Annecy, the world’s most prestigious animation festival, has named Colombia as its country of honor next year, an important tribute to the South American country’s burgeoning animation industry.
The honor was bestowed by the 66-year-old festival and its market, Mifa (International Film Marche of Animation), long considered the premier global gathering of animation creators, studios, buyers, distributors, platforms, investors and industry experts.
The recognition, announced at the end of the seven-day event with an awards ceremony on June 27, brings Colombia into the ranks of previously recognized countries such as Japan, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and Brazil.
After more than 40 years of growth, Columbia now boasts more than 30 animation and digital content studios producing numerous series, features and short films distributed internationally. Bogotá remains a major hub and is home to studios such as Team Toon Studio, Caballo Loco Studio, Dinamita Animation, Piranha, Hierro Animation, Lucy Animation Studio, and Ikaltoons Animation.
Reflecting on the announcement, Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy Animation Festival since 2012, said: “Over the past decade, Colombian animation has gained remarkable momentum, both through the high quality of its artistic production and through its efforts to strengthen its international presence through co-productions and participation in major industry events.”
He cited a visit to Colombia’s Bogo Shorts Festival, where he said, “I witnessed first-hand the enthusiasm of a new generation of promising young talent working on ambitious short and feature film projects currently in production.”
Representing this new generation of talent is María Cristina Pérez, whose fourth short, the experimental drama “Once in a Body” (“Una vez en un cuerpo”), competed in Annecy. This follows notable shorts such as “The Plastic Turtle” (2019) and “The Bitch” (2023), which screened at festivals around the world.
“For these reasons, the 2027 Tribute to Columbia Animation is particularly timely and an opportunity to celebrate this creative diversity and highlight the strength of the model in supporting entrepreneurs across the video sector,” Jean added.
Colombia’s participation as Guest Country of Honor at Annecy is part of a broader international promotional strategy led by Proimagenes Colombia, which also functions as the Colombian Film Commission.
Claudia Triana, executive director of Proimagenes Colombia, sees this recognition as “the result of decades of work by artists, producers, studios, institutions and industry associations that have contributed to building a strong and innovative sector with a global perspective.”
“This invitation allows us to demonstrate to the world the diversity of Colombia’s creative talent, strengthen co-production opportunities and open new avenues for the international distribution of Colombia’s animated content. This is also an opportunity to inspire a new generation of creators and demonstrate that Colombia can compete and collaborate at the highest levels of the global animation industry,” she said.
