[9] About 1966, several members of ASIFA-Hollywood (The Los Angeles branch of ASIFA, the International Animated Film Association) decided to put together an international animation program to be shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
The animators were offered a generous contract as part of their agreement to enter their films in the Tournée.
In the mid-1970s, the Tournée increased its visibility by being screened in cinemas, initially thanks to a sale with the Landmark Theatres chain,[11] but gradually seen in many smaller "art houses" across the country.
In 1986 Prescott Wright sold the rights to the Tournées to the Expanded Entertainment group[12] (which was under the leadership of Terry Thoren[13][14][15][16] and the expertise of animation historian Jerry Beck[17]) in Los Angeles which continued to organize them for several years with Wright's guidance.
[18][19] Coverage of the festivals (both Tournee and Animation Celebration[20]) ranged from praises by film critics, including Leonard Maltin for Entertainment Tonight, to guest appearances on talk shows such as The Today Show.