PARIS, June 9. /TASS/. Leading Russian animation studios will show their productions at Europe’s largest International Animation Film Market (Mifa) that will be held from June 13 through to June 16 in Annecy, France.

The Association of Russian Animation Filmmakers (AAK) has taken on the role of organizer of a Russian delegation’s trip to Annecy for the sixth year in a row.

The movie market is part of the program of the 41st festival in Annecy. This is the most prestigious international gathering in the animation movies genre that brings together annually the best animation artists from more than 70 countries.

The Russian exhibition booth will present the works of sixteen companies making and distributing animation films. They are the RIKI producing center, Soyuzmultfilm, Animakkord, Kinoatis, Masterfilm, Parovoz, Tatarmultfilm, Melnitsa, Shar school studio, among others.

Irina Mastusova, the AAK Executive Director said the Annecy forum plays an important role in the development of the animation film industry in Russia.

"Mifa is a key movie market for the animation industry," she said. "For the sixth year running, Russia takes part in as a unified exhibitor that presents the largest Russian animation brands. This is really important for the consolidation of positions of the Russian animation filmmaking in the international arena."

She stressed the continued growth of interest in Russian animation projects. "Some of our animation series have turned into the symbols of our country," she said. "They have won the recognition and love of people throughout the world."

As she spoke about the movie market, Mastusova recalled that dozens of transactions are made at Annecy annually. "Producers resolve the issues of joint production, while studios find partners and buyers for their projects."

Apart from the Russian exhibition booth, the works of Russian animation producers will be shown as part of the festival program. Like in 2016, the jury panel selected a record number of films for the main program - as many as eight Russian films have been entered in the contest for various nominations.

Mifa is one the oldest and most important events in the world of animation films. It began in 1956 as International Animation Days, an animation movie section at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1960, the organizers decided to set up a separate animation festival on the basis of the section. The festival was held with certain intervals then.

It was also in 1960 that the animation film producers founded the International Animated Film Association.

The animated film market added to the festival somewhat later. It has an attendance of more than 7,000 specialists in the industry.