Annecy Festival 2026: One Week. Countless Conversations.

For one inspiring week, Annecy once again became the home of animation, bringing together artists, filmmakers and studios from around the world to celebrate the craft and future of animation.

Throughout the festival, our team was proud to contribute to the conversation in a variety of ways. Amy Adcock shared the character creation process through live sculpting demonstrations at the Wacom booth, while Ted Ty and Dara McGarry met aspiring artists during one-to-one portfolio review sessions in partnership with MIFA. Our Outreach team also welcomed emerging talent to another successful edition of 'Careers & Croissants', creating a space for students and professionals to connect, exchange ideas and build confidence through networking.

The week also saw the premiere of 'Walking With Animators', featuring DNEG Animation's Ted Ty, Kara Oropallo, Anthony Kemp and Toby Seale, followed by a live Q&A with Ted and Kara. Alongside this, we joined Warner Bros. Pictures Animation to showcase our collaborations, including 'The Cat in the Hat' and the studio's upcoming slate, while also celebrating our work with WildBrain on 'Snoopy Unleashed'. We rounded off the festival by hosting our annual DNEG Soirée at La Boutik alongside WildBrain, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the WIA World Summit and honouring founding member Bonnie Arnold.

Here's what some of our team had to say about their week in Annecy.

Kara Oropallo, VP, Crew Development said,

"My biggest highlight of this year was our incredibly successful 'Careers & Croissants' event! Not only did it run smoothly thanks to Dara McGarry's thoughtful planning, but it was also a joyous event full of excited emerging talent and kind professionals discussing and sharing their mutual love for this industry. It was useful, it was meaningful, and it was fun - the best kind of event!

I was also super inspired by Giulio Martella's Bootstrap Cinema event. He basically created a fringe festival screening for folks who didn't make it into Annecy, and the work he screened was TOP NOTCH. The people at the screening were all so happy and excited to participate, and it was a wonderful reminder of the passion and creativity that exists throughout the animation community. Annecy is such a humbling experience for me - in the best way! - as it reminds me that there's SO MUCH great animation out there being made by such inspiring artists from around the world, and we are so lucky to be a part of it."

Philippe Denis, Creative Director, said:

"What I enjoy most when I go to Annecy is feeling the love that our community has for animation. Students are the best for that, as they come fresh and excited. The 'Careers & Croissants' events organised by Kara Oropallo and Dara McGarry, where professionals like us give advice and coach students on how to interview, are a high point of the week as far as I am concerned. We are lucky to work in a field that we love, and it is a great opportunity to give back to the community.

The audience was genuinely excited about the overall roster presented by WBPA. 'Bad Fairies' and 'The Cat in the Hat' generated a lot of compliments afterwards.

The WildBrain presentation was beautiful. Steve Martino, Bonnie Arnold and the entire WildBrain team did an excellent job telling the genesis of creating 'Snoopy Unleashed'. The audience was captivated by the different stories shared by the panel, and they loved the different sequences shown at the end. Steve Martino and the team were also very gracious, praising DNEG Animation several times for the work we did on the show. It made us feel proud to be part of such a great team."

Amy Adcock, Character Modeller, said:

"My biggest highlight from Annecy this year was watching the premiere of the Looney Tunes short during the WBPA presentation. It was so exciting to hear the audience reaction to the film and to hear them laughing along with these iconic characters! Another highlight was meeting students during the 'Careers and Croissants' event. Getting to chat with them, seeing their confidence grow throughout the session and witnessing their networking skills develop was amazing - their enthusiasm was a major highlight for me.

Being at Annecy is always very inspiring to me; it is amazing to be surrounded by like-minded people who share a passion for telling stories with the world through animation. Personally, Annecy played an essential part when I was trying to break into the industry. It gave me a chance to meet people in person, get feedback on my portfolio and build relationships. It is amazing to help support students going through this process now, through events such as 'Careers and Croissants', portfolio reviews and many more!"

Jean-Francois Leroux, DFX Supervisor, said:

"Taking part in the 'Careers and Croissants' networking event was really fun and refreshing. It made me realise how I wished this kind of event existed when I was a student!

Another highlight was the 'WTF' screening, which was one of the most surreal screenings I attended: you could feel the creative energy flowing in the room. I was also impressed by the amount of talent and craftsmanship that was poured into making the shorts of the 'Young Audience' screening. I remember thinking: 'Yes!!! This is what animation is all about!'

After seeing so many inspiring events, panels and screenings, I feel re-energised! It was fantastic to meet old and new friends in such a beautiful place filled with creative minds. Attending this Annecy 2026 edition was very fulfilling."

Whether presenting our work, mentoring the next generation, or exchanging ideas with fellow creatives, Annecy 2026 reinforced what continues to drive us: great animation is built through collaboration, curiosity and a shared passion for storytelling.