Fresh Perspectives Bring Vigor to French Animation
Ben Croll Fueled by a robust educational pipeline and the steady influx of foreign investment, France’s animation ecosystem continues to expand. In 2021, animated programing accounted for 33% of international audiovisual sales, making episodic animation the country’s leading television export. And as the sector grows, so too will its gravitational pull, bringing in new voices, fresh perspectives, talents with more diversified backgrounds. “There are more and more gateways,” says producer and Ikki Films CEO Nidia Santiago. “We’re seeing greater bridges between animation and other art-forms, and those bridges are coming about more naturally than ever before.” Trained in live action, Santiago founded her Ikki banner with an eye on features and shorts. Since 2011, the outfit has garnered industry prestige and festival acclaim – and with it, new opportunities from the television world.