Adult Animation Revolution: Annecy 2024 Showcases Top Talent From Across The Globe
by Tito W. James
Annecy 2024 is the World’s Largest International Animation Festival. This year has attracted top tier talent from around the world–including many of my favorite creators in the industry!
Studio Fortiche will make a strong presence with a look behind-the-scenes at Arcane and the announcement of future projects. The stylized cel-shaded animation and prestige adaption of a popular video game IP has caused a ripple-effect in the industry that we feel to this day.
Annecy will also host legendary director, Henry Selick who will talk about about his life and career directing Coraline, James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Laika Studios will also be offering a panel from the recruitment team detailing the inner-workings of the stop-motion studio. Annecy will also be providing an anniversary showing of Coraline in 3D.
Twilight of the Gods is an animated series inspired by Norse mythology and the first images will be presented at a Screening Event at Annecy. To mark the event, scriptwriter and executive producer Zack Snyder and director, executive producer and showrunner Jay Oliva will be hosting a signing session.
Cinema auteur Wes Anderson will be running a Master Class at Annecy this year. The festival will also be showing Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs to celebrate Anderson’s creative career. Anderson is one of the most unique voices working in cinema and it’s wonderful that his contributions to animation are getting the respect they deserve.
Annecy will host the world premiere of Ultraman: Rising. Based on the Ultraman franchise, this superhero animation film is directed by Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings). When Tokyo is threatened by rising monster attacks, an all-star athlete reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman, discovering that his greatest challenge isn’t fighting giant monsters: it’s raising one.
Adult Swim will be hosting a panel about defying expectations. The programing block wants to continue to push the envelope as it’s become home to wildly popular series like Rick and Morty and Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal.
Bobbypills has been called the French Studio TRIGGER — because of its focus on spicy action-focused animated series. After the mind-melting success of Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix, Bobbypills will be adapting the hit video game Dead Cells into an animated series. Bobbypills will also be the studio behind the upcoming Creature Commandos animated series written by James Gunn.
Annecy will also host the world premiere of Look Back, based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The film follows two girls, the overly confident Fujino and introverted Kyomoto, who bond over their mutual love of drawing manga. However, one day something happens to them that shatters everything. Look Back is a heart-wrenching and impactful story about growing up.
Annecy 2024 is a stacked lineup with a lot to see. I’ll be covering the festival live from June 11-14.