2 Filipino animated movies make 2026 Annecy Film Festival lineup
MANILA, Philippines — Two animated films from the Philippines will screen at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, one of them in competition.
The long-running event is considered the biggest film festival for animation in all its forms and in various categories.
Carl Joseph Papa's "58th" and Avid Liongoren's "Zsazsa Zaturnnah" represent the Philippine contingent as 26 countries are represented in the feature slate — a majority of them from France.
"58th" will run in the festival's Contrechamp — "reverse shot" in English — section of the festival, the only other contest outside of the main competition.
The Contrechamp competition often features international films as it is designed for singular, independent, and boundary-pushing entries.
"58th," an animated docu-drama about the events before and after the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, made its world premiere at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands earlier this year.
The films stars the late Ricky Davao in his last appearance on the big screen after his death in May 2025. Davao portrayed photojournalist Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay, the titular 58th victim of the massacre whose body was never found.
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The rotoscope animation movie also stars Glaiza de Castro as Bebot's daughter Maria Reynafe "Nenen" Castillo, plus a supporting cast that includes Mikoy Morales, Marco Masa, Zyren dela Cruz, and Biboy Ramirez.
This is Papa's third time at Annecy after bringing the films "Manang Biring" and "Iti Mapukpukaw" in 2016 and 2024, the latter also for the Contrechamp section.
"Zsazsa Zaturnnah," which actually premiered in the Work in Progress section of Annecy last year, meanwhile, will be in the Midnight Specials section this year.
Based on the comic of the same name by Carlo Vergara, the traditional animation film follows a shy gay beautician who becomes the titular superheroine with the aid of a meteorite from outer space.
Liongoren previously brought his sophomore movie "Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story" to Annecy for the main competition in 2021.
Annecy has served a diving board for many animated films to find success in other festivals or award ceromonies like the Academy Awards.
Some of the film that sprung from Annecy include "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Coraline," "Flow," "Loving Vincent," "Monsters vs. Aliens," "Akira," "Arco," "Robot Dreams," "Memoir of a Snail," "I Lost My Body," "Mirai," "ParaNorman," and "James and the Giant Peach."
The 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival will run from June 21 to 27.
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