The most prominent animation festival in the world, Annecy, has named Colombia as its Country of Honor next year, a significant nod to the South American nation’s burgeoning animation industry.
The honor was awarded by the 66-year-old festival and its market, Mifa (Marché International du Film d’Animation), long deemed the premier global gathering for animation creators, studios, buyers, distributors, platforms, investors and industry professionals.
With this recognition, announced as the seven-day event wrapped on June 27 with its prize ceremony, Colombia joins the ranks of Japan, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and Brazil, all previously recognized as countries of honor.
After more than four decades of growth, Colombia now boasts more than 30 animation and digital content studios, producing a slew of internationally distributed series, feature films and short films. Bogotá remains the main hub and is home to such studios as Team Toon Studio, Caballo Loco Studio, Dinamita Animación, Piragna, Hierro Animación, Lucy Animation Studio and Ikartoons Animation.
Reflecting on the announcement, Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy Animation Festival since 2012, said: “Over the past decade, Colombian animation has gained remarkable momentum, both through the quality of its artistic output and its efforts to strengthen its international presence through co-productions and participation in major industry events.”
