The Illusionist opens Annecy, capital of animation
Unveiled at the Berlinale, Sylvain Chomet’s splendid The Illusionist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain Chomet
film profile] will today open the 34th Annecy International Animated Film Festival , which is celebrating its 50th anniversary (it was held once every two years until 1997). The line-up comprises almost 220 films, while 1,900 professionals (including 230 international buyers and 350 exhibitors) will attend the Market (MIFA – June 9-11) for co-productions, acquisitions, sales, financing and distribution of animated content.
In competition, seven features will vie for the 2010 Golden Crystal. These include Tarik Saleh’s Swedish feature Metropia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (unveiled in Critics’ Week at Venice – see review); Dominique Monfery’s French/Italian co-production Kerity: The House of Tales; and Jean-Christophe Roger’s French film Allez Raconte! (“Go On, Tell!”).
Out of competition, the programme includes Croatian director Joško Marušić’s Duga and Rintarô’s French/Japanese co-production Yona Yona Penguin. Meanwhile, 3D will invade the avant-premieres section with titles including Around the World in 50 Years 3D by Belgian director Ben Stassen and new works by DreamWorks (with Jeffrey Katzenberg in attendance), Pixar and Universal.
Among the numerous events is Work in Progress, where eight directors will talk in detail about their films in development. These include Patrice Leconte with French/Canadian/Belgian co-production Le Magasin des Suicides (“The Suicide Shop”); directorial duo Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli with A Cat in Paris (French/Belgian co-production piloted by Folimage studios); Martin Clapp, Goeff Lindsey and Marek Skrobecki with Polish/French/Norwegian project The Flying Machine; Piet Kroon with UK/Dutch co-productionNot the End of the World; and Jean-François Laguionie with French/Belgian co-production Le Tableau (“The Picture”).
Set to close on June 12, the Annecy festival will also host several conferences, on of which will be on case studies, including for Planet 51 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Arthur and the Two Worlds War (with participants from France’s Buf Compagnie and Mac Guff, and Spain’s Ilion Animation Studios) and another focusing on the work of Michel Ocelot.
(Translated from French)
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