Filipino animation takes center stage at Annecy film fest in France

April 30 ------ “58th” and “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah,” which capture the beauty of Filipino storytelling through animation, are among the films screening at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.

The screening of “58th” and “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah” at Annecy was announced by their respective production companies in a press statement, highlighting the festival as the “world’s most prestigious animation festival.”

The Carl Joseph Papa-helmed film, which honors the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre through the lens of Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, said to be the 58th victim, will be screened under the Contrechamp Feature Films category. “58th” features the voices of Glaiza De Castro, the late Ricky Davao, Mikoy Morales, Marco Masa, Zyren Dela Cruz, and Biboy Ramirez.

Other films included in the category are “A New Dawn” (Japan and France); “Blaise” (France); “Muyi, la légende du village des femmes” (France); “Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise” (Japan); “O filho da p*ta” (Brazil); “Spacetime Chronicles” (Italy); “Toritsukare Otoko” (Japan); “The Orbit of Minor Satellites” (USA and Japan); “Welcome to Dolly’s House” (Taiwan); and “Winnipeg, el barco de la esperanza” (Spain, Chile, and Argentina).

Meanwhile, the Avid Liongoren-helmed “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah” will make its premiere at the festival after being in production for six years. The animated film is a love letter to the LGBTQIA+ community, telling the story of Ada, a gay beautician who transforms into the titular superhero after swallowing a large stone.

“Birthing a film into the world is terrifying. Our team has worked so hard for the past six years, and our work will be judged in one sitting. Making a queer superhero film sounds fun until you realize that it is so niche that no business entities would be willing to back it,” Liongoren said of the film. “But we kept working despite the countless rejections, and we slowly gained support from really kind folks.”

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is a gathering of filmmakers, storytellers, writers, and creatives passionate about telling stories through animated films. The International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) said Annecy is one of the A-list festivals accredited under its helm.

Source: inquirer.net