Announcement from the Annecy International Animation Film Festival:

Following on the heels of the 2012 edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival & MIFA market, festival organizers have announced that Canadian producer, director and author Marcel Jean has been named Artistic Director. Jean will replace longtime Annecy Artistic Director Serge Bromberg, beginning with next year’s festival and conference.

Read the full statement from Jean, below:

I am very happy to join the International Animation Film Festival team. Looking after the program of an event of this magnitude is both a challenge and a privilege; I’m confident to take up the challenge and my enthusiasm is equal to the privilege. Being the Artistic Director of the Festival, is like being offered the opportunity to establish an intense relationship with an eager, loyal, demanding and enthusiastic public. The incredible energy of this public is invaluable fuel which I intend to make excellent use of.”

Serge Bromberg has done an outstanding job and he leaves the mark of a passionate and charismatic Artistic Director, who was able to build on the long history of the Annecy Festival making it into this unmissable annual event for thousands of animation professionals. His legacy is a precious asset that falls to me to build upon.

Starting in 2013, I would like to engrave a special colour on the Festival and I can see an opportunity to shake up a few habits, renew some of the formulas and offer festival-goers a host of surprises with the event being held outside of Bonlieu. I can promise a Festival full of celebrations, as well as being a place to truly reflect on animation at the heart of the twentyfirst century. Cinema in general and animation in particular are changing and it’s here in Annecy that we must take the pulse of the impact of the rapid evolution of technology platforms whose stability is essential for artistic creation and distribution. It’s here that we must take stock of the artistic impact of the shocks and economic transformations that are stirring the industry.

It’s here, with the perspective of the History and illumination of current production, that we must answer this basic question: what is animation today? I’ve already meet with the Festival Creative Content team, and I was very impressed by their work also finding that we share the same love for the cinema and the same desire to share our enthusiasm. We’re going to work together to fulfil the mission entrusted to me by CITIA.

Teamwork is an essential dimension to the success and the presence around me of such a great group of professionals adds to my belief in the future.

Finally, the arrival of a Canadian as Artistic Director – apart from the different accent and special vocabulary – will be bringing new approaches and a new way of looking at things, that, I hope, will contribute to nourishing an already high-performance and dynamic organization.

For me, Annecy 2013 starts today!