Women In Animation Unveils Program For 5th World Summit At Annecy

Women in Animation (WIA) and Les Femmes s’Animent (LFA) are pleased to present the fitfth annual Women in Animation World Summit in conjunction with the Annecy International Animation Festival and Mifa 2021.

“At the last four summits, WIA built shared vocabulary around diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity,” said WIA president Marge Dean. “As a global community, the organization traversed monumental paradigm shifts, challenges and opportunities this past year including racial equity, a global pandemic, a rise in discriminatory violence, and strong headwind toward inclusivity.”

WIA is the largest group dedicated to the advancement of women in the animation and vfx industries. Every year since 2017, it has hosted panels and discussions around a related theme as part of its summit. At the 2019 summit, the organization presented the groundbreaking study Increasing Inclusion in Animation.

Centered on the theme of “The Business Case For Diversity,” the 2021 virtual Summit will feature panels on topics including “Alternative Career Paths and Opportunities for Talent,” “Greenlighting Diverse Voices” and more. Highlights will include a Keynote speech presented by Justice RX’s Vice President of Creative Affairs, Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin, as well as Fireside Chat with Marvel Studios’ Executive Vice President of Production, Victoria Alonso.

“We’re honored to be partnering with WIA on this important summit,” Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest said. “Triggerfish has a vision for a world where stories are told and created by the people the stories belong to, and WIA’s work in gender inclusivity and diversity takes huge steps towards that goal, particularly as it applies to the continent of Africa.”

Added Mickaël Marin, CEO of Citia, on behalf of the Annecy International Animation Festival, “We are so proud to once again host the Women in Animation World Summit as part of our festival. WIA’s dedication to presenting enlightening conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion really inspire us year after year.”