top of page
Search

Reasons to be optimistic and the list of winners – A quick recap of the 2025 Annecy Festival

  • Writer: Edu Bros
    Edu Bros
  • Jun 17
  • 4 min read

ree

Every year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival treats us to a truly special program, gathering animation fans and connecting them with big names in the industry as well as talented indie artists. With a spotlight on Hungarian animation, this year’s edition turned out to be even more remarkable and jam-packed. With an outstanding lineup, the Annecy Festival is not just an animation market or a competition — it’s both, also offering learning and celebration.


For the first time, the festival focused on animated TV shows. By the way, Mifa, the festival’s business hub, was originally created to support television and now celebrates its 40th anniversary. The festivalgoers were delighted by legendary guests who made history in television animation, namely Matt Groening and David Silverman (The Simpsons), Raphael Bob-Waksberg (BoJack Horseman), along with the brilliant team from Cartoon Network, such as Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Pendleton Ward, Rebecca Sugar, J.G. Quintel, and Adam Muto. Obviously, the festival counted on renowned animated film directors such as Sylvain Chomet and Jared Bush.


As usual, a bunch of sneak previews and exclusive footage from the most anticipated series and movies, and some surprises like Gatto from Pixar. Embracing the already well-established hybrid of 2D-3D, with a brand new art style, it seems Gatto will be a groundbreaking feat for Pixar. An animation test of the movie was showcased at the festival, and it is expected to be released in summer 2027. The lucky audience could also watch exclusive footage from Zootopia 2, Hoppers, and Toy Story 5.


It was also great to learn that Genndy Tartakovsky finally debuted his 2-D movie Fixed, after several setbacks spanning 16 long years. Even more exciting was the news that Tartakovsky will release the series Heist Safari. Long live 2D!


Even if you unfortunately didn’t get to Annecy, you probably got lots of animation updates, like a breath of fresh air straight from the Alps. Although the last years have been too harsh for animation, the Annecy Festival gave me renewed hope for the future of the sector. Can’t wait for the next edition. (Oops, I almost forgot the competition! Check out the winners of the key prizes.)


'Arco' - Remembers/MountainA
'Arco' - Remembers/MountainA

Cristal Award

The Cristal Award for a Feature Film went to Natalie Portman–produced animated feature Arco, directed by Ugo Bienvenu. The movie tells the story of a boy named Arco who travels through time and accidentally lands in the present, where a girl named Iris helps him come back to the year 3000. Until now, Bienvenu has only directed short films such as Maman and L’entretien, so Arco is his first feature film as director.


The Cristal for a Short Film went to French director Pierre-Luc Granjon’s The Night Boots, which also took home the Audience Award.


Shaddy Safadi’s Christo The Civilized Barbarian: “Hunting Party” won the Cristal for a TV Production. It tells the story of Christo, a civilized barbarian, who unsuccessfully tries to impose Roman habits on his brutish but kind-hearted companions.

 

Jury Award

Yasuhiro Aoki’s ChaO won the Jury Prize. This movie was billed as a ‘wild romantic comedy’ set in a futuristic society where humans and mermaids coexist.The stop-motion Les Bêtes, directed by Michael Granberry, won the Jury Prize in the Short Film Competition.

Elena Walf’s TV series Lena’s Farm, episode ‘Volles Nest’, took home the Jury Award for a TV Series. The squirrel’s nest is well padded for winter with stolen items. But a flood drives the forest animals to Lena’s farm, and the squirrel wants to help.

 

Contrechamp Competition

The Contrechamp Grand Prix went to Canadian directorial duo Seth and Pete Scriver’s Endless Cookie. The movie is an autobiographical portrait that examines the differing childhoods of two half-brothers, one white and one Indigenous, who are brought together by vibrant characters.

 

Korean director Kim Bo-Sol’s The Square won the Contrechamp Jury Award. This animated romance follows Isak Borg, a Swedish diplomat in Pyongyang who is secretly dating a local officer, Bok-joo. After a suspicious man visits their meeting spot, Bok-joo disappears. Borg searches for her and grows suspicious of his interpreter, Lee Myeong-jun.


See the full list below:


MAIN COMPETITION


Cristal for a Feature Film

Arco

Dir. Ugo BIENVENU

France

Production: Remembers, MountainA

 

Jury Award

ChaO

Dir: Yasuhiro AOKI

Japan

Production: STUDIO 4°C

 

Paul Grimault Award [ex mention du jury]

Dandelion’s Odyssey

Dir: Momoko SETO

France, Belgium

Production: Miyu Productions, ecce films, Umedia

 

Gan Foundation Award for Distribution

Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake

Dir: Irene IBORRA RIZO

Spain, France, Belgium, Chile, Switzerland

Distribution: Little KMBO, Pyramide Films, Filmax, O’Brother Distribution


Audience Award

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

DirsMaïlys VALLADE, Liane-Cho HAN

France

Production: Ikki Films, Maybe Movies, Jean-Michel SPINER, Mireille SARRAZIN

 

CONTRECHAMP


Contrechamp Grand Prix [ex prix Contrechamp]

Endless Cookie

Dirs: Seth SCRIVER, Pete SCRIVER

Canada

Production: Scythia Films, Chris YURKOVICH, Jason RYLE, Seth SCRIVER


Contrechamp Jury Award [ex mention du jury Contrechamp]

The Square

Dir: Kim Bo-Sol

South Korea

Production: KAFA – Korean Academy of Film Arts

 

SHORT FILMS


Cristal for a Short Film

The Night Boots

Dir: Pierre-Luc GRANJON

France

Production: Am Stram Gram


Jury Award

Les Bêtes

Dir: Michael GRANBERRY

U.S.

Production: Michael GRANBERRY


Alexeïeff – Parker Award [ex mention du jury]

Sappho.

Dir: Rosana URBES

Brazil

Production: Planta Filmes, Letícia FRIEDRICH


Off-Limits Award

The Graffiti

Dir: Ryo ORIKASA

Japan

Production: The Yanai Initiative


Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Film

Zwermen

Dirs: Janneke SWINKELS, Tim FRIJSINGER

Netherlands, Belgium

Production: Peter LINDHOUT, Annemie DEGRYSE, Janneke SWINKELS, Tim FRIJSINGER

 

Audience Award

The Night Boots

Dir: Pierre-Luc GRANJON

France

Production: Am Stram Gram


TV AND COMMISSIONED FILMS


TV FILMS

Cristal for a TV Production

Christo The Civilized Barbarian “Hunting Party”Dir: Shaddy SAFADI

U.S.

Production: One Pixel Brush


Jury Award for a TV Series

Lena’s Farm “Volles Nest”

Dir: Elena WALF

Germany

Production: Studio Film Bilder GmbH


Jury Award for a TV Special

An Almost Christmas Story

Dir: David LOWERY

U.S.

Production: Alfonso CUARÓN, Gabriela RODRIGUEZ, David LOWERY, Parry CREEDON, Lila RAWLINGS, Chris PRYNOSKI (TITMOUSE), Shannon PRYNOSKI, Antonio CANOBBIO, Ben KALINA, Brooke ZACHANOWICH, Alice SCANDELLARI BURR


Audience Award

Freaked Out “Major Decision”

Dirs: Théo GROSJEAN, Mothy RICHARD

Belgium, France

Production: Autour de Minuit, FKLG, Panique!

 

COMMISSIONED FILMS


Cristal for a Commissioned Film

Naive New Beaters, Star Feminine Band “Ye Kou Si Kuo”

Dir: Lola LEFÈVRE

France

Production: Miyu Productions


Jury Award for a Commissioned Film

Desi Oon

Dir: Suresh ERIYAT

India

Production: Nilima ERIYAT

 
 
 

Comments


bottom of page