The MIFA market, part of the Annecy Festival at Annecy France, is widely considered the head meeting point for the global animation content business, running from today Tuesday 23rd to Friday 26th. This year edition is particularly significant, because the sector navigates a deep transformation driven by streaming trends, financing challenges, artificial intelligence and new digital tools. Where can the animation industry find new business value, opportunities?

Veronique Encrenaz, director of MIFA, has said to Prensario: ‘Animation industry members are present at MIFA to help each other and find solutions together. We continue growing year by year, this time we expect +18000 people at Annecy Festival, almost 7000 at MIFA. We are also more global every year: we receive more people from Africa and MENA especially, also Asia Pacific, CEE and Latin America, among others’.

‘The AI implementation is a solution for financing problems, to save costs, automate processes, generate alternative niches. Another is IP management: to adapt your story to a game, to a book, a movie, live shows, etc. We provide events and one to one meetings between IP owners and licensing and game companies, to build relationships. What is new this year? More 360 developments, fresh edging technology, advanced AI, real time initiatives, both for business and education’.

Setting the tone for the 2026 festival, there is a new visual identity designed by Canadian artist Randall Finnerty. The official poster features a surreal array of birds and creatures inspired by the Haute-Savoie region, serving as a metaphor for the diversity of creators and audiences that gather in Annecy. Additionally, legendary British studio Aardman, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, has produced the official teaser. Titled "The Making of Annecy", the piece blends live-action and stop-motion with the signature humor of the creators behind "Wallace & Gromit" and "Shaun the Sheep".

Annecy‘s programming continues to be anchored by its major competitive sections. The Official Feature Films category includes entries from France, Spain, Japan, China, Belgium, Canada, Singapore, Italy, and the United States, highlighting titles such as "Decorado", "The Violinist", "Tangles", "Lucy Lost", and "We Are Aliens". The Contrechamp section, dedicated to more daring and experimental projects, features films from the Philippines, Taiwan, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and beyond, with standouts like "58º", "Welcome to Dolly’s House", Peleliu - Guernica of Paradise", and "Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope".

The official short film competition remains one of the festival’s most robust spaces, blending stop-motion, traditional animation, hybrid techniques, and experimental cinema. The selection encompasses works from 14 different countries, including Mexico, Estonia, Japan, and the UK, consolidating the festival’s massive international reach.

Spanish animation maintains a highly significant footprint across the programming. Key selections include Galician filmmaker Alberto Vázquez’s "Decorado", the Singapore-Spain-Italy co-production "The Violinist" (co-directed by Raúl García), and the Spain-Chile-Argentina shared project "Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope". Furthermore, the Spanish short film "The Quinta’s Ghost" is competing at the official shorts section.

This year’s guests of honor include Mike Judge, creator of "Beavis & Butt-Head" and "King of the Hill", who will receive an "Honorary Cristal" and present an exclusive preview of his show’s 15th season during a masterclass. The legendary Brothers Quay will also be honored, while Catherine Winder, president at Wind Sun Sky Entertainment, will serve as the patron of the MIFA campus, delivering a keynote on multi-platform narratives and new technologies.

The festival juries feature a diverse mix of industry veterans, including "The Simpsons" director David Silverman, Swiss filmmaker Marina Rosset, and Chilean-Canadian composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, confirming an expansive and global edition where major studios, independent cinema, and emerging talents converge.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Alberto Buitron

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