Jun 27, 2022

Premiere Screening: "Annecy: A First Look" (Exclusive)

He had always heard that Annecy was an anime festival for anime lovers, and it had long been a dream of his to one day make the trip himself.

Unfortunately, by the time that trip seemed possible, Covid had trashed that dream. So for the past two years, I have done the next best thing and streamed the festival online from my room.

But this year, I finally got to experience Annecy in person.

It happened so fast. I found out quite late that I could attend, so I booked my room at the last minute before I could arrange my airline tickets. Only after everything was finalized was I able to bask in the excitement. Not knowing what to expect, with little guidance and work to do, I headed to Annecy.

Immediately upon returning from Annecy, it was difficult to process what I had experienced. I knew what I loved and what frustrated me, but I could not fully sort it out in my own head, let alone communicate it in a way that others could digest. Once the emotional precipitation settled, I put together a short film about my experience. You can watch it below:

Annecy is wonderful. Being surrounded by people who love and work with animation as a medium is electrifying. The passion of the people who attended Annecy inspired me to seek out new conversations and experiences every day. I was fortunate to be represented by Cartoon Brew, and through my work on the site I was able to learn more about how the festival is run and its background beyond the screenings.

There are so many exhibitions in Annecy. When you are in Annecy, you can't help but pick out the ones you can't miss and miss the ones you really want to see.

This video is a collection of the joys, frustrations, stumbles, and new connections I experienced in Annecy. For those who have been to Annecy, many of them may be familiar. For those who have not, I hope that this video will help you get to know the festival and that one day you will have the opportunity to attend.