Annecy reveals the list of “gutsy” films part of its 2024 Midnight Specials

Annecy International Animation Film Festival has revealed its lineup of films for its 2024 Midnight Specials – a program where brash hand-picked and gutsy films are screened at night.

Every year, the Midnight Specials delivers its fair share of shocks and astonishment. The program features a hand-picked band of brazen minds who serve up unfettered creations that explore the most improbable scenarios. This year, the section will present the legendary WTF programme including 15 shorts and 5 feature films. Unique, wacky and totally unexpected, guaranteed to delight even the most brazen!

On the billboard:

Who Said Death Is Beautiful?
Directed by Nakajima Ryo – Japan; Produced by: Supersub.LCC

Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Directed by Bum-Wook Hur – South Korea; Produced by: Bum-Wook Hur
Not recommended for under 18s

(S)KiDS
Directed by Leslie Solis, Louis Solis – Canada; Produced by: Crooked City Studios

Exorcism Chronicles
Directed by Dong Chul Kim – South Korea; Produced by: Locus

Spermageddon
Directed by Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Tommy Wirkola – Norway; Produced by: 74 Entertainment

The WTF programme features 15 short films from 10 different nationalities. This completely unhinged content comprises: a father sings the praises of his family while slaughtering living creatures, a prisoner shares the story of an encounter and in turn encounters the guard’s fist, a woman becomes lost in her dreams, a young man becomes lost in his lies… We take a look at karma, backlash, today’s society, desire and disgust, bravery and cowardice. Surprises, laughter and amazement will be the order of the day once again at this new WTF edition.

Programme:

Our Love Is Immortal
Directed by Ender Yildizhan – Turkey; Produced by: Kalt
The story: A little boy worries about his parents’ relationship in a dystopian future.

Living the Dream
Directed by Ben Meinhardt – Canada; Produced by: Ben Meinhardt
The story: An indefatigable citizen grabs his bootstraps and lives the dream!

No Flies on Me
Directed by Lars Magnus Holmgren – Australia; Produced by: Frankenskippy
The story: An exploration of Saṃsāra, chasing the phantoms of our own wild desire and the fickle, and at times mundane, repetitive existence and plight of our particular sentient species.

Toothless
Directed by Enzo Gérard – France; Produced by: Enzo Gérard
The story: In Varanasi prison in India, a prisoner shares his experiences and the story of an unlikely encounter with his cellmates.

Larry
Directed by Takeshi Murata, Christopher Rutledge – USA; Produced by: Murata Studio
The story: A dog loses its grasp of shape and time while balling like Shaq.

Martyr’s Guidebook
Directed by Maks Rzontkowski – Poland; Produced by: Maks Rzontkowski
The story: Tony is the ultimate good guy. From nabbing the smallest slice of cake in grade school to guiding lost strangers in the city, his kindness knows no bounds. He also lives with an angel.

Giovanna and the Big Peacock
Directed by Maria Zilli – Italy; Produced by: Maria Zilli
The story: Giovanna is wandering along on her horse in a colorful gummy world in search of a mysterious creature, until a rhythmic sound makes her shake. Suddenly, Giovanna wakes up in the greyness of the real world.

The Shortest Relationship in the World
Directed by Xiaoxuan Han – China; Produced by: Xiaoxuan Han
The story: This may be the shortest relationship in the world.

Stuffed
Directed by Louise Labrousse – France; Produced by: Tchack, Gao Shan Pictures
The story: Olla decides to take a moment for herself. Her “cheat meal,” an instant noodle soup, is waiting for her on a little tray above a hot bath. However, nothing goes according to plan.

Jean-Mi, the Piles Boy
Directed by Marcel Street – France; Produced by: The Mill
The story: Jean-Mi has a crush on Sassa, who is both a waitress at the local Asian restaurant and a masseuse at the salon next door. During an erotic massage, he finds out the hard way that the salon’s clients end up in the restaurant’s saucepans.

Spooky Loops
Directed by Stas Santimov – Ukraine; Produced by: Stas Santimov
The story: A compilation of 13 ultra-short animated stories about dreams, fears, cruelty and humanity.

The Bleacher
Directed by Nicole Daddona, Adam Wilder – USA; Produced by: Zeus Pictures, Magic Society Pictures
The story: A woman’s life is upended when the disappearance of her sock at the laundromat causes her to get sucked into a washing machine unraveling the age-old question – where do all the missing socks go?

The Personal Issue
Directed by Mehdi Alibeygi – Iran; Produced by: Mehdi Alibeygi
The story: After Filip discovers he has a peculiar problem, he’s not sure if he should tell someone and find a way to fix it, or just keep it a secret.

What If It’s Not Good?
Directed by Haluk Mirac Aykin – Turkey; Produced by: Haluk Mirac Aykin
The story: A portrait of a confused creative mind who experiences the pain of making a graduation movie and fulfilling its responsibilities.

Corn Man Origin Theory
Directed by Alexandre Louvenaz – France; Produced by: Alexandre Louvenaz
The story: Corn Man was just a simple man. One day, his cornfield was invaded by ducks. He decided to chase them away because he had a strong aversion to animals

Annecy Film Festival is a global event dedicated to animation. For an entire week, the event gathers together the biggest names in the sector and celebrates the creative and diverse animation styles and techniques. The 2024 edition will take place from 9 to 15 June.