The Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France has announced the prize winners for its largest edition to date, which was held from June 11 to 17. The Cristal award for best film was awarded to the Italian-French directorial duo of Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach for Chicken for Linda! The heartwarming story follows a mother and daughter as they struggle to cope with a personal tragedy. After a misunderstanding, the mother embarks on a mission to cook her daughter’s favorite dish of chicken with peppers amidst a national strike. The film is produced by Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, and Dorje Film.
Four Souls of Coyote Wins Jury Award
Hungarian director Áron Gauder’s Four Souls Of Coyote won the Jury Award. The adventure tale addresses environmental issues through the lens of a Native American creation myth, retold by four teenagers who try to save ancestral land from an oil pipeline project. Gauder previously won the Cristal award for best film at Annecy for The District. The film is produced by Budapest-based Cinemon Entertainment, while Gebeka International acquired world rights on the eve of Annecy. The jury for the main competition consisted of Mexican showrunner and executive producer Sofia E. Alexander, Canadian producer Kid Koala, and French director Jan Kounen.
Peripheral Prizes
In addition to the main competition, peripheral prizes were also awarded. Japanese director Tomohisa Taguchi’s The Tunnel To Summer, The Exit Of Goodbyes won the Paul Grimault Award. Chicken for Linda! was awarded the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. The Audience Award, which was open to films in both the main and Contrechamp sectors, was won by Bénoît Chieux’s Sirocco And The Kingdom Of Air Streams. The film, which was the opening feature of the festival, was lead produced by Paris-based Sacrebleu Productions, with Belgium’s Take Five and France’s Ciel de Paris.
Contrechamp Section
In the newer Contrechamp section, Spanish director Pablo Berger’s Robot Dreams won the Grand Prize, while the Jury Prize was awarded to Tony, Shelly And The Magic Light by Hungarian Filip Pošivač.
Short Film Category
The Cristal for best short film was awarded to Hungarian Flóra Anna Buda’s 27.
Overall, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival has showcased the talents of many international filmmakers, with a range of compelling stories and themes. From environmental issues and Native American mythology to heartwarming tales of family and perseverance, the festival has demonstrated the power of animation to tell diverse and engaging stories.