Hasta La Motion!

As the world combats the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns are being put in place throughout. With multiple events being cancelled, postponed or going digital, one of the biggest and well known animation film festivals of the world is also getting cancelled.

While multiple other noted events across the ecosystem were cancelled in the recent past owing to the spread of Coronavirus, the news regarding the cancellation of the 60th edition of Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market came today.

However, an online edition of the event is in works, the details of which will be announced soon while the official selection will be announced on 15 April.

The initial excerpt of the message sent out by the management of the festival read,

“Dear friends of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market,

It is with tremendous disappointment that we are resigned to cancelling the Annecy 2020 edition.

Over the past few weeks, driven by our passion and our enthusiasm, despite the confinement constraints we were nevertheless hoping to maintain the exceptional edition that we had in store for you. We were so looking forward to greeting you as we do every year in June, in Annecy, the animation film capital of the world.

But today, the rationale and the international situation compel us to act with lucidity and responsibility. To show our respect and our deep gratitude to the health care providers, as well as all those who choose solidarity and the public interest.

Annecy is a party, a “family gathering”. We cannot bring ourselves to celebrate animation and our 60th
anniversary when some amongst you would not be able to attend.”

The option to move the festival to a later date was not feasible for the organisers as necessary facilities, the regular events calendar and other schedules of already postponed events were hindrances.

However, as with other festivals, an online edition of the 2020 edition is in works, says the official post, “For several weeks, our founding members, partners, suppliers, professionals and creators have been sending us their full support, and for this we are immensely grateful. These encouragements motivate us to offering an Annecy 2020 online version that would give access to exclusive works and original content, despite the current circumstances.”

As mentioned above the official selection will be announced on 15 April followed by the reveal of an offer that will be”elaborate and up to the expectations” of the festival goers and Mifa professionals.

The statement concludes with, “The team is mobilised on this project, so see you in the forthcoming days, and from 14 to 19 June 2021 to finally celebrate, as it should be, the festival’s 60th anniversary, and African animation, in Annecy.”

The note was signed by CITIA chairman Dominique Puthod, CITIA CEO Mickaël Marin, Artistic Director Marcel jean and The Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market team.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is frequented by noted professionals from across the ecosystem and the globe. Last year Vaibhav Studios’ slapstick comedy, Lamput, had earned a place at the festival to be the only invited Indian animated IP.

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