Take a Look at Annecy Competition Lineup

By Pickle  May 30, 2020
Annecy Jury Members
Annecy Jury Members

Annecy, the world’s biggest animation film festival and largest gathering of business of animation industry professionals released its competition film line up and Contrechamp sidebar section of the festival.

The festival accredidation is priced nominally at 15 Euros and market accredidation for professsionals at 110 Euros. The major part of the animation market MIFA (meetings, pitching sessions) will happen between June 16-19. The presentations and conversations will be limited to 1000 viewers and pre-recorded live sessions will remain in the Annecy online platform for two weeks till June 30.

76 films were submitted to our selection committees and to the Artistic Director, Marcel Jean. 20 films are competing in our two competitive sections. Among them, and apart from the usual producer countries (France Japan, South Korea, Russia, etc.), you will notice there is a film from Chile, Mauritius and Egypt.

The Annecy 2020 Official Selection is carried out by the Artistic Director, Marcel Jean, the Films & Programme Planning team, Laurent Million, Yves Nougarède and Sébastien Sperer, as well as:

Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme, Director of the Cinémathèque de Grenoble
Marie-Pauline Mollaret, Chief Editor of the magazine EcranNoir.fr
Clémence Bragard, Independent Events Manager specialized in animation film, Programmer of the National Animation Film Festival for the Afca
Isabelle Vanini, Programmer of the Forum des images (Carrefour du cinéma d’animation…) and “animation expert” for the CNC, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Ciclic and the César

Here are 2020 Annecy International Festival official selection

FEATURE FILMS (OFFICIAL COMPETITION)

“The Nose, or the Conspiracy of Mavericks,” (Russia)

Stalin’s reign of terror in Russia during the first half of the 20th century. Described using a combination of historical settings, biographies and masterpieces from Russian avant-garde artists, composers and writers from this totalitarianism period.

  • Directed by: Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY
  • Production: SCHOOL STUDIO SHAR – SHAR BALTICS, Anna OSTALSKAYA
  • Script: Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Yury Arabov
  • Graphics: Marina Azizyan, Alexandra Pavlova, Alexander Khramtsov, Varya Yakovleva, Alexander Boim, Anastassia Sembon, Mikhail Tumelya
  • Storyboard: Andrey Khrzhanovsky
  • Camera: Igor Skidan-Bosin
  • Music: Dmitry Shodtakovich
  • Editing: Taissia Krugovykh, Ilya Tomashevich, Veronika Utkina

“Kill It and Leave This Town,”(Poland)

Fleeing from despair after losing those dearest to him, the hero hides in a safe land of memories. Over the years, a city grows in his imagination. Literary heroes and cartoon childhood idols come to live there, uninvited. When our hero discovers they have all grown old and that eternal youth does not exist, he decides to return to real life.

  • Directed by: Mariusz WILCZYNSKI
  • Production: BOMBONIERKA, Agnieszka SCIBIOR, EXTREME OPTIONS, Ewa PUSZCZYNSKA
  • Distribution: OUTSIDER PICTURES, Paul HUDSON
  • Artistic direction: Mariusz Wilczynski
  • Script: Mariusz Wilczynski
  • Music: Tadeusz Nalepa
  • Sound: Franciszek Kozlowski
  • Voice: Anja Rubik, Andrzej Wajda
  • Other credits: Old Man On The Train, Newspaper Kiosk Lady

“Little Vampire,” Petit Vampire (France)

Little Vampire lives in a haunted house with a merry group of monsters, but he is bored stiff! One night, he secretly sneaks out of the manor along with his trusted bulldog, Phantomato, on a quest to find some new friends.

  • Directed by: Joann SFAR
  • Production: THE MAGICAL SOCIETY, Aton SOUMACHE, STUDIO CANAL, François MERGIER, FRANCE 3 CINÉMA, Cécile NEGRIER, LA COMPAGNIE CINÉMATOGRAPHIQUE, Gaëtan DAVID, PANACHE PRODUCTIONS, André LOGIE, STORY, Thierry BERTHIER
  • Distribution: STUDIO CANAL, François MERGIER
  • Based on: “Petit Vampire”, Joann Sfar
  • Artistic direction: Antoine Delesvaux
  • Script: Joann Sfar, Sandrina Jardel
  • Sets: Bertrand Piocelle
  • Animation: Adrien Grommelle
  • Compositing: Fred Barbe
  • Music: Olivier Daviaud
  • Sound: Cyril Holtz
  • Editing: Benjamin Massoubre
  • Voice: Camille Cottin, Alex Lutz, Jean-Paul Rouve, Louise Lacoste, Claire de La Rüe du Can, Quentin Faure

“Jungle Beat: The Movie,” (Mauritius)

Based on the hit series, “Jungle Beat: The Movie” is a charming, family-friendly story of epic proportions. An alien called Fneep arrives in the jungle and gives the animals the ability to speak. He’s supposed to be conquering the planet, but as Munki and his elephant friend Trunk help him get back to his crashed ship, Fneep discovers that the greatest force in the universe is friendship.

  • Directed by: Brent DAWES
  • Production: SANDCASTLE STUDIOS LTD, Rita MBANGA, Phil CUNNINGHAM, SUNRISE PRODUCTIONS, Tim KELLER, Joe PISTORIUS, Jacqui CUNNINGHAM
  • Distribution: TIMELESS FILMS, Rebecca KAMP
  • Script: Brent Dawes, Sam Wilson
  • Music: Andries Smit
  • Voice: Fneep- Ed Kear, Munki- David Menkin, Trunk- Ina Marie Smith, Humph- John Guerrasio, Grogon- David Rintoul

“Lupin III The First,” (Japan)

The famous Lupin and his motley crew join forces with the young Laëtitia to steal Bresson’s diary, a treasure that even the famous Arsène Lupin, his grandfather, had never managed to steal.

  • Directed by: Takashi YAMAZAKI
  • Production: TMS ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD., Koji NOZAKI, Naoaki KITAJIMA, Takeshi ITO
  • Distribution: EUROZOOM, Romain BROSOLO
  • Based on: “Rupan Sansei”, Monkey Punch (Kazuhiko Kato)
  • Script: Takashi Yamazaki
  • Music: Yuji Ohno

“7 Days War,” (Japan)

Based on the young adult novel, ‘Seven Days War’ is a summer adventure story about Mamoru and his classmates’ getaway and their friendship, which is put to the test when adults start chasing them.

  • Directed by: Yuta MURANO
  • Production: KADOKAWA PICTURES, INC., Hiroyuki HARADA
  • Distribution: EUROZOOM
  • Based on: “Bokurano Nanokakan Sensou”, Osamu Souda
  • Artistic direction: Hiroshi Shimizu
  • Script: Ichiroh Ohkouchi
  • Music: Jun Ichikawa

“Ginger’s Tale,” (Russia)

Potter, a kind and poor guy, finds a magical artifact called the Stone Of Fire, that makes him rich and mean. The evil Queen decides to kill him, so she can take the Stone Of Fire. Only a girl called Ginger can save Potter with her devotion.

  • Directed by: Konstantin SHCHEKIN
  • Production: VVERH FILM COMPANY, Yuri RYAZANOV, Pavel RAZUMOV, Konstantin SHCHEKIN
  • Artistic direction: Vasily Krasnikov
  • Script: Tatyana Ilyina, Konstantin Shchekin, Ekaterina Mikhailova
  • Storyboard: Ekaterina Mikhailova, Novoselov Dmitry, Polina Minaeva, Konstantin Shchekin
  • Sets: Danila Reshta, Anna Popova
  • Animation: Ekaterina Mikhailova, Lyudmila Ignatieva
  • Compositing: Dmitry Semenov, Alexey Retz, Ksenia Chermashentseva
  • Music: Arthur Baido
  • Sound: Nelly Ivanova
  • Editing: Sergey Minakin

“Bigfoot Family,” (Belgium, France)

Bigfoot, Adam’s father, wants to use his fame for a good cause. Protecting a large wildlife reserve in Alaska sounds like the perfect opportunity! When Bigfoot mysteriously disappears without a trace, Adam and his animal friends will brave anything to find him again and save the nature reserve.

  • Directed by: Ben STASSEN, Jeremie DEGRUSON
  • Production: Ben STASSEN, NWAVE PICTURES DISTRIBUTION, Caroline VAN ISEGHEM
  • Distribution: CHARADES
  • Script: Bob Barlen, Cal Brunker
  • Music: Puggy

“Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary,” (France, Denmark)

1863, a convoy in the American West, Martha Jane needs to learn how to take care of horses to drive the family wagon. Except she ends up wearing pants and cutting her hair. The scandal that its stark character provokes will force her to face all the dangers in a gigantic and wild world where everything is possible.

  • Directed by: Rémi CHAYÉ
  • Production: MAYBE MOVIES, Henri MAGALON, NORLUM, Claus Toksvig KJAER
  • Distribution: GEBEKA FILMS, Marc BONNY
  • Script: Rémi Chayé, Sandra Tosello, Fabrice de Costil
  • Storyboard: Rémi Chayé, Liane-Cho Han, Maïlys Vallade, Alexis Ducord, Marietta Ren
  • Layout: Eddine Noel
  • Sets: Patrice Suau, Eddine Noel
  • Animation: Liane-Cho Han
  • Compositing: Marc Konings
  • Music: Florencia Di Consilio
  • Sound: Régis Diebold, Aymeric Dupas, Mathieu Z’graggen
  • Editing: Benjamin Massoubre
  • Voice: Salomé Boulven, Alexandra Lamy, Alexis Tomassian, Jochen Hägele, Léonard Louf

“Nahuel and the Magic Book,” (Chile)

Nahuel lives with his father in a fishing town, yet he has a deep fear of the sea. One day, he finds a magical book that seems to be the solution to this problem, but a dark sorcerer is after it and captures Nahuel’s father. This is where his journey to rescue his father and overcome his fears begins.

  • Directed by: Germán ACUÑA
  • Production: Sebastian RUZ, CARBURADORES, Germán ACUÑA, PUNKROBOT, Patricio ESCALA, Sabrina BOGADO, LEVANTE FILMS, Livia PAGANO
  • Script: Juan Pablo Sepúlveda, Germán Acuña
  • Animation: Enrique Ocampo, Rosamary Martinez
  • Music: Felicia Morales, Cristobal Carvajal
  • Other credits: Voice acting director: Vanesa Silva

FEATURE FILMS (CONTRECHAMP COMPETITION)

“On Gaku: Our Sound!” (Japan)

One summer’s day, a group of yobbish high-school kids, who’ve never touched an instrument in their lives, decide to form a band. This is how they start playing a youthful and quirky rhapsody.

  • Directed by: Kenji IWAISAWA
  • Production: ROCK’N ROLL MOUTAIN / TIP TOP
  • Distribution: EUROZOOM, Romain BROSOLO
  • Based on: “Ongaku”, Hiroyuki Ohashi
  • Music: Tomohiko Banse
  • Sound: Takaaki Yamamoto

“The Old Man – The Movie, Mikk Mägi,” (Estonia)

Our protagonist, the Old Man, is visited on his farm by his grandkids, who have been dropped off for the summer. The little bastards accidentally set loose his prized and thoroughly abused cow. Now the Old Man and his grandkids have just 24 hours to find the rogue bovine, before her unmilked udder explodes and unleashes lactopalypse.

  • Directed by: Mikk MÄGI, Oskar LEHEMAA
  • Production: Veiko ESKEN, APOLLO FILM PRODUCTIONS, Tanel TATTER, BOP ANIMATION, Erik HEINSALU
  • Distribution: ESTONIAN THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION OÜ, Lauri KAARE
  • Script: Mikk Mägi, Oskar Lehemaa
  • Graphics: Jaagup Metsalu
  • Sets: Triin Paumer, Sven-Tõnis Puskar, Anu-Lauga Tuttelberg, Sander Joon, Mattias Mälk
  • Animation: Eger Kesa, Olga Stalev
  • Camera: Urmas Jõemees
  • Music: Sten-Olle Moldau, Lauri Kadalipp
  • Sound: Tanel Kadalipp
  • Editing: Mikk Mägi
  • Voice: Mikk Mägi, Oskar Lehemaa, Jan Uuspõld, Indrek Ojari, Jaagup Kreem, Kristjan Lüüs

“Lava,” (Argentina)

Mass media are invaded. TV and radio are interrupted by a signal. Internet connections and phones die. Everyone stands in front of the TV, instead of their usual program, another hypnotic image floods the screen. No one has ever seen an image like it before. The radio only emits a distant murmur, like a whisper. Nothing else.

  • Directed by: Ayar BLASCO
  • Production: Florencia FRANCO, CRUDO FILMS, Jimena MONTEOLIVA
  • Based on: “Lava”, Salvador Sanz
  • Artistic direction: Ayar Blasco
  • Script: Salvador Sanz, Ayar Blasco, Nicolás Britos
  • Animation: Sebastián Ramseg
  • Compositing: Damila Veniani, Agustina Tuduri
  • Voice: Sofía Gala Castiglione, Ayar Blasco, Martín Piroyansky, Justina Bustos, Darío Lopilato, Señorita Bimbo, Martín Garabal

“Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus,” (Croatia)

Martin tried to fight the system, and now he’s on the run. Sara is a conceptual artist. Together they join the revolutionary commune in the countryside. The police are on their trail. Inspector Ambroz knows the right questions are more important than the answers. Because maybe none of this is true.

  • Directed by: Dalibor BARIC
  • Production: KAOS, Ivan KATIC
  • Artistic direction: Dalibor Baric
  • Script: Dalibor Baric
  • Graphics: Dalibor Baric
  • Animation: Dalibor Baric
  • Compositing: Dalibor Baric
  • Music: Dalibor Baric
  • Sound: Studio Nazor
  • Editing: Dalibor Baric
  • Voice: Rakan Rushaidat, Ana Vilenica, Frano Mašković, Nikša Marinović, Mario Kovač, Željka Veverec, Boris Bakal, Pavlica Brazzoduro Bajsić

“Beauty Water,” (South Korea)

Beauty Water looks like a common skin cosmetic. But unlike other cosmetics, people can sculpt their skin with it like molding clay and change their appearance. An ordinary girl, Yaeji, comes across the ‘Beauty Water’ by chance, and her endless desire to be the most beautiful woman brings her unimaginable disaster.

  • Directed by: Kyung-hun CHO
  • Production: SS ANIMENT INC., Byungjin JEON, STUDIO ANIMAL CO. LTD
  • Distribution: TRIPLE PICTURES, Kimyung KANG
  • Script: Han-bin Lee
  • Camera: Seong-cheol Moon
  • Sound: Dae-sung Hong
  • Editing: Kyung-hun Cho

“My Favorite War,” (Latvia, Norway)

This is the personal story of the director, Ilze, growing up in Cold-War Latvia, USSR. It´s a coming of age story, a personal escape route from the mighty authoritarian regime’s brainwashing. An antiwar film, emphasizing the importance of an individual’s freedom being a democratic society’s fundamental right.

  • Directed by: Ilze BURKOVSKA JACOBSEN
  • Production: BIVROST FILM & TV, Trond JACOBSEN, EGO MEDIA, Guntis TREKTERIS
  • Artistic direction: Sven Nyhus
  • Script: Ilze Burkovska – Jacobsen
  • Graphics: Laima Puntule
  • Animation: Toms Burans, Krisjanis Abols, Arnis Zemitis, Kerija Arne, Nils Hammers
  • Camera: Andrejs Verhoustinskis, Trond Jacobsen
  • Compositing: Karina Weitz
  • Music: Karlis Auzans
  • Sound: Anete Vanaga, Ernests Ansons
  • Editing: Julie Vinten, Reinis Rinka

“The Shaman Sorceress,” (South Korea)

There is a painting called “The Shaman Sorceress” left at my home by a mute girl and her father. This picture is worth a thousand words. Mohwa, a shaman, lives with her mute daughter Nang-Yi and her husband, and has practiced shamanism her entire life. One day her son Wook-Yi returns home after several years away, as a converted Christian. This sparks a conflict and drives the family into tragedy.

  • Directed by: Jaehuun AHN
  • Production: STUDIO MEDITATION WITH A PENCIL, Jaehuun AHN
  • Script: Dong-Ri Kim
  • Graphics: Hyun-Kyoung Kim
  • Layout: Ju-Yeong Seo
  • Music: Sang-Ku Kang
  • Sound: Dong-Ju Park
  • Editing: Jong-Min Ham

“The Legend of Hei,” (China)

For generations humans had thought that demons were legends, but they actually co-exist with us. Hei is a cat demon who had lived a happy life in the forests in the mountains until the city rampantly expands, and the deforestation destroys his homeland. Here, Hei begins his journey wandering the world in search of his new home.

  • Directed by: Ping ZHANG
  • Production: BEIJING HMCH ANIME CO.,LTD, Fangbing CONG, Wenzhuo MA
  • Artistic direction: Jing Pan
  • Script: Ping Zhang (alias MTJJ), Kexin Peng, Shenlei Fengxi
  • Music: Yujing Sun
  • Other credits: Executive Director: Jie Gu, Painting Director:Zhishuang Feng, Original painter: Agen Lee, Dawei Zhou, Ligang Zheng, Xiaorong Cheng, Post-Production Director: Shuang Liang, 3D Assistance Director: Guanxu Zhou, Voice Director: Zhenji Huang

“True North,” (Japan, Indonesia)

After his father disappears and the rest of his family is sent to a notorious political prison camp in North Korea, a young boy must learn to survive the harsh conditions, find meaning in his perilous existence, and maybe even escape.

  • Directed by: Eiji HAN SHIMIZU
  • Production: SUMIMASEN PTE. LTD., Eiji HAN SHIMIZU
  • Artistic direction: Andrey Pratama
  • Script: Eiji Han Shimizu
  • Graphics: Andrey Pratama
  • Storyboard: Kazuki Ebine
  • Layout: Dian Lestari Supendy
  • Sets: Feliciana Shinta Devi
  • Animation: Melita Budiman
  • Compositing: Albertino Kaharap
  • Music: Matthew Wilder
  • Sound: Sun-Wook Kwon
  • Editing: Eiji Han Shimizu
  • Voice: Joel Sutton

“The Knight and the Princess,” (Saudi Arabia, Egypt)

A true story with a fictional twist. An unwavering young warrior’s determination to save abducted women and children from pirates, leads him to fall in love with a princess and confront a brutal tyrant and his devious sorcerer.

  • Directed by: Bashir EL DEEK, Ibrahim MOUSA
  • Production: ALSAHAR ANIMATION, Alabbas ALABBAS
  • Based on: “Al faris wa al amira”, Arabic Historical Story (7th Century)
  • Artistic direction: Ibrahim Mousa
  • Script: Bashir El Deek
  • Graphics: Alsahar Animation
  • Storyboard: Amr Abdelhameed, Alexander Vasolla, Omar Alsherif
  • Layout: Amr Abdelhameed, George Samir
  • Sets: Mostafa Reda, Mohammed Abdelwahab
  • Animation: Alsahar Animation
  • Compositing: Amjad Ramzi, Ahmed Samir
  • Music: Haitham Alkhamissi
  • Editing: Solafa Noureddin
  • Voice: Mohammed Henidi, Dunia Samir Ghanim, Majed Elkidwani, Medhat Saleh, Abdulrahman Abu Zahra, Ablah Kamel

“Minimum Mass,” (France, New Zealand)

Sky and Rabia are awaiting the arrival of their first child. But a miscarriage shakes up their lives. Whilst each of them manages their grief in their own way, memories of their love story rise to the surface and encourage them to look towards the future.

  • Directed by: Raqi SYED, Areito ECHEVARRIA
  • Production: LIKE AMBER, Raqi SYED, FLORÉAL FILMS, Avi AMAR, Katayoun DIBAMEHR
  • Other credits: Frankie Adams, Allan Henry

“The Orchid and the Bee,” (Canada)

“The Orchid and the Bee” is an expressionistic VR ode to nature’s struggle for existence, explored through a chain of genetic love affairs.

  • Directed by: Frances MCKENZIE
  • Production: NFB (ONF) – NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA, POPOVIC JELENA
  • Distribution: NFB (ONF) – NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA, Élise LABBÉ
  • Script: Frances Adair McKenzie
  • Animation: Frances Adair Mckenzie, Brandon Blommaert, Fred Casia, Elise Simard
  • Music: Jennifer Castle
  • Sound: Catherine Van der Donckt

Odyssey 1.4.9 (France)

More than a personal tribute, this is a breathtaking VR journey into the sensitive heart of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece “A Space Odyssey”. Staging the famous dark monolith as an incredible matrix of more than 200,000 images.

  • Directed by: François VAUTIER
  • Production: SAHEL JEREMY, Jeremy SAHEL
  • Distribution: DIVERSION CINEMA, Paul BOUCHARD
  • Other credits: Hommage à/Tribute to « 2001: A Space Odyssey »

“Saturnism,” (France, Romania)

Enter into one of the darkest paintings in the history of art – “Saturn Devouring His Son” by Franciso de Goya – alone with Saturn in a cold and misty landscape.

  • Directed by: Mihai GRECU
  • Production: BARBEROUSSE FILMS, François MARTIN SAINT LÉON
  • Distribution: BARBEROUSSE FILMS, François MARTIN SAINT LÉON
  • Based on: “Saturne dévorant un de ses fils”, Francisco de Goya
  • Music: Pierre Blin

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