Annecy MIFA 2025: A new residency devoted to female directors developing animation feature films

Annecy marks a new milestone in its commitment to gender equality in the animation film industry. Speaking at the conference entitled "Women in the Animation Industry: A Decade of Change, A Future to Shape", Mickaël Marin, CEO of CITIA, announced a new initiative: the creation of a residency devoted to female directors developing animation feature films. 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 Mickaël Marin.

Over the past 20 years, the Annecy Festival has made significant progress towards achieving gender parity in the production of 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, in other words, visibility, funding, and professional networks. However, 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 but a few. "We need more female voices and visions incarnated, and women shaping the future of animation film," stated Mickaël Marin.

The future residency will meet this demand and support female directors from the word go. From the earliest development stages in an environment conducive to writing, discussing ideas, and shaping their feature film project. CITIA, the organisation in charge of the Festival and the future Cité internationale du cinéma d'animation, has today launched a call for partners, including institutions, foundations, studios, and private patrons. All are invited to contribute to this ambitious initiative, particularly through 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 endeavour", concluded Mickaël Marin.
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AN APPLAUDED INITIATIVE
This initiative is a collective effort, supported by networks that have been working hard for years to promote gender equality in the sector. Among these, Les Femmes s'Animent, the Collectif 50/50, and Women in Animation expressed their support for this new residency. "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 fuelled 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 the creative process. 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!" stated Les Femmes s'Animent.

"The Collectif 50/50 welcomes this new residency programme 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," added Collectif 50/50.

"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," said Women in Animation.