{"id":93795,"date":"2026-06-18T14:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/93795\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T14:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:03:09","slug":"10-canadian-projects-to-track-at-annecy-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/93795\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Canadian Projects to Track at Annecy 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhile at MIFA, Annecy Animation Festival<\/a>\u2018s dedicated market, Canadian professionals will come in their throngs with suitcases full of intriguing projects, Canadian artists and studios are set to delight moviegoers and animation buffs alike. <\/p>\n

\n\tFrom indie shorts<\/a> and arthouse features to 3D family-friendly blockbusters, Canada\u2019s presence this year is a definite sign of a resilient animation industry.<\/p>\n

\n\tAhead of the festival, Variety spoke with producers, artists, directors and creators behind 10 Canadian projects. Whether coming from a strong festival debut or premiering at Annecy, all share the same excitement in joining the benevolent and welcoming animation community at this year\u2019s festival.<\/p>\n

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\t\tTangles\t<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter its world premiere in Cannes, \u201cTangles<\/a>\u201c, comes to Annecy with strong word-of-mouth and rave reviews<\/a>. With its strong cast including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Abbi Jacobson and Bryan Cranston in principal parts, with producer Seth Rogen among the cameoing talents, \u201cTangles\u201d is a strong contender of Annecy\u2019s main feature competition.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt all began with a desire to honor the beautiful, brave, weird, dark graphic memoir by Sarah Leavitt,\u201d recalls Director Leah Nelson. \u201cThe book\u2013 both its story and its illustrations \u2013 was what captured my heart, and I knew it could translate into animation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCollaborating with Manddy Wyckens, art director on \u201cTangles\u201d, also helped Nelson achieve her vision. \u201cHer work is fearless and expressive, using light not only to shape an image but also to communicate emotion. Together, we were able to create a visual language that felt both emotionally resonant and visually distinctive, while remaining faithful to the spirit of the book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Nelson, the process was deeply collaborative from start to finish. \u201cThose production decisions weren\u2019t always easy, but I was lucky to be surrounded by an extraordinary team of artists and designers who helped navigate them. Together, we found creative solutions that allowed us to realize the film we envisioned without compromising its heart or ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tThe Shiatsung Project\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a bungalow surrounded by an impenetrable wall, a woman has been raised in isolation by a talking screen mounted on the living room wall, fullfilling her every wish without ever revealing the reasons for its life and existence. <\/p>\n

\n\tDirectors Brigitte Archambault and Eva Cvijanovi\u0107 (\u201cThe House of the Hedgehog,\u201d 2017) join with Embuscade Films producer and \u201cDeath Does Not Exist\u201d director F\u00e9lix Dufour-Laperri\u00e8re and National Film Board producer Jelena Popovi\u0107 for this new feature, which will be presented in Annecy during a must-see WIP session on Monday.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAt its core, \u2018The Shiatsung Project\u2019 asks: what becomes of our humanity in a world controlled by technology,\u201d explains Archambault, who also wrote the graphic novel on which the film is based. \u201cTo explore this, we dove into sexuality and our relationship with our bodies, using animation to keep these themes symbolic and poetic rather than shocking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tEva Cvijanovi\u0107, who devoured Brigitte\u2019s comic book in one sitting, resonates strongly with the film\u2019s theme of forced isolation and the longing for connection. \u201cFor our film adaptation, I poured my energy into translating her strong visuals into the cinematic realm. We used Unreal Engine to experiment with lenses and lighting, and even pulled from the \u2018Lost Highway\u2019 soundtrack. That tense, seductive soundscape of a \u201990s erotic thriller felt like the perfect fit to inform the mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tUltra Strong\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNational Film Board of Canada brings Catherine Lepage\u2019s short\u00a0\u201cUltra Strong\u201d in this year\u2019s Annecy official competition, a year after premiering the Academy Award-winning short \u201cThe Girl Who Cried Pearls\u201d at the festival\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn this colorful blend of 2D animation and ink on paper short, Catherine Lepage invites the viewer into a candid and self-deprecating autofictional story. With a special appearance by Iron Maiden singer-songwriter Bruce Dickinson who plays an idealized version of himself, \u201cUltra Strong\u201d also features original music by R\u00e9gine Chassagne (founding member of Arcade Fire), marking her debut as a solo film score composer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cCatherine really is me,\u201d jokes Lepage. \u201cI\u2019ve put myself in a position of vulnerability since my very first book, 12 uninteresting months, in which I talk about depression. Publishing that book was a huge step, and it was very well received. With the film, since I had already revealed myself, I let myself have more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe NFB<\/a> technical director summed up Lepage\u2019s technique with the expression \u201cdigital silk-screening,\u201d which was quite funny to the artist as \u201cthere\u2019s no such thing. I bring the print aesthetic to film. My approach is inspired by the technique I\u2019d use if I was making a hand-printed book, using simple methods and a limited colour palette. I work with blocks of colour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cUltra Strong\u201d screens in Annecy\u2019s main short competition. <\/p>\n

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\t\tSnoopy Unleashed\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen Snoopy runs away from home, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts<\/a> gang go on an emotional and wondrous journey to the vibrant Big City, as they search for Snoopy and discover that real friendship means loving each other just as they are.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrought forth by Halifax-based WildBrain<\/a> and a spin-off from the 2015 \u201cPeanuts\u201d movie, \u201cSnoopy Unleashed\u201d is directed by Primetime Emmy Award winner and \u201cPeanuts\u201d director Steve Martino, a lifelong fan of Schulz\u2019s beloved characters. \u201cMy dad read the comics to me as a kid, before I could even read, and I was six years old when \u2018A Charlie Brown Christmas\u2019 first aired. Watching that and the other Peanuts holiday specials became a tradition that marked the holiday season for me each year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTeasing is must-see Annecy WIP, Martino continues: \u201cMy fundamental approach to \u2018Snoopy Unleashed\u2019 is to honor the legacy of Charles Schulz, while creating an animated feature film experience both for existing fans and a new generation who will get to know these wonderful characters for the first time. I feel that CG animation provides the opportunity to create an experience that is rich in the detail of lighting, texture, and dimensionality that can support the storytelling. The artistic challenge is to use these tools to craft a movie where you can also feel Sparky\u2019s pen line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cSnoopy Unleashed\u201d is slated for 2027 on Apple TV.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarcy PAGE<\/p>\n

\t\tVirgin Fandango\t<\/p>\n

\n\tPortugal\u2019s traditional painted ceramic tiles, azulejos, come to life in \u201cVirgin Fandango,\u201d an innovative 11-minute short film premiering at Annecy. Directed by Marcy Page and co-produced by Ciclopes Filmes and Blue Dada Productions, the stop-motion musical animates over 12,000 hand-painted tiles and boldly reimagines the Virgin Mary as a rebellious, dancing, and empowering figure.<\/p>\n

\n\tBlending vibrant music with a visual mosaic referencing 170 historical women and female animators, \u201cVirgin Fandango\u201d is a one-of-a-kind short, crafted over almost a decade by a very small team of dedicated artists.<\/p>\n

\n\tAzulejos themselves inspired director-producer Marcy Page, who fell in love with the blueish tiles and wanted to experiment with it. \u201cAt the same time, these murals are mostly used to deify saints, kings and men, so I thought: what if I could use them to celebrate women of history, who are often less celebrated? Mary, a well-known figure in Portugal still much celebrated, was the perfect character to carry this empowering story, with music by acclaimed composer Normand Roger.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cVirgin Fandango\u201d screens in Annecy\u2019s main short competition. <\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStephanie DUDLEY<\/p>\n

\t\tInvisible Harvests\t<\/p>\n

\n\tA tactile, stop-motion poem built from decayed 16mm film, dried kombucha Scobys, and bubbling ferments, \u201cInvisible Harvests\u201d marks Stephanie Dudley\u2019s return to Annecy, 15 years after her previous short \u201cLittle Theatres: Homage to the Mineral of Cabbage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTreating animation as a process of transformative decay, the film traces inherited rituals and blends animation techniques with Dudley\u2019s signature approach. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHere, I really let the subject matter dictate the media,\u201d explains the director. \u201cThe film is a mixture of digital stop motion photography with puppets and miniature props and sets, timelapse macro photography, live action, 2D computer animation, and 16mm film.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tInspired by a manifesto about fermentation by Mercedes Villalba, Dudley\u2019s film is more of a meditation on loss, with a hint of political subtext. \u201cI feel like doing things that take time, refusing conveniences and waiting are political acts. Sitting with boredom is a political act. So for me, anything that requires patience is doing something to change my brain, and is an act of refusal in a sense, a way of paying closer attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cInvisible Harvests\u201d screens in Annecy\u2019s main short competition. <\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJean-S\u00e9bastien HAMEL<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat We Leave Behind\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDan has a gaping hole in his neck that won\u2019t heal. Why? He can\u2019t remember or talk about it. Back in his sinister childhood realm, he must find the part of himself he left behind that now prevents him, as an adult, from being whole.<\/p>\n

\n\tPresented in Locarno last year,\u201d \u201cWhat We Leave Behind\u201d is directed by the multi-awarded duo Jean-S\u00e9bastien Hamel & Alexandra Myotte (\u201cA Hole in the Chest\u201d). According to the directors, the film was born from a personal necessity to explore trauma not as a past event, but as a living, persistent presence.<\/p>\n

\n\tDan, the protagonist, carries a visible wound, a missing piece in his neck, which represents the pain that we cannot express or escape. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThrough this film, we want to show how trauma leaves traces in the body, in the space, and in silence. The hockey arena, once a place of innocence, has become the theatre of broken memories. It turns into a mental labyrinth where Dan tries to find a lost part of himself. 2D animation, drawn frame by frame, allows us to sculpt every emotion and sensation. The use of a subjective point of view and a slow, fragmented editing reflects the process of introspection: difficult, painful, but necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe minimalist, sometimes violent and brutal, sound environment of the film supports this inner dive, amplifying the isolation and psychological tension of our character. \u201cThis film speaks about rage, shame, loneliness, but also about the courage it takes to face what eats us from the inside. It doesn\u2019t offer a miracle solution, but it says that maybe, one day, it\u2019s possible to start living differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhat We Leave Behind\u201d screens in Annecy\u2019s main short competition.<\/p>\n

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\t\tThe Comet\t<\/p>\n

\n\t13 years after her previous short \u201cDent de lait\u201d, 2D animation specialist Julie Charette comes back to Annecy with her professional film debut \u201cThe Comet.\u201d An adaptation of Sylvain Trudel\u2019s short story \u201cTwo Faces,\u201d Charette wanted to create a film that was both tender and harsh, where the bond between a brother and sister and the deep affection that unites them shine through.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn \u201cThe Comet,\u201d eight-year-old \u00c9mile is enjoying the last of the warm summer evenings with his sister Fran\u00e7oise. While they are eagerly scanning the night sky for shooting stars, they are suddenly interrupted by a despicably cruel act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe film was computer-animated in 2D, then entirely hand-colored with colored pencils and oil pastels,\u201d details Charette. \u201cWith this medium, I wanted to evoke a feeling of gentle nostalgia reminiscent of the picture books of my childhood, Through texture and a palette of saturated colors, I wanted to create a warm and vibrant atmosphere evoking the energy of childhood and thus accentuating the contrast with the harshness of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs this was her first professional film, every step was something new for the artist. \u201cThe biggest challenge was probably the enormous workload involved in producing 11 minutes of hand-colored animation on paper, and all the post-production work that entails. But the result is something unique and precious that delights me every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tJuli\u00e1n\t<\/p>\n

\n\tMaking its world premiere at Annecy, Cartoon Saloon<\/a>\u2018s latest feature \u201cJuli\u00e1n\u201d is co-produced by Canadian company Aircraft Pictures, with servicing provided by Toronto\u2019s Guru Studio. A successful follow-up to the great collaboration the Irish studio had with the Toronto-based company on \u201cThe Breadwinner\u201d, to bring to life the story of wide-eyed Juli\u00e1n, who\u2019s about to spend the summer with a grandmother he barely knows. Amazed to discover her treasure-trove apartment, Juli\u00e1n also discovers his own Caribbean heritage and the lively Brooklyn community he is surrounded by, in a loveable, benevolent family-friendly feature.<\/p>\n

\n\tLouise Bagnall directs, making her feature debut with this colorful adaptation of Jessica Love\u2019s picture book \u201cJulian Is a Mermaid\u201d, something she would have loved to have seen as a child who couldn\u2019t always find the \u2018right\u2019 way to express herself.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnthony Leo, CEO of Cartoon Saloon, emphasizes the collaboration of all partners on this projection. \u201cCartoon Saloon and our co-producers Aircraft Pictures, Melusine Studio and Sun Creature worked hard to put together a team that would lead to an authentic adaptation of this best-selling picture book, including the voices of co-director Guillaume Lorin, screenwriter Juliany Taveres, our Caribbean-Canadian voice cast and our composer among many others. It fills us with pride as a studio to lift up under-represented voices and tell bold stories.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tKey creative tasks carried out in Canada include an all Caribbean-Canadian voice cast lead by Knyght Darius Jack and Milcania Diaz-Rojas, the musical score by La-Nai Gabriel, a portion of key animation and compositing carried out by Guru Studio. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJuli\u00e1n\u201d screens in the Annecy Presents non-competitive section. <\/p>\n

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\t\tOgresse\t<\/p>\n

\n\tA tragic musical comedy about an ogress who lives alone in the woods until a young man determined to kill her arrives and fatally wins her heart, \u201cOgresse\u201d is a singular project blending chants and animation in mysterious ways. <\/p>\n

\n\tC\u00e9cile McLorin Salvant, the artist behind the original musical, teams up with Belgian director Lia Bertels on this Miyu feature, presented as WIP in Annecy as the film enters production. After a memorable 2022 Cartoon Movie pitch, this transatlantic co-production (France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, U.S.) is slated for 2028.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe are delighted and excited to launch today the production of this extraordinary film which promises an unprecedented cinematic experience,\u201d underlines Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Miyu founder and producer. \u201cWorking again with our colleagues at Embuscade Films, with whom we co-produced F\u00e9lix Dufour-Laperri\u00e8re\u2019s \u2018Death Does Not Exist\u2019, their extensive knowledge of 2D animation will undoubtedly be a real asset to the film, as will the proximity of the studio to New York, where C\u00e9cile lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tComing to Annecy, the team brings tests, images and footage from the film, a definite hightlight of this Annecy 2026 program, where Canada once again proves its status as a hub for international co-productions as well as an incubator for animated talents of tomorrow. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While at MIFA, Annecy Animation Festival\u2018s dedicated market, Canadian professionals will come in their throngs with suitcases full…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93796,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24444,17,35147,35148,8340,35149,35150,35151,35152],"class_list":["post-93795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-annecy-animation-festival","tag-canada","tag-cartoon-saloon","tag-miyu-productions","tag-nfb","tag-peanuts","tag-shorts","tag-tangles","tag-wildbrain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93795\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}