Festival Description

Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF) is organized by Norsk Animasjonsforum. The object of the festival is to promote the screening of animation and increase awareness of animated expressions in the Nordic-Baltic countries. Fredrikstad Animation Festival is a part of the European Animation Awards, which is responsible for the Emile Awards. Winning films are eligible to compete in the best film and student film categories under the European Animation Awards. One Norwegian short film is chosen to compete in the nomination process for the Amanda award by the jury for the Nordic-Baltic short and student film categories.

2026 Fredrikstad Animation Festival Coverage

Opening Film: Santa's Workshop Opens the Fredrikstad Animation Festival based on a radio play by Thorbjørn Egner, will open Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2026 on Wednesday, 21 October at Fredrikstad Cinema. The film, produced by Qvisten Animation and directed by Mette Tange and Rasmus Sivertsen, will have its world premiere at the festival.

When nine-year-old Mari wakes up one night to find an elf in her bedroom, it marks the beginning of an extraordinary Christmas adventure. With a forgotten elf mitten as their only clue, she, her grandmother, and a very skeptical father set off on a remarkable journey to find Santa Claus — while the mitten's owner,

'Santa's Workshop' is part of the competition program for Nordic-Baltic Animated Feature Film.

FAF Masterclass: Anna Mantzaris and Brice Chevillard

Two masterclasses are presented on Saturday 24 October, with a particular focus on the creative development of animated film. First up is the Swedish stop-motion animator and award-winning director Anna Mantzaris, who throughout her career has created unique puppet films, both as creative short films and as commissioned work. The second masterclass focuses on the production of the new French queer animated feature Jim Queen, with screenwriter Brice Chevillard. There will be a screening of Jim Queen after the seminar.

• Selection Results
• Fredrikstad Awarded the Plankenbaerenprise 

Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF) Call For Entries

2027 Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF) call for entries - Currently not open. Submission details will be reported here when announced by the festival.

(2026 Archive)

Fredrikstad Animation Festival’s competition programme features the following categories:

• Nordic-Baltic Short Film
• Nordic-Baltic Student Film
• Nordic-Baltic Commissioned Film
• Nordic-Baltic Children's Film
• Nordic-Baltic Young Audience Film
• Global Short Film
• NEW AWARD to be announced soon

Eligibility:

• Open to all animated films using any technique - analogue, digital, mixed, though Ai must be specified - including hybrid productions combining animation with live-action.d.
• Maximum running time: 30 minutes.
• Films must have been completed January 1st 2025 or after.
• A film cannot enter the competition twice..
• The director of the film (except for the International Short Competition) must be a citizen of the Nordic and Baltic countries, or the country of origin of the film must be a Nordic or Baltic country.
• The Nordic-Baltic countries are defined as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greenland, Faro Island, Sápmi and Åland.
• Festival Regulations and Submission via Film Freeway (Northern Animation Network)
• Deadline: 3 May 2026 – Professional Short Film Competition Deadline, 15 June 2026 – Student & Commissioned Short Film Competition Deadline

Browse the Festival Coverage Archive