LEVEL ANNECY, WITH JOSÉ LUIS FARIAS

José Luis Farias is the Video Games coordinator at MIFA-Annecy, within the new AR and Video Games section of the Annecy Festival, an essential “leg” in the most important animation event in the world. The section is born with the intention of creating and strengthening links between the animation and the video game industries.

If organising events were a game, we can say that Farias has programmed a triple A with levels for the industry and creators to enjoy and grow. He has helped to create a community, to get institutions more involved in the sector and to open up opportunities in the art and industry of animation and video games. He has done this with a team that has always worked tirelessly, with professionalism and good humour. We know him for creating many interesting spaces in our industry, with a particular focus on disruptive technologies. The Weird Market (formerly 3D Wire), which he founded and directs, is a reference in Spain with international projection. In Ibero-America, the Quirino Awards, which he co-founded and used to direct together with Bea Bartolomé, have also become a must-attend event. With Next Lab, they have created a much-needed space for animation in relation to creative technologies. Since last year, they have organised the Technology Breakfasts in Annecy and run the production company Paramotion, which he founded with Alfonso Fulgencio in Madrid in 2002. Almost nothing!

José Luis (Pepelu) has been in Animac for several editions and, on the occasion of his appointment, we want to celebrate the news and find out first hand what is being cooked up in this new section and what his role will be.

 

What will this new area consist of? 

An XR&Games Area is a new space specially dedicated to video games and immersive experiences, a place for discovery and networking, that will be located in a new festival venue: the Chambre de Métiers et de l’Artisanat, near the Imperial Palace.

This is no ordinary video game event, but something that explores the possibilities between sectors, in this case video games, animation and XR. The idea is to see how we can promote IPs and strengthen ties between sectors, with the idea of breaking down the barriers that separate us and improving collaboration.

It was created with the aim of bringing together professionals from different sectors and acting as a catalyst for innovation and the joint creation of cross-media projects that jump from one format to another. The XR&Games space will be open to all accredited visitors, except the general public.

 

What will be your role?

My team and I are responsible for designing and implementing this new stage for Annecy, in collaboration with the MIFA team. The link between the animation and video game industries is a fundamental strategic synergy today, and we’ve seen it clearly for years, which is why we’re implementing it in our events. Both industries share many of the same processes, as well as starting from a very similar creative and technological base, and we believe that these common areas represent an opportunity for both sectors to reinforce each other.

As part of this new section, MIFA, in collaboration with Weird Market, has launched a competition for video game trailers and cinematics, which is one of the points where the two worlds meet and where we see authentic works of art.

 

Can you anticipate any guests or titles for this first edition? If not, what will be the orientation (indie, AAA…)?

We cannot announce any names yet, but I can confirm that we will have professionals who have a deep understanding of the link between video games and animation. We will also have project presentations and debates on the future of video games. The 2024 programme will be unveiled in May, so we will be able to tell you more about it soon.

 

All the projects have a short, medium and long term vision. How do you see this section developing?

It is a living project that we are sowing, but in the long term the idea is above all to strengthen these links between sectors, encourage dialogue and generate joint projects with partners from both worlds.

 

Given the importance of video games in today’s market, do you think that in a few years’ time they will be more important than animated content?

Not at all, because we are not working from competition but from complementarity, and both sectors will benefit from this new dialogue. It is fortunate for all of us that Annecy has taken a step forward and is betting on creating links with other sectors without forgetting its DNA, which is animation.

 

Barcelona is a place where prominent VJ companies have established themselves, how do you rate this?

It is very positive that poles and ecosystems are being created around video games. Any region or city that bets on it is an ally for the sector, especially if it is committed to IPs and local talent.

 

Will your new position allow you to continue with your projects in Spain?

Of course we will continue with everything. This is thanks to the great team we have, often I am the visible face but not the most important part of the gear. It’s by working as a team that we’re able to keep going and create new initiatives.

On the other hand, I believe in optimising resources and creating ecosystems rather than isolated projects (like Next Lab, which is an ecosystem in itself). All our events feed back and reinforce each other. This is how we ended up at Annecy, with whom we have been working for many years with the same philosophy.

 

Will you continue with the Technology Breakfasts in Annecy and what can we expect this year?

That is still to be decided. In parallel and closely linked to the Technology Breakfasts, we will be present at the Festival in the Animation section with a conference where we will present four very interesting international animation projects with very different approaches, the result of the fourth edition of our Next Lab Generation workshop on animation and innovative technologies, very much in line with the Festival’s commitment to the new XR&Games area.

 

Thank you very much for your time and good luck to you and your team in this new and exciting adventure!

 

Carolina Lopez