I have also seen Peur(s) Du Noir (Fear(s) of the Dark) previously. This black-and-white film created by six different animators -- most of whom are primarily known as comic book artists -- brings their fears, phobias, and nightmares to life. Each segment could stand alone as a strong short animation. I still find the use of the female vocal that connects the segments really distracting from the overall mood of the film.

Two other features caught my attention. French director Olivier Jean-Marie's Go West, A Lucky Luke Adventure was just pure fun. Lucky Luke is based on the European comic book series of the same name by Rene Coscinny, the creator of Asterix, and Belgian cartoonist Morris. Go West finds Lucky Luke, a living legend of the West, escorting the notorious escape artists the Dalton Brothers back to New York City for yet another trial. Of course the Daltons escape and there ensues a riotous chase that is an homage to the world of burlesque comedy, the classic slapstick of Buster Keaton, and even the Blues Brothers.

At the other end of the spectrum was Piano No Moi (The Piano Forest). Japanese animator Masayuhi Kojima has created a visually lovely tale of two talented young boys from radically different backgrounds learning to play the piano. One boy is from a good background, the other a street urchin, but the boys discover that they have Mozart and Chopin in common. This beautifully drawn film features music by the world-renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Unfortunately I did not find that the 42 short films in competition lived up to the quality that I would hope to find at Annecy. Of course there were bright spots such as Russian animator Alexei Alexeev's KJFG No. 5. Alexei not only created the visuals for this hilarious film about three professional musicians -- a bear, a rabbit, and a wolf -- rehearsing their act, but also performed all of the music.

Jeremy Clapin has followed up his multi-award-winning Une Historie Vertebrale (Backbone Tale) with another delightfully quirky story, Skhizein, about a man who is hit by a meteorite. As a result of the impact, his life is drastically altered and he begins to live 91 centimeters away from his physical body.

The student films category of graduation films has consistently been the place to see inventive ideas brought to life, but unfortunately this year they did not live up to my expectations.

The festival was jam-packed with special programs that more than made up for the competition disappointments. The opening night film usually is a bit of fluff, but this year, in a very courageous move by the festival, the audience was treated to Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman's animated documentary Waltz with Bashir. The film delves into the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon War via a trip to the heart of West Beirut during the massacres at the Sabra and Chatila camps. This very moving film received a standing ovation, an audience reaction that I have rarely seen at Annecy. It delivers its message of the futility of war with a strong impact.