As the animation industry’s foremost showcase in terms of co-producing, purchasing, selling, financing and distributing animation content for all broadcasting platforms, the MIFA International Animation Film Market, taking place in the context of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, continues to evolve, whilst consistently striving to fulfill everyone’s needs!
Mifa 2019 is on the verge of breaking every record with a constantly growing market, a 1500m² (700m² in 2018) platform with a conference room by the lake and a bigger-better VR area.
Mifa head Véronique Encrenaz said, “Faced with constant evolution, whether for the Mifa or the animation sector in general (AVMS Directive of the European Parliament, CNC Animation Plan, Audiovisual Reform and many more), new measures are needed.
In order to take into account the numerous changes, the Mifa is evolving, developing new infrastructures and setting up new meeting formats to accompany animation at all levels: a larger number of meeting areas at the heart of the Mifa, to facilitate discussions and to improve all badgeholders’ welcome, support producers in financing feature films, support buyers, sellers, distributors and operators for improved film diffusion, support project leaders, develop VR and so on. Welcome and support will be Mifa 2019’s catchphrase!”
New infrastructures :
2018 was a record year with 3,800 participants (+ 23 per cent); 490 buyers and distributors; 827 exhibitors and 75 countries represented. This led Mifa to redesign spaces, optimise “your Mifa” and create for instance a new marquee, on the steps of the Impérial Palace sheltering the Mifa Welcome Area. There will also be a new Press Room with a terrace, in order to upgrade your welcome and simplify your access to the Market such as –
- A bigger and better VR area: twice the surface area reserved for studios and companies presenting their latest technological inventions as well as plenty of space to view and experience XR, with no less than 200m² available.
- A 1,500m² platform on the lake (700m² in 2018), which, for the first time, will host stands with terraces, a new conference room (salle du lac) seating 300, and as usual the Chill Out Area.
- The private Plage du Mifa (Mifa Beach) allows you to plan appointments, lunches and even cocktail parties, with complete peace of mind, in addition to enjoying the chill out area on the lake!
Increased support for :
Buyers –
This year, Mifa introduces a new area specifically reserved to buyers: the Buyer’s Club. An exclusive tailor-made offer to enable you to better organize your professional meetings, and facilitate access to viewing material presented within the context of the Festival and the Market.
Buyers will be able to benefit, amongst others, from the following: a dedicated lounge to organise on-site meetings; a private entrance; a viewing area with access to more than 400 works from this years’ productions available in the video library (the Festival’s Official Selection included); a reservation service for attending Market screenings; and an on-site hostess to assist with any questions, taking appointments, reservations, etc.
Operators –
For the first time at the Mifa, there will be an afternoon of screening feature films in the last stages of production dedicated to operators, in partnership with the AFCA, to give support to adult animation feature films.
Gap Financing: Meet the Producers –
The Mifa provides support to feature film producers in the final stages of development or in production with at least 85 per cent of their budget secured by offering them the chance to find new partners through targeted meetings.
Unmissable events :
- Monday 10 June, the 3rd Women in Animation World Summit organised by Women in Animation and Les Femmes s’Animent, on the topic of belonging
- Wednesday 12 June, from 11 am to 12:30 pm, a new CNC roundtable discussion in partnership with Causette and Les Femmes s’Animent to talk about new roles for male characters in animation
- The Mifa Animation Industry Award will be attributed to Marc du Pontavice, founder of Xilam Animation (Oggy et les Cafards, Zig & Sharko, I Lost My Body.)
Other events to attend:
- Mifa Pitches from 12 and 13 June, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, divided into five categories: Feature films / Short films / TV series or specials / Interactive and transmedia creations / Animation without borders
- Mifa Recruitment from 11 (Tuesday) to 14 June (Friday). Notable recruiters present: Netflix, Dreamwall, Jam Media, Zeilt Studio, Laika, Unit Image and others.
- Share With: Nickelodeon, Arte France, The Walt Disney Company, TF1, Amazon Studio, Cartoon Network on 12 (Tuesday) and 13 (Wednesday) June.
Other essentials you just can’t miss:
TV Channel Press Conferences, Demo Sessions, Market Screenings, Shoot the Book Anim’, Meet the Composers, the Online Video Library, and so many other events to enjoy and discover at Mifa from 11 to 14 June 2019.
