From April 4 to June 27, 2025, three brand-new feature-length animation film projects will be joining the Annecy Festival Residency, in Les Papeteries – Image Factory. The authors will spend three months fully immersed in their projects assisted by mentors and CITIA teams to work on their graphic universes by using the time to reflect and experiment. They will have their sights on the Festival and the Mifa where they will be able to showcase all their hard work.
The 2025 edition of the Annecy Festival Residency showcases diversity and talent, with 36 submissions representing 20 different nationalities. Notably, 44% of the projects are led by women, highlighting the growing inclusivity in animation. The selection committee faced a challenging task due to the wide-ranging proposals but unanimously agreed on the standout projects. These were chosen for their impactful messages, the residency's potential to advance their development, and the compelling vision of bringing their animated storylines to life on the big screen.
The selection committee was made up of animation industry professionals from various backgrounds, so they could provide a cross-disciplinary view on the projects. For the 2025 edition, Aurel (Illustrator, Director), Vanessa Buttin-Labarthe (Producer, Les Astronautes), Amandine Fredon (Director), Stéphane Kazandjian (Screenwriter) and Valérie Yendt (Distributor, Gebeka Films) unanimously selected:
“Father's Letters,” which follows Professor Vangengheim, arrested in Moscow in 1934 and sent to the Gulag Archipelago of the Solovki Islands. To shield his young daughter, Elya, from the grim realities of the Stalinist purges, he constructs an illusion through his letters, letting her believe he is on an expedition. As the months of captivity pass, maintaining this facade becomes increasingly challenging, testing his resolve to preserve the innocence and magical world of her childhood.
“Kigali Night” tells the story of Samuel, a 23-year-old audiovisual presenter, arrives at the French Cultural Centre in Kigali and spends 18 months immersed in Rwandan life. While he initially enjoys the vibrant social scene, he begins to notice ominous signs of unrest. Choosing to ignore the warnings, Samuel clings to the belief that his country, France, could not possibly support such a regime. However, as time passes, his convictions falter. Set two years before the genocide, this rarely discussed period reveals the unsettling groundwork for the tragedy that follows.
Finally, “Kolaval” tells the story of a 12-year-old girl born into a family of embroiderers in a village under siege by a violent invasion. Deemed the village’s only hope, she is forced to marry, but she refuses to accept her fate. Inspired by her grandmother's legends, she escapes into an ancestral forest, where she discovers the secret power of an ancient goddess. Armed with newfound strength, she unravels the disaster threatening her village and weaves a brighter future for herself and her people.
