Black Sea Animation Workshop 2026: Selected Projects

The Black Sea Animation Workshop (BSAW) has announced the 11 short animation projects selected for its third edition, taking place 24–28 November 2026 in Istanbul.

Aiming to unite the diverse animation voices in the Black Sea region, the workshop brings together emerging filmmakers from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Türkiye, Ukraine. This year, its guest country is Azerbaijan; BSAW continues to strengthen creative connections and international collaboration across the Black Sea region and beyond.

The workshop yearly selects a number of projects; the awarded projects are presented to one of the MIFA Industry strand of Annecy Festival (MIFA partner pitches). Organized by ANIM.IST (Türkiye), Compote Collective (Bulgaria), Saqanima (Georgia), Linoleum (Ukraine), and Animest (Romania), in collaboration with Bahçeşehir University, BSAW offers a unique platform for project development, mentorship, pitching, and professional networking.

11 Animation Projects for the Black Sea Workshop 2026

BULGARIA
Hiding Place / Скривалище — Mina Dicheva
FOX FOX MATCHBOX — Zdravko Merdzhanov

GEORGIA
EZO / ეზო — Anastasia Zhividze
Agnus — Liza Kvelidze

ROMANIA
FIN — Alex Halka
Master of the Two Worlds — Adele Coulloudon and Radu Popovici

TÜRKİYE
Dog; With All Its Heart / Köpek; Tüm Kalbiyle — Önder Eren Berkman
AŞUK — Begüm Varbil

UKRAINE
The Wrong Wardrobe — Viktoria Filmako
Bipolar Days :): — Mariia Afanasieva

GUEST COUNTRY: AZERBAIJAN
Railways to Yourself — Aygun Bakhshi

Throughout the five-day workshop, participants will develop their projects with French mentors and industry professionals, culminating in a pitching session on 28 November. Beyond the workshop, BSAW invites filmmakers, producers, students, festival representatives, and animation enthusiasts to take part in a vibrant programme of public events:

Workshop program (public presentations)

26 November: International Partner Presentations — BAUIDEA
27 November: BSAW Family Screening & Networking — French Institute, Istanbul
28 November: BSAW Pitching & Industry Talks — Bahçeşehir University

Our Comprehensive Coverage of Black Sea Animation Workhsop

Black Sea Animation Workshop 2026 will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 24-29 November 2026.