Animation lovers, mark your calendars for the world’s most prestigious animation showcase, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, happening from June 8 to 14. This year, the festival shines a spotlight on Hungarian animation, which is celebrating its 110th anniversary (you can also catch an exhibition on the history of Hungarian animation at the Museum of Fine Arts). Hungarian creators, domestic studios, leading producers, and the youngest talents will all get special attention. And that’s not all – two Hungarian works have been selected for the festival’s official competition program, making it the perfect chance to explore Hungary's vibrant animation scene and cheer on some homegrown talent!
One of the competing films is Péter Vácz's Dog Ear. The animation director's previous film (Rabbit and Deer) has been recognised worldwide over the past few years, winning more than 125 festival awards in total. So, his new creation will surely be amazing too.
Dog Ear will compete in the festival's short film competition program and will even have its world premiere in Annecy. The film tells the story of a young boy, Berci, who returns home from school to find traces of his parents' argument in their empty apartment. As his suppressed emotions surface, he processes them with the help of his dog.
The other film is Capriccio, created by award-winning filmmaker and visual artist Gábor Ulrich. It will be showcased in the festival's special 'Off-Limits' program. The film tells the story of a tiny bird that rekindles an uninspired pianist's faith in creativity by revealing the music hidden in everyday moments. Later this autumn, Capriccio will also be screened in Hungarian cinemas as the accompanying short film to Danish director Anders Thomas Jensen's new dark comedy, The Last Viking.
Big congratulations to the creators! We'll be rooting for them from 8 to 14 June. Though, let’s be real – simply being selected for Annecy is already a massive achievement. After all, in the world of animation, Annecy is as prestigious as the Oscars or the biggest European film festivals are for live-action cinema.
(Cover photo: Filmfabriq)
