The Annecy International Animated Film Festival unveiled its 2026 poster on March 25th. It was created by Canadian artist Randall Finnerty, who has infused this edition with a naturalistic theme reminiscent of old botanical illustrations. “In trying to capture the essence of the Annecy Festival through an image, I have gathered the eccentric animals with human behaviors that I love so much into a gathering of birds native to Haute-Savoie. A spiral pilgrimage reflecting the diversity of peoples linked by a common love for cinema and animation,” explained the artist in a statement.
On a suspended tree in a spiral, a snake, binoculars in hand, an owl, a lyrebird, and a partridge strike poses. This year, the Annecy Festival will animate the city from June 21st to 27th, with the highlight being the opening of the cinema city. Among the novelties, two new categories will compete: Midnight Shorts, a selection of works ranging from atmospheric to horror films, and WTF, “programs that are quirky and unpredictable, dealing with humor, horror, and sometimes crudeness, offering a unique vision of the current world and its everyday details,” as explained by the Annecy Festival teams.
In competition this year are works like “Le Mal Aimé” (The Unloved) featuring the Intermarché wolf that went viral in Noel; “Ricoré,” directed by Victor Haegelin, a stop-motion pro who has created a music video for Orelsan; “Snoop Dogg feat. Jelly Roll, Last Dance with Mary Jane,” an experimental music video combining real footage, 2D and 3D animations, collage, and some AI in the Commissioned Films category. Additionally, there is a new creation by Steward Lee expanding on the universe created by George Lucas: “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow, Lord Chapter 9: Strange Allies,” and Ego Plum’s “Bob the Sponge, Go Fetch” in the Television Films category. These are the first revelations for this year’s competition.
