A Look At Basque Animated Productions Presenting At Annecy 2024

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024 is one of this year’s most important events in the world of animation. The weeklong event, renowned worldwide for its prestige and quality, is taking place this week and will include two Basque productions in its official sections: Sultana’s Dream by Isabel Herguera, and When It Comes (It Will Have Your Eyes) by Izibene Oñederra.

Two films in competition

The Annecy Festival was founded in 1960 in the city of Annecy, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It was created by the International Association of Animated Films (ASIFA), an organization dedicated to promoting and acknowledging animated films worldwide. Annecy was chosen for its picturesque location and inspiring setting, ideal for a cultural event of this magnitude.

The event has established itself as an essential platform for the promotion and recognition of animation in all its forms, from features and shorts to tv series and projects in development.

In the Feature Films Contrechamp section, we find Herguera’s animated feature Sultana’s Dream. It is an adaptation of the short story of the same name by Bengali feminist writer Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. The story, set in a utopian world ruled by women, addresses issues of gender equality and social justice. Herguera’s film excels for its unique visual style and its ability to convey profound messages through animation.

This film, produced by Uniko, Sultana Films, El Gatoverde Producciones, Abano Producións, and Fabian & Fred has already been screened at national and international festivals, where it has picked up numerous awards and nominations. It also won the Basque Film Award at the 71st edition of the San Sebastian Festival and has also been nominated for major awards such as the Goya for Best Animated Film, the Forqué Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and the Platinum Award for Best Animated Film, among others.

Selected within the short film section is the Basque film When It Comes (It Will Have Your Eyes) by Izibene Oñederra, who produces the work together with Sultana Films. The 12-minute film depicts the story of the unequal living conditions of the inhabitants of a small community, who try to survive in the midst of a catastrophic situation.

Basque highlights at Annecy’s MIFA Market

The International Animation Film Market (MIFA) is a highly important section within the Annecy festival. This market is the epicenter of the animation industry, bringing together professionals from all over the world to present projects, establish partnerships, and discover new business opportunities. MIFA provides an invaluable platform for creators, producers and distributors to interact and take their projects to the next level.

In this way, the Basque production company Lotura Films will present two of its upcoming projects. Firstly, The Invisibles, a work by Imanol Zinkunegi. Led by adorable micro-organisms, the project encourages children aged 6-10 to visit the most hidden corners of the planet, and become immersed in an attractive and fast-paced visual world brimming with fantasy.

Then, there is Kima & Amik, directed by Juanjo Elordi. This children’s series is made up of 26 twelve-minute chapters, in which two cousins, one from the town and the other from the farm, desire opposite things (Kima is Amik spelled backwards). But despite their differing interests, it doesn’t stop them from always finding a way to play and have fun together.

In short, Basque animation has found in the Annecy Festival an ideal platform to showcase its talent and creativity. This year is a fantastic example of the region’s ambitions, with works such as When It Comes (It Will Have Your Eyes) and Sultana’s Dream in competition, and projects such as The Invisibles and Kima & Amik in the MIFA market.

To learn more about film and animation production in the Basque region, visit BasqueAudiovisual.eus.