Netflix has announced a jam-packed lineup of animated feature films and series that will be showcased at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France in June.
The platform is gearing up for one of its largest outings to the lakeside festival to date, riding high on the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and the Primetime Emmy for Arcane.
An exclusive screening of Nimona, starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, and Eugene Lee Yang, is at the top of its Annecy schedule.
The fantasy story, set in a techno-medieval world, follows the adventures of a shapeshifting teen while also addressing issues of labels and acceptance.
It is the first production to come from Annapurna’s new animation division, which was launched at the end of 2022 and helped save the film from cancellation by Disney.
The world premiere will be held on June 14 in Annecy’s main Bonlieu theatre by directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, creator ND Stevenson, producers Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary, and production designer Aidan Sugano.
The team will also take part in a special “Making of” session the following day.
A sneak peek of the coming-of-age animated musical comedy Leo, starring Adam Sandler as a 74-year-old class pet lizard, will be among the other highlights of Netflix’s Annecy line-up.
In addition, an exclusive clip from Exploding Kittens, the new adult animated comedy series starring Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu, will be released on the platform.
According to the official synopsis, it depicts the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell when God and the Devil are sent to Earth in the bodies of chunky house cats.
The creative team behind the upcoming stop-motion sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will participate in a discussion about the project, led by director Sam Fell, executive producer Peter Lord, and producer Leyla Hobart.
Blue Eye Samurai will also be discussed in depth with creators and executive producers Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, as well as supervising director Jane Wu.
Maya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka, Randall Park, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Song, Darren Barnet, and Kenneth Branagh star in the story of a mixed-race master of the sword who lives in disguise while seeking revenge in Edo-period Japan.
The platform has also made additional project announcements, including information on the upcoming film The Monkey King.
In addition to feature films, the platform has episodes of Agent Elvis, Mech Cadets, ONI: Thunder God’s Tale, and The Sandman in the festival’s TV competition.
The Annecy International Film Festival will take place from June 11 to June 17.
