16 WIP projects will be featured at the upcoming hybrid festival edition, with all selections accessible on the festival’s online platform; feature selections include ‘The Siren’ by Sepideh Farsi, ‘Unicorn Wars’ by Alberto Vázquez Rico, and ‘Princess Dragon’ by Anthony Roux and Jean-Jacques Denis.
The Work in Progress (WIP) program at the 2021 Annecy Festival has been officially announced. The annual WIP program continues to support emerging talents in animation, enabling thousands of enthusiasts over the years to discover the processes and challenges in the creation of unique animation works, guided by their writers, directors, chief animators, and producers.
Since the program’s creation in 2007, nearly 150 works have been presented, including such well know films as My Life As a Courgette; The Red Turtle; How to Train Your Dragon 2; Ernest & Celestine; The Boy and the Beast; Lastman; Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal; and Mum Is Pouring Rain.
The 2021 hybrid edition will include 16 works. The WIP feature and XR from the selection will be accessible both on-site and online. The WIP short and series will be present exclusively online on the festival’s platform.
WIP Feature 2021 selections include nine feature films - all European works except for Perlimps, the latest project from Brazilian Alê Abreu (The Boy and the World).
WIP Feature 2021:
The Siren by Sepideh Farsi
Production: Les Films d’ici, Katuh Studio, BAC Cinéma; Audiences: teens, young adults, adults; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: BAC Films; France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium
Mars Express by Jérémie Périn
Production: Everybody on Deck, EV.L prod, Plume Finance, France 3 Cinéma; Audiences: teens, young adults, adults; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: MK2, Gebeka Films; France
Unicorn Wars by Alberto Vázquez Rico
Production: Abano Producións, Uniko, Autour de Minuit, Schmuby; Audiences: teens, young adults, adults; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: Charades; Spain, France
Little Nicholas by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre
Production: ON Kids & Family, Bidibul Productions; Audience: family; Technique: 2D; Distribution: Charades, BAC Films; France, Luxembourg
Princess Dragon by Anthony Roux and Jean-Jacques Denis
Production: Ankama; Audiences: children, family; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: Gebeka Films; France
Nayola by José Miguel Ribeiro
Production: Praça Filmes, S.O.I.L., JPL Films, il Luster; Audiences: young adults, adults; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: Urban Distribution; Portugal, Belgium, France, Netherlands
Perlimps by Alê Abreu
Production: Buriti Filmes; Audiences: children, family; Techniques: drawing on paper, 2D/3D; Distribution: pending; Brazil
The Peasants by Dorota Kobiela
Production: Chlopi Sp. z o.o, Breakthru Films, Digitalkraft d.o.o., Art Shot; Audiences: teens, young adults, adults; Techniques: rotoscoping, painting on canvas; Distribution: New Europe Film Sales, The Jokers; Poland, Serbia, Lithuania
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Pierre Földes
Production: Cinéma Defacto, Miyu Productions; Audiences: teens, young adults, adults; Techniques: rotoscoping, 2D/3D; Distribution: Gebeka Films, The Match Factory; France, Canada, Netherlands, Luxembourg
WIP Short 2021:
Robin Robin by Dan Ojari, Mikey Please
Production: Aardman Animation; Audiences: preschool, children, family; Technique: stop motion; Distribution: Netflix; UK, USA
WIP Series 2021:
Fena: Pirate Princess by Kazuto Nakazawa
Production: Crunchyroll, Adult Swim, Production I.G; Audiences: young adults, adults; Technique: drawing on paper; Distribution: Adult Swim & Crunchyroll; USA, Japan
Maya and the Three by Jorge Gutiérrez
Production: Netflix; Audience: family; Technique: 3D; Distribution: Netflix; USA
The House by Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Paloma Baeza
Production: Nexus Studios, Netflix; Audience: adults; Techniques: puppets, animation objects; Distribution: Netflix; United Kingdom, USA
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles by Khang Le
Production: Gaumont, Atomic Monster, Dark Horse Entertainment; Audience: children; Technique: 2D/3D; Distribution: Netflix; USA, France
WIP XR 2021:
Immersion, Augmented Nature by Anne-Lise Koelher and Eric Serre
Production: Les Fées Spéciales; Audiences: children, teenagers, young adults, adults, family; Techniques: 3D, augmented reality, real-time storytelling; France
Ascenders by Jonathan Astruc
Production: BackLight; Audiences: young adults, adults; Techniques: 3D, virtual reality; France
Source: Annecy Festival
