Animation Calling

On June 16, 2017, during the Annecy Festival, GKIDS, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety announced the creation of ANIMATION IS FILM, a Los Angeles-Based Animation Film Festival.

This ambitious project around animation now comes into being and takes place October 20-22, 2017 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater, Hollywood.

Check out the competition line-up and jury.

ANIMATION IS FILM announced the line-up and jury members for its inaugural edition. The Festival will present a selection of animated feature films from Asia, Europe, South America and North America, with both juried and audience prizes.

The Festival will present a highly selective showcase of animated films from around the world, plus red carpet, filmmaker Q&As, special events, receptions, and both juried and audience awards.

Check out the full festival line-up at animationisfilm.com.

The Festival is being produced by GKIDS in partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety, joined by ASIFA-Hollywood and additional sponsors and media partners: Google, IndieWire, Cartoon Brew, Fathom Events, Unifrance, Women in Animation...

2017 FILMS IN COMPETITION

THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES (US Premiere)
Saturday, October 21st at 1:30pm
Followed by Q&A with directors Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert
Directors Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert, France, 2017
Benjamin Renner was Oscar nominated for Ernest & Celestine
Premiere, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

BIG FISH & BEGONIA (North American Premiere)
Sunday, October 22nd at 11:00am
Directors Xuan Liang, Chun Zhang, China, 2016
Feature film in competition, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN (Los Angeles Premiere)
Saturday, October 21st at 4:15pm
Followed by Q&A with directors Alberto Vázquez and Pedro Rivero
d. Pedro Rivero, Alberto Vázquez, Spain, 2015
Best Animated Feature 2017 Goya Awards
Feature film in competition, 2016 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

THE BREADWINNER (US Premiere)
Friday, October 20th at 7:00pm
Followed by Q&A with director Nora Twomey
d. Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg, 2017
Nora Twomey was co-director of Oscar Nominated The Secret of Kells
WIP, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

FIREWORKS, SHOULD WE SEE IT FROM THE SIDE OR THE BOTTOM
(North American Premiere – Opening Night Film)
Friday, October 20th at 9:30pm
d. Akiyuki Shinbo, Noboyuki Takeuchi, Japan, 2017

LU OVER THE WALL (North American Premiere)
Sunday, October 22nd at 2:15pm
Followed by Q&A with director Masaaki Yuasa
d. Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017
Cristal Award Winner, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER (Los Angeles Premiere)
Sunday, October 22nd at 5:15pm
Followed by Q&A with director Hiromasa Yonebayashi
d. Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Japan, 2017
Hiromasa Yonebayashi was Oscar nominated for When Marnie Was There

MUTAFUKAZ (West Coast Premiere)
Saturday, October 21st at 7:00pm
d. Guillaume Renard, Shoujirou Nishimi, France/Japan, 2017
Premiere, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL (US Premiere)
Sunday, October 22nd at 8:00pm
Followed by Q&A with director Masaaki Yuasa
d. Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017

TEHRAN TABOO (North American Premiere)
Sunday, October 22nd at 5:15pm
Followed by Q&A with director Ali Soozandeh
d. Ali Soozandeh, Germany, 2017
Official selection, 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Feature film in competition, 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

TROPICAL VIRUS (World Premiere)
Saturday, October 21st at 7:00pm
Followed by Q&A with director Santiago Caicedo
d. Santiago Caicedo, Colombia/Ecuador, 2017

ZOMBILLENIUM (North American Premiere)
Saturday, October 21st at 4:15pm
Followed by Q&A with director Alexis Ducord
d. Arthur de Pins, Alexis Ducord, France, 2017
Special Screening 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Opening night film and feature film in competition,
2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Check out the full program (films in competition, special screenings, events...) on animationisfilm.com!

2017 JURY

Peter Debruge
Chief film critic, Variety (jury chair)

Allison Abbate
EVP Theatrical Animation, Warner Brothers Pictures
Producer (The Iron Giant, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Lego Movie)

Bonnie Arnold
DreamWorks Animation
Producer (Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon)

Jorge R. Gutiérrez
Director (Book of Life)

Charles Solomon
Film critic and historian

Mabel Tam
Head film buyer, Landmark Cinemas

Brenda Chapman
Oscar-winning director of Brave

Carolyn Giardina
Tech Editor, The Hollywood Reporter

Anne Thompson
Editor-At-Large, IndieWire

"The Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market are excited to be working together with Variety and GKIDS. Animation Is Film is a wonderful opportunity to radiate animation and all its diversity in the heart of Hollywood and is a very important step in our expansion abroad. The festival is another occasion, following Annecy Goes to Cannes and before the Annecy Asia International Animated Film Festival in Seoul, to promote films and artists from all over the world to an even wider audience."  Patrick Eveno, CITIA CEO

ANIMATION IS FILM aims to fill a gap in the market by establishing the first world class animation festival in the US, with its home in the world capital of filmmaking.  The Festival embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form on par with live action filmmaking and will be vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of their work to the fullest range of expression that the medium is capable of.