ANIMASYROS 2025 International Animation Festival Programme Announced
Skwigly
The grand celebration of animation is set in the capital of the Cyclades for the 18th consecutive year, as ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival takes place from September 22 to 28. With a richer programme than ever before, the largest International Animation Festival in Greece – and one of the top 20 in Europe – gathers 280 films by acclaimed and emerging creators from 50 different countries. The Festival includes 7 competition sections (International, Student, K.ID.S, AnimaPride, National Competition, TV & Commissioned Films and Feature Films), special tributes, educational workshops, parallel events, international collaborations, and the Agora, which has become a key reference point for the entire industry in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On Wednesday, 24 September at 20:00, the official opening of ANIMASYROS 2025 will be held at the emblematic Apollon Theatre, featuring the Greek premiere of the multi-award-winning film Olivia & The Clouds (Olivia & Las Nubes) by acclaimed Dominican storyteller Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, who will be present at the screening. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival last August.
On the same day, the short film “Ninety Seconds for Mikis Theodorakis” will be screened. This is the sixth installment in the “Ninety Seconds” series, produced in collaboration with the radio station Melodia 99.2, which brings to life the stories of beloved Greek songwriters and singers – artists whose work has left a lasting imprint on the history of Greek music – through animation by emerging directors, accompanied by one of their iconic songs. This animated biopic is dedicated to the great composer Mikis Theodorakis, drawing inspiration from two of his particularly distinctive works: the dreamlike Chartaetoi and the powerful, earthy Hasapοserviko.
The event will close with a celebration in the courtyard of the Hermoupolis Town Hall.
The events of ANIMASYROS will be hosted in some of the most iconic locations of Syros, such as the Apollon Theatre, the Hermoupolis Cultural Centre, the Valma Conference Hall of the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce, the Tsiropinas Mansion in Poseidonia, the Capuchin Monastery in Ano Syros, as well as Miaouli Square and Finikas Square. Throughout the Festival, parallel events and activities will be held at central locations in Hermoupolis. For the second consecutive year, ANIMASYROS will extend beyond Syros, to seven branch offices of the Chamber in Andros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, and Tinos.
The Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday 27 September at 20:00 at the Apollon Theatre.
The Festival’s big party will follow, this year hosted at Pavone Syros. The music will be curated by Leonidas Antonopoulos, director of Kosmos 93.6 radio station, and will draw inspiration from the central theme of this year’s ANIMASYROS.
The Festival will conclude on the evening of Sunday, 29 September, with the avant-premiere of the worldwide blockbuster Ne Zha 2, presented in collaboration with and supported by NEO Films. Ne Zha, a mischievous child raised by humans, forms a fragile alliance with the Dragon Prince Ao Bing in an epic battle to protect their tribes. After the confrontation, their bodies are left on the brink of destruction, and Ne Zha must embark on a perilous mission to obtain an elixir that will restore Ao Bing’s body. The film will be released in Greek cinemas on October 2.
Tributes
Bill Plympton
In its coming-of-age year, ANIMASYROS proudly welcomes the leading figure of independent American animation, the legendary director Bill Plympton. Renowned for his unmistakably personal style, Plympton is a two-time Academy Award nominee (Your Face, Guard Dog), and a Cannes award winner, with collaborations ranging from Madonna and Kanye West to The Simpsons and iconic publications, such as The New Yorker. As the first artist to hand-draw entire animated feature films solo, he stands as a living legend of the medium. This September, he comes to Syros to immerse us in his magical, surreal universe through ten of his films – including Cheatin’ and Your Face – and to lead an inspiring creative masterclass as part of the Agora.
Animated Cosmos
The main theme of this year’s ANIMASYROS edition, titled “Animated Cosmos”, is dedicated to space and runs through all pillars of the Festival. It aims to highlight how the art of animation approaches, explores, and portrays this vast and mysterious realm of human curiosity. As part of the tribute, 25 feature and short films will be screened – from Disney blockbusters like WALL-E and Lightyear to acclaimed independent European shorts such as Cosmonaut by Kaspar Jancis (Estonia) and Solar Walk by Reka Busci (Hungary).
In addition, both Festival visitors and island residents will have the opportunity to experience the Astrowalker Constellation, a striking night-time, environmental land art installation by visual artist Katerina Kotsala, situated on the islet of Didymi, just across from Hermoupolis.
Croatia
ANIMASYROS 2025 also presents an extensive tribute to the vibrant and ever-evolving Croatian animation scene, curated by Daniel Šuljić, director and artistic director of ANIMAFEST ZAGREB. This curated programme traces the evolution of Croatian animation from the Zagreb School of the 1950s – when Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia and animation production was centered around the legendary Zagreb Film studio – to the present day. The tribute features 28 landmark films from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, alongside contemporary works that continue to inspire cinephiles. Highlights include Surogat (The Substitute), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962; the Oscar-nominated Tup Tup (1972); and the space-themed short We Used to Call It: Moon (2011).
Great Greek Masters
Greek animation has a special place at the festival every year. This year, marking the 80th anniversary of Greek Animation, a tribute and exhibition entitled Great Greek Masters will be presented, paying homage to the pioneers of animation in Greece. The programme is curated by director and animator Kleopatra Korai and filmmaker Dimitris Bellos. Legendary Greek animators Iordanis Ananiadis, Giannis Koutsouris, Giorgos Sifianos, Anda Ganosi, and Angelos Chatziandreou will be in attendance at the Festival. The tribute will feature screenings of historic films from the 1940s through the 1980s, along with an exhibition at the Apollon Theatre showcasing original drawings, animation cels, storyboards, and photographic material. Together, these will offer the ANIMASYROS audience a rare glimpse into the studios of these groundbreaking creators.
Feature Films & International Panorama
ANIMASYROS once again presents some of the best feature films of recent years in their Greek premieres, opening with the multi-award-winning Dominican film Olivia & The Clouds (Olivia & Las Nubes) by Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, with the director in attendance. The film, which had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival last August, explores the complexities of love through the Rashomon effect. Haunted by a past love, Olivia hides it beneath her bed and exchanges flowers with the ghost in return for comforting rain clouds.
With cosmic momentum and recent accolades from Annecy and Cannes, Dandelion’s Odyssey, a France–Belgium co-production, arrived in Syros alongside its Japanese creator, Momoko Seto. Four peculiar friends – four seeds – are saved from a nuclear explosion that destroyed the Earth and are launched into the universe, traveling through planets and constellations. When they land in an unknown place, they embark on an unforgettable adventure to find a new home and put down roots forever.
Additionally, Hola Frida by André Kadi and Karine Vézina takes us on a journey into the childhood of the great Frida Kahlo, portraying her as a lively and endlessly curious little girl whose vivid imagination allows her to escape a mundane and sometimes painful reality. This is a beautiful, moving, and radiant story of a young girl who grew up to change her own world – and, ultimately, ours. The screening of the film is presented in collaboration with and supported by distribution company Rosebud.21.
In Memory Hotel by Heinrich Sabl, a Germany-France co-production, set in 1945 as the Red Army marches through Germany, a child, a Soviet soldier, a Nazi officer, and a member of the Hitler Youth become trapped in a hotel – a circumstance that binds them together for years in strange and unpredictable ways.
Finally, ANIMASYROS 2025 will also screen Flow, a film by Latvian director Gints Zibale that took Hollywood by storm, winning the 2024 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, as well as Memoir of a Snail (2024) by Oscar-winning director Adam Elliot.
Among the highlights of this year’s non-competitive feature film screenings are My Neighbor Totoro by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki; two of Bill Plympton’s finest works, Cheatin’ and Slide; as well as Disney favorites WALL-E and Lightyear, featured in the Animated Cosmos tribute, and the sci-fi comedy adventure Meet the Robinsons. The latter three films are screened with the support of Disney+, creative partner of the Festival’s screenings.
The International Panorama once again presents original and groundbreaking films from around the globe, with a primary focus on social issues. For the first time this year, ANIMASYROS introduces the New Greek Voices category, highlighting the fresh perspectives of emerging Greek creators.
ANIMASYROS 2025 presents another programme featuring works by students from the BA (Hons) Animation & Interactive Media Department at AKTO Art & Design College, created during their three-year studies, curated by Anastasia Dimitra. The selection was based on quality, expressiveness, and the diversity of techniques, highlighting the dynamism of contemporary audiovisual storytelling and the educational value of the creative process.
Competition Sections
This year, 113 films are featured in the 7 competition sections of ANIMASYROS 2025 (International, Student, K.ID.S, AnimaPride, National Competition, TV & Commissioned Films, Feature Films).
The International Competition Programme of the Festival features 28 films, including The Night Boots by French filmmaker Pierre-Luc Granjon, winner of the Cristal for a Short Film at this year’s Annecy Festival, and La vie avec un idiot, the latest work by acclaimed animator Theodore Ushev – an incisive commentary on the global establishment. Also competing is Brown Morning by Carlo Vogele – a filmmaker previously featured at the Festival – depicting an authoritarian regime with absurd laws that expose the horrors of fascism. Dog Alone by Marta Reis Andrade, from Portugal, premiered at the latest Animafest Zagreb and explores themes of loneliness, the challenges of repatriation, reconnection, and family relationships. Other notable screenings include Ovary-acting by Ida Melum from the UK, a humorous yet sensitive exploration of womanhood and the social pressures surrounding motherhood today; As I Was a Tree, a surreal “odyssey” by renowned Syrian animator Jalal Maghout; and The Refusers, a powerful environmental statement by Dutch filmmaker Wiep Teeuwisse.
The Greek Competition Section showcased the 17 best films from both established and emerging creators in the Greek film scene. Τhe annual Best Greek Film Award, sponsored by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, carries a prize of 1,500 €.
The AnimaPride competition section, a Festival favourite, promotes equality, respect for diversity, and the pursuit of rights. It features 11 films that tell powerful personal stories of journeys toward acceptance and the universal right to love.
The children’s program K.ID.S features 20 films that use imagination, tenderness, humor, and creativity to inspire and delight audiences of all ages. This selection highlights important themes such as the environment, diversity, empathy, friendship, family relationships, and the journey toward adulthood.
The TV & Commissioned Films category recognizes professionals who create advertising spots, television episodes, and music videos. This year’s competition features prominent names from both the international and Greek animation scenes, including Raman Djafari – designer of this year’s official poster for the Annecy Festival – with a music video for Coldplay’s song feelslikeimfallinginlove; the multi-award-winning British animator Joseph Wallace with the BBC commercial Need a Good Sleep?; Lei Lei with a spot for the Ottawa International Animation Festival 2024; Lucija Mrzljak from Croatia; and last year’s winner of ANIMASYROS Greek Competition, Yiannis Christoforou.
Juries
The juries for ANIMASYROS 2025 consist of distinguished professionals from the worlds of cinema and animation, including animators, directors, producers, festival organizers, and artistic directors from across the globe.
International & Greek Competition Section
- Bill Plympton (US) – director, animator
- Daniel Šuljić (HR) – director, animator, musician, artistic director of ANIMAFEST ZAGREB
- Aris Dimokidis (GR) – journalist, children’s book author, podcast creator
Student – TV & Commissioned Films
- Deanna Morse (US) – filmmaker, media artist, former president of ASIFA International
- Andrea Bauer (DE) – programme director of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film
- Giorgos Sifianos (GR) – director, animator, PhD in philosophy
K.ID.S.
- Cristina Lima (PT) – programme coordinator of the CINANIMA International Animation Film Festival
- Beatrice Mazzone (IT) – director, animator
- Lena Divani (GR) – author, former history professor at the Law School of Athens
AnimaPride
- Gary Thomas (UK) – director, co-founder of Animate Projects
- Kassandra El Najjar (SY) – actor, independent artist, performer
- Angelos Frantzis (GR) – director, screenwriter
- Nora Ralli (GR) – journalist
Agora
As part of the Agora, ANIMASYROS is continuing – now for a second year – its strategic partnership with the International Animation Film Market (MIFA) of the Annecy Festival, the largest animation festival in the world, with the support of the Institut français (Paris), The Hive Studio Greece, and SKY express, Official Partner and Air Transport Sponsor of the Festival. More specifically, the Agora Pitching Forum of ANIMASYROS will once again be part of the International MIFA Campus, an international programme aimed at supporting young creators and artists from Mediterranean countries, namely Greece, Albania, Croatia, Lebanon, and Tunisia, in 2025, by providing them with skills and experience. A total of six (6) professionals from these countries will participate in the programme.
From September 23 to 26, the 4-day Pitching Coaching Workshop will be held as part of the International MIFA Campus in Syros. The Pitching Workshop Tutors will be acclaimed audiovisual professionals selected by the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA) team. During the workshop, the six participants will develop their projects to meet the challenges of the international market and will be effectively prepared to participate in the Pitch Partenaire to be held in June 2026 in Annecy. The Greek-language projects selected to participate in the International MIFA Campus will receive a €1,500 prize from ERT, while MUSOU Music Group will award a prize that includes original music composition, music supervision, copyright clearance, and sound design services.
At the same time, as every year, the presentations, roundtables, seminars, masterclasses, and networking events organized within the framework of the ANIMASYROS Agora offer the international audience – whether animation professionals or enthusiasts – the opportunity to expand their network, promote their work, connect with industry experts, and engage with the global animation community.
Some prominent figures from the international animation community who will be present at the ANIMASYROS 2025 Agora include:
- Legendary director Bill Plympton, a leading figure in independent American animation, multi-award-winning and two-time Oscar nominee will deliver a dynamic and inspiring creative masterclass. Extra bonus: participants in the masterclass will also receive an original hand-drawn artwork by Plympton!
- Bill Kinder, Director of Editorial and post-production at the Pixar Animation Studios, has contributed to the company’s success for over 18 years, editing films such as Finding Nemo (2003), Monsters, Inc. (2001), and Brave (2012). Earlier in his career, he worked as a producer on Emmy-nominated documentaries and also led the post-production department at American Zoetrope.
- Rising Armenian animation director Tigran Arakelyan, known for his work on films such as Aurora’s Sunrise (2022), presents his work-in-progress feature film ZAKO, a co-production with the French company Sacre Bleu, known for the Oscar-winning Flow. The film tells the true story of Armenian painter Sargis Mangasaryan, who survived a Nazi labor camp by drawing portraits of his tormentors.
The ANIMASYROS 2025 Agora will also highlight the Festival’s central theme, Animated Cosmos, dedicated to space. Helen-Nicole Kostis, Data Visualization Product Manager at NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, with expertise in translating complex datasets into compelling visual narratives, will discuss how NASA research is communicated to both scientific communities and the public. In addition, Momoko Seto will present an insightful masterclass on her award-winning new film Dandelion’s Odyssey.
Other topics to be presented include new technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in animation production. The roundtable “Shaping European Animation: Film Institutions, Promotion & Production in Europe” will explore the role of national film organizations in shaping strategies for the growth of animation across Europe. Central to the discussion will be the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center represented by Leonidas Christopoulos, joined by leading policymakers and industry professionals from Ireland, Croatia, and Lithuania. The session will emphasize the importance of European collaboration through networks, co-productions, and co-financed initiatives that enhance the international presence and impact of the animation sector. At the same time, as part of the Creative Europe MEDIA Talks, Anna Kassimatis and Susana Costa Pereira, from the Creative Europe Desks of Greece and Portugal respectively, will discuss available funding schemes – including Creative Europe MEDIA – national supports, as well as the challenges and opportunities within the fragmented financing landscape for animated content in Europe. Furthermore, as part of the tribute to the ever-evolving and highly active Croatian animation scene, creators and producers from the region (Sunčana Brkulj, Veljko Popović, and Jure Bušić) will be present in Syros.
Two longtime friends and beloved figures of ANIMASYROS, animation journalist and historian Nancy Denney-Phelps and legendary British animator Joanna Quinn – recently honored at Annecy with an Honorary Cristal for her lifetime contribution to the art form – come together to present each other’s books. Denney-Phelps, in her book On the Animation Trail: 20 Years of Animation Festival History, shares in a personal and engaging tone, her experiences traveling to major animation festivals around the world – including ANIMASYROS. Meanwhile, Quinn, through Beryl – co-written with her longtime collaborator and screenwriter Les Mills – reveals the behind-the-scenes process of creating the eponymous animated short, showcasing early sketches, storyboards, and final artworks, and offering a comprehensive look into the production journey.
Additionally, in collaboration with the Festival’s academic partner Deree – The American College of Greece, Associate Professor Dr. Georgia-Zozetta Miliopoulou will present the masterclass Creativity and Art: Teaching or Learning? 10 Principles That Keep Us Going. Based on the premise that some things cannot be directly taught, yet ultimately everything can be learned, the session will highlight the importance of adaptability, the balance between creative freedom and discipline, lifelong learning, and continuous development in the fields of art and the creative industries.
Another highlight of this year’s Agora is the Artist’s Corner with Gary Thomas, co-founder and director of Animate Projects, the leading UK agency in experimental animation, presented in collaboration and with the support of the British Council. Thomas will discuss “residency-commission” philosophy of Animate Projects and present Planting, a support programme for emerging creators based in Derby.
Finally, as part of ANIMASYROS’ ongoing initiatives to strengthen Greek animation, an intensive three-day workshop will be held for the first time this year, led by Ivan Zuber, producer and co-founder of Laïdak Films. The workshop is specifically dedicated to Greek animation producers and will focus on project development and international co-production opportunities. This initiative is supported by the French Institute of Greece and the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center.
Once again this year, the ANIMASYROS Agora stage will host the highly successful Greek Animation Talks, where Greek creators discuss their work, explore the challenges of the creative process, and share best practices.This year, the Greek Animation Talks will be presented by the award-winning filmmaker and professor Eva Stefani.
The speed dating sessions will also return for the third consecutive year, supported by Enterprise Greece. Greek creators selected by ANIMASYROS will participate in short 20-minute meetings with internationally acclaimed producers and artists from Europe and around the world, pitch their ideas and share their artistic and professional aspirations, aiming to find co-productions or even professional opportunities in the international animation scene.
VR Lounge
For the third consecutive year, ANIMASYROS presents an impressive VR lounge at the Municipal Library of Syros, featuring interactive workshops and a programme of award-winning virtual reality experiences. Its aim is to showcase the breadth of Extended Reality (XR) technologies and highlight the pivotal role that animation plays in the development of interactive experiences and immersive films. This year, focusing on the Festival’s central theme, Animated Cosmos, visitors will have the opportunity to create their own universe using VR painting and animation tools, and to explore some of the most compelling films made with these technologies, including the award-winning immersive XR projects Oto’s Planet and ASTRA. At the Cinematic VR Corner, the film The Journey of Piraeus by Filippos Tsitos, with animation by Panagiotis Rappas – dedicated to the history of the Athenian port – will be screened, while visitors can also experience an interactive journey with a historic ship created by the University of the Aegean. The VR lounge is curated by filmmaker, animator, and researcher Dr. Dimitris Delinikolas of the University of Athens, in collaboration with Yiorgos Zestanakis, animator, producer, and game designer.
Educational Workshops
Educational workshops, one of the main pillars of ANIMASYROS, draw inspiration this year from the Festival’s central theme, Animated Cosmos. Alongside acclaimed international artists and professionals such as Renen Adar, Coke Riobóo Cortes, and Antonija Veljačić, as well as ANIMASYROS’ beloved instructors – Margarita Simopoulou, Elena Pavlaki, Agisilaos Rómbolas, Anna Oikonomou, Thomas Künstler, and Manos Mastorakis – children, teenagers, adults, people with disabilities, and seniors 65+ will explore a variety of animation techniques. Participants will bring the planets of our solar system to life, cook cosmic “soups” with stars, moons, and comets, create their own fantastical extraterrestrial creatures, and embark on unforgettable intergalactic adventures.
Learn more about the workshops here.
Cinematherapy
For the third consecutive year, the Cinematherapy programme of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, created by mental health specialist Denise Nicolakou, comes to Syros. Through screenings of carefully selected films and guided discussions, groups of students will have the opportunity to recognize, express, and process emotions and experiences. The programme aims to foster empathy, self-awareness, and social cohesion by integrating the art of cinema into a broader framework of creative therapy and community empowerment.
We Are All Together
For the first time this year, as part of the We Are All Together initiative – implemented under the auspices and with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture – ANIMASYROS 2025 presents a screening accessible to people with visual or hearing impairments, in collaboration with Liminal. The film being screened is Salty by Andreas Raptis, which courageously and sensitively explores themes of diversity, self-determination, and the value of inclusion across all ages. Through the power of visual storytelling and the familiar anthropomorphism of its characters, it offers every viewer – regardless of their needs – the experience of a story that gives voice to uniqueness and acceptance. The screening will be introduced by Aria Papanikolaou, voice actress and emerging animator.
The We Are All Together initiative also includes special animated film screenings for all school units (both general and special education), curated by academics and animation specialists, as well as educational workshops.
The visual identity of this year’s event has been designed by Alexandra Manousakis, while the official trailer is signed by the Synthesee award-winning design studio.
The Festival is co-organized with the Municipality of Syros-Hermoupolis, the Region of the South Aegean, the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce, under the auspices and financial support of the Ministry of Culture. It is also supported by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center as a strategic partner, SKY express as official partner and airline sponsor, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the University of the Aegean and The American College of Greece – Deree College as academic partners, Enterprise Greece as Agora supporter, as well as Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) and COSMOTE TV as sponsors. ANIMASYROS 2025 will host activities of the FAN – Festivals Animation Network programme, implemented with the co-funding of the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme. The festival is also supported by a wide range of foreign diplomatic missions in Greece.
More information: www.animasyros.gr