Annecy 2020: The Stand Out Animated Films
by Tito W. James
This year’s Annecy Animation Festival may have gone virtual, but there’s no shortage of stellar animated content from around the globe. The variety of countries and animation styles explored in these films is a good sign for things to come.
Calamity
Calamity Jane is a legendary female gunslinger from the American Wild West. The animated film Calamity explores her early years in a painterly art style.
The Nose or the Conspiracy of Mavericks
Inspired by Gogol’s proto-Surrealist novella, The Nose takes a cheerfully grim look at the 20th century’s follies. The absurdism is expressed in animation imitating paper-puppetry.
Lupin III: The First
CGI anime has more critics than fans (myself included). However this CG Lupin the III film appears to capture the stretchy quality of the characters while adding a new dimension. If this is the direction CG anime is going to take then I’m all for it.
The Legend of Hei
In The Legend of Hei, the magical race of elfins are on the brink of extinction. Another notable title in China’s emerging animated landscape. It’s wonderful to explore a new mythology in a painterly art style.
Wade
Wade is a climate change nightmare set in a Kolkata ravaged by sea level rise, where a group of humans and an ambush of tigers face off on the flooded streets. It is impressive work from Ghost Animation and I hope to see more stories from them in the near future.
