One of the big topics of conversation at the closing night party was the top award. Should the Annecy Crystal be given as a political statement or should it be based upon the quality of the work? I personally believe that the Crystal should be awarded to the best film not only for its story but also for the quality of its animation. I was not alone in thinking that the jury voted with its heart and not its head.

The last official event at Annecy was the closing night party at La Plage. It is always a bittersweet time when you realize that you will not see so many good friends again for quite a while. There were many congratulations for winners and hugs and kisses of good bye. It was a long lovely evening. I had not seen Adam Elliot since he had visited us in San Francisco on his way to the Oscars, or his producer Melanie Coombs since Annecy five years ago, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Adam had been kept very busy as a juror and this was a chance for a really good talk.

I am very happy to note that this year, unlike in the past few years, there were no attacks on festival participants that I heard of. It had become quite a problem the last few years, and I am delighted that the festival and city seem to have managed to control the muggings that were definitely casting a black cloud over the festival. Over the years, I have watched the festival change and grow from a celebration of short independent animation into a big money marketplace where feature films are slowly but surely becoming the star of the show. Major deals are made at MIFA. At first I resented the changes but I have come to accept them. As an industry we do need one major event a year that is all about business. This allows other festivals to retain their character as celebrations of animation as a great form of art. I applaud MIFA and hope that it will continue to grow and foster the animation industry.