Annecy Unveils 2023 Competition Line-Ups & First Details Of Studio Sneak Peek Presentations
27.04.2023 - 18:31
/ deadline.com
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival unveiled the line-up for its 2023 edition, running from June 11 to 17.
More than 13,000 animation professionals are set to descend on the French festival’s lakeside setting for its traditional mix of screenings programs across all formats, Work-in-Progress and First-Look sneak peeks, and presentations going behind the scenes of upcoming animation productions.
Competition title Sirocco And The Kingdom Of Winds by French director Benoît Chieux opens the festival. The fantasy follows the adventures of two young sisters as they try to make their way home after getting trapped in the world of their favorite book.
A Cat In Paris and Phantom Boy director Alain Gagnol co-wrote the screenplay for the feature lead produced by Paris-based Sacrebleu Productions.
The film, which world premieres in Annecy, is among 11 titles competing for the festival’s Crystal award.
Another three French productions debut in Competition: Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach’s hand-drawn mother and daughter tale Chicken For Linda!; Jéremie Périn’s sci-fi adventure Mars Express and Jéremie Degruson’s Toy Story-inspired buddy comedy The Inseparables.
Further world premieres include Kirk Henry and Neil Boyle’s shipwreck tale Kensuke’s Kingdom, featuring Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkes in the voice cast.
Jim Capobiano and Pierre-Luc Granjon’s Leonardo Da Vinci-inspired family animation – featuring Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley and Marion Cotillard in the voice cast – also debuts in Competition.
Two 2023 Berlinale titles have made the cut: Chinese director Liu Jian’s Art College 1994 and Sepideh Farsi’s The Siren.
Hungarian director Aron Gauder, who won the Crystal for Nyócker! in 2005, returns