The 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France was successfully held from June 21 to 27, with the MIFA International Animation Film Market taking place concurrently from June 23 to 26. This year’s festival brought together participants from 118 countries, attracting more than 18,000 animation professionals and enthusiasts.
The team from Krystal Institute's affiliate company, CGGE was also present on site, participating throughout this prestigious annual event—often hailed as the “Oscars of animation.” They engaged in in-depth observation and discussions on industry trends, creative exchange, and cutting-edge technologies.
Diverse Screenings and Strong Presence of Chinese Works
The Annecy Festival has long been renowned for its high-quality screening sections, covering feature films, short films, student works, and experimental animation. This year, many top international animation productions chose the festival for their world premieres or advance screenings. For instance, the highly anticipated Despicable Me prequel, Minions & Monsters, served as the opening film and received widespread acclaim.
Notably, the visibility of Chinese animation increased significantly at this year’s festival. Several works successfully entered official competition or screening sections, including the spin-off film from the acclaimed series Yao-Chinese Folktales, titled Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain, the well-received Xiao Na, and the much-anticipated second season of Ling Cage. Watching Chinese-language animation that blends Eastern aesthetics with original storytelling in overseas cinemas not only showcased the strength of Chinese creators but also further reinforced the influence of Chinese animation on the international stage.
Active Market and China Pavilion Spotlighting Collaboration
As a key global business platform for the animation industry, this year’s MIFA market brought together more than 900 exhibitors across an exhibition area of 7,000 square meters. Guided by the State Council Information Office and the National Radio and Television Administration, the “China Pavilion,” organized by the China Animation Association, made a prominent appearance in MIFA’s core area. It showcased a wide range of outstanding animation IPs, production technologies, and derivative products, attracting numerous international buyers and partners for discussions.
At MIFA, the CGGE team held in-depth meetings with animation studios, distributors, and investors from Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions. Discussions focused on potential collaboration around the Zheng He film project, including co-production, international distribution, and IP derivative development. The team also engaged in extensive exchanges on commercial partnerships for other original animation projects, laying a solid foundation for advancing future cross-border initiatives.
During the exhibition, the CGGE team also took part in a presentation at the Hong Kong Pavilion, which focused on the theme of “AI-assisted animation creation.” The session showcased several forward-looking projects integrating artificial intelligence.
These included Airbag, a new work by director Ng Kai-chung, whose previous feature was selected at Annecy; The Dragon and Phoenix, produced by Vanishing Shadow Studio and inspired by the iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant; and The Endless Pact, a suspense-themed project by Genyuan Studio. With their innovative visual styles and narrative approaches, these works highlight the strong ambition of animation creators in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to explore new media and creative possibilities.
China Joint Exhibition Booth
Hong Kong director Tommy Ng Kai-chung
Technology Exchange Focused on Open Source; Blender Developers’ Meetup Held
Innovation in animation technology has always been one of Annecy’s key topics. During this year’s festival, the CGGE team also attended the annual Annecy Blender developers’ and users’ meetup. As a globally popular open-source 3D creation software, Blender has become deeply integrated into the workflows of animation studios of all sizes.
At the meetup, Blender CEO Francesco Siddi and COO Fiona Cohen were present to introduce the latest features of Blender 5.2 LTS and give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Blender Studio’s first 4K HDR space sci-fi short film, Singularity. The short film was created entirely with open-source tools to achieve high-end visual effects, fully demonstrating the profound impact of the open-source ecosystem on the democratization of animation technology.
On stage: Blender CEO Francesco Siddi (left) and COO Fiona Cohen (right).
Masterclass Deepens Creative Dialogue; Cross-Cultural Exchange Inspires New Thinking
At the end of the itinerary, the China Pavilion specially arranged a masterclass, inviting Swiss animation master Georges Schwizgebel, who has over forty years of creative experience, to hold a lakeside conversation with creators from leading institutions such as Communication University of China and Beijing Film Academy, as well as professionals from the industry. Schwizgebel emphasized that purely artistic, non-commercial creation is the best way to challenge established frameworks and expand the expressive possibilities of new media. He encouraged creators to keep building experience through short films and to remain passionate about the essence of animation. This exchange not only promoted mutual understanding between Chinese and European animation education and creative philosophies, but also offered participants profound inspiration.
Second from the right: Georges Schwizgebel.
Conclusion
From the outstanding achievements of Chinese works in the opening screenings, to the business networking at the MIFA market; from the cutting-edge sharing of open‑source technologies, to the creative dialogues at the masterclass—this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival not only showcased the vibrant vitality of the global animation industry, but also highlighted the steady progress of Chinese animation in content, technology, and international collaboration.
CGGE will continue to monitor international animation industry trends and actively engage in various cross‑border exchange activities, with the aim of building bridges for Sino‑foreign animation cooperation and jointly fostering the integrated development of original content and technological innovation. Looking ahead, we are confident that Chinese animation will shine even more brightly on the global stage, with greater confidence and diversity.
