Annecy Animation Festival Expands with Permanent Cité Internationale du Cinéma d'Animation
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a global hub for animation since 1960, is opening the Cité Internationale du Cinéma d'Animation on June 19, 2026, in the historic Haras d'Annecy building. The 450 m² permanent museum includes a 332-seat cinema, exhibition gallery, workshops, and artist residencies, with inaugural shows on Ankama studio and Laika's stop-motion work. The festival itself drew over 18,000 accredited participants from 118 countries in 2025, up from 7,000 a decade ago. Director Mickaël Marin notes the shift from a temporary event to a permanent institution. The animation sector is booming in France, with nearly 120 studios making it Europe's top producer. Recent successes include 'Arco' by Ugo Bienvenu (Cristal 2025, César 2026) and 'Flow' by Gints Zilbalodis (Oscar 2025). The article highlights a resurgence of hand-drawn techniques, the influence of video games and VR, and the rise of AI as a tool rather than a replacement. It also covers the growing global multipolarity, with strong scenes in Japan, China, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
Key facts
- Annecy International Animation Film Festival founded in 1960.
- Cité Internationale du Cinéma d'Animation opens June 19, 2026 in Haras d'Annecy.
- Museum features 450 m² permanent space, 332-seat cinema, galleries, workshops.
- Inaugural exhibitions: Ankama studio (until Jan 31) and Laika stop-motion (June 21–Sept 27).
- Festival had 18,000+ accredited participants from 118 countries in 2025.
- France has nearly 120 animation studios, leading in Europe.
- 'Arco' by Ugo Bienvenu won Cristal 2025 and César 2026.
- 'Flow' by Gints Zilbalodis won Oscar 2025 for Best Animated Feature.
- AI is used as a tool in production but not yet as a director; OpenAI's 'Critterz' faced opposition.
- Annecy's 'Off-Limits' section showcases experimental works like 'Ab mala usque ad ovo' and 'Merrimundi'.
- VR works like 'Ito Meikyū' by Boris Labbé (Venice 2024) are gaining festival presence.
- Residencies like Ciclic Animation and Annecy Festival support global talent.
- Japan remains a major reference; China's 'Ne Zha 2' (2025) is highest-grossing animated film ever.
- Eastern European animation, especially Czech stop-motion, is influential.
Entities
Artists
- Ugo Bienvenu
- Natalie Portman
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Michel Ocelot
- Wes Anderson
- Mickaël Marin
- Guillermo del Toro
- Louis Clichy
- Émilie Tronche
- Pablo Berger
- Sara Varon
- Nicolas Athané
- Marco Nguyen
- Pierre-Luc Granjon
- Alexandre Alexeïeff
- Claire Parker
- Chris Lavis
- Maciek Szczerbowski
- James A. Castillo
- Nadiia Pliamko
- Niles Atallah
- Boris Labbé
- Momoko Seto
- Nicolas Gourault
- Anaïs Chevillard
- Joaquim Dos Santos
- Kemp Powers
- Justin Thompson
- Jessica Rossier
- Bastien Grivet
- Caroline Poggi
- Jonathan Vinel
- Négar Motevalymeidanshah
- Michael Dudok de Wit
- Gints Zilbalodis
- Zaven Najjar
- Ahmadou Kourouma
- Félix Dufour-Laperrière
- Jérémy Clapin
- Jean-Sébastien Hamel
- Alexandra Myotte
- Bong Joon-ho
- Claire Nouvian
- Quentin Dupieux
- Katsuhiro Ōtomo
- Isao Takahata
- Jiří Trnka
- Jan Švankmajer
- Kristina Dufková
- Rand Beiruty
- Enki Bilal
- Marjane Satrapi
- Vincent Paronnaud
- Eadweard Muybridge
- Laurent Durieux
- Audrey Tautou
- Benjamin Renner
- Maïlys Vallade
- Cécile Corbel
- Véronique Encrenaz
- Marcel Jean
- Rupert Wyatt
- Emilie Phuong
- Elio Quiroga
- Beñat Beitia
- Pablo Neruda
- Ervin Han
- Raúl García
- Leah Nelson
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Florence Miailhe
- Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme
Institutions
- Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy
- Cité internationale du cinéma d'animation
- CITIA (Cité de l'image en mouvement d'Annecy)
- CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée)
- Arte
- France Télévisions
- Mubi
- NFB (Office national du film du Canada)
- Gobelins (École des Gobelins)
- École Émile Cohl
- École Méliès
- La Poudrière
- Ciclic Animation
- Résidence Annecy Festival
- Studio Ghibli
- Ankama
- Laika
- Pixar
- Sony Pictures
- Marvel Studios
- Ubisoft
- OpenAI
- CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique)
- Miyu Productions
- Ecce Films
- Umedia Production
- Arcadia Motion Pictures
- Lokiz Films
- Noodles Production
- Les Films du Worso
- Don Quichotte Films
- Square Eyes
- Capital Picture
- KCS
- Aurimages
- Am Stram Gram
- BBQ DFY
- Beaux Arts Magazine
- Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
- Citia
- dd.a
- Musée du film d'animation d'Annecy
- CITIA
- Cité internationale du cinéma d’animation
- Haras
- Laika Studios
- Mifa (Marché international du film d’animation d’Annecy)
- RFI
- Aardman Animation
- NWaves
- Mifa
- Berlinale
- Cannes
- Cité Internationale du Cinéma d'Animation
- Festival d'Annecy
- Marché du film
- DreamWorks
- LAIKA
- Sony Pictures Animation
- Les Papeteries - Image Factory
- France 24
Locations
- Annecy
- France
- Haras d'Annecy
- Vendôme
- Paris
- Lyon
- Sète
- Roubaix
- Montreal
- Canada
- New York
- United States
- Japan
- China
- Iran
- Bolivia
- Jordan
- Ukraine
- Chile
- Spain
- Latvia
- Czech Republic
- Venezuela
- Kenya
- Philippines
- Venice
- Italy
- Cannes
- Strasbourg
- Haute-Savoie
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- 19 Rue Guillaume Fichet, 74000 Annecy
- Portland
- Africa
- South Africa
- Malaysia
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- South America
- Europe
- Asia
- Singapour
- Espagne
- Italie
- États-Unis
- Afrique
- Nigeria
- Venise des Alpes
- Haras national