128 - Tribute to André Martin at the National Animation Film Festival

Clément Martin
Apr 4
4 min read

Element from the storyboard of "Mais où sont les neiges d'antan" by André Martin and Michel Boschet, 1962 – Collection Geneviève and André Martin

As promised, Gamca Animation continues to prepare, alongside its partners, events throughout 2026 to commemorate the centenary of André Martin’s birth.

We could not miss this opportunity to offer you these unique journeys through 50 years of animation cinema, writing, and research. Art, graphics, movements, techniques, productions, discourse, research, sociology, and communications that will engage you through these creations, forward-looking visions, and contemporary voices.

The next event will take place in Rennes at the National Animation Film Festival, with a screening organized by the French Association of Animation Cinema on Friday, April 10, at 4:00 PM in Cinéma Arvor, Room 5.

GAMCA Animation thanks its partners and the women and men behind these organizations who made this screening possible.

The Program

André Martin: Critic, Theorist, and Animation Filmmaker

Clément Martin will present his father’s journey and the films to be screened, illustrated with materials from the "Geneviève and André Martin Collection."

You will discover the journey of this influential critic, who was instrumental in founding numerous animation festivals, including the Annecy Festival. As an animation and documentary filmmaker, and an tireless researcher, he left an indelible mark on the history of animation and a legacy that remains vibrant today.

André Martin was all of these:

A pioneer of animation film festivals, helping to build an international network for animation cinema.
A scholarly and witty filmmaker, known for his finely crafted texts.
A visionary theorist, who expanded the definition of animation and championed its status as a fully-fledged art form.
A committed critic, whose writings remain essential references for understanding the evolution of animation, imagery, and media in the 20th century.
A cultural bridge between France and Canada, through his collaborations with the NFB, ORTF’s research department, Radio Canada, and INA.
A researcher who decoded technological advancements to pave the way for future innovations.

André Martin on set in Montreal for the National Film Board of Canada in 1966. Photograph from the Geneviève and André Martin Collection

Institut Sainte-Geneviève: Honoring a Legacy

Florentine Grelier (1), animation filmmaker and teacher at Institut Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, will present the work of animation students inspired by André Martin, both completed and in progress, to celebrate the legacy he continues to inspire:

A project on the use of typography in animation, based on texts by André Martin.

Excerpt from projects by Alexandre Le Gal.
Excerpt from projects by Victoria Toczek
Excerpts from project by Noémie Chollet.

A series of six short animated films (two minutes each) tracing André Martin’s prolific journey from his birth to the era of "new images," including his films, research, writings, the festivals he founded, his time in Canada, and his work in media. A "making-of" for these films is currently in production.

Preparatory image for film #2. Animation illustrating "Les journées du cinéma" . Image: Institut Sainte-Geneviève.

Animation illustrating the first Annecy Festival in 1960. Image: Institut Sainte-Geneviève.

The Animated Films

Four animated films will be screened during this session:

"Demain Paris" Michel Boschet, André Martin | France | 1959 | 16 min | Color | French | Productions Les Films Roger Leenhardt

Commissioned by the Ministry of Construction, this film traces the history of Paris’s development and the plans for the region’s future. It offers a forward-looking vision of urbanization in Île-de-France during that era.

"Patamorphose" André Martin, Michel Boschet | France | 1960 | 17 min | Music by Geneviève Martin

A painter in the Luxembourg Gardens attempts to paint the Luxembourg Palace. This humorous film showcases various animation techniques as the painter, played by Michel Boschet, struggles to complete his work.

Patamorphose, Ink and charcoal animation. Image: Geneviève and André Martin Collection

"Mais où sont les neiges d'antan ? " Michel Boschet, André Martin | 1962 | 16 min | Music by Geneviève Martin

An ethnographer travels to a small African village to record local sounds and music, only to exploit them for personal gain. A film about defending authors' rights and cultural diversity.

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan. Image: Argos Films

"Maison Vole"André Martin, Philippe Quéau | France | 1983 | 2 min | Color

A pioneer of "new digital images" at a time when animation professionals ignored them, André Martin collaborated with Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA) and Sogitec to create a fully synthetic 3D animation film, both narrative and poetic, using a flight simulator for visuals and the IRCAM 4X system for music composed by Geneviève Martin.

Don’t miss this special event on Friday, April 10, at 4:00 PM at Cinéma Arvor in Rennes, a tribute to André Martin featuring classic and rare films, as well as student projects inspired by his remarkable journey !

Stay tuned ...

#centenaireandremartin #festivalnationaldufilmdanimation #afca #institutsaintegenevieve #frlproductions #argosfilms #ina #forumdesimages #gamcaanimation

(1) Florentine Grelier received the André Martin Short Film Award at Annecy in 2018 for "Mon Juke Box." Read more and watch "La Complainte de l’Automate" here.