Animation in Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup Including ‘The Summit of the Gods,’ ‘Belle,’ ‘Flee’

Selome Hailu

23 September 2021 at 4:46 pm·3-min read

Animation is Film announced the competition lineup and other special events for the fourth edition of the festival, which will take place from Oct. 22-24 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. The lineup includes 12 feature films in competition as well as 20 programs overall including shorts.

The festival will open with the North American premiere of upcoming Netflix animated feature “The Summit of the Gods,” directed by Patrick Imbert and adapted from Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura’s manga series. Imbert will appear for a post-screening Q&A. The centerpiece film on Oct. 23 is the West Coast premiere of Gkids’ “Belle,” directed by Mamoru Hosada who will also appear for a Q&A. The West Coast premiere of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” will close the festival.

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Also among the competition features are the world premiere of the English dub of Yusuke Hirota’s “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” the North American premiere of Haipeng Sun’s “I Am What I Am” and the North American premiere of Florence Miailhe’s “The Crossing.”

Special events include a behind-the-scenes presentation of Disney’s “Encanto”; a screening of “My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission” featuring special guests to be announced; a slate of films and guest appearances called Studio on the Big Screen including “Luca,” “The Mitchells vs the Machines” and “Vivo”; and the Best of Annecy: Female Directors shorts block, presented in partnership with Annecy and Women In Animation. AIF will also host an exhibit where animation studio Laika will display a variety of puppets and sets in the lobby of the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres all weekend.

“This year’s Animation is Film lineup represents the very best feature animation from around the world, bringing to Hollywood world premieres as well as critically acclaimed, prize-winning titles from the Cannes, Annecy, Sundance, Telluride and Toronto festivals. After last year’s hiatus due to COVID, the Los Angeles animation and film communities are clamoring to gather together to see these films on the big screen, and we at AIF are enormously proud to present them,” says Matt Kaszanek, director of AIF.

“Animation is back in Los Angeles and that’s excellent news! As one of the festival’s co-founders, we are thrilled to support the fourth edition of Animation is Film,” said Marcel Jean, artistic director of Annecy International Animation Film Festival. “This year’s lineup is exceptional by its quality and its diversity: more than ever, animation is film!”

AIF was founded by Gkids and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with Variety. Partners for this year’s festival include ASIFA-Hollywood, Cartoon Network, Crunchyroll, Dreamworks, ELMA, Fathom Events, Funimation, Illumination, Laika, Netflix, Paramount Animation, Pixar, Shout! Factory, Sony Pictures Animation, Unifrance, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Warner Animation Group and Warner Bros. Animation.

Tickets for AIF are now on sale at animationisfilm.com.

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