Behind the Scenes of Creating L’Alliance New York’s Animation First Festival

We’re celebrating the kickoff of Animation First Festival’s eighth year by looking back—specifically, at the history of animation and how the Festival was created here at L’Alliance New York (and subsequently became the biggest animation festival in the United States!) Who better to guide us through the details than Festival curator Delphine Selles-Alvarez? “It’s a very fun job to curate a festival, especially a small festival like this one with great material to choose from,” Selles-Alvarez says. Read on for a peek behind the curtain…

 

The Animation First Festival has very deep roots—could you give us some background about French animation?

France has a rich and storied history of animation which dates back to the beginnings of cinema. Today, animation is an important sector of the French cinema industry, with creators of all stripes making short films, features, and new media experiences. There are dozens of producing companies and funders, both private and public. Thanks to its strong governmental tradition of supporting and protecting cinema, France produces very diverse types of animation, ranging from studio films to independent and experimental films to hundreds of short films—many for adult audiences. For a variety of reasons, few of these films—shorts or features—make it to the U.S., in festivals or in theaters. 

 

The Animation First Festival is now in its eighth year, congratulations! How and why was the Festival conceived?

French cinema is one of the most popular foreign cinemas in the U.S., yet most of what is offered are live action films. Animation lives in the margins and is often associated with cinema for young audiences. I think programmers, distributors, and audiences just don’t know what to do with these films. And because they are so rarely screened, it’s hard for film professionals or audiences to develop a taste and an interest. That gave us an opportunity here at L’Alliance to showcase great films that no one could see, something new for U.S. audiences to discover. A programmer’s dream, really! We had a hunch that in a city like New York with curious and open-minded audiences of all stripes, there was an opening to present a festival dedicated to French animation, especially one tilting toward adult audiences. It turned out to be a good hunch! 

 

What was the reaction to your initial Animation First festival?

The first edition in 2018 went well beyond our expectations and was a huge success. I have to admit that even though we believed in the project and were very proud of the program, our expectations were a bit low. New York has so much to offer to film lovers and culture aficionados, there is so much competition—and we certainly did not expect instant interest in films like these. A couple thousand people, many of which made it to L’Alliance for the first time, joined us to see films and meet artists.

 

Tell me a bit about your role as curator of the Animation First Festival.

As the curator, and with the support of co-curator Chloé Dheu, I get to develop the artistic vision of the festival, what the festival should be like, and turn that vision into a reality with all the different components of the festival: features, shorts, focus, talks, virtual reality, etc. We choose the films, make our best case to the producers, agents, and artists that Animation First is absolutely the best festival to premiere their work, invite guests, filmmakers, and producers, and build a program that’s coherent throughout the festival. Because Animation First is relatively small, we have to be particularly selective in the curation, as opposed to a festival that offers 30, 50, or more films. It’s a small festival that allows us to carefully schedule each program through the six days, think about when we will screen the films, when talks should take place and after which film, etc. We also think about what type of audience a film will attract, which informs its screening date and time. So for instance, for opening night we choose a film for adult audiences that will also be a crowd-pleaser.

 

And there’s an art to how you schedule films throughout the event as well, yes?

The scheduling is an important element. We want to have a good flow, we want to give audiences a chance to discover as much as possible during the festival and know that what’s coming right after their film—whether it’s a discussion or shorts—is worth staying for. Over the years, we’ve learned many lessons on what works and what doesn’t. But every year we also try something new to shake things around a bit and see how we can push the envelope and think of the program differently. This year, we are closing with older films, as opposed to a brand new feature. We are screening René Laloux’s The Time Masters and a short pilot, The Machine-Men. I love the idea of closing with such a legendary filmmaker, with two rarely screened films. Laloux’s work is extraordinary and totally worth watching on the big screen. I hope the audience will be as excited as I am. 

 

How do you go about choosing animated features and shorts to include in the Festival?

It is important to see a wide range of films, even films you think you might not like, or might not be a good fit for the festival. And watch a lot of international cinema, not just francophone films. This allows you to sharpen your knowledge and understand the current trends in animation. Public screenings like the Annecy International Animation Film Festival also allow you to take the pulse of audiences. It’s hugely important for me that Animation First stays relevant with what is happening in animation, but that it is also in touch with its audience, and New York audiences at large. New York is a vibrant center for culture and arts, so there is no lack of cinephiles, animation lovers, francophiles, and generally curious people.

 

Once you do that wide sweep, how do you focus on the films you want?

There aren’t dozens of French and francophone animated features that are ready every year. We usually hone in on independent films, films that are less likely to be shown in New York or the U.S. at large, and authors with unique voices who harness the power of animation to create original works. What the animation looks like, how authors harness its power and possibilities, how the medium is used to convey emotions, stories, messages—all of that is a guiding light in the way we select films. For shorts, the field is much wider and very diverse. With co-curators Chloé Dheu and Michael Enright, we look at about 80 shorts and select 14 to 15 for two programs. The craft of animation is also one of the top priorities in our choices. 

 

Why is it so important for French and francophone animation to have this kind of a platform?

Creators are not making art just for themselves, but yearn to share their work. Animation First allows these works to be seen by American audiences, albeit a tiny portion of the American public. My hope is that while Animation First digs deeper roots in New York in the years to come, other art house cinemas in the country, and fellow programmers, will be inclined to program more animation. In humble ways I hope that the festival helps open a door, at least a crack, in people’s understanding, real and imagined, of what animation is. American professionals are starting to pay a little more attention. The recent success of films like Flow are helping. Personalities like Guillermo del Toro, and festivals like Animation Is Film in Los Angeles, are also very influential in helping to move the line on this, push people’s (professionals and general audiences alike) understanding of what animation is and can be in the future. 

 

Now that you’ve read up on the context of our acclaimed Animation First Festival, it’s time to plan your schedule and book your tickets. The Festival runs from Tuesday, January 21 through Sunday, January 26, and presents seven feature-length films and five short film programs. We’ll see you there!