22 animation features have been selected for this year's two competitive sections Annecy Festival (23-26 June 2026). As always, it's a mixed bag of indie films, films especially targeted at children, and films destined to find distribution in French cinemas.

The 11 animation features of the official selection feature stories about search, abandonment, and being found. As expected, 6 out of the 11 animation features are a French (co-) production; two films from China (the belonging story of 'Nobody' by Shui Yu and the musical fantasy and adventure 'Tana' by Ji Zhao and Ke Er Zhu).

One film comes from Canada (in co-production with the US), 'Tangles', the coming-of-age drama based on Sarah Leavitt's "Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me" and directed by Leah Nelson.

Sébastien Laudenbach (The Girl Without Hands, Chicken for Linda!) returns to Annecy Festival with a reworking of the Carmen myth; the Spanish Alberto Vázquez makes his short film 'Decorado' a feature film, offering again his quirky dystopian animal version of a society. A Holocaust story of Nazi hunters untangles in 'The Sunrise File' (Rupert Wyatt, Emilie Phuong).

Two friendships against all odds feature in the French animation feature 'Lycy Lost' (dir. Olivier Clert) and 'The Violinist' by Ervin Han and Raúl García, a story set in pre-WWII Singapore (Singapore/Spain/Italy).

Phuong Mai Nguyen handles a teenage romance drama in the French/Belgian, 2D animation film 'In Waves', whereas a boy who has to wear a corset gets a romantic partner in 'Iron Boy' (dir. Louis Clichy, France/Belgium)

Kohei Kadowaki presents 'We Are Aliens' (Japan/France), a film about a friendship cut short and rediscovered, which has already been selected for the Cannes Festival (Directors Fortnight).

There are no stop-motion animation features in the official selection, either fully or partially.

Lucy Lost

 The 11 animation features of the Contrechamp competition (traditionally more daring aesthetically and thematically than the official selection, but not eligible for the Annecy Cristal award). We here see the long-awaited (and crowdfunded) Canadian film 'The Orbit of Minor Satellites' by Christopher Sullivan (Consuming Spirits -the new film is a co-production of Japan), a psychiatrist and patient story in a hybrid (animation and live-action film). The Anima Brussels presented 'Spacetime Chronicles' by the Italian Stephane Bertelli, which promises another psychedelic journey in 70 minutes between conscience, cats, and cut-outs.

The Brazilian film (also present at Animafest Zagreb) 'Son of a Bitch' by Érica Maradona, Otto Guerra, Tanian Anaya, and Sávio Leite is there. Films from Taiwan ('Welcome to the Dolly's House' by Seven Ych, Radu Fu, and Tree Muta), Philippines (the rotoscope political massacre story '58' by Carl Joseph Papa), Japan (A New Dawn, The Obsessed), Spain (a Barcelona Franco story by Beñat Beitia and Elio Quiroga in 'Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope'). And, of course, France, which also has two animation features in this competition: 'A New Dawn' (Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, a Japan/France co-production) and the Cannes-premiered, social satire 'Blaise' by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue Shinomiya.

Son of A Bitch

Annecy Festival also features a non-competitive section, called "Annecy Presents". 14 animation features will screen, including the Latvian 'Born in the Jungle'  (co-production with Poland and Czech Republic) by Edmunds Jansons, and the Chilean 'Brave Cat' 3D/cut-out children animation film by Academy Award winner Gabriel Osorio.

This is a whole section of its own (the number is even bigger than the 'Cannes Presents' corresponding, non-competitive section); it reflects both the growing number of animation features (that cannot all fit in a single competition spot), and the continuing attraction Annecy Festival has for directors and animation professionals.

The selection ends with the 5 Midnight Specials: animation features (in a non-competitive section) on the border of the daring and horrifying -including a gay hairdresser who becomes a superhero in the Philippines animation feature 'Zsazsa Zaturnnah' by Avid Liongoren.

Brave Cat

Official Competition

• Decorado by Alberto Vazquez (Spain)
  Arnold, an unemployed mouse, is in the midst of an existential crisis. He lives in a city where the A.L.M.A. corporation controls everything. Unlike his wife María, he has always had the impression that this world is unreal. Determined to rebel, he hatches a cunning plan to escape the city.
• In Waves by Phuong Mai Nguyen (France, Belgium)
  In Los Angeles, high-school student AJ meets Kristen. She adores surfing, and he loves skateboarding. They fall madly in love. Their love story takes an unexpected turn when Kristen falls ill. Fuelled by their love, their friends' support and shared passion for surfing, they embark on a journey to overcome adversity together.
• Iron Boy by Louis Clichy (France, Belgium)
  In rural France, 10 year old Christophe is destined to follow his father on the family farm. But he begins to lean and collapse without warning, on the tractor, at school, at dinner. Forced to wear a corset to stay upright, he discovers music and meets Clara, with whom everything seems possible.
• Lucy Lost by Olivier Clert (France)
  Lucy lives with her family in a village on a small, isolated island. She is rejected by the villagers because of her extraordinary gifts. When she meets Milly – a little girl whom only she can see – Lucy sets off on a great adventure to uncover the secret of her mysterious powers.
• Nobody by Shui Yu (China)
  A wild pig 'Yao' – an evil animal spirit transformed via cultivation – from Lang Lang Mountain is banished after enraging the King. Alongside a toad friend, the outcast embarks on a quest mirroring the fabled Journey to the West, proving even a 'nobody' has a story among the gods and demons.
• Tana by Ji Zhao and Ke Er Zhu (China)
  Told her music lacks "soul", Tana returns from Shanghai to Inner Mongolian Grasslands when her father falls ill. Guided by a fiddle fairy, she begins a journey through memory, music and the home she once longed to leave.
• Tangles by Leah Nelson (Canada, USA)
  When Alzheimer's disease begins to strip away her mother's vibrant personality, a young woman is forced to return to her family in order to care for her. This is about a young woman coming of age, coming out and coming to terms with losing her mom, all while searching for herself.
• The Sunrise File by Rupert Wyatt, Emilie Phuong (France, Luxembourg)
  This is a true story about the complex relationship between the Israeli secret service and a famous couple of Nazi hunters. Told through the eyes of a secret agent, it speaks of the passion that drives stubborn people and the confusion of those who try to forget the past.
• The Violinist by Ervin HAN, Raúl García (Singapore, Spain, Italy)
  In 1930s Singapore, two childhood friends bond over the violin. When war erupts, Kai vanishes into the resistance. Decades later, Fei has become a celebrated violinist, but her music still carries the friend she lost — and a longing to reconcile with a past that refuses to fade.
• Viva Carmen! by Sébastien Laudenbach (France)
  Back in Seville after a lengthy absence, Salva has a premonition that Carmen, a carefree young woman with a captivating voice, is in danger. Salva and his friend Belén, together with their gang of street urchins, resolve to save her. The fate of this free spirit lies in their hands.
• We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki (Japan, France)
  Two best friends from elementary school drift apart, only to reunite decades later as adults, confronting 30 years of forgotten memories and unforgettable feelings.

Iron Boy

Contrechamp Competition

• 58th by Carl Joseph Papa (Philippines)
  In 2009, a rural town in southern Philippines shocked the world with the Maguindanao Massacre, killing 57 people, including 32 journalists. For Reynafe Castillo, the toll is 58 — she still seeks recognition for her missing father, Reynaldo Momay.
• A New Dawn by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya (Japan, France)
  Young Keitaro lives inside an abandoned factory that was once surrounded by lush forest and now redeveloped with solar panels. Before the factory's demolition, he aims to launch his late father's firework with his brother and friend, closing a chapter.
  
• Blaise by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue (France)
  The Sauvage family just wants to be loved. Carole knows her staff hate her. Jacques, her husband, feels belittled, and their son Blaise is a 16-year-old introvert who lacks conviction, always tentatively agrees… just as he does with Joséphine. He too is an activist and is ready to cause mayhem!
  
• Muyi by Julien Chheng (France)
  Muyi, 14, lives on a Chinese secluded mountain, forbidden to men. On the Day of the Dead, she invites a traveling troupe to perform the famous play The Handsome General. But the play awakens old secrets and quickly brings chaos to the village.
• Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise by Goro Kuji (Japan)
  In 1944 on Peleliu, Tamaru writes fake heroic tales of Japanese soldiers' deaths to families. In the hell of bombs, hunger, thirst and disease, he bonds with Yoshiki. Together they cling to life in this atrocious war of attrition. Only 34 survive. What do these two young men witness in the madness?
  
• Son of a Bitch by Érica Maradona, Otto Guerra, Tania Anaya, and Sávio Leite (Brazil)
  In the small village of Veredas, stands "Casa Rosa", a famous brothel run by Ismael's mother. Because of this, he is known as the "Son of a Bitch". Trying to cast aside that reality, Ismael leaves his mother in pursuit of the two things he has never met: his dad and the ocean.
• Spacetime Chronicles by Stefano Bertelli (Italy)
  A man lost in limbo navigates a surreal inner journey, guided by a cat embodying his conscience, confronting fears, desires and memories, discovering that life's meaning lies in the path, not the destination.
  
• The Obsessed by Wataru Takahashi (Japan)
  Giuseppe bounces from obsession to obsession, from singing to insect cataloguing, never staying in one place for long. Then he meets Pechka, a quiet balloon seller with a lingering sadness and it is the first time he wants to stay instead of chasing the next thing.
  
• The Orbit of Minor Satellites by Christopher Sullivan (USA, Japan)
  The Orbit of Minor Satellites, is a a hybrid film mixing hand drawn animation with live action. This is a psychiatrist and patient story, that travels to the hallucinatory space world that the patient has conjured. It is also about giving life and accepting death in dark times. It is also about a giant buffalo voiced by Boris Karloff.
  
• Welcome to Dolly's House by Seven Ych, Rady Fu, and Tree Muta (Taiwan)
  The film follows a rising YouTuber Princess Maria's quest for fame and love spiralling into a surreal nightmare after a scandalous proposal stunt leads her to a reclusive doll maker, a haunting mansion, and the buried secrets of her own identity.
  
• Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope by Beñat Beitia and Elio Quiroga (Spain, Chile, Argentina)
  Victor, a widowed father, and his young daughter Julia leave Spain when Barcelona falls to Franco's forces in 1939. In France, camps and hardship await them. Hope appears when they board the Winnipeg, a freighter chartered by Neruda to take them to Valparaíso, Chile, where a new life may begin.

The Obsessed

Annecy Presents

• Born in the Jungle by Edmunds Jansons (Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic)
  During the late 1950s in Venezuela, nine-year-old Elizabeth's summer takes a wild turn when her little brother Leo disappears into the jungle. She must trade her books for bravery to find him and rescue a mystical furry animal, bringing it back to the legendary Tepui mountain.
  
• Brave Cat by Gabriel Osorio (Chile)
  Kona, a forest cat, sets out to find her missing mother, kidnapped by dogs serving humans. She is joined by Colin, a puppy, and Bernard, a runaway bear. Together they search for lost families. Different at first, they face danger and learn to trust each other on a journey that changes them forever!
  
• Chimney Town: Frozen in Time by Yusuke Hirota (Japan)
  After losing his dearest friend Poupelle, the boy Lubicchi cannot let go of his hope of reunion. One day, he slips into a wondrous world called the Millennium Fortress. A clock tower frozen at 11:59 holds a forgotten promise. To return home, he must restart it – and find the courage to believe again.
  
• Dante by Linda Hambäck (Sweden, Denmark, Norway)
  10 million euros go missing and the prime suspect is forced to flee and ends up in the city dump. In the search for the truth, two heads clash – but what price friendship?
  
• Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs by Cherifa Bakhti (Luxembourg, Belgium, France, India)
  Dudley is a teenage frog who lives a peaceful life by the edge of his pond with his friends, meanwhile his parents are worried about his future. But when aliens land on Earth, Dudley's world is thrown into chaos. What if he has what it takes to become a hero and save the whole of humanity?
  
• Julián by Louise Bagnall (Ireland, Luxembourg, Canada, Denmark)
  Wide-eyed Julián is about to spend the summer with a grandmother he barely knows. He is amazed to discover her treasure-trove apartment, his own Caribbean heritage and the lively Brooklyn community he is surrounded by, but most surprising of all, Julián discovers that he is, in fact, a mermaid!
• Monster Mia by Verena Fels (Austria, Spain, Germany)
  Mia has always been obsessed with the creepy and strange, so when she gets involuntarily transferred to a school full of real-life monsters, she finally fits in and can embrace her own uniqueness… until she uncovers a chilling plan that puts all humans in danger.
  
• Paris ni Saku Étoile by Goro Taniguchi (Japan)
  Paris in the early 20th century. Fujiko dreams of becoming a painter despite expectations of marriage, while Chizuru, born into a samurai family, longs to study ballet. Reunited in Paris after meeting as children, they support each other and move toward their dreams.
  
• The Girl in the Clouds by Philippe Riche (France, Belgium)
  Providence, 11, and her guinea pig Airbag find themselves in possession of a magic pen that makes everything written with it come true. With this superpower, they embark on an incredible journey.
  
• The Keeper of the Camphor Tree by Tomohiko Ito (Japan)
  Alone and jobless in Tokyo after his mother's death, Reito lands in prison. With no hope left, a powerful family offers him a deal: freedom in exchange for becoming the "Keeper of the Camphor Tree," a mysterious role that will change his life forever.
  
• The Last Whale Singer by Reza Memari (Germany, Czech Republic, Canada)
  When a monstrous creature escapes from a melting iceberg, a self-doubting teenage humpback whale must face his greatest fears and dive into the darkest depths with his friends, to discover the mystical song that can save the oceans from destruction.
  
• The Legend of the Golden Buffalo by Trịnh Lâm Tùng (Vietnam)
  Quỳnh, a gifted but arrogant boy, goes into hiding after his parents are falsely accused of stealing an imperial treasure. With village kids and a clumsy young buffalo, he uncovers a plot to unleash the Nine-Tailed Fox. To save his family and the land, Quỳnh must find the legendary Golden Buffalo.
  
• The Ribbon Hero by Yuki Igarashi (Japan)
  Inspired by Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka, which is thought to be the first manga to feature a female action hero and sparked revolutionary changes within the manga/anime industry, the A-class animators are gathered to give it a new life with a modern twist.
  
• Yugly by Yanis Belaid and Jérémie Degruson (France, Belgium)
  Meet Yugly, the ugliest dog in the world, and, weirdly, the cutest...who dreams of doing the impossible: competing in the prestigious "Best in Dog Show". Defying every obstacle, he wants to prove that even the most unlikely deserve a chance, secretly hoping, he'll find a forever family.
  

The Last Whale Singer

Midnight Specials

• Company Sports Day, dir. Yong-Seon Lee (South Korea)
  Sales Team 3 is made the scapegoat for the chairman's embezzlement scandal. The team leader attempts to reveal the truth, but the manipulation of evidence by a key executive pushes the entire team to the brink of collective dismissal.
• Category, dir. Manu Gomez (Belgium/France)
  The discovery of a human skull fragment plunges Gregor into a hallucinatory thriller blending violence, power, and extreme fantasies...
• Sekiro: No Defeat, dir. Kenichi Kusuna (Japan)
  In feudal Japan, there was a land called Ashina. Under threat of invasion, its samurai turned to Kuro, the Divine Heir, and tried to use his special power for their own ends. He is rescued by Wolf, his sole retainer, but learns that his power inflicts a disease of death on others...
• Soul Shift, dir. Christian Franz Schmidt (Germany)
  We follow Evolution Managers shaping life across the universe. When Dew Blue and Sunny-Yellow enter a cosmic contest, it turns into a wild battle that tests their strategy and friendship.
• Zsazsa Zaturnnah, dir. Avid Liongoren (Philippines, France)
  Ada is a young, introverted gay hairdresser from a small town in the Philippines, resigned to a life of celibacy. When a magical meteorite grants him the power to transform into a racy female superhero, he must face monsters and zombies – and even the risk of falling in love again.

Zsazsah Zaturnah

Annecy Festival takes place this year from 23 to 26 June in Annecy, France

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