Julie Beneteau
At the 2025 edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA), Julie Bénéteau, Director of International Sales at The Kitchen, shared her insights on the evolving animation landscape and the company’s strategic outlook.
How would you evaluate your overall experience at MIFA 2025?
"Once again, I had an amazing time at MIFA. It was great to catch with fellow competitors, old colleagues and clients. The Annecy Film Festival is growing every year and is a major player in the animation world. Annecy/MIFA is the place to be, and the setting also helps. While the industry is not yet back to pre-covid days, it is on the upswing, and it was wonderful to be part of this creative gathering."
Which companies or territories did you engage with, and what business opportunities do you foresee as a result?
"The Kitchen’s workload is increasing this year, and animation is a huge part of that cause for our rise in revenue. Miami is a strategic place in terms of US English dubbing, especially at the moment. Producers and distributors have very limited budgets in terms of localization and we are able to offer cheaper solutions whilst still providing quality."
To what extent are clients requesting the use of AI, and how is this trend reshaping your business strategy?
"There wasn’t much open talk about AI at MIFA as it is still a sensitive subject. We begin to use AI more in some of our workflows, specifically to give us more time on the creative side. We’ve actually been doing just that for nearly four years. And we do know that in the world of AI, there will be more changes, more benefits and more opportunities all the time. What may stand out today, will be replaced by something better tomorrow. That is specifically why our team always believes in staying ahead of the pack".
Looking ahead to next year, do you plan to return to MIFA? From your perspective, what stood out as positive, and what aspects could be improved?
"I am definitely planning on returning to MIFA next year. More attendants are registering every year and Annecy might become too small for it. I guess we will have to wait and see what the future holds."
What are the company’s next steps in light of the current shifts within the industry?
"Josh Pine, our CFO, who recently joined The Kitchen from the pioneering AI company, XL8, has been a guiding light to our teams and to our clients. The Kitchen does like to be a frontrunner when it comes to new technologies, and because of Josh’s input over the past four years, our workflow strategies have relied on AI to some degree and benefited from them greatly. With Josh on board and from what our team have learned, I truly believe that the integration of AI, as new technologies come to our attention, will continue to aid The Kitchen in providing the very best localization outcome for our clients."