Annecy Festival 2025: a resounding success for French animation!

French animation shone at this 49th edition : Arco by Ugo Bienvenu won the Cristal for Best Feature Film, while Les Bottes de la nuit by Pierre-Luc Granjon scooped three awards, including the Cristal for Best Short Film. Meanwhile, Naive New Beaters, Star Feminine Band’s “Ye Kou Si Kuo” , directed by Lola Lefèvre, took home the Cristal for Best Commissioned Film. This award showcases the excellence and dynamism of French creativity.

The complete list of winners

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival closed on June 14, after an exceptional edition. The jury presented its awards, with a strong focus on French works, six of which were supported by selective grants from the National Center for Cinema and the Animated Image (CNC).

Arco by Ugo Bienvenu (Remembers, MountainA) won the Cristal for a feature film and the SACEM Prize for original music. A science fiction fable, presented in a Special Screening at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which the CNC supported at various stages: Assistance with animation techniques , Assistance with the development of long-form cinematographic works , Call for genre film projects , Assistance with the creation of original music , Assistance with video editing – Assistance with the editorial program.

The Gan Foundation Prize for Broadcasting was awarded to Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake by Irene Iborra Rizo, a co-production between France (Vivement lundi!), Spain, Belgium, Chile and Switzerland, supported by the Animation Techniques Aid , while the Paul Grimault Prize was awarded to Planets by Momoko Seto (Miyu Films, Ecce Films), which received the Screenplay Support, Rewriting Aid , Animation Techniques Aid , Advance on Receipts before Production and Aid for the Creation of Original Music .

Adapted from the novel by Amélie Nothomb about her early childhood spent in Japan, Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han (IKKI Films, Maybe Movies), beneficiary of Aid for animation techniques , the development of long-form cinematographic works , the Advance on receipts before production and the Selective Aid for distribution, received the Audience Award.

The big winner in the “short film” category, L es Bottes de la nuit by Pierre-Luc Granjon (Am Stram Gram) distinguished itself by winning the Cristal du court, the Jury Prize and the André Martin Prize for a French short film. Produced using the CNC pin screen , this film – the first to be intended for children using this technique – benefited from the Pre-Production Aid (AVR2) and the Writing Aid (FAIA).

Another film that received CNC support to win an award was the Flippé series “Décision majeure” by Théo Grosjean and Mothy Richard (Autour de Minuit), which was supported by the Selective Production Aid (FSA) and received the Audience Award in the “Television and Commissioned Films” section.

Finally, the Naive New Beaters, Star Feminine Band video “Ye Kou Si Kuo” by Lola Lefèvre (Miyu Production) won the Golden Crystal in the commissioned film category, while the Crystal for graduation film went to Zootrope by Léna Martinez (EnsAD).

The complete list of winners

Feature films

Feature Film Crystal: Arco by Ugo Bienvenu (Remembers, MountainA Production),

Assistance with animation techniques , Assistance with the development of long-form cinematographic works , Call for genre film projects , Assistance with the creation of original music , Assistance with video editing (assistance with the editorial program)

Jury prize: ChaO by Yasuhiro Aoki

Grand Prix Contrechamp: Endless Cookie by Seth Scriver, Pete Scriver

Contrechamp jury prize: Gwang-jang by Bo-Sol Kim

Gan Foundation Award for Diffusion: Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake by Irene Iborra (Vivement Lundi!), Assistance with animation techniques

Audience Award: Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han (IKKI Films, Maybe Movies),

Assistance with animation techniques , Assistance with the development of long-form cinematographic works , Advance on receipts before production , Selective assistance with distribution

Paul Grimault Prize: Planets by Momoko Seto (Miyu Productions, Ecce Films), Support for the script, assistance with rewriting , Assistance with animation techniques , Advance on receipts before production , Assistance with the creation of original music

Short films

Short Film Crystal and Audience Award: Les Bottes de la nuit by Pierre-Luc Granjon (Am Stram Gram),

Pre-production Assistance (AVR2), FAIA Writing Assistance

Jury Prize: The Beasts by Michael Granberry

Off-Limits Film Prize: Rakugaki by Ryo Orikasa

Jean-Luc Xiberras Prize for the first work: Zwermen by Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger

Alexeïeff-Parker Prize: Sappho by Rosana Urbes

Television and commissioned films

Crystal for a TV production: Christo the Civilized Barbarian “Hunting Party” by Shaddy Safadi

Crystal for a commissioned film: Naive New Beaters, Star Feminine Band “Ye Kou Si Kuo” by Lola Lefèvre (Miyu Productions)

Jury Prize for a TV Series: Lena’s Farm “Volles Nest” by Elena Walf

Jury Prize for a TV Special: An Almost Christmas Story by David Lowery

Jury prize for a commissioned film: Desi Oon by Suresh Eriyat

Audience Award: Flippé “Major Decision” by Théo Grosjean, Mothy Richard (Autour de Minuit),

Animation: Selective Production Assistance (FSA)

Graduation films

Crystal for graduation film: Zootrope by Léna Martinez

Jury Prize: Between the Days by Martin Bonnin

Lotte Reiniger Prize: Q by Masataka Kihara

VR

Crystal for Best VR Work: Fragile Home by Ondrej Moravec, Victoria Lopukhina

Special prices

France TV Award for a short film: At Night by Pooya Afzali

SACEM Prize for Original Music in the Short Films category: Dollhouse Elephant by Jenny Jokela

SACEM Prize for original music in the feature film category: Arco by Ugo Bienvenu (Remembers, MountainA Production),

Assistance with animation techniques , Assistance with the development of long-form cinematographic works , Call for genre film projects , Assistance with the creation of original music , Assistance with video editing (assistance with the editorial program)

Special Jury Mention for Original Music in the Feature Film Category: Death Doesn’t Exist by Félix Dufour-Laperrière

CANAL+ junior jury fight: Forevergreen by Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears

Young Audience Award: The Grand Annual Party of Creatures of the Moon by Francis Desharnais

André Martin Prize for a French short film: Les Bottes de la nuit by Pierre-Luc Granjon (Am Stram Gram),

Pre-production assistance (AVR2), FAIA writing assistance

Festivals Connexion Award for a VR work: Fragile Home by Ondrej Moravec, Victoria Lopukhina

XPPen Award for a Graduation Film: Won’t Be Here by Jiali Tan, Haoyuan Zhu

Vimeo Staff Pick Award for a Short Film in the L’officielle and Off-Limits category: The Beasts of Michael Granberry

Annecy City Prize: Ibuka, Justice of Justice Rutikara

Special Mention from the Jury of the City of Annecy: Psychonauts by Niko Radas