The Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema was an annual international film festival for animated feature films, held in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It ran for 13 years, from 2001 to 2013. The festival was founded in to promote appreciation for animation as a narrative medium for mature cinematic storytelling, and to review and celebrate animated feature films in the venue they were meant to be seen: a theatre. The festival was unique in its focus on feature animation. Its selection of films suggested a desire to create bridges: from audience to animator, from anime to non-anime, and most obviously from mature audiences to mature films, which simply happen to be animated. The programme was also surprisingly comprehensive - in its first year the festival was dedicated mainly to anime, but it later became much more international. Perhaps reflecting its focus, WFAC has presented more animated feature films in public exhibition than any other festival in the world. One interesting development since 2003 was the festival's Tidbits programme, developed to search out and promote the creation of feature films by one single artist or very small groups, made possible by advancements in technology.
Festival history
2013
World Cinema selections: Canadian/North American/International premieres of AninA, L'Arte della Felicità, Até Que A Sbornia Nos Separe, Rio 2096: Uma História de Amor e Fúria ; also Ernest et Celestine, ベルセルク 黄金時代篇, Ma Maman est en Amérique, Elle a Rencontré Buffalo Bill, Couleur de Peau: Miel, The Congress, 009 RE:CYBORG, Persistence of Vision.
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Green Days, 마당을 나온 암탉, Adventures in Plymptoons!, Den kæmpestore bjørn, FIMFÁRUM – DO TŘETICE VŠEHO DOBRÉHO. Also Chico y Rita, とある飛空士への追憶, 鋼の錬金術師 嘆きの丘（ミロス）の聖なる星, El Sol ''.
2010
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Piercing I, ГАДКИЙ УТЕНОК, Duga, ՍԱՍՆԱ ԾՌԵՐ, , 仏陀再誕 ; also Redline, Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, Goodbye Mr. Christie, NA PŮDĚ ANEB KDO MÁ DNESKA NAROZENINY?, 夏日大作战, Surviving Life .
2009
Retrospective screenings: СМЕХ И ГОРЕ У БЕЛА МОРЯ ; ТИГРЁНОК НА ПОДСОЛНУХЕ ; ПРОПАВШАЯ ГРАМОТА ; КРАДЕНОЕ СОЛНЦЕ ; СЛОН И МОСЬКА ; КОШКА, КОТОРАЯ ГУЛЯЛА САМА ПО СЕБЕ Tidbits selections: World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of , , , , 宮本武蔵 ―双剣に馳せる夢―, ПРО ФЕДОТА-СТРЕЛЬЦА, УДАЛОГО МОЛОДЦА, , ; also , Brendan and The Secret of Kells , and Metropia.
2008
Retrospective screenings: Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed from restored 35 mm print, with live score composed and performed by ; 20th anniversary screening of Hotaru no Haka from 35 mm print, with Frederik Schodt, Brian Ruh, John O'Donnell leading discussion Tidbits selections: Sita Sings The Blues, We Are the Strange, , World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Piano no Mori, , Egon és Dönci , , , Only Love, ; also Genius Party, Genius Party Beyond, and
2007
Retrospective screenings: Canadian/North American premiere of Rocky and Hudson Tidbits selections: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Black Ceiling, Five Centimeters Per Second, The Killer of Montmartre, Anna and the Moods, SOS Metro Tokyo Explorers World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of The Pixar Story, RH+: the Vampiress of Seville, Flatland, One Night in One City, Wood & Stock: Sex, Oregano and Rock 'n Roll; also Aachi and Ssipak, The Ugly Duckling and Me, Film Noir, Free Jimmy
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Alosha Popovich i Tugarin Zmey, Fragile Machine, A Place Promised in Our Early Days, Terkel in Trouble; also Frank and Wendy, Mind Game, The District, Strings, Winter Days
2004
Retrospective screenings: Rock & Rule Tidbits: various World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Appleseed, McDull: Prince de la Bun, Oseam, Y Mabinogi, La Prophétie des Grenouilles, Karlik Nos; also Steamboy, Kaena, The Legend of the Sky Kingdom, Hair High
2003
Retrospective screenings: Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Utena, Perfect Blue, Escaflowne Tidbits: various World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Mari Iyagi, WXIII Patlabor, My Life as McDull, Princess Arête, Corto Maltese, Wonderful Days, Officer Down, Missing Persons; also Princes and Princesses
