Luxembourg awarded in Annecy with the immersive work A Long Goodbye

A Long Goodbye, a virtual reality immersive work directed by Kate Voet and Victor Maes, co-produced by Tarantula Luxembourg (Donato Rotunno) with Belgium and the Netherlands, and with 2D/3D animation provided by the Luxembourg studio Velvet Flare, won the Cristal for Best Immersive Work at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026. This distinction is the main prize in the immersive competition.

After winning the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize in 2025, this new recognition at a major festival testifies to the expertise and growing international visibility of Luxembourg immersive works.

"This new distinction reflects the quality and ambition of the immersive works supported by Film Fund Luxembourg, as well as the relevance of investments made in favour of new forms of storytelling and their international outreach," emphasises Guy Daleiden, head of Film Fund Luxembourg.

The work was also presented last March in Luxembourg, as part of the Immersive Pavilion at the Luxembourg City Film Festival.

In addition to the prize won at the festival, Luxembourg strengthened its presence at the International Animation Film Market (MIFA), the world's largest market in the sector, thanks to a national pavilion. Under the coordination of Film Fund Luxembourg, companies, studios and animation and immersive professionals gathered there to exchange views and forge international partnerships, notably during a pitch organised by ALPA/XR and the Film Fund, showcasing the new animation creations of the Grand Duchy.

Luxembourg students from the BTS Animation Drawing at the Lycée des Arts et Métiers and the Bachelor in Animation at the University of Luxembourg also benefited from increased visibility thanks to a dedicated stand and recruitment meetings with the country's studios.