A New Residency Is Launching To Support Women Feature Animation Directors

A new initiative was announced today at the Annecy Festival: the creation of a residency devoted to women directors developing animated feature films.

The residency is set to launch in 2027 at Annecy’s Cité internationale du cinéma d’animation, a new venue currently under construction. Its intent is to support women directors from the earliest stages of development and to create an environment conducive to writing, discussing ideas, and shaping feature film projects.

“We don’t just want to reward films once they’ve been made but rather help bring them into being,” said Mickaël Marin, CEO of CITIA (the public institution that puts on Annecy and the MIFA market). “We want to be involved early on, where it all begins. We need more female voices and visions incarnated, and women shaping the future of animation film.”

The disparity of women feature directors in animation is not an issue unique to the U.S., Europe, Latin America, or Asia. The Annecy Festival itself acknowledges that while it has made efforts toward gender parity in its film selections, it has had difficulty doing so with features because women direct so few films. Between 2004 and 2013, the festival said that only 9% of feature films submitted were directed by women. The numbers have hardly improved in the last decade: between 2014 and 2024, submissions from women directors increased to a still meager 16%.

The festival added that the lack of submissions from women “do not reflect a shortage of talent, but rather a lack of access, in other words, visibility, funding and professional networks.”

The initiative is supported by numerous women’s animation organizations including Women in Animation, Les Femmes s’Animent, and the Collectif 50/50.

Les Femmes s’Animent said in a statement:

[I]ncessant barriers remain and very often the projects don’t even reach the commission stage. Self-censorship, a lack of self-confidence generated by a system fueled by unconscious stereotypes and exhaustion when facing obstacles means that access to feature films remains a constant battle for female directors. Supporting these talents means fostering diversity and enriching creation. Dedicating an artist residency solely to women is a powerful political act. It will offer women a space to tell stories, persevere and believe in their vision.

Women in Animation added:

As a global organization working toward gender equity in animation, WIA is proud to support this important residency for women directors. We applaud Annecy for championing bold, systemic change by uplifting women’s voices at the very start of the creative process.

With today’s announcement, CITIA also launched a call for partners, including institutions, foundations, studios, and private patrons. All are invited to contribute to the new residency initiative, in particular via the recently established endowment fund, which will support all of the Cité’s public interest activities.

“This residency will soon be a reality. We have our convictions, the premises and the impetus,” Marin said. “Now we just need the support. I invite all of you who share this ambition to join us in our endeavor.”