The French studio is set to captivate audiences at Annecy 2024 with 10 auteur-driven animated films, spanning thought-provoking shorts, visually stunning features and innovative works in progress.
Miyu Productions is bringing 10 films to the 2024 edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Known for producing auteur-driven animated films that explore complex themes with emotional resonance and visual creativity, the French animation studio has consistently made waves on the international festival circuit. This includes Flora Anna Buda’s short film 27, which won the Cristal for Best Short Film at Annecy in 2023, while Chicken for Linda (which will receive a special screening this year), directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, took home the Cristal for Best Feature Film the same year. Further cementing Miyu’s reputation for excellence, Tal Kantor’s short Letter to a Pig received a nomination for Best Animated Short at the 96th Oscars in March.
As we look ahead to Annecy 2024, the studio is set to captivate audiences once again with a stellar lineup of 10 films, both in competition and showcased throughout the Festival. From thought-provoking shorts to visually stunning features, these 10 films exemplify the innovative spirit that has become synonymous with Miyu Productions.
IN COMPETITION
Ghost Cat Anzu is a French-Japanese co-production directed by Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, with a script by Shinji Imaoka. The film tells the story of 11-year-old Karin, who is abandoned by her father and left in the care of her grandfather, a monk in a small Japanese town. Her grandfather enlists Anzu, a jovial yet capricious ghost cat, to look after her and, initially, Karin and Anzu’s strong personalities clash, leading to humorous and touching interactions. This animated feature, which blends 2D digital animation with rotoscope techniques, is based on the manga Bakeneko Anzu-chan by Takashi Imashiro. GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights, with the film scheduled for release in 2024.
Directed by Nicolas Keppens, Beautiful Men is produced by Animal Tank, Ka-Ching Cartoons, and Miyu Productions. The 19-minute short film follows three balding brothers who travel to Istanbul to undergo hair transplants. Upon arrival, they discover that the clinic can only accommodate one of them, leading to rising tensions and revealing their different personalities and insecurities. The film, which received a Special Mention for Best International Short at Film Fest Gent 2023 and won Best Belgian Short Film at Anima Brussels, uses stop-motion animation to explore themes of vanity and sibling dynamics with a healthy dose of humor and meticulous attention to detail.
La Voix des Sirènes (The Voice of the Sirens) is a 15-minute experimental animated film directed by Gianluigi Toccafondo. The dialogue-free short, which features painting on photograms and 2D animation, is produced by Miyu Productions (France) and 50N (Italy). The story is set at the bottom of the sea, where primitive algae undulate between rocks and corals, lulled by the sound of the currents. Above the surface of the water, something extraordinary appears: a voice so soft and seductive that it is unlike anything heard before.
Misérable miracle is a six-minute hand-drawn animated short film written and directed by Ryo Orikasa, with narration by Denis Lavant. Co-produced by Miyu Productions (France), New Deer (Japan), and the National Film Board of Canada, it won the Grand Prize for Short Animation at the Ottawa Festival in 2023, and earned a nomination for Best Animated Short at the Canadian Screen Awards earlier this year. The film is an adaptation of Henri Michaux’s 1956 book “Misérable Miracle,” which details his experiences with mescaline. The animation explores the limits of language and perception, creating connections between sound, meaning, shapes, and movement.
ANNECY PRESENTS
Le Parfum d’Irak (Flavors of Iraq) is a 90-minute 2D animated TV special directed by Feurat Alani and Léonard Cohen. The project is produced by Nova Production (Thomas Zribi) and Miyu Productions, in co-production with Arte France. An adaptation of Feurat Alani’s tweets, which detail his personal history and that of his native Iraq, and were previously compiled into the award-winning book “Le Parfum d’Irak,” the TV special extends the story to cover more recent events in Iraq’s history, particularly focusing on the “Daech years” from 2011 to 2017. The narrative spans more than 10,000 messages, capturing daily life, family stories, and encounters from Baghdad to Fallujah, as well as Alani’s life in Nanterre, France.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Death Doesn’t Exist (La Mort n’existe pas) is an 80-minute 2D digital animated drama written and directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière. The feature film is co-produced by Embuscade Films (Canada) and Miyu Productions (France). The story follows Hélène, who, after a failed armed attack where she abandons her companions, flees into the forest. There, she meets Catherine, a mysterious and carnivorous alter ego who leads her to a fantastical valley. In this surreal landscape, Hélène faces metamorphoses, poisonous powers, and significant upheavals, compelling her to revisit her choices and the moral, political, and human dilemmas surrounding them.
Dandelion’s Odyssey (Planètes) is a 75-minute feature that combines macro live action with 2D and 3D animation. Directed by Momoko Seto, this ecological fable follows two dandelion balls, the sole survivors of a series of nuclear explosions that devastate Earth. Their odyssey leads them through the cosmos as they seek new soil to ensure the survival of their species. The film is produced by Ecce Films and Miyu Productions, with additional co-production support from Arte Cinéma and U Media in Belgium.
MIFA PITCHES
Miyu Productions is pitching three projects at the MIFA film market this year, including a feature film and two shorts:
Bergeronnette is a 90-minute feature film currently in development, directed by Lucrèce Andreae, who is well-known for her previous work Pépé le Morse. The film explores the story of Pierre, who is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps as a serious and authoritarian shepherd. However, Pierre is quite the opposite, and at night, he sneaks out to meet a woman with a fierce temperament. The narrative delves into themes of identity and self-discovery, hinting at Pierre’s latent magical abilities.
La Chasse is a 14-minute short film directed by Anna Budanova, using India ink on paper. The narrative is set in a desolate realm where humans survive on the fruits of the hunt, and it is believed that those who fall beyond the frontiers are reborn as animals. The story centers on a dog trapped in this harsh universe who flees his predestined role as a hunter. Budanova is known for her previous works, including The Wound (2013), which won the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival and received special recognition at Annecy. Her 2016 film Among the Black Waves was awarded the Grand Prix at New Chitose, Anima, and Cinanima festivals. In 2021, she directed Deux sœurs (Two Sisters), which was selected for the official competition at Clermont-Ferrand.
Long Distance Call is a 15-minute 2D animated short film directed by Shih-Yen Huang, who previously won Best Student Film at Zagreb and received the Jury Distinction for Outstanding Art Direction at Annecy for her 2021 short film Butterfly Jam (La Confiture de papillons). The story for Long Distance Call takes place on Christmas Day, where Alice, living in Taipei, calls her little sister Vic, who is thousands of miles away. The conversation quickly turns into an argument about Alice stealing her boyfriend’s hidden engagement ring, leading to deeper revelations and exposing the emotional scars and hidden truths between the sisters.
