2026-06-29 / industry / high

Annecy 2026: Brothers Quay Honorary Cristal; 4 stop-motion shorts in competition; Pokemon Tales director confirmed; HIDARI with Keanu Reeves steals show

Annecy 2026 (June 21-27) was a landmark edition for stop-motion: (1) Brothers Quay (Stephen and Timothy Quay) received the Honorary Cristal Lifetime Achievement Award — a major recognition for the stop-motion puppet animation community; their Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (2024) is in the catalogue. (2) Four stop-motion shorts in Official Short Competition: When the Sea was Calm (Mamuka Tkeshelashvili, Georgia), Mis-Angel (Wyatt Carson, UK/RCA), Night Song (Karla Castaneda, Mexico), Please (Anna Mantzaris, Nordic co-pro, already catalogued). (3) Aardman's Lights Camera Aardman! panel revealed Tom Parkinson as director of Pokemon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd and Pichu (2027 series set in Galar region); Chief Creative Director Sarah Cox and Pokemon Co. Int'l Phil Rynda presented pilot footage. (4) HIDARI (dwarf studios, Japan) screened at Annecy Animation Showcase at Cannes and stole the show per Variety — Keanu Reeves confirmed as lead voice (Jingoro Hidari). (5) Travis Knight presented extensive Wildwood (LAIKA) footage for the first time at Annecy. (6) Aardman celebrated 50th anniversary at the festival.

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