Jennifer Lee, Henry Selick and Dean DeBlois Headline Annecy 2020 Masterclass Program

Bruno Coulais, Chris Buck, Ron Clements, John Musker, Nick Park and Eric Darnell join a host of industry leaders headlining online festival’s selection of WIP, PREVIEW and Making Of presentations, running June 15-30.

Annecy 2020 festival organizers have just released additional details about the upcoming digital edition of their Masterclasses, Work in Progress, Preview and Making Of sessions lineup; the online festival, digital market and business conference runs June 15-30.

According to the festival, “Each Masterclass showcases a journey, sensitivity and a vision. Whether it’s the Blies brothers, Bruno Coulais, Ron Clements, John Musker, Dean DeBlois or Henry Selick, all of them will speak about the passion that animates them! Also on the program are new WIP, additional Previews and two Making ofs. All unique moments, colored with kindness and generosity, explore them to your heart’s content!”

Masterclasses include the following:

Dean DeBlois

Join the writer-director Dean DeBlois in conversation with Peter Debruge, from Variety.

Thursday June 18, live at 5:00-6:00 pm (Central European Time - CET) then on replay at Annecy Online until June 30.

A Conversation Between Henry Selick and Bruno Coulais

Director Henry Selick and his composer Bruno Coulais discuss the role of music in Henry’s filmography and their collaborations on Coraline, as well as their upcoming film Wendell & Wild.

Available from June 15-30.

Ron Clements and John Musker: On Animation, Careers and Industry

Legendary Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, The Princess and the Frog, Moana) discuss their careers and their views on the animation industry.

Friday June 19, live at 6:00-7:30 pm (Central European Time - CET) then on replay at Annecy Online until June 30.

Sexual Violence in Animation by the Blies brothers

The trilogy on sexual violence is formulated in three cinematographic variations on the same theme. An opportunity to analyze with the directors the power of animation for treating the issue of sexual violence.

Presented in 2019, Zero Impunity is hybrid animation and live recording in a feature film about sexual violence in wartime. Ghostdance, the second part in pre-production, will deal with indigenous femicide in Canada from a fictitious and poetic perspective. The third part, Aimer moins, will be focused on attachment and detachment theories. A film about a blighted and abused childhood, but it is especially a film about the friendship of two friends rehabilitating.

Available from June 15-30, live Q&A June 22 at 2:00-3:00 pm (Central European Time - CET)

Zero Impunity will also be available for viewing on the platform throughout the Festival.

Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding

Discover the artists behind some of Cartoon Network Studios' hit series such as Summer Camp Island, The Amazing World of Gumball and Apple & Onion. During this exclusive Masterclass they will share their journeys, learnings and top tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide.

Presented by:

Mic GRAVES, Series Director, The Amazing World of Gumball, Executive Producer & Series Director, Elliott From Earth - CARTOON NETWORK
Julia POTT, Creator, Summer Camp Island - CARTOON NETWORK STUDIOS
Alabaster PIZZO, Storyboard Artist, Summer Camp Island - CARTOON NETWORK STUDIOS
Chuck KLEIN, Director, Apple & Onion - CARTOON NETWORK STUDIOS
Available to view from June 15-30. 

Click here for more Masterclass information.

One new WIP to finish off the program:

Baba Yaga by BAOBAB STUDIOS

Baobab Studios will unveil a first look at their newest immersive experience, Baba Yaga, with this Work in Progress session. Featured speakers will include:

Maureen Fan, Baobab Studios’ co-founder
Eric Darnell, co-founder/director
Larry Cutler, co-founder/CTO

As well as several other key members of the Baobab team including:

Kane Lee, Head of Content,
Mathias Chelebourg, Co-director
Ken Fountain, Animation Supervisor
Glenn Hernandez, Production Designer.

Available to view from 15th to 30th June, the live Q&A is on June 23 at 6:00-7:00 pm (Central European Time - CET)

Additional PREVIEW selections include:

Connected by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, from SONY PICTURES ANIMATION, distributed by COLUMBIA PICTURES and SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

A comedy about an everyday family's struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world!

Working remotely to finish the film, the filmmakers and artistic team give us the latest news and an exclusive glimpse.

Yakari by Xavier Giacometti and Toby Genkel, produced by DARGAUD MEDIA, WUNDERWERK GMBH et BELVISION, distributed by BAC FILMS

With his tribe’s move to follow the migrating bison, Yakari, the little Sioux boy, sets out on his own to follow the trail of Little Thunder, a wild mustang said to be untameable. Travelling far from home and deep into the territory of the terrible Cougarskins, Yakari and Little Thunder undertake a great adventure and find their way back home.

La Calesita by Augusto Schillaci, produced by REEL FX

This is the heartfelt story of the beloved Argentinian merry-go-round operators who have dedicated their lives to providing fun and happiness to children and their neighborhoods.

Two additional MAKING OF sessions:

20 years after the release of Chicken Run, Nick Park and Peter Lord look back at the making of the film, which changed the history of animation and brought Aardman to a new level.

Distribution: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SKG

Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2

The pressure on filmmakers to create the next chapter in the Frozen saga was immense, made more so when cameras were invited to capture the last year of production as the team raced against the clock. Join Frozen 2 filmmakers, including Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee, and her fellow director Chris Buck, as they share insights into the creation of both the film and the documentary series that followed them through the process. Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 is a rare and raw look at the creativity, heart and hard work that go into the craft of animation, giving viewers an insight into the world of our artists and storytellers as never before.

1st episode to discover in OV with French subtitles from June 26 - 28

Episodes of Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 will drop, all at once, on Friday, June 26 on Disney+.

Accreditations

Animation enthusiasts, amateurs, professionals or the general public can enjoy the Annecy 2020 Online festival, from June 15-30, for the price of 15 euros VAT incl. All the content (Official Selection, Work in Progress, Masterclasses, Making of & Preview, animated surprises, and more) will be accessible on a special platform.

Get your festival accreditation here. 

Remember that the Mifa accreditation (110 euros VAT incl.) also provides access to the entire Festival content: Official Selection, exclusives, WIP, Making of, Masterclasses…for 15 days. 

Get your Mifa accreditation here.

Source: Annecy 2020

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Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.