AnimaSyros International Animation Festival + Agora, 23-27 September 2020

Festival Description:

The International Animation Festival + Agora of the island of Syros is the largest festival and market of its kind in Greece and one of the 20 most important globally. It started in 2008 and it is annually held in the capital of Cyclades, the neoclassical town of Hermoupolis. The festival comprises screenings, tributes to international animation festivals, artists and studios, media literacy activities for children, youngsters and adults, parties and tons of parallel events. 2020 marks the 6th year of "Agora" animation market, a major concurrent event, steadily evolving into an important international hub of creative professional networking, targeting the development of synergies among animation professionals.
Εvents are free to the public and take place at the imposing Apollo Theatre, the Hermoupolis Cultural Centre, the University of the Aegean premises, the central Miaouli Square and various locations across the island of Syros.

2020 Festival Coverage

Animasyros 13 goes… Phygital! Fans of animation from anywhere in the world will have the unique opportunity to watch on live streaming a significant part of the Festival program, as well as the Agora (Market) and to get a taste of the most important Animation event in Greece.

Animasyros International Animation Festival will be held for the 13th consecutive year, presenting a rich artistic programming as well as international collaborations, from 23 to 27 September 2020, on the island of Syros, in co-organization with the Municipality of Syros – Ermoupolis and the Representation of the European Commission in Greece. Responding to the special conditions that prevail due to the pandemic of Covid-19, Animasyros 13 adopts a new form, that of “Phygital”. The rich program of the Festival will be shown in situ on the island of Syros, while the most important part thereof will be broadcasted in a secure live streaming platform, giving the viewer the feeling, from anywhere in the world, that he is actually attending the Festival, while it actually takes place.

All screenings of the Festival will take place only outdoors, with Ermoupolis being the main point of reference, while every day another settlement of the island will be added on the map of Animasyros. 

At the same time, the program of the Festival will be enriched with a series of thematic panoramas of competitive non-competitive sections, such as the international and Greek panoramas, LGBTQI + themed films in the framework of the annual collaboration with Animapride as well as special screenings of feature films in collaboration with Chaniartoon. Children hold a special place in the program, both through the K.ID.S category, where this year a collaboration with the Athens International Children Film Festival is inaugurated, as well as through the screening of animation films made by the children themselves.

Honored country of the 13th event is the Czech Republic, with the support and cooperation of the Czech Institute of Athens and includes screenings of contemporary animation films curated by the animation department of the significant FAMU school and the International Animation Festival Anifilm.

• Selection Results
• Watch the festival live

Educational activities- being an important pillar of Animasyros – could not be missing from this year’s program. Based on the prevailing conditions, three (3) educational programs will be carried out for three different age groups. An adult masterclass (professionals and animation students) with Dan Richards of A+C Animation Studio(GB), an animation & calligraphy workshop for teenagers with the calligrapher Maria Genitsariou and instructor Ioanna Giakoumatou, while our little friends, 5th & 6th grade students, are taken over by the animators Fokion and Eleni Mouri, for a workshop tackling environmental issues.

Trailer:

2019 Festival Coverage:

This year's theme festival, AnimaGreen, is dedicated to the environment and sustainability. Animasyros approaches sustainable development not only in relation to the environment but as a process that ensures the preservation and spread of artistic heritage and creation through new technologies.

2019 marks the 5th year of “Agora”, the festival’s animation marketplace, a major concurrent event, steadily evolving into an important international hub of creative professional networking, targeting the development of synergies among animation professionals

• 2019 Selection Results

2018 Festival News (Archive)

• Negative Space, (OO) Get 11th Animasyros awards
• Full Schedule for the 11th Animasyros
• Selection Results for the 11th Animasyros festival
• Animasyros Athens Animation Agora (24-26 Sep): Full Schedule

2018 Festival Teaser:

2018 Visual Identity:
Greek-American animation artist  and Dreamworks Animation Supervisor producer Aliki Theofilopoulos  designs the 2018 festival identity. Theofilopoulos has  executively produced and directed Disney’s hit series Descendants Wicked World; she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy (writer and storyboard artist), and Emmy-nominated (song writer) for Disney’s Phineas and Ferb.

She began her career in feature animation in 1995, animating Hercules, Tarzan and Treasure Planet,  before moving into the world of television as a Story Artist, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer. Her  credits also include the award-winning Disney Mickey Mouse shorts as well as Nickelodeon’s Chalk Zone and Warner Brothers’ Johnny Test. She developed two shorts for Frederator/Nickelodeo,  Yaki and Yumi , and Girls on the Go. Aliki also directed the Annecy-selected short, Doctor Lollipop. Currently she is the Supervising Producer on a new show for Dreamworks Television to be released in Netflix (2018). 

2020  Call for Entries (Archive)

With four competitions, International &Student Short films, and Feature films (Audience Award) as well as the European Values ​​Award #ThisIsEU - European Commission Representative Award, out-of-Competition thematic panoramas (International, Student & Greek Panoramas, as well K.ID.S.), aims for yet another year to attract the interest of established animated filmmakers from Greece and the rest of the world.

- The festival welcomes ANIMATED films from all over the globe.
- First public screening of submitted films must have occurred strictly AFTER 1st of January 2018 (we are seeking 2019-19-20 productions)
- The limit between shorts and features is set in 45min. (anything <45mins is considered short, everything >45mins is a feature)

Categories:

• Feature Animation - International Competition (Animation with a duration of 45' and longer
• Short Animation - International Competition
• TV & Commissioned Animation - International Competition
• K.ID.S: Animation suitable for children of all ages
• Animapride LGBTQI animation

Awards & Prizes

Best Feature (Audience Award)
Best Short Film
Best Student Short Film
Best TV & Commissioned Film

• Entry form and festival regulations via FilmFreeway
• Deadline: 30 June 2020