Black Sea Animation Workshop 2026

Event Description
SaqAnima – Georgian Animators Association, together with its partner organizations Anim.İst İstanbul Animation Platform and Anika Women of Animation (Türkiye), Sofia Animation LAB and Compote Collective (Bulgaria), Linoleum Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival (Ukraine), Animest – Bucharest International Animation Film Festival (Romania), as well as the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA), with the support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, organize the Black sea Animation Workshop.

Meant to present and foster short animation projects from the underrepresented region of the Black Sea, the event has completed two successful editions (2024 Tbilisi, Georgia and 2025 Sofia, Bulgaria); It consists of a five-day intensive workshop on the development of animation short projects, to be presented in a special Annecy Works in progress slot.

BLACK SEA ANIMATION WORKSHOP is supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Institute as part of the strategy for the export of Cultural and Creative Industries internationally.

Zippy Frames covers the event with its call for entries, associated announcements (selection results, winners) and reports from the respective events.

2026 Black Sea Animation Workshop Call for Entries

The open call for the 3rd International BLACK SEA ANIMATION WORKSHOP 2026, dedicated to the development of short animated film projects.
  
This five-day intensive workshop is dedicated to developing short animated film projects while strengthening creative collaboration among animation professionals from the Black Sea region. An international selection committee will select 10 projects, whose creative teams will work closely with experienced mentors throughout the workshop, receiving professional guidance on script development, artistic direction, production, and international co-production opportunities. Guest Country 2026: Azerbaijan

Eligibility:

• The workshop is open to short animation projects (up 20 minutes) from Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan (guest country). Projects from Romania qualify via Pitch, Please! workshop conducted during the Animest 2026 festival.
• Eligible are authors who are citizens of the above-mentioned countries and who are based in their country. The only exception is authors from Ukraine.
• All animation techniques are eligible, including traditional animation, 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and mixed media. Projects may address any target audience and belong to any genre.
• The animation short projects need to be currently in development and in their initial concept phase.
• The working language of the workshop is English.

  Awards

• Five projects will be selected by MIFA Annecy Festival experts to participate in the Black Sea Partner Pitch at MIFA 2027.
• One project will receive a one-month residency at NEF Animation – Nouvelles Écritures pour le Film d'Animation at Fontevraud Abbey, France, in 2027.
• One project will receive a free accreditation to attend the CEE Animation Forum 2027.
• One project will be awarded a one-month residency at CNC – Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée in France.
• One project will receive participation in the SYAA Workshop, dedicated to first- and second-time women animation filmmakers, Animest.
  
  
• Application Form, Regulations and National Contacts
• Deadline: 1 September 2026

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