Animation, a flagship sector in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Animation is the flagship sector of the film and audiovisual industry in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, as shown by the many rewards obtained by films local entities have supported.
AN AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION SECTOR
Many films partially made in Nouvelle-Aquitaine have been distinguished with the highest honours and are still remembered today.
Cesar:
- “My Life as a Courgette” (directed by Claude Barras) in 2017
- “Josep” (directed by Aurel) in 2021
- “Chicken for Linda!” (directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach) in 2024
Cristal for a Feature Film at Annecy's animation festival:
- “The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily” (directed by Lorenzo Mattotti) in 2019
- “Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary” (directed by Rémi Chayé) in 2020
- “Little Nicholas: Happy as can be” (directed by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre) in 2022
- ”Chicken for Linda!” in 2023
Other categories at Annecy's animation festival:
- “Blind Willow Sleeping Woman” (directed by Pierre Foldès) - Jury Award in 2022
- “Living Large” (directed by Kristina Dufková) – Contrechamp Award in 2024
- “Little Amélie“ (directed by Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han) – Audience Award in 2025
- “Death does not exist“ (directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière) – Jury special distinction for an original Soundtrack in a feature Film in 2025
- “Dandelion's Odyssey” (directed by Momoko Seto) – Paul Grimault prize in 2025
Cannes' official selection:
- “Red Turtle” (directed by Michael Dudok de Wit) - Jury Prize in 2017
- "The Most Precious of Cargoes” (directed by Michel Hazanavicius)– Official Selection in 2024
These full-feature films were either co-produced or made in the many studios of the region (Miyu, Novanima, 3.0 Studio, Les films du poisson rouge, 2 Minutes, Shan Two, Blue Spirit).
AN INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM
Animation is a strategic media industry that generates thousands of jobs and attracts top creative talent. Nouvelle-Aquitaine ranks as France’s second-largest hub for animated content production, after the Paris region. The sector brings together 1,300 professionals, 25 specialized schools, and 30 studios—most of them based in Angoulême within the Magelis image cluster.
THE ANGOULÊME ECOSYSTEM
Angoulême Comics Festival, one of the largest comics festivals in the world, gathers animation and comics professionals in Angoulême every winter. Many animation studios are located in the Image Cluster fostered by Magelis. Today, Nouvelle Aquitaine is France’s number 2 production centre for animated images in France after the Paris region. Angoulême’s cluster counts nearly 30 animation studios, 1,500 professionals and 2,000 students in 15 specialised schools which adds to the dozen schools located in Bordeaux. A large percentage of animation productions broadcast on national screens are made in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This figure has been steadily increasing in recent years as the new tax credit boosted the competitiveness of local talents.
SUPPORT FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES
In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, eight local authorities are actively committed to supporting audiovisual and film productions through the film fund, in partnership with the CNC, with the support of ALCA Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Region’s cultural agency. In the animation sector, the most significant contributions come from the Region itself (around €2 million) and the Charente Department (with a comparable budget). Other local authorities such as Bordeaux Métropole and Dordogne are also involved. All share a common goal: fostering the growth and development of the animation industry in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
A regular and constructive dialogue between local authorities and industry professionals has been strengthened, culminating in January 2026 with the implementation of a renewed strategy for the cinema and audiovisual sector.
NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE RENEWS ITS STRATEGY TO SUPPORT CINEMA AND AUDIOVISUAL ARTS
Faced with the economic, societal, and environmental changes impacting our societies, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, with the support of ALCA, reaffirms its commitment to cinema and audiovisual arts.
In a world where modes of production, distribution, and consumption of images are rapidly evolving, the Region reiterates that artistic creation, the diversity of narratives, and the local roots of productions are essential values to preserve and promote.
A Strategy Built Collectively
Between 2023 and 2025, a broad regional consultation was carried out with professionals across the sector throughout the territory. This process helped identify needs, challenges, and key levers to support an ecosystem undergoing profound transformation.
From these discussions emerged a renewed strategy aimed at strengthening the regional industry, fostering innovation, reinforcing connections between works and audiences, and accelerating the sector’s ecological and societal transition.
Strategic Priorities for Cinema and Audiovisual Arts
- Support diverse, innovative, and locally rooted cinematic and audiovisual creation.
- Build a strong and sustainable regional industry.
- Strengthen cultural dynamics and the connection between works, authors, and audiences across the entire territory.
- Drive the ecological and societal transition of the cinema and audiovisual sector in the region.
More information about the film fund
ANIMATION AND VIDEO GAMES: TWO INTERCONNECTED SECTORS
Since the adoption of the Digital Roadmap by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region in June 2018, the video game sector as well as the audiovisual and cinema sectors have been established as one of the region’s strategic priorities. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is home to more than 110 video game companies, representing over 1,200 jobs. While the regional industry is largely made up of small structures with fewer than 10 employees, it also includes flagship companies and leading players such as Ubisoft and Asobo, France’s top independent developer.
The ecosystem offers an ideal environment for growth, thanks to internationally recognized training programs (such as Cnam-Enjmin) and the presence of a dedicated professional association, SO·Games.
MÉCA, THE NEW EMBLEMATIC PLACE OF CULTURE
The MECA – the house for creative economy and culture - is located on the banks of the river Garonne near Bordeaux’ train station. The MECA brings together the regional fund for contemporary art and the two regional cultural agencies: ALCA (film, audiovisual and book agency) and OARA (live performance agency). This creative community centre was designed as a hub for regional artistic creation and production where directors, producers, visual artists, choreographers, comedians, authors, editors and more come together and in which the citizens are at the heart of contemporary creation and of art in the making. Home of artistic hybridization, the MECA embodies the support of creative sectors in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.