The NFB at the Annecy Festival: A Diverse Lineup of Films, a Feature WIP, MIFA Activities and More
Skwigly
Fresh off The Girl Who Cried Pearls’ Oscar win for Best Animated Short, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2026 with a diverse slate of films—including works by animators Catherine Lepage, Brigitte Archambault, Eva Cvijanović and Claude Cloutier—and a well‑represented delegation at the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA).
NFB lineup at a glance
- International premiere in official competition: Catherine Lepage’s new animated short Ultra Strong is produced and executive produced by Christine Noël, who is also co-producer of the Academy Award–winning NFB short The Girl Who Cried Pearls.
- Work-in-progress animated feature: Brigitte Archambault and Eva Cvijanović’s The Shiatsung Project, co-produced by Embuscade Films and the NFB.
- MIFA: Telefilm Canada/NFB networking event with Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB.
- Women in Animation World Summit: Catherine Lepage joins the Short Films and Fresh Perspectives panel.
- Eight NFB films showcased in the festival’s Animated Thrills and Chills program.
- Annecy Classics section: Gilles Penso and Alexandre Poncet’s Frenetic Arts documentary Walking with Animators features a strong NFB presence, with a wealth of archival material provided by the NFB’s legendary archives unit.
Taking place this year from June 21–27, the Annecy Festival is the world’s largest event dedicated to animated films.
Ultra Strong (Dir. Catherine Lepage, image provided by the NFB)
Official Competition | Short Films
Ultra Strong by Catherine Lepage (9 min 35 s) | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Produced at the NFB by Christine Noël
This candid and self-deprecating autofictional story by Catherine Lepage invites us to reexamine our youthful ideals—from Cinderella to Iron Maiden.
With the special participation of Bruce Dickinson, legendary singer, songwriter and frontman of Iron Maiden, who plays an idealized version of himself in both the English and French versions of the film, and narration and original music by Régine (Arcade Fire).
Catherine Lepage—director of the 2019 NFB animated short The Great Malaise—used an almost all-female crew for Ultra Strong. In addition to Régine (narration and music composition), the team included sound designer Sacha Ratcliffe, animator Rachel Samson and editor Xi Feng.
Ultra Strong received the Special Mention for Best Animated Film and the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Sommets du cinéma d’animation in Montreal.
Works in Progress | Feature Films
The Shiatsung Project by Brigitte Archambault and Eva Cvijanović
Producers: Félix Dufour‑Laperrière (Embuscade Films), Christine Noël (NFB) and new AMPAS member Jelena Popović (NFB). Associate producer: Nicolas Dufour-Laperrière (Embuscade Films).
Executive producer: Christine Noël (coproducer and executive producer of the Academy Award-winning NFB short The Girl Who Cried Pearls).
In a suburban bungalow surrounded by an impenetrable wall, a woman lives alone with a talking screen as her sole companion and guardian. The screen fulfills most of her wishes without ever revealing the purpose of her existence.
Co-directors Archambault and Cvijanović (Hedgehog’s Home, 2017) will be joined by producers Félix Dufour-Laperrière and Jelena Popović, and assistant director Bren López Zepeda. This work-in-progress presentation will be moderated by animator and film educator Vivien Forsans.
The Shiatsung Project (Dir. Brigitte Archambault/Eva Cvijanović, image provided by the NFB)
MIFA
NFB/Telefilm Canada networking event: “Networking opportunity with Canada”
Tuesday, June 23, 7 to 9 p.m. – Garden Party (located in the Impérial Palace park). By invitation.
Join Suzanne Guèvremont, NFB Chairperson, and Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, at this invitation-only event to explore new partnership opportunities and celebrate Canadian animation.
Short Films and Fresh Perspectives panel | WIA Summit
Catherine Lepage will take part in Short Films and Fresh Perspectives, a panel bringing together short-film directors to explore diverse creative approaches in animation.
Moderated by Meredith Shea, Chief Membership, Impact and Industry Officer at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the session is part of the 10th WIA World Summit, which celebrates the talents and visibility of women and non-binary animation creators.
Animated Thrills and Chills
This program at Annecy 2026 celebrates the true force of animation: It’s not a genre, it’s a language that brings out the full potential of cinema. The program includes eight NFB films spanning three themes:
- The Trenches by Claude Cloutier—presented as part of “The War, Yes Sir.” Cloutier is also a member of the jury this year, in the Graduation Films & Off-Limits Short Films category.
- The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin by Janet Perlman and Sleeping Betty by Claude Cloutier—both presented in “It’s a Good Storyline”.
- Land of the Heads by Cédric Louis and Claude Barras, Batmilk by Brandon Blommaert, Sainte Barbe by Cédric Louis and Claude Barras, A Monster’s Calling by Louise Johnson, and Bone Mother by Dale Hayward and Sylvie Trouvé—all screening as part of “Little Thrills.”
Walking with Animators | Annecy Classics category
Filmmakers: Gilles Penso and Alexandre Poncet
Production: Frenetic Arts
National Film Board of Canada archival footage is featured in the documentary Walking with Animators—a project eight years in the making. It includes more than 70 interviews, among them one with Eloi Champagne, the NFB’s Head of Technical Direction and Production Technology, as well as several conversations with filmmakers Theodore Ushev, Regina Pessoa and Joanna Quinn. The film features nearly 130 excerpts from works from around the world and has received support from leading studios and top-tier schools, including Walt Disney, Pixar, Warner Bros., Netflix, Miyu, Folimage, Aardman Animations, Aardman Academy—and, of course, the National Film Board of Canada.
NFB support for Canadian independent filmmaking at Annecy
Three animated shorts by independent filmmakers that received production assistance from the NFB’s Aide au cinéma indépendant du Canada (ACIC) and Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) are also screening at Annecy.
In Official Competition:
Marcy Page’s Virgin Fandango (producers: Blue Dada Productions and Ciclope Filmes)—FAP
Blessed, directed and produced by Birute Sodeikaite—FAP
In the Perspectives competition:
Julie Charette’s La comète (producer: Embuscade Films; distributor: La Distributrice de films)—ACIC