Not only is the 2020 Annecy International Animated Film Festival offering up many great animated films for streaming, but it's also providing exclusive sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming movies. From big studio films to arthouse passion projects, Annecy's "Work in Progress" and "Preview" selections will give cartoon fans plenty to get excited about.
CONNECTED
The highest-profile film previewed at Annecy is Connected, a Sony Pictures Animation production directed by Gravity Falls' Phil Rianda and produced by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Rianda discussed how he drew inspiration from his own family for the Mitchells, the film's protagonists who must face off against a robot apocalypse in the midst of a road trip. Head of story Guillermo Martinez illustrated the pros and cons of working from home, while designer Lindsey Olivares gave a tutorial on how to draw the adorable pug Monchi.
The presentation included an exclusive clip from the film, showcasing nerdy daughter Katie's video diary of the trip. The blend of 2D and 3D animation styles looks just as striking as Spider-Verse's, and the gags are hilarious. Connected is currently scheduled to hit theaters October 23.
WOLFWALKERS
As fun as Connected looks, however, the coolest presentation at Annecy has to be the one for Wolfwalkers. This is the fourth feature film from Cartoon Saloon, the studio behind the Oscar nominees The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner, is a fantasy set in 17th century Ireland. Robyn, an English Puritan girl, forms an unexpected friendship with Mebh, an Irish "wolfwalker" able to shift into a wolf body in her sleep. Directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart discussed the film's historical context and mythological inspirations, and how the two worlds of the British settlement and the natural world are represented in different art styles.
The presentation showcased the evolution from rough animation to the finished product of a strikingly beautiful sequence wherein Mebh shows Robyn how to use her wolf body for the first time. Wolfwalkers is set to premiere on Apple TV+ sometime this Fall, and honestly might be good enough to sell people on at least a free trial of the streaming service.
INU-OH
Masaaki Yuasa (director of Devilman Crybaby and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! among many other anime) is planning a temporary retirement after the release of Inu-Oh next year. Based on the Annecy presentation, this looks like a worthy film to conclude this stage of his career. Featuring character designs by Taiyo Matsumoto and a painterly animation style unlike any of Yuasa's previous films, Inu-Oh tells the story of a cursed Noh performer and a blind biwa priest. The film's based in 14th century Japan, but Yuasa promises to play around with history, looking at these characters as "lost pop stars."
THE SUMMIT OF THE GODS
Anime fans might also want to keep an eye out for The Summit of The Gods, Patrick Imbert's adaptation of the late Jiro Taniguchi's mountain-climbing manga. This French/Luxemborgian co-production has been in the works for five years now, and while the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down production even further, members of the crew have found that recent events have only made the protagonist's isolation more relatable. Jin-Roh and the works of Satoshi Kon were cited as artistic influences for the realistic 2D-animated film.
THE ISLAND
Another film with clear resonance with the current age of social distancing, Anca Damian's The Island musical adaptation of Robinson Crusoe. Set in the present day, the film uses the outline of the classic novel to address Europe's refugee crisis and augmented reality technology. Visually, the film has a similar mixed-media approach to Damian's previous feature, Marona's Fantastic Tale. The score is adapted from the Balanescu Quartet's 2011 concept album of the same time.
MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE
Further proving animated musicals need not look or sound anything like a Disney movie, Signe Bauman's My Love Affair With Marriage promises to address its director's feelings about romance and gender issues similarly to how her critically-acclaimed Rocks in My Pockets addressed mental illness. Kristian Sensini has composed 23 songs for the film, one of which is shown in the Annecy presentation. The animation style uniquely combines hand-drawn characters with live action model backgrounds.
NEW GODS: NEZHA REBORN
To clear up any confusion, New Gods: Nezha Reborn is not a sequel to last year's Ne Zha, which broke records at the Chinese box office, but a completely different film based around the same mythological figure. Light Chaser Animation Studios' new take on the guardian deity has him living as a motorcyclist in the present day. The action-packed preview footage shown suggests a mix of Fast and Furious and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Chinese animation hasn't broken through to the American mainstream yet, but this looks kind of awesome.
NO DOGS OR ITALIANS ALLOWED
The stop-motion film No Dogs or Italians Allowed is director Alain Ughetto's love letter to his grandfather, who fled Mussolini's Italy to start a new life in France. The Annecy presentation showcased the intense work put into the animation, and the particular resourcefulness of the background designs: forests were built from broccoli and cliffs from charcoal.
EVEN MICE BELONG IN HEAVEN
Another stop-motion production, Even Mice Belong in Heaven presents an animal afterlife wherein a mouse and a fox, once natural enemies, are able to become friends. This international co-production between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France and Poland is aimed at 6-11 year olds, but parents might just find it even more moving.
LEN AND THE SONG OF THE WHALES
The Colombian/Argentinian feature Len and the Song of the Whales centers around a 9-year-old girl who's afraid of the water, living in a South American tribe which does almost everything underwater. The CG animation shown in the presentation was still in extremely early phases, but concept art promises a visually striking underwater world.
YAKARI
The French/German/Belgian co-production Yakari is the latest adaptation of Derib and Job's comic series about a young Sioux boy who can talk to animals, which were previously adapted into two different animated TV series. The new film translates Derib's art style into CGI.
LAMYA'S POEM
One of the heavier stories among the films being previewed, Lamya's Poem is about a Syrian refugee who magically travels through time to get to meet Rumi, her favorite poet. The people at PiP Animation Services, the Canadian studio that mostly works on TV cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants, are very excited to be involved in this film.
SIROCCO AND THE KIGNDOM OF THE WINDS
Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds had one of the rougher presentations, essentially a PowerPoint pitch to investors. What little was shown of the film itself, however, looks incredible, recalling both The Yellow Submarine and the wilder fantasies of Studio Ghibli. This French children's fantasy is supposed to come out in 2022, and hopefully it's worth the wait.