Annecy: Aardman Takes MIFA and Variety’s 2016 Animation Personality of the Year Award.

Aardman’s Peter Lord and David Sproxton accepted the plaudit with good humor and typical modesty.

ANNECY — As Aardman Animations gears up to shoot “Early Man,” one of the biggest animated features coming out of Europe, co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton accepted MIFA and Variety’s second Animation Personality of the Year Award at a ceremony June 15 at the Annecy Festival. The occasion was inevitably laced, the awardees being Aardman, with a large dose of humour. They followed in the footsteps of Chris Meledandri and Illumination Entertainment, the 2015 winners of the plaudit.

Mickael Marin, head of Annecy’s MIFA’s market, and Peter Debruge, Variety’s Chief Film Critic,  presented the award, with Debruge delivering what he termed a personal reflection. It will however resonate with many film lovers.

“We all grew up loving animated movies, Disney movies, whatever, but Aardman, which I discovered at junior high, bridged the gap and gave me permission to love animation all my life.”