An award-winning animator, Luis de la Rosa, 34, has died after being hit by a train while attending the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. The incident occurred on Wednesday.
Local reports indicate that de la Rosa, who also worked professionally as Luis de la Rosa Obregón, strayed close to railway tracks near a ring road on the outskirts of Annecy. The conductor of a Léman Express service sounded the train's horn upon spotting him near the edge of the tracks, but emergency services, called by the conductor around 8 p.m. local time, were unable to save his life.
The area where the incident took place is reportedly secured by a fence and off-limits to pedestrians. De la Rosa was wearing accreditation for the animation festival at the time of the accident, according to reports.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival confirmed the "tragic" death. Artistic director Marcel Jean is expected to offer condolences during the festival's closing ceremony on Saturday.
De la Rosa, originally from Mexico, built his career in Vancouver, Canada, after graduating with honors from the Vancouver Film School in 2015. His professional credits include work at studios such as Titmouse Inc., Petty Karma, and Deluxe Animation. He contributed to notable productions like "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and "My Little Pony: The Movie."
According to an Instagram post, de la Rosa was at the festival's MIFA market presenting his original project, "Ash Raider World." A police investigation has been opened to determine the exact cause of his death.