“As a global organization working toward gender equity in animation, WIA is proud to support this important residency for women directors. We applaud Annecy for championing bold, systemic change by uplifting women’s voices at the very start of the creative process.”
— Women in Animation
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival continues its commitment to gender equality in the animation film industry, announcing a the creation of a residency devoted to women directors developing animated feature film projects. The program was unveiled during the “Women in the Animation Industry: A Decade of Change, A Future to Shape” on June 11 by Mickaël Marin, CEO of CITIA.
This residency will open in 2027 at the Cité internationale du cinéma d’animation in Annecy. Conceived as a space for mediation, transmission, creation and research, the Cité will host artists from around the world while strengthening the ties between creative works and audiences.
“We don’t just want to reward films once they’ve been made but rather help bring them into being. We want to be involved early on, where it all begins,” said Marin.
“The Collectif 50/50 welcomes this new residency program dedicated to female animation feature film directors and applauds the Annecy Festival’s commitment to gender equality in this sector, where progress continues to be far too slow. Given that in 2024, women accounted for a mere 23% of animation film directors in France, this type of proactive support is crucial. Similarly, we praise the day-to-day work of associations such as Les Femmes s’Animent and Les Intervalles.”
— Collectif 50/50
Over the past 20 years, the Annecy Festival has seen significant progress towards gender parity in making short films, series and graduation films. But when it comes to feature films, the figures remain worrisome: between 2004 and 2013, only 9% of feature films submitted were directed by women. Between 2014 and 2024, this figure reached a mere 16%. These figures do not reflect a shortage of talent, but rather a lack of access to these roles through visibility, project funding and professional networks.
Despite these low numbers, many films directed by women have left an indelible mark on the industry, such as Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, The Breadwinner by Nora Twomey, Frozen by Jennifer Lee, Sultana’s Dream by Isabel Herguera, The Crossing by Florence Miailhe and The Siren by Sepideh Farsi, to name a few.
“We need more female voices and visions incarnated, and women shaping the future of animation film,” Marin asserted.
The planned residency will meet this demand and support women directors from the earliest development stages, in an environment conducive to writing, discussing ideas and shaping their feature film project.
CITIA, the organization in charge of the Annecy Festival and the future Cité internationale du cinéma d’animation, have launched a call for partners to include institutions, foundations, studios and private patrons. All are invited to contribute to this initiative, in particular via the recently established endowment fund, which will support all of the Cité’s public interest activities.
“This residency will soon be a reality. We have our convictions, the premises and the impetus. Now we just need the support. I invite all of you who share this ambition to join us in our endeavor,” aded Marin.
“Ten years ago, Les Femmes s’Animent was created in response to the glaring inequality, at the time only 32% of professionals in the animation industry were women. In 2024, that figure rose to 44% but incessant barriers remain and very often the projects don’t even reach the commission stage. Self-censorship, a lack of self-confidence generated by a system fueled by unconscious stereotypes and exhaustion when facing obstacles means that access to feature films remains a constant battle for female directors. Supporting these talents means fostering diversity and enriching creation. Dedicating an artist residency solely to women is a powerful political act. It will offer women a space to tell stories, persevere and believe in their vision. Congratulations on this fabulous initiative, we can’t wait to discover these films which promise to be both inspiring and fascinating!”
— Les Femmes s’Animent
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