The Wild Robot c Universal

Source: Universal

‘The Wild Robot’

Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its 2024 edition, including the Competition line-up and a programme of previews from the major studios.

The 12-strong Official Competition includes Adam Elliot’s Australian feature Memoir Of A Snail, in which Succession star Sarah Snook voices a lonely hoarder of ornamental snails; and stop-motion Savages!, director Claude Barras’ first feature since his Bafta- and Oscar-nominated My Life As A Courgette.

Scroll down for the full Competition line-up

The festival will open with Michel Hazanavicius’ Competition title The Most Precious Of Cargoes, heading to Annecy from its debut in Cannes Competition. Annecy 2024 will take place from June 9-15, with the Mifa market running from June 11-14.

Eleven films compete in the Contrechamp section, including Usman Riaz’s Pakistani title The Glassworker, following the life of a glassblower in training as his land goes through civil war.

Major studios presenting previews of upcoming animation titles include Universal with Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot, adapted from Peter Brown’s novel about a robot that bonds with the animals when stranded on a deserted island. Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu and Kit Connor lead the voice cast.

Disney will show a sneak preview of Kelsey Mann’s Inside Out 2 on June 14 – the day of the film’s release in most territories including the US – and a first look at Moana 2 ahead of its debut on November 27, 2024.

Netflix’s Next On Netflix Animation showcase will tease Aardman Animation’s upcoming untitled Wallace & Gromit film, while the streamer will also host a work-in-progress session for Simon Otto’s That Christmas, written by Richard Curtis.

Annecy Presents, a new non-competitive section this year, will showcase 12 films from across the world, from a range of animation formats. Titles include Sony’s The Garfield Movie directed by Mark Dindal, with Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames and Nicholas Hoult leading the voice cast.

Monty Python artist Terry Gilliam will be awarded an honorary Cristal prize at the festival’s opening on Sunday, June 9, when he will also host a masterclass. Wes Anderson will also give a previously-announced masterclass on June 13.

Themes for the 2024 edition include A Tribute To Portuguese Animation, and Choreographies: Animation and Dance.

After a 19% increase in accredited guests for its 2023 edition, this year’s festival is using an additional four cinemas at the Pathe Annecy venue, with screenings commencing from 08.30.

The selection was unveiled at a press conference on Thursday, April 25 by artistic director Marcel Jean with Dominique Puthod and Mickael Marin, president and CEO respectively of the festival’s organising body CITIA.

Annecy 2024 programme

Official Competition

Ghost Cat Anzu (Jap-Fr) dirs. Yoko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita

Angelo In The Mysterious Forest (Fr-Lux) dirs. Vincent Paronnaud, Alexis Ducord

Flow (Bel-Fr) dir. Gints Zilbalodis

The Imaginary (Jap) dir. Yoshiyuki Momose

Memoir Of A Snail (Australia) dir. Adam Elliot

The Storm (China) dir. Busifan

The Most Precious Of Cargoes (Bel-Fr) dir. Michel Hazanavicius

Rock Bottom (Sp-Pol) dir. Maria Trenor

Savages! (Swiss) dir. Claude Barras

Slocum et moi (Fr) dir. Jean-Francois Laguionie

Totto-Chain: The Little Girl at the Window (Jap) dir. Shinnosuke Yakuwa

The Colors Within (Jap) dir. Naoko Yamada