Animation, a flagship sector in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Animation is the flagship sector of the film and audiovisual industry in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, as shown by the many rewards obtained by films local entities have supported.
AN AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION SECTOR
Many films partially made in Nouvelle-Aquitaine have been distinguished with the highest honours and are still remembered today.
Cesar:
- “My Life as a Courgette” (directed by Claude Barras) in 2017
- “Josep” (directed by Aurel) in 2021
- “Chicken for Linda!” (directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach) in 2024
Cristal for a Feature Film at Annecy's animation festival:
- “The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily” (directed by Lorenzo Mattotti) in 2019
- “Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary” (directed by Rémi Chayé) in 2020
- “Little Nicholas: Happy as can be” (directed by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre) in 2022
- ”Chicken for Linda!” in 2023
Other categories at Annecy's animation festival:
- “Blind Willow Sleeping Woman” (directed by Pierre Foldès) - Jury Award in 2022
- “Living Large” (directed by Kristina Dufková) – Contrechamp Award in 2024
Canne's official selection:
- “Red Turtle” (directed by Michael Dudok de Wit) - Jury Prize in 2017
- "The Most Precious of Cargoes” (directed by Michel Hazanavicius)– Official Selection in 2024
Oscar Nomination in 2025:
- “Ghost Cat Anzu” (directed by Yōko Kuno et Nobuhiro Yamashita)
- “Chicken for Linda!”
These full-feature films were either co-produced or made in the many studios of the region (Miyu, Novanima, 3.0 Studio, Les films du poisson rouge, 2 Minutes, Shan Two, Blue Spirit).
THE ANGOULÊME ECOSYSTEM
Angoulême Comics Festival, one of the largest comics festivals in the world, gathers animation and comics professionals in Angoulême every winter. Many animation studios are located in the Image Cluster fostered by Magelis. Today, Nouvelle Aquitaine is France’s number 2 production centre for animated images in France after the Paris region. Angoulême’s cluster counts nearly 30 animation studios, 1,500 professionals and 2,000 students in 15 specialised schools which adds to the dozen schools located in Bordeaux. A large percentage of animation productions broadcast on national screens are made in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This figure has been steadily increasing in recent years as the new tax credit boosted the competitiveness of local talents.
THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Animation is one of the sectors of the French film and audiovisual industry with the best export rates. The Region invests 2M€ in the animation sector, supported by the CNC. The Charente Department has a similar budget. For every 2€ local entities provide for production support, the CNC adds 1€. Catherine Esteves, General Manager of Les Films du Poisson Rouge, established in the region in 2008 comments “the support fund is a privileged partner. Privileged because loyal. Privileged because it knows the company and the projects well. Even if we cannot know in advance when we submit a project whether it will be supported or not, we have the assurance that it will be studied under a benevolent, very professional prism”.
ANIMATION AND VIDEO GAMES, TWO INTERTWINED SECTORS
Nouvelle-Aquitaine hosts no less than 110 video games companies representing more than 1,500 jobs. While the regional sector is mainly composed of structures with less than 10 employees, there are flagship companies and today leaders in the sector (e.g. Ubisoft or Asobo, France’s leading independent developer). The ecosystem is particularly favourable to the development of this sector of activity with training courses of national and international renown (e.g. Cnam-Enjmin) and the presence of a specialised professional association (SO·Games). Following the adoption of the Digital Roadmap by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region in June 2018, the video game sector is one of regional priorities.
MÉCA, THE NEW EMBLEMATIC PLACE OF CULTURE
The MECA – the house for creative economy and culture - is located on the banks of the river Garonne near Bordeaux’ train station. The MECA brings together the regional fund for contemporary art and the two regional cultural agencies: ALCA (film, audiovisual and book agency) and OARA (live performance agency). This creative community centre was designed as a hub for regional artistic creation and production where directors, producers, visual artists, choreographers, comedians, authors, editors and more come together and in which the citizens are at the heart of contemporary creation and of art in the making. Home of artistic hybridization, the MECA embodies the support of creative sectors in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.