Annecy MIFA 2024: National Film Board of Canada to participate with 11 films

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will take part in this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June 9–15) with a strong, diverse lineup of 11 productions and co-productions, screening across a wide range of sections at the event.

Four films have been selected for various competitions, including "Maybe Elephants" (Mikrofilm/NFB 16 min 43 s) a playful and loving autobiographical film created by Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove, which will be having its world premiere. In addition, Michèle Lemieux, a virtuoso with the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen, will present her latest short, "Le tableau" ("The Painting" 11 min 56 s). Animated on the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen, this film revisits the tragic fate of Queen Mariana of Austria and her 1652 portrait by painter Velázquez.

OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Beside "Maybe Elephants" and "Le tableau", the films selected are "Miserable Miracle" (Miyu Productions/NFB/New Deer, 8 min) by Ryo Orikasa. A breathtaking film, inspired by Henri Michaux’s book of poetry and drawings of the same name.

In the Off-Limits Competition will participate "Corpus and the Wandering" (7 min 13 s) by Jo Roy, a short experimental self-portrait composed of 100 video screens; In Annecy Classics: Loïc Darses’ documentary "Graver l’homme: arrêt sur Pierre Hébert" ("Scratches of Life: The Art of Pierre Hébert", 75 min), a feature-length documentary that guides audience through the inspiring labyrinth of the celebrated animator’s life and work.

The Annecy Festival will present an Honorary Cristal to Pierre Hébert in recognition of the innovative nature of his work, which has spanned 60 years, including 35 at the NFB.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS
"Choreographies: Animation and Dance 3" and "LOCA" by Véronique Paquette, where a woman finds a path to freedom through the energy of tango.

NFB COLLECTION

A tribute to Portuguese Animation by Regina Pessoa with "Tragic Story with Happy Ending" (Folimage/Ciclope Filmes/NFB, 7 min, 2005); "Kali the Little Vampire" (Folimage/Ciclope Filmes/NFB, 9 min, 2012) and "Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days" (Ciclope Filmes/NFB/Les Armateurs, 13 min, 2019).