Several thousand spectators are expected throughout the week in Rennes.
Credit: Gwendal Le Flem
Animated films are in the spotlight this week in Rennes. Starting this Tuesday, April 7, and throughout the week until Sunday, April 12, is the 32nd edition of the National Animation Festival. This date has now become the second most important in France after Annecy. “This year, we have selected nearly 150 films, with 69 in competition. These works will be shown in over 80 screenings until Sunday. The aim is really to take a snapshot of what has happened in 2025 for French animation,” explains Jeanne Frommer, the festival’s programmer.
At the previous edition, over 21,000 spectators came to Rennes theaters because animation cinema in Brittany is a success story.
“In fact, there are two flagship studios here. They give this tone to the Breton territory, and this means that many technicians have settled in Brittany and work in both of these studios. We can say that it structures the ecosystem of Breton animation. There are also animation schools in this area, which means that many students then stay in Brittany and become professionals. So, Brittany is indeed identified as a strong territory for animation in France,” says Isabelle Vanini, general delegate of the French Animation Cinema Association.
Among the highlights of this week, one of the important moments is the festival opening. It starts this Tuesday, April 7, at 8:30 pm, at the National Theatre of Brittany with the preview screening of the film “Bouchra.”
Another highlight of this edition will be on Wednesday, April 8, at 4 pm, with the screening of Michel Ocelot’s latest animated film “Les Lapins 3 Oreilles.”
“He has directed ‘Kirikou and the Sorceress,’ ‘Azur and Asmar,’ and ‘Princes and Princesses.’ In short, he is a very big name in animation cinema. It’s very special to have his latest film, which is a project made specifically to be shown either in a dome or a planetarium. So, we will be able to screen this film in the Rennes planetarium! For us, it’s truly an event to be able to offer this and to show the diversity of formats in this cinema,” describes Jeanne Frommer.
Afterwards, the film will be available from Thursday to Sunday with a screening on Thursdays and Fridays and four screenings on Saturdays and Sundays, all in the Rennes planetarium.
While the National Theatre of Brittany will be the epicenter of the festival, many other venues will also be highlighted, such as the Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, the Champs Libres, and the Arvor Cinema. They will all be key locations for this 32nd edition.
