Last week in Annecy saw the closure of Annecy International Animated Film Festival and MIFA, the biggest global animation content market; under the aegis of those, Ukrainian stand was presented for the first time.
The Ukrainian delegation included Anastasia Verlinska, program director of LINOLEUM festival of topical animation and media arts. She was also joined by Tatyana Kabayeva, festival winner of 2016 who obtained a special prize from the jury for her Big Man project – and the prize was a trip to Annecy festival.
This year the organizers decided to highlight Chinese animation and decorated Bonlieu main theatre hall and MIFA market in Chinese style. They also remembered the hundredth anniversary of Japanese animation, which became an important event in Annecy Classics section: Association of Japanese Animation (AJA) presented its project ANIME NEXT 100, concentrating on cultural heritage and its influence on the industry’s future.
Over 90 works were presented in the festival’s short film competition. The screenings took place at several venues at the same time, and competition entries were really impressive: Dad Taught Me to Pack Suitcases (France) tells about family traditions with the help of puppets and animated objects, and in Empty Space (Estonia) and After All (Australia) one can see the set, external space, working lights and cameras in the technique of puppet animation.
By the way, some of the works will also participate in LINOLEUM festival.
“Annecy is an amazing place gathering major market players and talented animators from the world over. But the main thing is that all these people are ready and open for animation promotion in the whole world. We managed to talk to representatives from different countries and agree on future program swaps with Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Greece, etc. The establishment of Ukrainian Animation Association and the first stand at such a major market as MIFA will become an important impetus to form and support animation industry in Ukraine. Now it is extremely important to compile a program of Ukrainian films to duly present us at other festivals and acquaint international audience with 90 years of our unique national animation history,” said Anastasia Verlinska, LINOLEUM festival program director.
Despite tight meeting schedule and packed program, we managed to visit key events, i.e. to watch the premiere of first feature made of painted canvases, LovingVincentby Polish director and artist Dorota Kobiela and British producer Hugh Welchman; to put VR glasses on and feel just like the protagonist of BlindVayshaby Academy Awards nominee Theodore Ushev who sees the past with one eye and the future with the other; and to listen to Carlos Saldana from Blue Sky Studios who noted that “you shouldn’t be ashamed of your first projects because they form the foundation for the future.”
Meetings with major industry players, lectures and workshops from such companies as Disney, Pixar and Amazon, the chance to express one’s admiration with talented animators and watch animation premieres – all this brings more energy and inspiration.
Tatyana Kabayeva, the winner of last year’s LINOLEUM, was also incredibly inspired by the festival; for her, it is the first trip to such a high-profile animation event.
"Most of all I was shocked by the realization of how many beautiful people in different parts of the world create incredible worlds and stories with whom you meet in the magic Annecy," said Tatyana.
LINOLEUM festival of topical animation and media arts will take place in Kyiv from September 28 till October 1 in Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Center.
The festival program consists of international and national competition screenings, children’s and experimental animation, video arts, special screenings and also education section with lectures and workshops.
Note. LINOLEUM international festival of topical animation and media arts is a noncommercial private initiative directed at supporting and developing intelligent animation and media arts in the world. The goal of the festival is to attract talented artists, illustrators, and designers; to present artistic animation as a contemporary art form where relevant topics are raised using new technologies and the widest intelligent audience is involved; to combine and present the best works of animation and media arts in the festival space. This year the festival will celebrate its 12th anniversary. LINOLEUM 2017 will be organized by Animagrad studio.
Official website
Apply for participation
