Introduction
Hey, hey, fellow adventurers! Blaziker is back for what is going to be one of the most exciting adventures I had ever embarked on, and yes, you animated movie adventurer has indeed completed his adventure, to a magical, faraway land in the French alps for perhaps the biggest animation festival of the year. That’s right, I was at the 50th edition of the Annecy Film Festival!
Considering how long, insane, and amazing this road to Annecy was, now that I have settled down, it’s time I share my journey, starting from planning this trip in part 1, and followed by the following parts:
- Part 2: The Journey to Annecy
- Part 3: My time in Annecy (and also Paris)
- Part 4: The flight back to Singapore, reflections and tips
Ok, enough waffling, it’s time we get to our adventure, but before we do, let’s back up for a bit to introduce those new to the animated movie scene about this festival in question, and why it is special for the animation community… And I almost forgot, there is a title for my Annecy journey and without further ado, here is part 1 of:
Regarde! Blaziker in Annecy (and Paris)!
What’s the Annecy Film Festival? And Why Now?
In short, the Annecy International Film Festival is a film festival dedicated to the art form of animation, and has been a regular feature in the animation film scene since 1960. This is a festival where animation fans and studios congregate to celebrate a week of animation in the small town of Annecy in the French Alps. Held around early to mid June (with the exception of this year when it was moved to late June to avoid clashing with the G7 Summit which was also held in the French Alps), Annecy plays host to top-tier animated movies from around the world, as well as big animated film announcements from the biggest animation studios around. It’s also where aspiring animators show their worth and network with animation studios in the hopes of getting hired by them, and where animation fans (like me) network and share our love for animation, including some really hot takes.
In short, it is basically the Cannes Film Festival, except strictly animation-centric and a lot of fun. So, the question is, why now? Well, I have a few reasons:
- 2026 marks the 50th edition of the Annecy Film Festival, so that would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
- There is a new venue opening for the festival at the Cite Internationale du Cinema D’Animation, a new animation exhibition site at a former horse stable grounds where the Annecy organisers planned to host animation events all year around, so I really wanted to be among the first people to visit there
- I am celebrating my graduation from a Master’s programme, so this is a sort of graduation trip to celebrate my latest milestone, and…
- Annecy has been on my bucket list for a very long time, and I really wanted to visit Annecy as a pilgrimage for animation lovers, so that’s the biggest reason why!
How I Planned My Annecy Itinerary (Sponsored by Me!)
Of course, any adventure needs a plan, and with an adventure as epic as Annecy, I needed a lot of planning for my itinerary. In fact, I started planning my trip in September of last year and began booking parts of the trip in October, but it was not without its obstacles. With that said, it is time to break it down…
Budget (and Insurance)
Considering I have a good-paying job, on the surface I should be able to splurge on a lot of things, especially regarding the items I am going to talk about. However, that is not always the case for me.
To provide some context, I am not the type of person who splurge money unnecessarily… Most of the time. In fact, the past trip to Bangkok to see Spermageddon last year, and more recently covering Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog and The Light of Aisha on an Emirates flight recently? Yup, I spend my money so that I can cover some animated movies to look out for.
With that said, there are some elements within the trip that are worth spending more money on, as long as they offer great value for money. One of those elements is travel insurance, of which I purchased a one-time travel insurance from FWD, a digital insurance company with great value travel insurance. While my travel insurance covers protection against travel-related disruptions like most travel insurance, I also opt for a “Cancel for Any Reason” rider just in case I am unable to travel to Annecy for any external circumstances beyond my control.
As for the budget, I did not have a set budget in mind so that I can be flexible when making the relevant arrangements. However, you should take a look and budget accordingly, as my overall expenditure might not reflect your income level, so plan accordingly.
Flights, Trains and Accommodation
Probably the most difficult part of the planning was the transportation and accommodation during my time in the planning process, and to say it was not smooth sailing is only on the surface.
Initially, for the flights, I had planned to fly to Geneva via Dubai on Emirates (in premium economy), and then take the bus into Annecy. While I booked those items in October and November last year, the ongoing Iran war that began in February means I have to risk being caught in the middle of war, especially when there were drone strikes in Dubai where I plan to make a stopover. Therefore, I had to change course in March, and instead book a direct flight on Air France to Paris on Premium Economy, which is a bit more expensive than the supposed Emirates flight (actually, that is a bit of an understatement), but at least I get to fly to Paris directly. After which, I had a short layover in Paris to explore nearby sights before taking the train to Annecy in the afternoon. For the flight back to Singapore, I used my airline miles to book a premium economy ticket on Singapore Airlines (no more redemption spots for the business class seats, which I was going to take).
As for trains, initially I booked a first-class ticket from Annecy back to Paris to continue my journey in France. However, due to the flight changes, I booked an additional first-class ticket from Paris to Annecy. I had planned it accordingly, as the train leaves in the afternoon, and since I arrive in Paris at about 6am local time, that gives me some time to explore a couple of sights in Paris before I take the train to Annecy.
However, it is the accommodation that is the most difficult to book. I initially wanted to stay in a hotel, but by the time I began booking my accommodation, most of the hotels I wanted to stay had been booked during the festival period, and the remaining places are not in the old town centre where most of the festival will be held. That leaves me with one option: Airbnb.
I got to be honest, I have never booked an Airbnb before, so I had to learn how to book with the website. Even so, I faced rejections from some owners as they had not updated the price for the Annecy Festival period. Eventually, after many tries, I was able to secure an Airbnb within the old town centre that is within walking distance of Bonlieu, the main site of the festival. More on where I stayed during the festival later.
Accreditation Pass!
And now, the most important part of the Annecy and Paris adventure… Is the accreditation pass!
If you look at the website, you will find the list of festival passes to choose from, but chances are, most of the readers would go for the Festival pass. This gives you access to most of the festival sites and 2 reservations per day, for which you can go to movie screenings and studio showcases, among other goodies.
Of course, this was the accreditation pass I purchased, and since I booked my pass during the early bird period, which is usually in February, I only paid an early bird price of 85 Euros instead of 100 Euros. In fact, if you plan to be in Annecy during the entire festival, I recommend that you purchase that pass. Even if you don’t plan to see a lot of movies, Annecy itself is such a beautiful town to visit, especially near Annecy Lake.
With that said, if you only plan to see certain movies, you should know that you can purchase single movie tickets at certain theatres throughout the festival, but act fast because tickets for the most popular or anticipated movies sell out quickly!
Annecy and Paris Attractions
In terms of attractions, there are some Paris and Annecy attractions I wanted to visit in between and after the Annecy Festival, and thankfully both places have something to look out for.
For Paris, given the short amount of time, I chose to visit the most important attractions in the city, such as the two big museums in the Louvre Museum and Orsay Museum. I also ticked off the recently rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral (though I eventually decided not to head there) and Arc de Triomphe, plus Montmartre and Le Marais.
As for Annecy, while my focus is on the Festival itself, I also took time between screenings and events to explore most of the old town and Annecy Lake, hanging out with a few friends I made on Discord and trying out local delicacies. An adventure is more fun when enjoying the experience with friends, eh?
Final Checks Before the Trip
In the weeks leading up to my trip to Annecy and Paris, there are of course some final steps to get into before the big day, and these were what I did before the flight to Paris:
- Check the program schedule and prepare for which screenings or events to go for
- Book tickets for Paris attractions well in advance
- Pack my luggage for the trip
- Complete ongoing audit work as much as I can before handing over to other colleagues to finish the tasks at hand
- Check in (and potentially upgrade current premium economy seat) on the flight website
- Exchange Singapore dollars for physical Euros just in case, as some shops still do not accept credit card payments via PayWave or contactless payment methods
- Ensure everything is taken care of before the big trip
To Be Continued
Well, there you go. Here’s how I planned my trip to the Annecy Film Festival. This was a plan about 9 months in the making, and sure, other moviegoers have different approaches, but this is one of those approaches which you can adopt when planning a trip to Annecy, or any other film festival you wanted to go to.
Thank you so much for joining me on part 1 of my Annecy Film Festival journey. Tune in next time for part 2, where I begin making the trip to the Annecy Film Festival. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
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