Sources: 
Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025 concluded with French animated feature
"Arco" winning the prestigious Cristal for best film. Directed by Ugo Bienvenu, the film explores an ecological disaster through the story of a boy from 2932 who travels back to 2075, meeting a girl amid environmental collapse.
The festival also honored
"The Night Boots" by Pierre-Luc Granjon with the Cristal for best short film, highlighting the diversity and creativity in animation.
The event drew a record
18,200 badge holders from 118 countries, underscoring its global significance in the animation industry.
"Arco" was praised as
"a considered meditation on ecological disaster within the dulcet grooves of a charming story about adolescent friendship," according to critic Lovia Gyarkye.
The feature debut of Bienvenu, a renowned French illustrator, premiered at Cannes and was produced by MountainA / France. The film's narrative centers on
Arco, a 10-year-old boy who inadvertently travels back in time via a rainbow, encountering Iris, a young girl living through environmental collapse.
The festival's success reflects the growing global interest in animated storytelling that tackles pressing contemporary issues such as climate change.
"The Night Boots" and "Arco" exemplify the festival's commitment to celebrating innovative animation that combines artistic vision with meaningful narratives.
The Annecy festival remains a key platform for animators worldwide, fostering creativity and dialogue on urgent themes through the art of animation.
Sources: At the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, French animated feature 'Arco' won the Cristal for best film, while 'The Night Boots' by Pierre-Luc Granjon took the top short film award. The festival attracted a record 18,200 attendees from 118 countries celebrating animation.
