ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora – Call for Submissions for the Pitching Forum, Deadline 1st July
Skwigly
The ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival returns for its 19th edition from 21 to 27 September 2026 in the capital of the Cyclades. The largest animation festival in Greece and one of the most important in Europe further expands its programme this year, once again bringing to Syros some of the leading figures of the international audiovisual industry while showcasing the latest trends in contemporary animation.
As part of the ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora, the established Agora Pitching Forum and the three-day Pitching Coaching Workshop will take place, featuring three distinguished audiovisual industry professionals as tutors: Tünde Vollenbroek (Netherlands), Elliott Palmer (United Kingdom), and Viviane Vanfleteren (Belgium). Guest speakers will include Academy Award nominee Joanna Quinn (United Kingdom). During the workshop, animation professionals, directors, screenwriters, and producers based across the wider Mediterranean and Balkan regions will further develop their projects in order to meet the demands of the international market, gain a better understanding of the expectations of potential collaborators, and acquire valuable insight into the art of pitching. At the end of the workshop, participants will present their projects-in-development to both the public and an international jury of animation professionals, investors, and potential collaborators during the Pitching Sessions. A total of six (6) professionals will be selected based on the project proposals submitted by July 1 through the ANIMASYROS page on the FilmFreeway platform. The winner will be announced on Saturday, September 26, during the Festival Closing Ceremony.
At the same time, as every year, the presentations, roundtables, seminars, masterclasses, and networking meetings organised by the ANIMASYROS Agora offer international animation professionals the opportunity to expand their network, promote their work, meet acclaimed industry professionals, engage with the international animation community, and discover the future of animation.
Some of the international animation personalities participating in the ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora include:
- Maya Merigeau and José Luis Ágreda, acclaimed art directors, will each deliver a masterclass dedicated to their creative vision and artistic practices. Merigeau will reflect on her journey from animation school to Cartoon Saloon, as well as her experimental, sensorial and meditative approach to animation, offering deeper insight into the making of her award-winning short film Genius Loci. Ágreda will share his understanding of art direction and the role that personal style can play within a project, comparing his experience on his two most recent films, Robot Dreams and Decorado.
- Acclaimed producer Imogen Sutton, Academy Award and BAFTA nominee for the short film Prologue (2015), directed by her late husband Richard Williams, will participate in an in-depth discussion with animation journalist and historian Nancy Denney-Phelps. The conversation will focus both on her career as a producer and on her creative collaboration with her life partner. Sutton will also discuss the book Adventures in Animation, which she and Williams began writing together before his passing, offering a unique insight into his career, the history of animation, and the creative influences that shaped his work for more than six decades.
- Leading Irish industry voice Sean Cunningham, co-founder of Studio Meala – the award-winning studio behind works such as Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023) and the original series Doodle Girl (2024) – will share his experience navigating the challenges of independent animation production. Through the lens of selected projects and the studio’s unique artistic approach, he will provide behind-the-scenes insight into creating and sustaining an animation studio outside the major industry hubs in an ever-changing global landscape.
- Distinguished sound designer Olivier Calvert, known for his immersive and evocative sound design as well as his inventive approach to storytelling through sound, will deliver a masterclass dedicated to the crucial role of sound in shaping a film’s identity. He will also highlight the importance of collaboration between the director, composer, and sound designer throughout this creative journey
- Composer Nik Phelps will take the audience through his working process of composing for animated short films, offering a live demonstration on how visual language, pacing, and emotional tone shape the musical approach. He will also demonstrate how rhythm and melody can enhance storytelling by closely following the movement and energy of the characters.
The Agora programme will also reflect the central theme of this year’s ANIMASYROS edition: the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Hermoupolis – the historic and multicultural capital of Syros. Emerging and established creators working in contemporary animated documentary, including Babis Alexiadis and Maria Stanisheva, will discuss how filmmakers transform personal experiences into powerful animated narratives with broader historical and social dimensions.
At the same time, artists working at the intersection of animation and contemporary culture, such as Léa Esmaili, and Dimitris Armenakis, will discuss the ever-growing presence of animation in music videos and its role as a space for visual experimentation and artistic expression.
Special emphasis will also be placed on film distribution, with representatives from leading animation distribution company Miyu Distribution, and the emerging Portuguese collective Olharapo Filmes participating in the Agora. Speakers will present different approaches to the distribution of independent animation, discuss the challenges of reaching international audiences, and examine how films circulate within today’s global markets, offering valuable insights and practical advice for creators.
The ANIMASYROS Agora will additionally host a discussion on the social and political potential of animation. Directors Leo Luna Robert-Tourneur and Elisa Beli Borrelli will explore how animation can function as a powerful creative medium for expressing queer perspectives, challenging dominant narratives, and examining issues of identity, power, and representation, ultimately contributing to social change.
Among the topics highlighted at the Agora will be animation film financing in Ireland and Greece, with representatives from Animation Ireland, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, and Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center (EKKOMED) participating. Through their presentations, audiences will gain a comprehensive overview of the funding mechanisms and support systems currently available to animation professionals, as well as the opportunities and challenges shaping today’s complex and fragmented European funding landscape for animated audiovisual content.
Finally, as part of ANIMASYROS initiatives aimed at strengthening Greek animation, the intensive three-day Animation Producer Workshop will take place for the second consecutive year, led by Elisa Beli Borrelli. Designed specifically for Greek animation producers, the workshop will focus on project development through a DIY approach, explaining how creators can manage productions and shape a clear creative vision outside traditional funding structures by relying on the support of the animation community. This objective will be achieved through the breakdown of a short film created specifically for the occasion, providing participants with practical experience in collaborative and inventive production processes. Applications should be submitted to social@animasyros.gr and must be accompanied by a short CV/bio and a portfolio showcasing previous professional or/and creative work.
The highly successful Greek Animation Talks will once again take centre stage at the ANIMASYROS Agora, offering Greek creators the opportunity to discuss their work, the challenges of the creative process, and share best practices.
For the fourth consecutive year, the highly successful speed dating sessions will also continue. Greek creators selected by ANIMASYROS will participate in short 20-minute meetings with internationally renowned producers and artists from across Europe and around the world, pitching their ideas and sharing their artistic and professional aspirations with the aim of securing co-productions and professional opportunities within the international animation industry.
And this is only the beginning… More news regarding the ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora will be announced soon. Stay tuned!