Annecy’s 20% Attendance Hike, An Oscar Candidate, Buzz Films, One Big Way That Animation is Heading & 12 Other Takeaways

variety.com:

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent ANNECY — Bathed by gorgeous sun, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and MIFA market came of age as a major industry and artistic event last week at the fairy-tale looking town nestling in the laps of the French Alps.

Takeaways from this year’s extraordinary edition, which ran June 11-17: Annecy Blasts Attendance Records The Annecy Festival and MIFA market smashed prior attendance figures to smithereens, recording 15,820 accreditations, 20% up on last year’s then all-time record of 13,200.

That reflects “the extraordinary dynamism of the animation industry; more and more countries producing: our support of a lot of talents in emerging countries who want to come, of course; the [year-round outreach] in terms of meetings, and the official selection,” Mickaël Marin, CEO of the Festival and MIFA organizer CITIA, told Variety. “The festival was a great success, in its record numbers of attendance, exhibition booths and companies and dynamism and sensation of an extraordinary energy,” agrees Olivier Lelardoux, Blue Spirit Studio.   Annecy’s Vibrance Global streaming services, Hollywood and international studios and indie producers sneak peeked or talked up at this year’s Festival a plethora of crafted, engaging, bold or sometimes stunning new shows, from Netflix’s anticipated “Nimona” and the alternatively exquisite and brutal “Blue Eye Samurai” to Warner Bros.

Animation’s “Lord of the Rings: War of Rohirrims,” Banijay’s “Shasha & Milo,” Sony’s “Fixed” and, on another scale, enthralling art pic animated features at Annecy’s Residency, such as the handcrafted 2D, rich-colored “The Bird Kingdom.”    Yet a Contrasting Context Yet later last year and again in early