France’s LFA Launches Annecy Women in Animation Panel, Announces 20/20 Initiatives

On Wednesday, Les Femmes s’Animent (LFA), the French arm of Women in Animation (WIA), hosted and streamed “Confinement Votre” (Your Confinement), a global video conference, as part of this year’s WIA Summit at the virtual edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

LFA reached out to women working in the animation industry across Europe about how being confined to working from home affected them, and what they have learned so far from the experience.

In the video, short quarantine-animated clips are interspersed between clips of professionals discussing numerous issues they were made to deal with during lockdown from lost creative motivation, remaining part of a community, working collaboratively, finding inspiration in the face of adversity and ways that participants hope the world might change after the pandemic has passed.

In a press release accompanying the launch of the Annecy conference, the organization also announced that: “In line with LFA’s past actions, and in direct reaction to recent weeks’ international upheavals and growing awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion, LFA is reinforcing its initiatives in favor of inclusion in the animation industry in France.”

To that end, LFA is launching a talent recognition and mentoring program to identify and support previously under-recognized talent and provide networking opportunities to young, promising female artists who might not otherwise have access to industry movers and shakers.

Stretching the organizations reach abroad, in coordination with Annecy’s 2021 African focus, the program will be carried out domestically and in French-speaking Africa.

“LFA’s objective is to identify and support talent, helping selected women to define, nurture and produce animated productions. These projects will be presented during the Annecy 2021 festival,” said the release.

LFA also shared details on four key objectives for 2020/21: Organizing with existing associations and training programs aimed at improving inclusion in the industry while focusing on visibility and efficiency; organizing meetings with professionals to raise awareness of barriers to inclusion at all levels and to disseminate a Charter of Inclusion and Diversity to animation studios; opening up the animation sector to currently alienated audiences; and expanding existing organizations of LFA mentorships to support young women in developing careers within animation.