If Cannes’ Annecy Animation Showcase is now an established appetizer for June’s Annecy Festival, this first EFM Animation Days lineup is nothing short of a hearty breakfast. Beyond the five projects listed in Annecy’s Friday presentation, a carefully curated selection completes a solid slate of 28 presentations. Producers will have the opportunity to present projects at different stages of development and financing, but all have something of note and are worth discovering.
Ranging from small independent producers to well established animation powerhouses, all teams will use Berlinale as a global platform to prove once again the medium’s potential, and its strong market appeal.
Our 10 picks underscore the diversity of what the animation industry is capable of in these shifting landscapes: Pushing forward unique creative visions and bold artistic choices.
Annecy EFM Animation Showcase
This year’s five titles range from historical drama to folk horror and sci-fi eco-conscious adventure, carefully selected by Annecy’s teams.
A Door to the Woods
“A Door to the Woods,” Jola Kudela (Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium)
Inspired by real people and true historical events, this new animated feature tells the tale of two young Poles (Antek, hiding in Breslau and Wiktor surviving a gulag) reunited decades after their separation through Jola, Antek’s granddaughter, whose creative future Wiktor helps unlock. A voyage through the history of three oppressive regimes that tore Europe apart during the last century: Fascism, Stalinism, and Communism.
Producers: Opus Film, Les Films Du Poisson Rouge, PFX
Genre: Historical Drama
Artistic technique: 2D, 3D, rotoscope
Completion: 2028
Granny is a Tree!
“Granny is a Tree!” Hugo de Faucompret (France, Luxembourg)
Granny Onion, Jane’s whimsical grand-mother, takes one last eternal after-lunch nap. Against her mother’s decision, Jane takes it upon herself to fulfil her granny’s last wish: Granny Onion’s will states that she choses natural organic reduction for her funeral. In short, she wants to be “humused”! Cécile, Jane’s mom, is against it. Besides, it’s not even legal in France! But Jane is determined. And with her granny’s facetious ghost, she’ll set off on a wild escape to the edge of the tangible world.
Producers: Laïdak Films, Dandelooo, Doghouse
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Modern tale
Artistic technique: 2D, hand-painted backgrounds
Completion: 2028
MouMoush – The King of Plastic
“MouMoush – The King of Plastic” Milorad Krstic (Hungary)
While vacationing in Transylvania, two curious siblings (10 year-old Margot and 14-year-old Liam) from Paris are thrust into a time-traveling adventure. Their mission? To thwart MouMoush, a powerful figure known as the King of Plastic who is plotting to seize control of the entire world. From the team behind “Ruben Brandt”comes this awaited feature blending fantasy, time travel and environmental themes together, along with the directors’ unique humor.
Producer: Mumus Production LLC
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Artistic technique: 2D, 3D
Completion: 2028
Pesta
“Pesta” Hanne Berkaak (Norway, Germany, France)
As the horrors of the Black Death fuel fear and superstition, Catholic noble girl Astrid experiences the bliss of first love with Ilkka, a heathen outcast. When Ilkka is accused of witchcraft by a system based on lies, telling the truth becomes the most dangerous act of all. Set in Norway in 1349, “Pesta” is a romantic horror folk tale that will blur the lines between reality and fantasy to craft a compelling story of love beyond societal norms. A title that promises chilling journey into the dark side of Nordic folklore.
Producers: Mikrofilm, Knudsen Pictures, Rosalie Films and Charades
Genre: Romantic Horror
Artistic technique: 2D
Completion: 2029
“Zako” Tigran Arakelyan (Armenia, France, Lithuania)
Otherwise known as Sargis Mangasaryan, the Armenian painter Zako (a name he was given by the Germans) survived Nazi’s POW camps only by drawing portraits of his tormentors. In 1956, he discovered with shock one of Picasso’s iconic masterpieces: “Guernica” and realized how much of his own talent was stifled by both Nazi Germany and later the communism of Armenia’s Soviet Era. According to Arakelyan, who adapts the graphic novel “Zako”with this feature, the filmwill use modern VR technology combined with classical CG tools to create a new visual language, the makers say, fit to adapt this story to the screen.
Producers: OnOff Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Broom Films
Genre: Historical Drama
Artistic technique: 3D
Completion: 2028
Spotlights
Beyond this lineup, Spotlights from Canada, Germany, U.K. and CEE and an International Animation Showcase complete this packed slate. Here are five projects at (very) early stages that piqued our curiosity.
“Fifteen Dogs” Chris Landreth (Canada)
Based on André Alexis’s Giller Prize-winning novel, “Fifteen Dogs” marks the latest project from Copperheart Ent. (“Night of the Zoopocalypse”). What begins with a wager between Greek gods who grant a group of Toronto dogs human intelligence turns into quick-paced animated drama, where these newly smart pets navigate shifting loyalties, new language, and emerging identities.
Producers: Copperheart Entertainment (Steven Hoban, Mark Smith)
Genre: Drama (teens and adults)
“Acorn’s Adventure” Filip Mašek (Czech Republic, Germany)
Pitched last year as part of Annecy’s MIFA Features presentation, “Acorn’s Adventure” puts animation in the hands of children, with visionary director Filip Mašek at the wheel. The film is a beautiful CG project filled with quirky forest characters designed by the daring imaginations of nature-loving children. Quido, a boy made of acorns, will try to find its purpose in a forest village where every tiny character seems to already have a definite role. An animated adventure with a catchy and child-friendly log(line): be yourself, even if you don’t know what that is yet.
Producers: Pure Shore, Fabian & Fred
Genre: Family-friendly Adventure
“The Pirate King” (Netherlands/Taiwan)
Presented by Alex Dowding, Submarine’s animation producer on the project, “The Pirate King,” a 3D animated fantasy adventure, is currently in development as a rather unique Netherlands-Taiwanese co-production. A story of unlikely friendship, myth, and adventure, blended in a project that reflects Submarine’s passion for globally collaborative storytelling.
Producers: Submarine, Studio2 Animation Lab
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Treasure Island
“Treasure Island” (Germany)
What if the hero of Stevenson’s beloved classic was a girl… and a cat? In this new animated musical, Jane Hawkins is fed up with the boring life of her cat boarding school. Could that ship setting off on a treacherous treasure hunt to a remote island be the key to her freedom?
Animated in lush CG animation, this new take on the pirate classic story with an animal twist could conquer the hearts of global audiences.
Producers: Little Dream Entertainment
Genre: Family Entertainment, Musical
“Reds & Grays” (U.K.)
Powered by Two Daughters Entertainment (“Master Moley”, “The Land of Sometimes”), “Reds & Grays” is an original story rooted deep in the real-life ecological conflict between red and grey squirrels. In a distinct British setting, this adventure blends romance, rebellion and political intrigue in what seems like a funny and fluffy Romeo and Juliet inspired story, with universal themes.
Producers: Two Daughters Entertainment
Genre: Family Entertainment