The event celebrates the legacy and innovation of Francophone animation with U.S. and NYC feature film premieres, ‘First Look’ presentations, filmmaker talks and a Student Short Film competition; event runs January 23-28 in NYC.
The French Institute Alliance Française announced the program lineup for its seventh annual Animation First animation festival, showcasing the legacy and innovation of Francophone animation. This year, the event expands from a three-day to a six-day festival, running January 23-28 in New York.
The festival will present seven feature-length films (including three U.S. and three New York premieres), six short film programs, a "First Look" presentation, filmmaker talks, and the annual Student Short Film Competition. New for 2024 is an inaugural limited-edition Animation First series poster, a juried competition of the New Francophone shorts, and a special spotlight on Québécois animated cinema.
The Animation First programmer Delphine Selles-Alvarez said, "With the inclusion of the inaugural limited-edition poster by illustrator Peter de Sève, FIAF is highlighting its mission to celebrate animation as a cinematic art that’s not just a genre for young audiences."
The festival opens with the New York premiere of director Jérémie Périn’s futuristic sci-fi film noir Mars Express. The centerpiece film is the New York premiere of Benoît Chieux’s Sirocco and the Kingdom of Air Streams. Closing night film will wrap up with the U.S. premiere of Sepideh Farsi and Zaven Najjar's The Siren.
Additional features include Pablo Berger’s popular Spanish - French film Robot Dreams; the New York premiere of filmmakers Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli’s Nina and the Hedgehog's Secret; the U.S. premiere of Cameroonian directors Daniel Minlo and Cyrille Masso’s The Sacred Cave; and the U.S. premiere of Quebec filmmaker Joël Vaudreuil’s new film, When Adam Changes.
The festival’s six short film programs include Best of Annecy, Best of Annecy WTF, New Francophone Shorts 1 and 2, National Film Board of Canada Shorts, and Cinémathèque Québécoise.
New for 2024:
FIAF presents Animation Speak/Easy:
- Three guest animators share animated shorts that inspire them, followed by a discussion with the audience.
A focus on Québécois animation with programs including:
- Montreal filmmaker Joël Vaudreuil's U.S. premiere of When Adam Changes
- A talk with Montreal-based filmmaker Janet Perlman
Two shorts’ programs:
- National Film Board of Canada Shorts
- Cinémathèque Québécoise.
Returning to the festival:
- “Animation Jam,” the 48-hour student exercise to complete an animation sequence.
- Free AR/VR experiences in the FIAF Library
For complete program information, visit the Animation First website.
Source: French Institute Alliance Française
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
