AniMela Brings Indian Animation to the Global Stage at Annecy 2024

AniMela, an initiative of the Aniverse & Visual Arts Foundation, is all set to elevate Indian animation on the global stage at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024. For the first time in the history of animation, Indian animation will be showcased at NAMASTE MIFA, an exclusive India Pitch Event at MIFA (Marché International du Film d'Animation) in Annecy, considered as the Mecca of the animation world. 

Organized by AniMela and co-hosted by Assemblage Entertainment and Zebu Animation Studios, four amazing work-in-progress projects will be presented at NAMASTE MIFA. The projects touch upon diverse themes like sports, food, gender, tradition & culture. They are quintessentially Indian yet portray a wide range of human emotions giving them an international appeal.

The four projects that will be showcased are:

● Hide & Seek, a short film by Krishna Chandran

● Rising Tides, a short film by Pari Satarkar

● Lala, a series by Isha Mangalmurti & Shreeya Wagh

● Table for One, a series by Debjyoti Saha & Dhruv Sehgal

The above projects, which were part of the International MIFA Campus in India at AniMela 2024, received mentorship from experts from Annecy Festival during a 4-day workshop and were exhibited at the IMC (International MIFA Campus) event during the AniMela Festival in January 2024. The International MIFA Campus was supported by the French Institut in India and Rubika, Pune. Launched in early 2023, with the support of the Government of India and in partnership with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (AIAFF), AniMela is India’s first international Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and XR (AVGC-XR) Festival which aims to empower emerging Indian artists, developers, animators, storytellers, producers, and filmmakers.

Speaking on the initiative, Kireet Khurana, Co-Founder, AniMela said, “With the super successful launch of AniMela in February 2023 and an unprecedented selection of 6 Indian projects at the prestigious MIFA Pitch and Namaste MIFA, 2024 is turning out to be a momentous year for the Indian Animation Industry, where we would be showcasing the best Indian films. I am quite confident that we would be in a position to keep the spirit and the momentum aligned at the 2nd edition of AniMela in 2025.”   Highlighting the importance of Indian animation at Annecy, Arjun Madhavan, CEO, Assemblage Entertainment, said, “The Indian animation industry has demonstrated significant resilience and growth despite facing global challenges.  The focus on high-quality, culturally rich content and international collaborations is enhancing India's global presence and therefore there is an utmost need to create and harness such festivals according to the likes of discerning audiences who are always eager in spending to watch such festivals.” 

“Platforms like MIFA and AniMela significantly contribute to the narrative of Indian animation by providing exposure, facilitating learning, fostering collaborations, opening market access, building recognition, and garnering support. These benefits collectively help Indian animation advance on the global stage, ensuring growth and success.” Added, Veerendra Patil, Creative Director, Zebu Animation Studios. MIFA participant and well known actor-writer, Dhruv Sehgal said, “The future of Indian animation is promising if our writing can meet international standards. Animation communities like MIFA and AniMela provide networking opportunities, financial and creative support, and opportunities to showcase work on international platforms like Annecy. In essence, they're building bridges.” The other highlights from Brand India at Annecy Festival scheduled for June 2024 are:

MIFA Pitch:  Each year, the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA), selects projects from around the world, with an aim to showcase the best original animation projects in development. In another major feat for Indian animation, this year, at the MIFA Pitch, four out of the 41 shortlisted projects from across the world are Indian projects. 

● Hide & Seek by Krishna Chandran NAIR (shortfilm)

● Rising Tides by Pari SATARKAR (shortfilm)

● Mangal - The Holy Beast by Triparna MAITI (feature)

● Mr. Bagwan by Alfredo Gerard KUTTIKATT (TV series)

Indian Film Selections at Annecy: 

This year, we also have three Indian films in competition at the film festival. 

● 15 Years of Studio Eeksaurus "The Seed” by Suresh Eriyat

● Basha by Paul Anirban

● Maatitel by Govinda Saoin

Indian Juror: While Indian creators are showcasing their projects, we also have the presence of an Indian Juror Nina Sabnani, National award-winning animation filmmaker, illustrator and among India’s leading educators on this year’s jury for TV and Commissioned Films at Annecy 2024. 

Besides the above, MIFA will also have an Indian Pavilion organized by the Govt of Karnataka, ABAI and K Tech Innovation Hub which will showcase the best from the Indian animation and VFX industry.  Aniverse Visual Art Foundation is a not for profit organization founded by Kireet Khurana, Archana Trasy, Anne Doshi, Neha Jain, Tehzeeb Khurana and Anita Karnik to promote and develop Animation and other Visual Arts (like VFX, XR, Gaming & Comics).

About Aniverse & Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF):

Aniverse & Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF) is a not-for-profit organisation set up under Section 8 of India's new Companies Act of 2013. Founded by Kireet Khurana, Archana Trasy, Anne Doshi, Neha Jain and Tehzeeb Khurana, AVAF’s main objective is to promote and develop Animation and other Visual Arts (like VFX, XR, Gaming & Comics) in India through a world class annual Film Festival and smaller events, activities and workshops throughout the year.