In conversation with Véronique Encrenaz

Over the last forty years, Mifa has become the marketplace that gathers the entire global industry…

When the Mifa was born, many things were changing. Animation was facing a crisis, and the creation of Mifa was a political and public decision. Now, forty years later, this decision has proved necessary. It allowed French animation, through Annecy and MIFA, to grow and expand internationally, supported by the industry and consistent government backing.

Over the past twenty years, we have seen significant growth. The French animation sector has expanded, thanks in large part to the country’s strong presence in international markets and the increasing internationalization. It is a great example of how a country can elevate an entire industry. France has provided a lot of visibility to its animation creators, producers, and content. The arrival of new countries into the global animation scene is an exciting moment for us.

Today, many countries are eager to support and grow their animation sectors. Through conferences, especially one dedicated to celebrating Mifa’s forty years, we hope to explain how political commitment and institutional support can truly transform an industry. This 35^th edition of Annecy could inspire change elsewhere. We want to share our experience and achievements, and we hope other countries will take this path to grow, learn, and build their animation industries for the future.

We’re seeing a growing connection between Annecy’s festival and the Mifa market. Though they serve different audiences, how do you think this combination has helped attract more international animation professionals?

There’s real synergy: talent and content showcased at the festival inspire market activity, and market discussions influence what’s shown artistically. Our collaboration with Artistic Director Marcel Jean and the festival team is crucial. While the festival runs its programming, we coordinate to ensure there’s a crossover where needed.

The market includes students, schools, major industry players, and new talent. Students are tomorrow’s professionals: they need to learn from the experience of big names in animation while bringing new ideas, new styles, and a new vision. We also discover new talent through initiatives like Mifa Pitches. Some producers first present content at the festival and then explore the next project ideas at the market. At Annecy, we follow projects from the start, from pitches and early production meetings at Mifa to work-in-progress presentations during the festival, and finally to official selection.

That’s the uniqueness of Annecy: an ecosystem that supports the entire animation pipeline – from students and new technologies to producers and distributors thanks to the tight link between the festival and the market.

How important is talent development for Annecy? And how is Mifa building partnerships with other sectors, such as publishing or video games?

Talent has always been a core focus at Annecy, both in the festival and at the Mifa. Students have had a strong presence from the beginning, with access to festival screenings and now increasingly to the market.

As Mifa grew, we ensured students and young creators could still access nearly everything. We want them to build industry knowledge, and creativity, and eventually launch careers with strong content and business insight. Today, we host over 4000 students in a dedicated “Campus” space, now in its third year.

We host masterclasses, workshops, and recruitment sessions with major studios connecting students with the industry and letting studios discover fresh talent, new ideas, and styles. Even during tough industry times, studios still attend, looking for inspiration.

Regarding cross-sector connections, since 2016–2017, we’ve expanded beyond film and series, introducing VR and new immersive formats in 2018. We’re now addressing the video game sector more intentionally, not to create a full gaming market, but to build bridges. This year we’re organising one-on-one meetings between gaming studios, animation studios, and IP owners to explore adaptations. Riot Games will also present a major exhibition at Annecy. That’s part of our growing focus on the intersection of gaming, music, and animation.

On publishing, we’ve been running the Meet the Publishers initiative for several years to link book publishers with animation producers for adaptation opportunities. The main flow is book-to-screen, but we’re also exploring the reverse, film-to-book.

You also mentioned Webtoons and AI. Can you elaborate on what’s new at this year’s edition?

Webtoons are a major new addition. We’ll host conferences on the topic and are preparing to expand further in the future. AI is another central theme. It’s a real concern for producers, creators, and studios. We’ll be hosting high-level discussions on how AI is impacting workflows, creativity, and rights.

Another exciting event is our Animation and Music Day, which includes masterclasses between directors and composers. Riot Games, for example, will present sessions focused on game and music integration.

How is international attendance evolving, especially from outside Europe?

This year, roughly 50% of attendees are from France, and 50% from outside. Counting France and Europe together, it’s about 70% from Europe and 30% from other regions. The top delegations are France, the UK, the USA, Spain, and Italy.

As someone who observes the entire animation ecosystem, how do you think the industry is evolving right now?

We’re seeing big platforms and studios focusing on fewer but more ambitious projects. At the same time, smaller studios are adapting and perhaps finding strength in staying lean. Look at Flow – something outstanding created by a small team. With current technology, films can be made faster and on tighter budgets. That empowers more artists and talents to pursue their visions independently.

Additionally, technology is enabling more creators to work outside of the traditional system, using alternative platforms like YouTube or digital distribution to test their work directly with audiences.