Animest Bucharest International Animation Film Festival 2026

Category

ANIMATION & FILM FESTIVALS

Dates

02/10/2026 - 11/10/2026

City

Bucharest, Romania

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Website

https://www.animest.ro/

Edition

Final submission deadline

2026-07-01

Submission/Registration Fee

Festival Description

Animest International Animation Film Festival is the only festival in Romania dedicated to animated film. It was founded in 2006, and gathers films from all over the world, in six competitive categories, both for short and feature film, ample retrospectives, and focuses on various countries, animation studios, and film schools. Every year it welcomes international filmmakers, producers, festival programmers, and journalists to Bucharest. Workshops, masterclasses, special events, concerts and parties are open to the festival guests and audience. The festival is Academy Award-qualifying.

2026 Call for Entries

The festival comprises eight official competitive categories:

Short film (less than 50 min): animated short films made after January 1, 2025, which have not previously competed in any Animest festival.
Feature film (more than 50 min): animated feature films made after January 1, 2025, which have not previously competed in any Animest festival.
Anidocs: animated short documentaries made after January 1, 2025, which have not previously competed in any Animest festival.
Student film: animated short films made by a student or a film school (graduation films or not) after January 1, 2025, which have not previously competed in any Animest festival.
Romanian short film: Romanian animated films (local productions or co-productions) completed after January 1, 2025.
Minimest: animated short films presenting an interest for a public of children aged 4 to 14, made after January 1, 2025, which have not previously competed in any Animest festival.
Music video: animated short films made after January 1, 2025, primarily together with existing music covering minimally 80% of the footage.
VR animation: animated short films using virtual reality.

In order to be selected for competition, the films must be at their first screening in Romania (except for Romanian short films).

There is no registration fee
Entry Form
Festival Regulations
Deadline: 1 July 2026

2025 Festival Coverage

2024 Festival Coverag

2023 Festival Coverage

2022 Festival Coverage

2021 Festival Coverage

Award Winners

2020 Festival Coverage

Animest Winners

2019 Festival Coverage: Award Winners:

Animest Trophy – offered by the Romanian Cultural Institute: ACID RAIN by Tomek Popakul (Poland)
Best Feature Film – offered by UCIN, the Romanian Filmmakers Union: AWAY by Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia)
Best Student Short Film: HORS DE L’EAU by Simon Duong Van Huyen, Joël Durand, Thibault Leclercq, Valentin Lucas, Andrei Sitari (France)
Special Mention for a Short Film: HIDE N SEEK by Barbora Halířová (Czech Republic)
Best Romanian Short Film – offered by UCIN, the Romanian Filmmakers Union: OPINCI / SANDALS by Anton Groves & Damian Groves (Romania)
Best Pitch– UCIN and CEE Animation:
Pitch Jury's Special Mention – TIME GUARDIANS by Oleg Condrea
Best Pitch - GLENDA, THE DEVIL-BLESSED by Bogdan Benea & Andra Berilă
Best VR Film – offered by Loop Romania: SONGBIRD by Michelle and Uri Kranot (Denmark)
Best Music Video: YOUR EYES, WILL I EVER by Félicien Colmet Daâge (France)
Minimest Award – offered by Cartoon Network: ZOO by Nina Heckel (France)
Audience Award: MEMORABLE by Bruno Collet (France)