Animafest Zagreb 2025
Festival Description:
The World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb, established in 1972, is the second oldest film festival in the world completely dedicated to animation. Launched thanks to the global reputation of the filmmakers sprung from the Zagreb School of Animation, founded based on the decision of ASIFA, International Animated Film Association, Zagreb Film production company, and the City of Zagreb, Animafest Zagreb takes place every year early in June. Until 2005 the festival was held biennially and afterward continued in the annual rhythm, devoting even years to short films and odd years to feature films. After Zagreb Film and Zagreb Concert Management, in 2007 the festival organisation was taken over by the private production company Hulahop with the aim of further development and balancing the programme with the requirements of contemporary tendencies, approaching broader audiences and providing added values to professionals.
Animafest Zagreb always has been, alongside festivals in Annecy, Ottawa, and Hiroshima, a part of the obligatory circuit in the animation community’s calendar. Animafest’s Grand Prix winners directly qualify for the Academy Award and the European Animation Award.
Since its establishment in 1972, this festival and its competitions, retrospectives, presentations, exhibitions, pitching forums lectures, awards, panoramas, workshops and all other additional events have consistently influenced and greatly contributed to their city’s artistic life, as well as promotion of animation art throughout the world.
This is a festival by the filmmakers for the filmmakers. Creative animation, in all its different forms – from traditional drawings, to stop motion, CGI, to most experimental cross-media explorations – has been the focus of attention since the very beginning Daniel Šuljić , Art Director
2025 Call for Entries
Short films (maximum running time 40 minutes) can be submitted to the following competition categories:
- Short Film Competition
- Student Film Competition - films produced in an educational institution (art schools and film schools)
- Films for Children and Youth Competition
- Croatian Film Competition - films whose majority producer is Croatian and/or films by Croatian directors.
Feature films (minimum running time 40 minutes) can be submitted to the following competition category: Feature Film Competition
Films compete for awards that are given by international juries. There is no entry fee.
- Application
- The submission deadline for short films in all categories is 1 February 2025.
- The submission deadline for feature films and VR projects is 15 March 2025.
2024 Festival Coverage
- Animafest Zagreb Festival Report
- Animafest Zagreb Croatian Competition I (GoCritic! Review)
- Animafest Zagreb Croatian Competition II (GoCritic! Review)
- Phil Mulloy Masterclass (GoCritic! Review)
- Animafest Zagreb 2024 Winners
- French Animation School La Poudrière Gets Best Animation School Award at Animafest Zagreb 2024
- 7 Animation Shorts Premiering at Animafest Zagreb 2024
- 100 Animation Shorts Selected for Animafest Zagreb 2024
2023 Festival Coverage
- Animafest Zagreb’s Reanimation of Aleksandar Marks (GoCritic! Review)
- Animafest Zagreb's Science Fiction in Animation Programme 2: World of Tomorrow (GoCritic! Review)
- A Safe Space for Stupidity: William Kentridge's Masterclass at Animafest Zagreb 2023 (GoCritic! Review)
- 'Oneluv', 'My Love Affair with Marriage', 'Eeva' in the Animafest Zagreb Winners 2023
- Croatian Animation Films to Watch at Animafest Zagreb 2023
- Animafest Zagreb: Selection Results 2023
- William Kentridge to Receive the 2023 Animafest Zagreb Lifetime Achievement Award
- Suzanne Buchan Receives Animafest Zagreb Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies
- Animafest Zagreb 2023 Report: On Rendezvous with the Day and Time(s)
2022 Coverage
- 107 Animation Shorts for Animafest Zagreb 2022: Selection Results
- Nedeljko Dragić Gets Animafest Zagreb Lifetime Achievement Award
- Animation Scholar Rolf Giesen Gets Animafest Zagreb Award
2021 Coverage
- Winners 2021
- 42 Films for Children at Animafest Zagreb
- Lucerne School of Art and Design Gets Zagreb Award
- Selection Results
- Ralph Bakshi Gets Lifetime Achievement Award
2020 Festival Coverage
- All Animafest Zagreb 2020 Winners
- 41+25 Films in the World Panorama and Films for Children Competition
- More about the Student Films
- More about the Grand Competition Films
- Check the festival Animation Insights
- Animafest Zagreb: Selection Results
- Acid Rain, Ruben Brandt Get 2019 Animafest Zagreb Awards
- 36 Films for Children For Animafest Zagreb
- 2019 Selection Results
- Outstanding Award for Animation Studies to Jayne Pilling
- Suzan Pitt To Receive 2019 Animafest Zagreb Lifetime Achievement Award
2018 Festival News:
- Zagreb and Cinema D' Auteur
- Boris Labbé, The Magnificent Cake Win at Zagreb 2018
- Animafest Zagreb Celebrates Horror
- 8 Animated Features for Animafest Zagreb
- Paul Fierlinger to Get Lifetime Achievement Award at 2018 Animafest Zagreb
- Paul Wells Receives Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies at 2018 Animafest Zagreb
- Animafest Zagreb 2018: Selection Results
- Animafest Zagreb Poster and Trailer Signed by Stipan Tadić
- Animafest Zagreb presents films in the Grand Competition
- Animafest Zagreb presents Films for Children Competition and World Panorama
Event Dates
- From 02/06/2025 to 07/06/2025