Annecy Unveils 2018 Poster, WIA to Receive MIFA Industry Award

Organizers of the 2018 Annecy International Animated Film Festival and MIFA (June 11-16) have revealed this year’s official event poster. The artwork was created by Quebecois illustrator and graphic novelist Pascal Blanchet, and portrays silhouette figures mingling outside the and within the lakeside face of the luxe Imperial Palace hotel.

“Creating the Annecy poster is a superb opportunity, even more so as it evokes the classic travel posters and seaside resorts of the 1930s,” commented Blanchet. “Everything was in place, with the superb lake, the spectacular mountains and the all-white Imperial Palace. This poster is an immense honor for me.”

As an artist, Blanchet has worked for The New Yorker, Wes Anderson (preproduction, Isle of Dogs) and musician Pierre Lapointe. He is currently directing his first animated short with the National Film Board of Canada.

Further, it was announced that Women in Animation will be honored with the 2018 MIFA Animation Industry Award — the  organization will also return to Annecy to present the Women in Animation World Summit on June 11. These announcements signal the event’s ongoing commitment to support women in the industry and honor their contributions, following the 2015’s women-first initiative. In 2016, seven out of 12 jury members were women, and the official poster was created by Michèle Lemieux. And 2017 saw the inaugural WIA summit.

“The Annecy International Animation Film Festival/Mifa is the most important global gathering of the entire animation industry. It is a tremendous honour for Women in Animation (WIA) to be recognized by Annecy for our work in opening the doors of our industry to all people with a focus on diversity, inclusion and belonging,” said Marge Dean, President of WIA. “Mifa’s continued support of WIA and our Women in Animation World Summit at Annecy have played a key role in our growth and influence as an organization.”

Introduced in 2015 for MIFA’s 30th anniversary, the Industry Award spotlights people who have contributed to positive change in the animation industry. WIA is the first organization to receive the award; previous honorees include Chris Meledandri of Illumination Entertainment, Aardman co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, and in 2017 the founders of Gebeka Films and GKIDS, Marc Bonny and Eric Beckman.

Presented by WIA and Les Femmes s’Animent, the second Women in Animation World Summit will take place at the Imperial Palace and feature a day-long symposium comprised of panels and discussions focused on the theme of inclusion.

2018 Annecy International Animated Film Festival and MIFA

Marge Dean