Reflections on Annecy: A survival guide to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival

In June this year I had the opportunity to attend the Annecy International Animation Film Festival for the first time. In case you haven’t heard of it, it’s the world’s largest animation film festival and attendees come from all over the globe to discuss, pitch and enjoy animation. With over 17,000 attendees, it can be a daunting experience. But, with a little planning and by carving out time for relaxing activities, it is possible to create opportunities to rest and rejuvenate amongst what can otherwise be a chaotic – but very exciting – experience. In this article I share tips on how to get a lot out of the festival while avoiding exhaustion.

1. Plan – but don’t overplan

• With such solid attendance, Annecy naturally becomes a very busy city during the festival, and accommodation can be expensive. Ensure you book accommodation well in advance. If you aren’t able to secure accomodation near the main sites of the festival, consider accommodation further away. You will likely spend all day at the festival, so a fair commute in and out might be fine unless you need to be back at your accomodation during the day. You can quite easily book a taxi or rideshare service to take you back to your accomodation, or enjoy a long walk or a bike ride back. A long commute can be a good opportunity to reflect on the screenings and experiences of the day.
• If you are travelling from far away (e.g. like I was – from Australia), consider arriving a day or two before the festival begins in order to get a handle on the layout of Annecy and the festival locations. The screenings and events occur across a range of venues, and some venues are >30 minutes walk away from each other. Keep this in mind when you are planning what you will attend, and when.
• Registrations for screenings and industry sessions open at specific times for each level of accreditation, and places can be snapped up within moments. To avoid disappointment, make note of the sessions you most wish to attend, and set reminders to login early before registration opens. Also ensure that you have logged in previously so that you should be able to login on the day, without issues (e.g. forgetting your password). Have tabs open on your browser, with one tab open per session you want to attend. Then, as the opening time for registration approaches, continue to refresh your browser window until registration actually opens. Then, be ready to register. Each level of accreditation allows you a set number of screenings you can book per day, so be ready to register for your first preferences first, and be prepared to register for your second and third preferences if you miss out on your first preferences. The Masterclasses seem to be snapped up first, so aim to register for these first.
• Screenings start as early as 8.30am and run until midnight, and networking activities occur throughout the day. Consider your goals and prioritise accordingly. For me, I was interested in watching a range of films but I was also interested in meeting others in the industry. I prioritised meeting others, as I could probably catch up on any missed films once I returned home.
• Arrive at each session at least 15-20 minutes before the start time, even when you are registered. If you don’t enter the session within 10 minutes of the start time, the festival organisers start giving places away to people who are queuing up without a registration. If you anticipate not making it to a booked session, you can only cancel up to 15 minutes before the start time. If you fail to cancel your place in time, you will be unable to register for another session in its place – so, you effectively lose your booking and cannot replace it with another.
• You can queue up for a session even if you haven’t registered for it, as organisers give places away 10 minutes from the start time. However, these queues can be extremely long and I saw people queuing up to 2 hours before a session, hoping for a place. This can be a good way to attend a session if you missed out on registering for it, and it can also be a good way to meet people, so keep an open mind if you find yourself in this situation. However, you may not get a place so be prepared to do something else with your time if this is the case. I queued up at some less popular venues (e.g. at Pathé) and easily got a spot.
• Leave space for spontaneous meetings, and be prepared to miss out on sessions if a better opportunity comes up.

2. Be open to spontaneity

• There are impromptu meetings everywhere, and once you start chatting with other festival attendees, you may hear about parties and meet ups. Keep an open mind and be ready to change your plans – you never know, you might meet an animation superstar! I met a few, which greatly contributed to the festival being an inspiring and enriching experience.
• Annecy itself is a stunning location. The lake is expansive and clear, with plenty of water activities to participate in such as paddle-boating. There are plenty of good restaurants and cafés to enjoy too, not to mention the rich French culture to enjoy. Some of these activities are weather-dependent, so be ready to change your plans as the weather changes. When I attended, the weather swung from rainy and overcast to clear and sunny. I picked outdoor activities for sunny days, and prioritised screenings when the weather was more conducive (i.e. overcast and raining).

3. Carve out time for yourself

Riding a bike around Lake Annecy was relaxing and rejuvenating – well worthwhile if you can spare the time! 

• I received some excellent advice from a veteran attendee, which was to enjoy the location and take some time out for yourself, because the festival itself can be exhausting. I took this advice to heart and enjoyed some long walks around Annecy, and I hired a bike for a day and did a bike ride around the lake (an easy and stunning 40km circuit). Looking back, my day riding around the lake was one of my fondest memories.
• Be realistic and take time out when you need to. For example, if you have a late night and have an early screening booked for the next morning, consider cancelling it to give yourself some time to rest and rejuvenate. This also opens up space for another attendee to take your place.

4. Networking doesn’t need to be a dirty word

• I’ve been to dozens and dozens of networking events, and I think it’s important to change your mindset about networking if you see it as a dirty word. Being at the festival affords you countless opportunities to network – i.e. meet – with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about animation. I met so many wonderful people, which came about from having an open mind and a genuine interest in the industry.
• Be open to meeting new people, and remember that the world we live in is built on human-to-human relationships. You never know where a relationship may take you some day, so make the most of this opportunity to meet new people and potentially make new friends.

• Follow up with the new people you meet, and maintain these relationships where you can. Attending the festival opened my eyes to the many other animation festivals around the world, and to the huge industry itself. It’s an inspiring experience, so be sure to foster these new relationships. You never know – you might meet your new friends at another festival some day!

5. Enjoy the experience