The renowned Angoulême International Comics Festival, planned for January 27th to 30th, is now postponed. In response to newly implemented public health measures amidst the fifth Covid-19 surge—specifically, the reinstatement of indoor capacity limits—the FIBD‘s Director General, Franck Bondoux, declared to Release that the nearly completed event would be rescheduled, likely for three months.
The festival is currently negotiating with all stakeholders to establish a new timeframe, potentially in late March, “during a period of reduced transmission rather than the current peak,” he noted.
However, the postponement presents a far more critical challenge. Considering the festival’s considerable progress and financial commitments prior to the postponement decision, the FIBD’s survival hinges on governmental intervention, Bondoux emphasized.
The Angoulême Festival is recovering from a difficult period, which saw its January 2021 iteration postponed to the summer, only to be canceled. “Without urgent state assistance, the Angoulême festival faces an uncertain future,” its president warned.
The festival customarily occurs in late January. Last year, grappling with the health crisis, the International Comics Festival significantly curtailed its typical January program. A ceremony recognizing the finest publications of 2020 and an exhibition honoring Emmanuel Guibert, a customary tribute following a Grand Prize win, were the only elements retained. Remaining festivities were deferred to a summer event that ultimately did not materialize. The sole surviving component of this lost event, the Grand Prix of the city of Angoulême award ceremony, celebrated the outstanding contributions of established authors.
