2020 Annecy Poster

Designed by Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo and Simon Roussin – director and illustrator respectively of the animation short “Make it Soul”, in the running for the César Awards – the 2020 poster carries us off into a wild and dynamic dance lakeside.

An explosion of colours inviting you to celebrate animation from the African continent and the Annecy Festival’s 60th anniversary!

Illustration: Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo, Simon Roussin

After our collaboration on the short film Make it Soul we wanted to create this poster together, a two-man labour of love.

The challenge was daunting for this Festival’s 60th anniversary: the entire African continent is in the spotlight.

The cultures, people and landscapes vary from one country to another, we chose to represent Africa across three generations of moving characters.

And to blow out the sixtieth candle, what could be better than doing it while dancing!

Pantsula – a traditional South African dance – captured our attention to symbolise a dynamic, united and strong Africa, so wild and free that it levitates above the lake!

Happy birthday Annecy!

Biographies

Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo

Born in 1984 in Lyon, Jean-Charles studied art house film at the école Émile Cohl and received his diploma in 2007 with the jury’s congratulations.

His graduation film The Heart is a Metronome won the Debut Prize at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival in 2008.

Drawing is his first love, but dance has always been an integral part of his means of expression.

He joined the Stylistik Company in 2008. In June 2012, Jean-Charles learned sign language to write and direct The Sense of Touch under the friendly gaze of Emmanuelle Laborit. His second short film combining the beauty of dance and sign language receives more than 20 international awards, among more than 60 official festival selections.

Les Mots, Jean-Charles’ first choreographed show – a solo for two performers – is released at the beginning of 2017. It is a continuation of his work concerning non-verbal communication.

His last film, Make it Soul, whose graphical genius is attributed to Simon Roussin, pays tribute to the essence of black American music reinjecting life into Solomon Burke and James Brown.

Make it Soul is nominated for the César for Best Animation Short Film 2020.

Simon Roussin

Simon Roussin is a writer-illustrator, a graduate from the Strasbourg École supérieure des arts décoratifs in 2011. He is most well-known for writing Lemon Jefferson et la grande aventure, Heartbreak Valley (2024), Le Bandit au colt d’or (Magnani), Barthélemy l’enfant sans âge (Cornélius) and Xibalba (2024).

He commands the narrative alternating classic line, felt-tip drawings and serigraphy-inspired solid colours. He regularly works for the media, publishing companies and cultural institutions.

A collection of his drawings for his felt-tip films, Ciné-club, is released in October 2015 by Magnani publishers. He also publishes screen-printed books and posters to pay tribute to his cinema heroes.

Since 2017, he regularly exhibits series of his oil paintings (at Fotokino, Arts Factory, Tator Gallery).

In 2018, he is the graphic author of a short animated film: Make it Soul by Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo (Kazak Productions), nominated at the César 2020.

Source:Annecy