukia, a silenced musician, must reclaim her voice to break a generational curse and save herself and her family.
Describing their project as a “thriller and a classic monster tale with a love story at its heart,” directors Coker and Darries blend their experience working in high-end environments with Nigerian and Southwestern African visual style to create what promises to be a gripping feature.
Music, a key element within their project, will take the viewers from afro-beats to traditional Nigerian music, from afro-funk to modern dance. As a musical storyteller, Roukia focuses on the healing capacity of music and dance. “Crocodile Dance” is currently in development and comes to Annecy looking for gap financing, co-producers, sales and distribution.
Impressive character design and powerful animatics show true expertise of the directors” duo backed by South African Lucan Studio and Nigerian Coker Coop.
Concluding their pitch, directors Coker and Darries emphasized Roukia’s path to understanding her fear will be key in this narrative. “Rather than slay the dragon with sword, fear and might, one might instead move like water and learn to dance with it, for fear does not trouble the sea.”
‘Dreamwalker’
Annecy
Dreamwalker
Belgian veteran production company Vivi Film (“Les Triplettes de Belleville,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Titina”) and Brussels-based Studio Souza presented “Dreamwalker.” The project, which had already been showcased at Cartoon Movie, Europe’s biggest co-production forum for animated films, follows Lucy, a lively 11-year-old girl who loves skating, water ballet and hanging out with her best friends.
Everything changes when she starts suffering from a rare sleep disorder called narcolepsy. To prevent accidents from happening, her parents become very protective, limiting her freedom. As her condition turns even the simplest of everyday actions into a painful challenge, she starts to grow apart from her friends while trying to figure out who the mysterious nameless boy is who keeps appearing to her in her dreams.
The teams’ expertise shines in this lush 2d animated project, of which Director Rudi Mertens and producer Veerle Appelmans unveiled a teaser and dashing animation tests. In this heartfelt story about friendship, Lucy will learn to embrace her condition and find new meaning.
With a finalized script, rough pre-boards, beautiful character designs and striking backgrounds, the production has already received development grants from Flanders Audiovisual Fund.
Again relying on their teams’ solid knowledge of the European animation landscape, Vivi Film has detailed plans to share for a 3-country co-production scheme and is looking for partners, international sales agents and distributors.
‘Pangea’
Annecy
Pangea
Miyu Productions — which boasts two films in Annecy’s feature competition this year, “Death Does Not Exist” and “Dandelion’s Odyssey” — returns to MIFA pitches with Simon Rouby’s second feature. Nine years after his directorial debut film “Adama” won two prizes at Annecy, Rouby presented, with producer and long-time friend Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, a CG project aimed at family audiences, which Rouby described as “Red Riding Hood in the Himalayas.”
An idea that has followed him since he had to retell his own version of the known folk tale as part of his Gobelins/CalArts training, Rouby was lucky enough to accompany a geological expedition in the famed mountain range. “Where I would just see rocks, those geologists saw a story,” explained Rouby, recalling a trip that allowed him to infuse his story with realism, capturing the essence of those rocky landscapes and remote villages.
“Pangea” tells the story of Chesa, a young girl who can predict earthquakes. After one of them weakens her village, she leaves to seek help from her grandmother, who lives as a hermit in the mountains. As she searches for the origins of her power, Chesa discovers that the earth is shaking because of the Dark Teeth, a landless people who feed on anthracite. Driven by their ever-increasing hunger, they dig into the earth and accelerate continental drift, threatening the world Chesa and her grandmother are striving to protect.
Rouby’s and Miyu’s expertise combine in what appears as a solid project, with impressive visuals and a striking teaser that ravished Annecy’s audience. The project, already backed up by the CNC and several regional funds for its development, is looking for additional partners.
‘The Sunken Knight’
Sébastien COSSET
The Sunken Knight
“The Sunken Knight” opened the day’s second pitching session with an animated bang.
In a medieval village where children are forbidden to go near the sea, 10-year-old Anna forms an unlikely duo with her whimsical, mysterious grandmother. Together, they venture deep under the ocean to retrieve Anna’s no-good younger brother Malo, kidnapped by the terrible Sunken Knight. Along the way, the duo will uncover the secrets of the lost city of Ys, a mysteriously submerged town somehow connected to Anna’s past.
Visual artist and comic book author Sébastien Cosset helms this promising French project backed by L’Incroyable Studio (“Bergères Guerrières,” “Draw for Change”). A feature that can also count on talents such as acclaimed French screenwriter Fabien Velhmann, artistic duo Kerascoët (“Tobie Lolness”) and both cute and funny animatics created by Oscar-nominated director Benjamin Renner, who also storyboards the project.
An adventure-filled project with a strong visual identity and dazzling concept art, “The Sunken Knight” amazed Annecy’s audience with its distinct palette and lovable characters. The duo of Anna and her grandmother forms a perfect balance between the old woman’s quirkiness and the young girl’s down-to-earth approach. In bringing the viewers into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the team also manages to underline how important it is to preserve marine life today.
A definite highlight of this year’s roundup, “The Sunken Knight” already has a full treatment and is looking for co-producers, distributors and broadcasters to board this one-of-a-kind project.
Selecting five projects from the twelve features proved extremely difficult, as each had its own specific identity. All the films’ primary information remains available on Annecy’s website, and we encourage investors, broadcasters, and producers to dive deeper into this year’s powerful line-up.