A new permanent home for animation cinema, the Cité internationale du cinéma d'animation, will open in Annecy, France, on June 19, 2025, just before the annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Housed in a restored 19th-century horse stable (haras) listed as a historic monument, the 54-million-euro project includes a 450 m² permanent museum, a 332-seat cinema, temporary exhibition spaces, educational workshops, artist residencies, and image-education facilities. The city of Annecy contributes 30 million euros, with additional funding from the Haute-Savoie department, the state, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Designed by architecture firm dd.a and landscape architect Philippe Deliau, the center aims to be a hybrid, year-round hub for animation, blending heritage, creation, and transmission.
This opening matters because it marks a major institutional recognition of animation as a full-fledged cinematic art form, not a minor genre. Annecy has been the global epicenter of animation every June since 1960, but lacked a permanent venue to sustain that energy year-round. The Cité addresses that gap, offering a dedicated space for preservation, education, and public engagement. By integrating the former museum's collections and emphasizing cross-generational and cross-disciplinary access, it positions animation as both an industrial and cultural treasure for France, potentially influencing how animation is valued and taught worldwide.