Grumbles of overcrowding are something of a refrain at Annecy. As the festival swiftly grows in size and scope, so do the queues. Last year saw a record 12,300 badgeholders — and a record number of complaints.
Annecy is taking this feedback to heart. CITIA, the organization that runs the festival, announced changes aimed at reducing pressure on its venues. The goal is to maintain “a high level of excellence by improving access into the theaters to guarantee the best possible experience for badgeholders.”
The next edition will offer festivalgoers 21,700 extra seats — an increase of 26% on last year. There will be ten extra screenings per day, which several venues will extend their hours to accommodate. Two theaters, the Auditorium Seynod and Le Rabelais, Meythet, will host festival screenings for the first time.