Annecy Opens New Animation Institute, Featuring Laika
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- Annecy Animation Film Festival rolled out a 2026 event slate featuring a Laika showcase and an Ankama exhibition to coincide with the launch of its new institute.
- Cité Internationale du Cinema d’Animation will open on June 19, 2026, with the inaugural exhibition 'Ankama: From Sketch to Epic – 25 Years of Creation,' which will run through January 2027.
- Travis Knight (CEO of Laika) will attend the Annecy showcase to present early footage from Laika’s upcoming film 'Wildwood'.
- Cité Internationale du Cinema d’Animation offers a year‑round cultural hub with a screening room, artists’ residency, training spaces, exhibition areas, a bookstore, and a gift shop, housed in the 19th‑century Haras landmark spanning 2.6 acres of gardens.
- Mickaël Marin (CEO of Annecy Festival) described the new venue as a cultural hub akin to the French Cinematheque and Lumière Institute, aiming to bring together animation lovers and artists worldwide.
- Gaëtan Bruel (president of National Film Board) noted the Annecy Festival is the world’s leading animation event and the third‑largest of its kind across all genres.
- Antoine Armand called the Cité’s opening a 'major milestone' that strengthens Annecy’s unique ecosystem and boosts its international reach, positioning the city as the year‑round global capital of animation.
Why it matters: The institute provides studios, artists, and students with a permanent space for screenings, residencies, and workshops, and it expands Annecy’s international reach, reinforcing its status as a global animation hub. The year‑round hub also hosts exhibitions like Laika’s early footage of Wildwood and Ankama’s 25‑year retrospective, giving audiences continuous access to animation heritage and emerging works.
