France’s Annecy Animation Festival opened on Sunday, and among the event’s first activities was a screening of titles from the Commission Films in Competition Lineup. During the projection, the French music video for Chien Méchant’s “ Étoile filante ,” produced using generative artificial intelligence software, earned the extraordinary distinction of being booed by the Annecy audience. According to the French VFX, animation and gaming website 3DVF , which was at the screening, all of the other titles presented during the event received applause of varying degrees.
When the “Étoile Filante” video – directed by Kelzang Ravach and produced by Temple Caché and Mélusine Caillau – finished, a few people clapped, but most of the audience remained silent while “some spectators started booing the clip.” Made up mostly of animation students and professionals, Annecy crowds, packed by students from some of the best animation schools in Europe, generally express very little cynicism towards films playing at the festival. Audiences will applaud nearly anything that screens if only to show their support for the tremendous amount of work that goes into creating an animated film.
So, a competition title, especially a French competition title, being booed by the majority of the hometown audience is an exceptional occurrence and one that may be repeated throughout the week. When Annecy unveiled this year’s lineups in late April, word quickly got out about the .
