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"Water Girl" from Sandra Demazières. Image source https://sandradesmazieres.blogspot.com/2016/10/les-filles-de-leau.html The Émile Reynaud Award 2025: Water Girl  by Sandra Desmazières The Émile Reynaud Award is a distinction that honors a French professional animated short film. Originally created in 1943 by La Critique Cinématographique Parisienne, it has been awarded annually since 1977 by the Association Française du Cinéma d’Animation (AFCA). This year, six short films were selected: Water Girl  by Sandra Desmazières ( Caïmans Productions, Animais AVPL, Valk Productions ) The Death of the Fish  by Eva Lusbaronian ( Miyu Productions ) Mise en culture, récolte et dispersion des épines  by Jeanne Girard ( Novanima, A Perte de Vue, l’Incroyable Studio ) God Is Shy  by Jocelyn Charles ( Remembers ) Long Distance  by Iulia Voitova ( Welaï Productions, Avec ou sans vous ) Carcassonne–Acapulco  by Marjorie Caup, Olivier Héraud ( 12//24 Films ) selected shorts films - Image source AFCA On this World Animation Day, celebrated on October 28th, the six shortlisted films were shown on the big screen at Cinéma Le Méliès  in Paris and at the Théâtre National de Bretagne  in Rennes.This remarkable selection, which brought this October’s "Fête du Cinéma d’Animation" to a close, offered audiences a delightful mix of offbeat humor, sharp wit, dance, the supernatural, moments of weightlessness, and deep dives into poetic worlds. There could only be one winner — and the members of the AFCA  awarded the Émile Reynaud Prize  to "Water Girl" by Sandra Desmazières  ( Caïmans Productions, Animais AVPL, Valk Productions ). Water Girl  by Sandra Desmazières France, Portugal, Netherlands – 2025 – 15'06'' Written and directed by Sandra Desmazières Produced by Jérôme Barthélemy, Daniel Sauvage & Olivier Catherin In co-production with Animais  – Nuno Amorim & Vanessa Ventura  – and Valk Productions  – Richard Valk Original music by Manuel Merlot, Cedryck Santens Train Train Studio:   Gilles Cuvelier, Marine Blin 12//24 Studio:   Marianne Chazelas, Maxime Fossier Editing by Guerric Catala Sound editing by Antoine Citrinot, Alexis Place Foley by Grégory Vincent Sound mix by Cyril Holtz Color grading by Richard Deusy With gentleness and tenderness, the film draws us into the world of female divers of all ages who harvest shellfish from the sea.When these women dive, age seems to dissolve as if, beneath the surface, they return to their true element. The freediving women come to sell their catch. Image source   https://sandradesmazieres.blogspot.com/2016/10/les-filles-de-leau.html “Water Girl " follows the life of Mia, one of the divers, filled with joys, sorrows, encounters, and disappearances through a contemplative journey across time, . Mia, the film’s main character . Image source https://www.unifrance.org/film/61943/fille-de-l-eau The water and the marine world blend poetically with reality, memories, and the dreams of Mia, now an old woman. The sea, as a constant presence, envelops the entire course of her life. Mia encounters love. Source: press kit. Sandra Desmazières wanted to make a film about women’s lives, about the transformation of their bodies, motherhood, and the passage of time.The story found its setting when she discovered a documentary about these female divers, whose world became the framework for her narrative. The animation was created primarily using TVPaint, except for the sequences handcrafted by Sandra Desmazières herself. The images were printed, then drawn and painted by hand, rescanned, cut out, and re-integrated into the animation. Background painting at the Animais studios in Portugal - Photo source Olivier Catherin More than 25 000 Images were drawn and painted by hand to give the film its organic vibrancy and remarkable graphic quality, at times reminiscent of a “living Paul Gauguin”, immersing us fully in the world of these female divers. Sandra Desmazières talks about her film (in french) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQepC-JMb-o While waiting to see it on the big screen, you can watch the film on the ARTE  platform: https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/108511-000-A/fille-de-l-eau/ If the platform is not available in your country you can watch the trailer on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo3FEZtoaY8 Sandra Desmazières  gifted us with a beautiful poem about a woman’s life along the water. As with any well-deserved award, it was celebrated properly… without water! Jérôme Barthélemy, Sandra Desmazières, and Olivier Catherin celebrate the award with a well-deserved drink ! - Photo Clément Martin #filledeleau #watergirl   #sandrademazieres   #jeromebarthelemy   #oliviercatherin #prixemilereynaud #afca   #arte   #gamcaanimation

Arco and Iris, the film’s two young protagonists — Image courtesy of the Cannes Film Festival website Ugo Bienvenu’s first feature film, Arco , hits French theatres on Wednesday, October 22, and in the US on November 14. This highly anticipated animated film already promises to be a remarkable success on the big screen. Premiered last June at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Arco received the Fondation Gan Special Prize as part of the 2023 Creation Award. Selected at Cannes, the film went on to win the Cristal Award and the SACEM Prize for Original Music in the feature film category at Annecy 2025. The English version had its world premiere in the “Centerpiece” section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The Director Ugo Bienvenu studied at École Estienne, Gobelins, l’école de l’image, CalArts in Los Angeles, as well as at Les Arts Décoratifs de Paris and through the Animation Sans Frontières program. A prolific artist, he first gained recognition through his short films, graphic novels, music videos, and animated segments for documentaries, as well as campaigns for luxury brands and a mini-series for Marvel and Disney. Préférence Système , graphic novel by Ugo Bienvenu - Image courtesy of the Amazon France website He directed ARCO , his first feature film, within the production company Remembers, which he co-runs with Félix de Givry, and where he also serves as a producer. ARCO — France, 2025 — 1h28 Directed by Ugo Bienvenu Written by Ugo Bienvenu and Félix de Givry Produced by Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Ugo Bienvenu Music by Arnaud Toulon Executive Producers Audrey Tondre, Remembers Studio Art Direction & Character Design Ugo Bienvenu Art Supervision Félix de Givry Storyboard Ugo Bienvenu, Adam Sillard, Jocelyn Charles, Tamerlan Bekmurzayev Animation Direction Adam Sillard Assistant Director Anaëlle Saba Design Assistant Simon Cadilhac Compositing Supervision Benoît Galland Background Color & Stylization Louise Seynhaeve, Ugo Bienvenu, Fabio Besse Background Supervision Fabio Besse Colorscript Louise Seynhaeve Post-production Supervision Clara Vincienne Editing Nathan Jacquard Assistant Editor Albert Bonnier Sound Design Nicolas Becker Sound Editing Andrea Ferrara Mixing Damien Lazzerini Foley Grégory Vincent A co-production with France 3 Cinéma and with the participation of Netflix, France Télévisions, Diaphana, and Goodfellas Animation Voices Zoya Bogomolova (Ada), Wyatt Danieluk (Clifford), Romy Fay (Iris), Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Andy Samberg Arco takes us on a futuristic adventure. The film follows the journey of a young boy, Arco, who lives in the year 2 932 and travels back in time to 2 075, using a mysterious cloak and crystal that enable him to move through time. The world of Arco in 2932 — image source : https://actu.fr/cinema/ceff-2025-apres-son-cristal-d-or-a-annecy-arco-d-ugo-bienvenu-montre-pour-la-premiere-fois-a-paris_62805950.html The “journey” is far from being under control for our young hero. He ends up in the year 2 075, where Iris discovers him in the forest after a violent fall. Iris discovers Arco after his journey through time. Image source   https://www.fondation-gan.com/laureats-et-films/gan-laureats/arco/ The arrival of this extra-temporal being in Iris’s world triggers a series of adventures and twists, as Arco tries to find his way back to the space-time of his parents. Blending science fiction, with robots and time travel, and ecological fable, through the presence of nature and the effects of climate change, the film movingly portrays the deep friendship that grows between Iris and Arco. Nature plays an active role in the film’s visual storytelling. Image source   https://www.cinelapsus.com/arco-2025-di-ugo-bienvenu/ The film also offers, as a backdrop, a reflection on the consequences of disobedience and transgression, as all these adventures stem from the use of time-travel devices intended for adults and forbidden to children. Ugo Bienvenu and his team have brought together all the ingredients of a successful family spectacle: A script whose main storyline has already proven globally successful with E.T. , filled with twists and suspense that fully engage the audience; Picturesque characters, such as the trio Dougie, Stewie, and Frankie — as comical as they are threatening to Arco’s mission to return; Emotion in the relationships between characters that deeply resonate; Music by Arnaud Toulon, award-winning at Annecy, providing the film with the support of this classic ally of spectacular cinema; Carefully crafted sets and backgrounds; Sound design by Nicolas Becker, so crucial in animation. Finally, the evident inspiration from the imagination and style of Japanese animation , particularly Studio Ghibli, is sure to delight parents who bring their children to this film. You can watch the teaser trailer on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNUkW6ywV-c We wish Arco the same success in France and internationally as a certain little cat enjoyed last year, taking it from the César to the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (1) ! Young spectators, get ready, this is Arco , the show you’ll echo ! With all the ingredients of a hit, it will captivate audiences just as Studio Ghibli films enchanted your parents. To be continued ! #arco #ugobienvenu #remembers #annecyfestival #fondationgan #gamcaanimation (1) 105 Oscar 2025 : Attention un doublé peut en cacher un autre ! (in french) https://www.gamca.info/post/oscar-2025-attention-un-doublé-peut-en-cacher-un-autre

Presentation of the projects with the Institut Sainte-Geneviève. Photo by Florentine Grelier. The cultural association “GAMCA Animation”  was officially registered on September 15, 2025 . GAMCA  is a contraction of “Geneviève et André Martin des Communications Animées.”  The word animation  was added to make it easier to find through online search engines. The association’s mission is to promote animation films  and it now manages the website GENEVIÈVE ET ANDRÉ MARTIN : DES COMMUNICATIONS ANIMÉES   , which has existed since 2019. The first two projects as a legal entity are being carried out in collaboration with the Institut Sainte-Geneviève  and the second-year DNMADE Animation Cinema students , with two themes that GAMCA Animation  will have the opportunity to return to later. For GAMCA Animation , this represents an opportunity to: Take part in two educational projects  and share with younger generations key historical insights that helped shape animated cinema  in France and internationally over fifty years of its history; Prepare a few surprises  to celebrate the centenary of André Martin’s birth , who was born on December 31, 1925 — an anniversary that GAMCA Animation  will celebrate throughout the year 2026 . Mariane Pinel, teacher at the Institut Sainte-Geneviève, and Clément Martin, president of GAMCA Animation, present the first project to the students. Photo by Florentine Grelier. To be continued ! André Martin at home in 1977. Photo Clément Martin #gamcaanimation   #institutsaintegenevi eve   #marianepinel   #florentinegrelier

Traces directed by Sophie Tavert Macian et Hugo Frassetto - Image source :   https://www.lesfilmsdunord.com/traces The Carrefour du Cinéma d’Animation, held at the Forum des Images, concludes this Sunday, 2019 December 15th with a full day of wonderful screenings. Last night, the final screening of the day featured French short films. Among them was a remarkable 13-minute animated film: Traces France 2019 Direction, Screenplay: Sophie Tavert Macian, Hugo Frassetto Animation: Hugo Frassetto, Hannah Letaïf, Nicolas Liguori, Clémentine Robach Editing: Christian Cuilleron, Hugo Frassetto, Sophie Tavert Macian, Cyril Besse Voices: Emilie Charbonnier, Claudio Dos Santos, Jérôme Fonlupt, Anny Vogel Sound, Music: Fabrice Faltraue Mixing: Nils Fauth The directors wished to tell the story of the origins of the Chauvet–Pont d’Arc cave mural ( http://archeologie.culture.fr/chauvet/fr ), and of the artist who created it, taking certain liberties in their interpretation of these ancient traces. They knew that animation has the power to synthesize and condense an invented form of life; here, it allows us to travel through time with a sensitive realism, recreated from the artworks found in this cave. The film’s team transports us into the world of hunting and prehistoric cave art — the living world of 36,000 years ago. When the time of the Hunt and the Trace returns, Gwel leads the group of hunters, while Karou the Tracer and his apprentice Lani set out to paint in the monumental cave. L’apprentissage de Lani pour apprendre le dessin souvent sévère et parfois brutale.  Source Image https://www.lesfilmsdunord.com/traces Two techniques are used: oil painting on glass to create the scenes, and sand on glass for the elements related to drawing within the film. These techniques offer us a world that is both austere and primitive, yet refined — powerfully transporting us back to that distant time when hunting met the essential needs of nourishment and clothing. The hunt : Source Image http://www.studio-wasia.com/promofilms/Tra/FrTra/tra-img.html Oil painting allows for the freedom of movement necessary to remain close to cave murals from a graphic standpoint, while also offering great flexibility in animation. The long drying time of oil paint makes it possible to move very fine areas within the image, to shift the material itself, and to make touch-ups that bring out delicate, refined details. Austere, raw, and refined world - source Image : http://www.studio-wasia.com/promofilms/Tra/FrTra/tra-img.html The second technique, using black sand, allows the murals to be recreated with their grain and graphic purity. This technique, highly suited to transformations, enables the metamorphoses that animate these murals, completing our immersion in this recreated time. This invented yet so real world gives us an exceptional short film and a remarkable tribute to the creators who came before us 36,000 years ago. Watch on Arte TV if available in your country : The Making Of — https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/092888-000-A/making-of-traces/ Yous can also watch a trailer of the short film : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k46pd-f_NbY #traces # sophietavertmacian #hugofrassetto #lesfilmsdunord #gamcaanimation

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Présentation des projets avec l'Institut Sainte-Geneviève. Photo Florentine Grelier L'association culturelle "GAMCA Animation" a été officiellement enregistrée le 15 septembre 2025. GAMCA est une contraction de "Geneviève et André Martin des Communications Animées". Le mot animation a été accolé afin de faciliter les recherches dans les moteurs de recherches internet. Cette association a pour but de promouvoir le cinéma d'animation et prend en charge le site GENEVIÈVE ET ANDRÉ MARTIN : DES COMMUNICATIONS ANIMÉES qui existe depuis 2019. Les deux premiers projets en tant que personne morale se font avec l'Institut Sainte-Geneviève et les étudiants de 2e année en DNMADE Cinéma d'Animation avec deux sujets sur lesquels GAMCA Animation aura l'occasion de revenir. C'est pour GAMCA Animation l'opportunité de : Participer à deux projets pédagogiques et de transmettre aux plus jeunes des éléments historiques importants qui ont construits "le cinéma d'animation" en France et à l'international sur 50 ans d'histoire du cinéma d'animation; Préparer quelques surprises pour l'anniversaire du centenaire de la naissance d'André Martin né le 31 décembre 1925 et que GAMCA Animation fêtera tout au long de l'année 2026. Mariane Pinel, enseignante à l'Institut Sainte-Geneviève, et Clément Martin, président de GAMCA Animation, présentent le premier projet aux étudiants. Photo Florentine Grelier A suivre ! André Martin chez lui en 1977. Photo Clément Martin #gamcaanimation #institutsaintegeneviève #marianepinel #florentinegrelier