WANA (Jun 09) – Four Iranian short animations have been officially selected for screening at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Festival in France, with two Iranian artists also serving on the jury.

 

Two Iranian short animations — “In the Night” by Poupa Afzali and “Thank You, Dr. Farsi” by Samaneh Shojaei — have been selected for the festival’s main short film competition.

 

Additionally, “It Goes Without Saying”, co-directed by Mahboubeh Kalaei and Ali Fotouhi, and “Dark Orange” by Zahra Azadpour will be screened in the “Perspectives” section, showcasing diverse international talents.

 

Iran’s presence extends to the jury as well. Renowned filmmaker Sepideh Farsi is serving on the main competition jury, while Shiva Sadegh Asadi is part of the short film jury panel.

 

The 2025 Annecy Festival is being held from June 8 to 14 (Khordad 18–24, 1404), celebrating global excellence in animation. Among the honored guests this year are Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons; French filmmaker Michel Gondry, who will premiere his new film “Maya, Find Me a Title”; and acclaimed British animator Joanna Quinn. All three will receive the festival’s honorary Cristal Award.

The list of feature-length animated films in the competitive section of the 2025 Annecy Festival is as follows:

  • God Is Not Obliged (Belgium–Canada–France–Luxembourg) by Zaven Najjar

 

  • The Last Blossom (Japan) by Baku Kinoshita

 

  • Little Emelie and the Nature of Rain (France) by Maïlys Vallade & Lian-Chu Han

 

  • Arco (France) by Hugo Bienvenu

 

  • In This Mortal World (China) by Zhong Ding

 

  • Death Does Not Exist (Canada–France) by Félix Dufour-Laperrière

 

  • A Wonderful Life (France–Luxembourg–Belgium) by Sylvain Chomet

 

  • Olivia and the Invisible Quake (Belgium–Chile–Spain–France) by Irene Iborra

 

  • Dandelion’s Odyssey (Belgium–France) by Momoko Seto

 

  • Chao (Japan) by Yasuhiro Aoki