MIFA (marché international du film d’animation) takes place May 28 to 31 in Annecy, France, in conjunction with the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, which holds screenings May 26 to 31. The market and festival, the largest in the world devoted exclusively to animation, attract 5,000 professionals from 70 countries involved in all aspects of animation, youth film and multimedia.

The biennial Annecy Festival offers prizes for short and feature-length films, TV films and commissioned films. At the last festival, in 1995, 1,236 programs were submitted for selection. The festival features 254 official and competition programs, retrospectives and tributes, plus exhibitions.

MIFA events include:

– Multimedia Encounters: workshops and demonstrations bringing animation and multimedia professionals together;

– International Project Competition: a showcase for authors and directors of all forms of animation;

– discussions, conferences and roundtables examining current industry issues;

– the MIFA viewing centre, with 20 screening booths. A list of shows on view will be provided daily.

A festival TV channel has been set up to allow busy MIFA attendees to view all programs screened at the Annecy Festival. The channel will be available at all hotels in the city.

For more information, call 33-4-50-57-4172, or visit the Web site at http://www.annecy-animation-festival.tm.fr.