The Monstra Festival (this year: 12-26 March 2026, Lisbon, Portugal) is always a very important event in the field of animation in Portugal, and not only that. This year, the festival celebrated its 25th anniversary, highlighting Latvian animation with several country-specific sessions, workshops, exhibitions, and retrospectives.

The festival began with a celebration: the Wind Orchestra of the Santa Cecilia Music Academy performed in sync with the animated short film 'Peter and the Wolf' by Suzie Templeton, with music by Sergei Prokofiev, in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the work. It was a very intense moment, emotionally speaking, because you know that the musicians are right there in front of you, playing totally synchronized with the animation on the screen. It was a truly unique moment.

Another highlight was the presentation, where I had the honor of participating in the roundtable led by Joanna Quinn on the Animation Community 4 Palestine (AC4PAL) and 'To Gaza With Love: A Global Animation,' a collective project that includes 329 short films from over 50 countries. This project brought together hundreds of animators worldwide to create 30-second animations as gifts for the children of Gaza, who participate in local workshops led by three animators and resistance fighters: Haneen, Nour, and Shorook.

Read Also: Our Interview with Haneen Koraz

At the time, some of these animations were shown alongside works created by Palestinian children. 'TO GAZA WITH LOVE' demonstrates that it is always possible to do or say something against what we disagree with, as long as we are open to it.

Furthermore, there were two major exhibitions: one on 50 years of animation in Latvia and the other on the collection of Vasco Granja, a prominent figure in Portuguese animation. He really started to bring this subject to the forefront on Portuguese television. It's a huge collection, with works by Norman McLaren, Richard Williams, and so on, really unmissable.

Latvian animation exhibition at Monstra Festival

That said, once again, I bring to Zippy Frames readers exactly the films that were most significant to me. Within which I was able to participate in and watch short films that caught my attention, regardless of whether they were awarded. (The full Monstra Festival Awards list).

The sessions I attended were the student sessions, the animated shorts (except the first session), an animated feature film, the Vasco Granja and the Portuguese project session, besides Quay Brothers, Stephen and Timothy's Masterclass on their film, 'In Absentia' (2000), and the Abstract Animation MasterClass. Starting with this one, 'The Day of Abstract Animation' was an explanatory lecture about abstract art and how it manifests itself uniquely, in an animated way. Noel Palazzo compiled “finalist and award-winning films from the 9th edition of the Punto y Raya Festival, held in December 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Curated by Ana Santos and Noel Palazzo, this session features 15 films from 12 different countries.” Despite not being a style that appeals to most people, the vast majority of the films presented a very high level of quality, with 'Lines' by Martin Schmidt, 2024, Germany, being the most appealing: geometric, concise, and well-made with a beautiful minimalist color palette.

The Quay Brothers masterclass was unique because (besides all their knowledge) I heard them say, "It seems that power goes to the puppet by hand," and further, the great Joanna Quinn spoke out, "they are gods!" That is something you don't hear every day!

Portuguese Animation Projects

A session that I loved to watch, animated projects that originate from Portugal, this year lasted over four hours, with many production companies and projects. This shows the dynamism of the Portuguese production. However, it was impossible to appreciate the projects, as most showed only a frame and a very brief verbal presentation. So, within this context, two projects caught my attention. There were other good projects (as well as films), but they have already been discussed in another review.

• ‘Bad’ by Miguel Lima (mixed techniques), BAP (PT), "explores the way we see others and the flawed images we can construct of them, where one person points a finger at another, while the other is pointing a finger back. To create the film’s images, paint will be applied over the cyclops.”
  Besides being a unique technique, the project’s proposal is important in a time of radicalism, apartheid, and immigration issues.
• 'Haan' by Chaerim Im (Technique 2D Computer, Drawing on Paper), Miyu Productions (FR), and AIM Creative Studios (PT). “During the Joseon era, a young woman is about to kill herself to follow her dying husband and be seen as virtuous. As she is torn between the desire to live and the duty to die, the vagrant virgin ghosts wander through the night. A story of femicide is revealed.”
  The animation test screened to me was the highlight of the presentation, as it blends two fundamental elements of animated art: dynamic movement and metamorphosis, combined with thick, textured lines that effectively highlight such a sensitive theme.

Bad, Miguel Lima

Haan, Chaerim Im

Short Animation Films: Top Picks

Regarding the animated shorts, the ones that stood out were:

• 'Feed, Wash & Love', by Veronika Pasterná Szemlová, Czechia, 2025, 12', 2D digital, cutouts, mixed media. A film with a theme and women's aesthetics (color, organic forms, etc). Through drawings with tonal harmony and the comical presentation of absurd situations, the animation reflects on and criticizes the female condition of being responsible for the care of the home and family.
• 'The Pool or Death of a Goldfish,' by Daria Kopiec, Poland, 2025, 14', claymation. A powerful, dense film that shows the mother-daughter relationship through a goldfish. It is metaphorical, surreal, and stop-motion, with a strong facial expression. Very good!
• 'Sappho' by Rosana Urbes, Brazil, 2025, 13', mixed media. “Inspired by the life and work of the poet who lived on the island of Lesbos around 600 BC.” The film is composed of two well-defined parts. The first talks about the poems and a little of the poet's history, and in the second, Rosana recites some of Sappho's poems, illustrated with an animation of various flowers and plants, poetically and sensitively. Visually, it's very captivating, so much so that it received awards at Annecy and Monstra.

'Feed, Wash & Love', Veronika Pasterná Szemlová

Sappho, Rosanna Urbes

More Monstra Festival 2026 Thoughts

I only got to see one animated feature, 'Decorado', by Alberto Vázquez (2025). And I loved it. It's no wonder it won a Goya Award. A somewhat dystopian story, a mix of '1984' and 'The Truman Show,' always using those "cute" characters, but with dense backstories. It's also interesting to recognize characters from other stories, such as those in Vázquez's  'Homeless Home' (2020).

One thing I've noticed lately, as someone who's been attending festivals for many years, is a certain homogeneity of styles and aesthetics. I don't know whether this is a consequence of computerization or a consequence of animators following formulas or aesthetics that are already successful. Another observation is the influence of anime on student films, as well as the audience's repulsion towards AI-generated animations. Just as happened at the 2024 Annecy edition, this time there was booing at Monstra. Moreover, in this edition, there were many animations featuring insects, such as ants and butterflies.

To conclude, one moment was very interesting and one I'm eager to see again: 'Virgem Fandango', by Marcy Page, which was part of the closing session and is an animation made of tiles, based on the aesthetics of Portuguese tiles. It's a cry of undeniable female empowerment… and a strong contender for awards.

Virgem Fandango artwork at Monstra Festival 2026

Monstra 2026 Award Ceremony

Monstra 2027 will celebrate Greece as its guest country

May Mostra 2027 come, blessed by the gods of Greek animation!

Monstra Festival took place from 12-26 March 2026. The next edition (11-21 March 2027) will celebrate Greece as its guest country.

contributed by: Eliane Gordeeff

(photos: Cláudio Roberto and Eliane Gordeeff)

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