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June 20 was always meant to be the day the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival would hand out awards at an energetic, paper airplane-filled gala, making it one of the most important dates on the global animation calendar.

While other aspects of the festival were changed dramatically by the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis, festival organizers felt it symbolically important to preserve that date. To that end, 10 days ahead of the festival’s official June 30 close, prizes were awarded via a live-streamed video on the festival’s YouTube channel in a charming ceremony which allowed spectators to interact with and congratulate the winners as prizes were announced. And of course, as is customary for Annecy, fill the chat with cries of “lapin” (French for rabbit) every time one of the furry creatures appeared on screen.

Coming full circle, Rémi Chayé’s “Calamity,” featured in a Work in Progress panel hosted by...

Whether in “I Lost My Body,” a boy-girl love story which takes place as the suitor’s severe hand crawls towards its owner, or with “The Summit of the Gods,” an epic account of two crazed climbers’ attempt to scale Everest’s South-West face in winter without oxygen, France is pushing back the boundaries of animation as art.

On one hand, it is attempting to break down its walls, affirming its status as a medium not a subject-prescribing and proscribing genre type. On the other, it is also releasing its unlocked artistic potential.

“There are no reserved territories for live action. Any story can be told in animation,” says Xilam founder Marc du Pontavice, “I Lost My Body” producer.

“Animation can talk about any subject but differently from live action,” agrees Folivari’s Didier Brunner, a producer on “The Summit of the Gods.”

He added: “If we’d done ‘The...

Editor’s note: After a two-week vacation break, we’re now back with an expanded selection to catch up.

Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.

Boyhood (Richard Linklater)

After being put through the awards season grinder — resulting in hours upon hours of conversations — what left is there to learn about the production of Richard Linklater‘s 12-years-in-the-making project Boyhood? The Criterion Collection edition proves, evidently, a fair amount. In fact, what’s so interesting about the plethora of special features — aside from an intimate...

From George Melies through to Peter Jackson and Jj Abrams' Star Wars film, the rise, fall and rise of practical effects explored...

From the very earliest days of cinema, practical effects have been the big draw for audiences. The very first films may have wowed the crowds with images of trains pulling into a station, but it was the fantastical made real that fired the imaginations of millions, and led to film as we know it - narrative flights of fancy which have entertained and made us gasp for well over 100 years. But the last 25 years have seen practical effects fall by the wayside.

Digital effects created in a computer took over, and allowed filmmakers to dream even bigger. But practical effects are beginning to make a comeback. Some of this is due to audiences feeling the CG burnout; no longer quite believing what they’re seeing, resulting in...

Sure, the Beatles performed, and Beyonce redefined “Bootylicious,” but if you ask me the best performance of the Grammys on Jan. 26 was one of the most unlikely — when Kendrick and Imagine Dragons staged a live mashup of their songs.

As a huge Kendrick Lamar fan (he was robbed last night, even Macklemore knows it), I was a little weary about pairing him up with the alternative, drum-pounding rock band Imagine Dragons at the Grammys on Jan. 26, but it turns out I was stupid to be a Doubting Thomas. Like, really stupid.

Kendrick Lamar & Imagine Dragons Own The Grammys

I guess I was just having trouble understanding how K.Dot and the guys of Imagine Dragons were going to do it. But I should’ve listened to Grammys Rule No. 1: Never Bet Against Kendrick Lamar. Everything the guy touches turns to gold (if you need an example, I have 12 — every song on Good Kid,...

Yesterday, we gave you a refresher course on all of Game of Thrones' main characters and where we had left them off. Today, we offer a refresher course on the major plot points of each episode from seasons one and two. We have more refresher courses than Varys has secrets.Season One, Episode One: Winter Is ComingNed offered job. Daenerys marries Drogo for army. Queen-brother sex, Bran pushed. Season One, Episode Two: The KingsroadTyrion slaps Joffrey. Bran murder attempt No. 2. Joffrey-Arya fight — Sansa loses wolf. Season One, Episode Three: Lord SnowDany preggers! Catelyn shows dagger, Littlefinger fingers Tyrion for attempted murder. Season One, Episode Four: Cripples, Bastards and Broken ThingsNed investigates murders, bastards: “The seed is strong.” Catelyn arrests Tyrion. Season One, Episode Five: The Wolf and the LionCatelyn takes Tyrion to (still-nursing!) sister. King wants Dany dead. Jaime attacks Ned. Season One, Episode Six: A Golden CrownDany...