A delegation of 15 Philippine companies participated in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival from June 11-17, 2023 at the Imperial Palace and other venues in Annecy, France.
The Department of Trade and Industry – Competitiveness and Innovation Group (CIG) and Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), co-organized the Philippine participation, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the private sector represented by Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), and Creative Content Creators Association of the Philippines, Inc. (SIKAP).
The Philippine delegation, led by DTI-CIG Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, was composed of: Abakada Studios, Animation Vertigo, Enigma Kai, Kampilan Productions, Kino Arts, Leveret Group, Luminaut Pictures, Meowsmouse, Miming and Fwends Animation Studio, Steward Solutions, Taktyl Studios LLC, TOEI Animation Phils Inc., Toon City, Top Draw Animation, and Top Peg Animation Studio.
The festival consisted of conferences on industry trends, art tours, film screenings, and pitches, specifically the Southeast Asia Partner Pitch and country spotlight Phili-Pitch.
The Philippine participation was aimed to strengthen the country’s reputation of having talented animators, studios, and creative works to a global audience, and demonstrate government support towards animation capabilities and artistic achievements.
Complementary to this initiative of the DTI is FDCP’s film incentive program that grants selective funds for international animation projects that are either co-produced or outsourced in the Philippines.
Overall, the participation provided valuable learning opportunities and promoted the Philippines’ cultural and creative identity on a global platform.
This supports the implementation of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA), which calls to “ensure the promotion, marketing, distribution, export, and consumption of creative industry outputs in both local and international markets.”
On the side note, the new Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) has identified film, animation, game development, and original content sectors as priority sectors in the creative industry.
“As we move forward in the implementation of PCIDA, we are excited to provide our Philippine Creative stakeholders opportunities to showcase their work, expand their network, and seize the potential to enter the global market,” Aldaba mentioned.
(Photo Credit: Film Development Council of the Philippines)
