The most prominent animation festival in the world, Annecy, has named Colombia as its Country of Honor next year, a significant nod to the South American nation’s burgeoning animation industry.

The honor was awarded by the 66-year-old festival and its market, Mifa (Marché International du Film d’Animation), long deemed the premier global gathering for animation creators, studios, buyers, distributors, platforms, investors and industry professionals.

With this recognition, announced as the seven-day event wrapped on June 27 with its prize ceremony, Colombia joins the ranks of Japan, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and Brazil, all previously recognized as countries of honor.

After more than four decades of growth, Colombia now boasts more than 30 animation and digital content studios, producing a slew of internationally distributed series, feature films and short films. Bogotá remains the main hub and is home to such studios as Team Toon Studio, Caballo Loco Studio, Dinamita Animación, Piragna, Hierro Animación, Lucy Animation Studio and Ikartoons Animation.

Reflecting on the announcement, Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy Animation Festival since 2012, said: “Over the past decade, Colombian animation has gained remarkable momentum, both through the quality of its artistic output and its efforts to strengthen its international presence through co-productions and participation in major industry events.”

He cited a visit to the Bogoshorts festival in Colombia, where he “witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm driving a promising new generation of young talent working on ambitious short and feature film projects currently in production.”

Representing this new generation of talent is Mária Cristina Pérez whose fourth short, the experimental drama “Once in a Body” (“Una vez en un cuerpo”) competes at Annecy. This follows such notable shorts as “The Plastic Turtle” (2019) and “The Bitch” (2023), which screened at festivals worldwide.

“For these reasons, a tribute to Colombian animation in 2027 is particularly timely—an opportunity to celebrate this creative diversity and highlight the strength of a model that supports entrepreneurs across the moving-image sector,” Jean added.

Colombia’s participation as guest Country of Honor at Annecy is part of a broader international promotion strategy led by Proimágenes Colombia, which also serves as the Colombia Film Commission.

Claudia Triana, executive director of Proimágenes Colombia, sees the recognition as “the result of decades of work by artists, producers, studios, institutions and industry associations that have helped build a strong, innovative sector with a global outlook.”

“This invitation will allow us to showcase the diversity of Colombia’s creative talent to the world, strengthen co-production opportunities and open new pathways for the international circulation of Colombian animated content. It is also an opportunity to inspire new generations of creators and demonstrate that Colombia can compete and collaborate at the highest level of the global animation industry,” she noted.