132 -Annecy 2026: An Exhibition to Celebrate André Martin’s Centenary!
- Clément Martin
- Jun 28
- 4 min read
The Annecy Festival is honoring André Martin on the centenary of his birth. In addition to the two screening sessions dedicated to his films (1), an exhibition is taking place at the heart of the festival at the Bonlieu Media Library, both on the ground floor and the first floor until 18th of July.
The Festival thus pays homage to a militant figure in animation cinema who gave it its name and formalized it.
André Martin was the driving force behind many festivals, including the "Journées Internationales du Cinéma" (JICA), the first international animated film festival, which began in Cannes before moving to ... Annecy in 1960.
Today, this festival has become the largest animation film festival in the world!
Thirteen Panels for a Prolific Journey!
The exhibition outlines André Martin’s prolific career through thirteen panels, from his birth on December 31, 1925, to the end of his activities in 1988. It takes visitors on a journey through 50 years of animation, research, cinema, writing, and festivals, covering:
His early years in Bordeaux;
The creation of the "Journées du Cinéma", JICA, and the Annecy Festival;
His writings on cinema and animation, published in "Les Cahiers du Cinéma" and other journals;
His work in Canada:
Meeting the team of the Montreal International Film Festival;
His contributions to the 1967 Montreal World Expo;
His research on media and telecommunications, culminating in his role as Director of Research at the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC);
His involvement in establishing the Ottawa International Animation Festival;
His promotion of new images at the Institut National de l’Audiovisuel (INA), leading to the creation of the Monte Carlo New Images Forum (Forum des nouvelles images).
Celebrating Creativity: Animated Journey by Sainte-Geneviève Animation Students
Upon entering the ground floor, visitors can discover a montage by Florentine Grelier—a teacher at the Institut Sainte-Geneviève and a filmmaker—featuring animated vignettes about André Martin, created by DNMADe Animation students (specializing in animation in service of reality). What better way to explore animated heritage than through the eyes of animation students?
Bravo to Institut Sainte-Geneviève and its students for their magnificent work! 🤗 A must-see—it’s pure joy!
Audiovisual Highlights: Archives from INA and NFB
On the second floor, a montage of archival footage showcases:
His passion for short films;
The fairground spirit of the "Journées du Cinéma", explaining animated cinema, André Martin’s thoughts on animation, and its place in the media;
His research on telecommunications in Canada.
Original Works from the Annecy Museum and the Geneviève & André Martin Collection
The exhibition would not be complete without addressing André Martin’s animated works. For this occasion, the Annecy Museum has loaned a selection of original preparatory materials from films by André Martin and Michel Boschet.
Visitors can admire the graphic quality of the preparatory works—backgrounds, characters on cels—displayed in vitrines and framed on the walls.
The exhibition also features storyboard elements from the Geneviève & André Martin Collection for the film "Mais où sont les neiges d’antan" (1962) by Michel Boschet and André Martin, shown in the screening room.
Complete Retrospective of His Animated Films
A dedicated screen showcases André Martin’s animated films:
"Radio Clinique: Poste en souffrance" (1948) – André Martin, Michel Boschet, René Rios, José Piquer (self-produced);
"Demain Paris" (1959) – André Martin & Michel Boschet (Les Films Roger Leenhardt / FRL Productions);
"Patamorphose ou le désespoir du peintre" (1960) – André Martin & Michel Boschet (Les Films Roger Leenhardt / FRL Productions);
"Mais où sont les neiges d’antan" (1962) – André Martin & Michel Boschet (Argos Films);
"Maison vole" (1983) – André Martin & Philippe Quéau (INA).
The restored version of "Mais où sont les neiges d’antan" is being premiered at the exhibition—a magnificent restoration by VDM Laboratory, overseen by the CNC for André Martin’s centenary. The versions of "Demain Paris" and "Patamorphose ou le désespoir du peintre" have also been restored from 35mm films by VDM Laboratory, with CNC oversight.
For more information on the films, see (1) the Annecy Classics session and (2) the screening at the National Animation Film Festival, where the unrestored version from Forum des Images was shown.
Clément Martin led guided tours at 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday, June 23, prior to the exhibition opening at 6:30 PM. The Annecy Festival 2026 is over, but the exhibition remains open until July 18 !
Enjoy the exhibition! The team at Bonlieu Media Library looks forward to seeing you!
#AndreMartinCentenary #BonlieuMediaLibrary #AnnecyFestival #InstitutSainteGenevieve #GAMCAAnimation #AnnecyMuseum #CNC #INA #NFB #CITIA #CinemathequeQuebecoise #ArgosFilms #FRLProductions
(1) 131 - Annecy Classics 2026: Two Screenings to Celebrate André Martin’s Centenary!
(2) 128 - Tribute to André Martin at the National Animation Film Festival