Matt Groening Honored at Annecy with “The Simpsons” Spotlight and Emotional Panel

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival continued its tradition of honoring icons in the field by presenting the 2025 Honorary Cristal Award to The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. After a raucous round of clips from Futurama, Disenchantment, and The Simpsons, Groening accepted the award with heartfelt thanks and his signature irreverence. “My real-life family provided the names of the original Simpsons," he shared. But answering the question of whether or not Bart was inspired by his younger self, in French, the creator said “Je suis Millhouse." Pivoting to a sincere tribute, Groening shared words of gratitude to all the writers, actors, animators, and musicians who have lent their talents to The Simpsons, including the French voices of Homer and Marge, who were in attendance.

Festivalgoers were then treated to a screening of Season 36, Episode 14 (“P.S., I Hate You") in its French dub premiere. While the episode had already aired in the U.S., this was the first time it screened publicly in France. The story, centered around Marge’s stash of unsent hate letters, was inspired by real-life rage from executive producer Matt Selman, who revealed, “I was really mad at my brother-in-law for manipulating an inheritance, and I wrote him the angriest letter. I read it in the writers’ room, and someone said, ‘What if Marge wrote secret letters like this her whole life?’"

That creative spark evolved into one of the season’s most emotionally complex episodes, complete with a twisty extortion plot and comic book-level staging. “This episode is a good lesson in how real life and collaboration and silliness and emotion all turn into something really special," Selman said.

Groening and Selman were joined by longtime director David Silverman for a wide-ranging conversation about the show’s beginnings, evolution, and future. The team called it a rare treat to see a Simpsons episode with a live audience. Selman expressed sincere appreciation for the French translators, who sometimes have to creatively adapt jokes to resonate locally. “With my limited French, I could tell where they rewrote things, and I loved it," he said.

Selman also connected with the crowd by expressing his affection for Asterix, saying that Springfield reminds him of a small French village where everyone knows each other, gossips, and shares in each other’s lives—"Springfield is all America, but it’s also just this funny little town."

Groening recalled how The Simpsons began as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, using it as a testing ground for a series. “Fox gave us 13 episodes, which was a gamble. We had no idea if it would work," he said. Silverman, who directed the show’s second episode, became a foundational figure in defining its look: “I decided Bart had nine spikes. Eleven looked too crowded."

The trio also touched on the show’s longstanding continuity, or lack thereof. “It’s a silly show," Selman laughed, when asked about how flashbacks contradict one another. Groening joked that Homer used to go to work every episode, “and now he just has adventures." They also discussed the show’s intense fandom. “The worst reaction is apathy," Sellman added. “We’ll take rage. We just don’t want them to stop watching."

The panelists also addressed the show's uncanny reputation for predicting the future. “All of the conspiracy theories are true," Selman joked. When Groening returned to the stage, he had his Honorary Crystal award hidden under a Marge Simpson wig, which then became a hat that the creative team pulled slips of paper from. They each read a bold prediction, which included the United States of America returning the Statue of Liberty to France.

The trio discussed how The Simpsons remains resonant by staying collaborative, surprising themselves, and avoiding apathy. “We’re not trying to be responsible," Groening admitted. “If we can surprise ourselves, we can surprise the audience." Selman added, “Our fans are young now. Eight to twelve-year-olds watch every episode on Disney+. We hope we’re teaching them curiosity and empathy."

Silverman highlighted the show's layered craft: “Did you notice grease stains on the hate letter to Comic Book Guy? That’s our team. It’s insane the detail they bring every week."

As The Simpsons nears its 800th episode, Selman teased an upcoming segment inspired by legendary cartoonist Jules Feiffer—“The show teaches you about the world the way Mad Magazine did for us," he said. Groening added that it’s a full circle moment, with Feiffer’s Village Voice cartoon serving as a major inspiration for his own long-running Life in Hell comic strip.

For animation students in the audience, the advice from each panelist was simple but resonant:

The panel closed with a standing ovation and a reminder of The Simpsons’ enduring legacy. “You’re lucky to be at the best animation festival in the world," Groening said. “And if nothing else, The Simpsons is like animation school—for free."

All episodes of The Simpsons are now streaming on Disney+. Season 37 will air this fall on Fox.