Mifa Annecy 2027: the animation market, not the festival
What Mifa actually is
Mifa — the Marché International du Film d’Animation — is the commercial half of what happens in Annecy every June. The festival screens; Mifa trades. Studios take stands, producers pitch projects in development, distributors buy, recruiters hire, and a large part of the world’s animation industry spends four days in the same few buildings by a lake.
It is the reason hotel rooms in Annecy in mid-June behave the way they do. The festival brings an audience; Mifa brings an industry, on expense accounts, booked months out.
The 2026 dates were unusually late — 21 to 27 June — because the edition was shifted to avoid a G7 meeting. 2027 returns to the more typical mid-June slot. If you are working from a page that still says late June, it is describing last year.
Mifa or the festival?
| Mifa — the market | The festival | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Industry: producers, buyers, studios, students seeking work | Anyone who wants to watch animation |
| 2027 dates | 15–18 June 2027 | 13–19 June 2027 |
| What happens | Stands, pitches, sales, recruitment, conferences | Screenings, competitions, open-air nights on Le Pâquier |
| Access | Professional accreditation | Public passes and individual screenings |
The two overlap deliberately. Mifa sits inside the festival week so that the people buying films can watch them, and the practical consequence for anyone planning is that mid-June in Annecy is the busiest week of the year that is not August.
Planning a Mifa trip
Book accommodation early — earlier than feels sensible. Annecy is a town of about 135,000 people hosting a global industry event, and the room stock does not expand for the occasion. Where to stay covers the areas and what each one costs you in walking time.
On arrival: the station is ten minutes from the centre, the direct train from Geneva exists whatever the booking sites say, and Geneva Airport is about fifty minutes by coach. Do not plan on driving into the centre — the Old Town is pedestrianised.
June weather here is the good half of the year: warm days, and thunderstorms that arrive quickly and pass. The month-by-month page has the numbers. The lake is swimmable by late June, which is a genuinely useful thing to know about a week of meetings.
The evenings
The open-air screenings on Le Pâquier are the part of the week that everyone remembers, and they are free and public. Le Pâquier is the wide lakeside meadow at the north end of the Old Town, three minutes from the Pont des Amours. Whatever your accreditation says, go to one.
Private guideAnnecy: Two-Hour Insider Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Walk and boatAnnecy: Old Town Guided Walking Tour & Scenic Lake Cruise
Full mealAnnecy: Small-Group Food Tour with a Local and a Full Meal
Can’t make these dates?
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Frequently asked questions
When is Mifa 2027?
15–18 June 2027, inside the Annecy International Animation Film Festival which runs 13–19 June 2027.
What is the difference between Mifa and the Annecy festival?
Mifa is the industry market — stands, pitches, sales, recruitment and conferences for animation professionals. The festival is the screenings and competitions, open to the public. Mifa sits inside the festival week.
Do you need accreditation for Mifa?
Mifa is a professional market and access runs on industry accreditation, while the festival sells public passes and individual screenings. The open-air evenings on Le Pâquier are free and open to everyone.
When was the Annecy animation festival founded?
7 June 1960. It ran biennially until 1998 and has been annual since.
Why were the 2026 Annecy festival dates so late?
The 2026 edition ran 21–27 June because it was shifted to avoid a G7 meeting. That was a one-off; 2027 returns to mid-June, 13–19 June.
Where do the open-air screenings happen?
On Le Pâquier, the lakeside meadow at the north end of the Old Town, a few minutes' walk from the Pont des Amours.