9th Festival of Animation Berlin: Competitions, Horror Special and More
Skwigly
Animation as far as the eye can see: the 9th edition of the Festival of Animation Berlin will take place from 8 to 11 October 2026. Alongside animated short films from around the world, the festival will present large-scale works in the FAB Dimensional exhibition and offer an industry programme with the Berlin Animation HUB.
“These are not easy times for culture – and that also applies to artistic animated film, which unfortunately still receives too little support,” explains Pia Djukic, the festival’s artistic director. She adds that the festival offers a space for outstanding filmmakers to share their work and connect with industry colleagues and Berlin audiences, and hopes that this year’s event will inspire even more people to discover a passion for animation.
Festival focus: “Motion Handmade”
Under the theme “Motion Handmade”, the festival places a special focus on stop-motion animation – its materials and diverse techniques, as well as the collaboration that makes the final result possible. In this spirit, the FAB trailer was created as a playful collaborative project that also pays tribute to Berlin, shot at recognisable locations around the city and entirely outside the animation studio. The renowned directors Felicia Bergström, Alberto Couceiro, Matthias Daenschel, Jan Gadermann (Student Academy Award 2022 for LAIKA & NEMO), Tine Kluth (Grimme Prize 2023 for the SANDMÄNNCHEN episode RECYCLING-MASCHINE), Izabela Plucińska (Silver Bear 2005 for JAM SESSION) and Dina Velikovskaya have combined their distinctive artistic styles using a wide range of techniques – from clay and other forms of stop-motion animation to experimental analogue processes and digital compositing.
A first taste of the stop-motion focus will be offered on 2 October: at the Stop Motion Walk, an oversized bear figure on a bicycle created by Dina Velikovskaya and Sana Schönle will be brought to life frame by frame in front of Berlin’s Rotes Rathaus from 3 pm. The event celebrates the art of handmade animation while also drawing attention to the funding challenges facing the animation scene.
The FAB competitions
With programmes for every age group, the FAB competitions cover the full spectrum of animated short film, including commissioned work. A selection jury comprising around 25 film and culture professionals has chosen 161 films from 78 countries out of 791 submissions for the competition sections Pink Panda (pre-school, primary school and teens), New Talents, International Animated Film, German Animated Film and Animated Commissioned Film. As usual, the German Animated Film competition will open the festival, following an interdisciplinary performance by Semion Bazavlouk.
Horror film special and further highlights
At their best, horror films are more than just shockers: their social commentary can leave a lasting impact. Max Breckwoldt, a cultural practitioner and scholar specialising in horror film, has curated three programmes for the festival together with artistic director Pia Djukic: Everything Under Control (Promise), with a sci-fi focus (Horror Programme I); It’s Probably Nothing, exploring body horror (Horror Programme II); and There’s Nothing Unusual Out There, which explores folk horror (Horror Programme III). Among the films shown are several international award-winning audience favourites.
Further film specials include Ashkan Rahgozar’s Iranian feature JULIET AND THE KING, inspired by Disney’s Golden Age, and a competition programme from London’s Factual Animation Film Festival (FAFF), which has been dedicated exclusively to animated documentaries since 2015.