The Aniverse and Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF), in partnership with Annecy Festival, France, launches AniMela, India’s first-ever International Festival of Animation, VFX, XR, Games and Comics.
Set to take place in Mumbai in November 2023, the three-day festival will provide a platform for Indian talents in the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics industries (AVGC-XR) to showcase their work and network with international professionals.
The festival aims to promote the AVGC-XR industry in India through events, activities and workshops and to create a space to celebrate artistic, technological and entrepreneurial innovations in the field. AniMela will also offer masterclasses and workshops to inspire and educate emerging artists, game developers and storytellers about art and careers in the industry.
The Indian government has dubbed AVGC the “sunrise sector” and in 2022 a funding task force was set up to grow the industry. According to EY’s annual Indian media and industry report, the sector is projected to grow to INR 180 billion (US$2.1 billion) by 2024.
AVAF Director Kireet Khurana, who also directed the mixed animation live-action film Toonpur Ka Superhero, said: “Today, India’s contribution to the global AVGC-XR sector is only 0.5%. The global AVGC-XR sector is $800 billion. India has immense potential to increase the slice of this pie as we have world-class talent in the country.”
Mickael Marin, CEO of Annecy Festival added: “We see tremendous potential in India, not only in providing back-end support for the major studios in the west, but also in creating a lot of original content that is fully were developed by themselves. There is no shortage of talent in India, it just needs to be showcased and made available to a larger audience. At AniMela we see exactly that.”
Veronique Encrenaz, Head of International Animation Film Market (MIFA), said: “We see a lot of creativity and technological know-how among Indian animators. They create content that is on par with any developed country in the world. This initiative will contribute to the exchange of ideas and thus enable the aspirants in the industry to grow.”
India’s AVAF is a non-profit organization founded by Kireet Khurana, Archana Trasy, Anne Doshi, Neha Jain and Tehzeeb Khurana to promote animation and other visual arts in India.
AniMela is also supported by Frameboxx 2.0, Assemblage, Anibrain, Paperboat India, Greengold, 88 Pictures, NurnbergMesse India, Whistling Woods International, Indus Club, Hueman Creatives, Animator Festival – Poland, 360X Dubai, Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Amar Chitra Katha, Tulsea , Animation Express, French Consul General in Mumbai and French Institute in India and Media & Entertainment Skills Council.
