Animest 2026: Nature takes over the big screen!
Between October 2 and 11, the Animest International Animation Film Festival returns to the big screens of Bucharest with its 21st edition. This year's festival theme invites you to explore the profound connections between humans and the environment, bringing NATURE to the forefront—from the mysteries of ancient forests to the fragile balance of ecosystems and the green invasion of urban space.
What does it mean to truly look at the natural world? To let yourself be overwhelmed by its force, to understand its hidden rhythms, or to take responsibility for its protection? In the age of digital and virtual realities, do we still know how to listen to the organic pulse of the planet that hosts us? These are just a few of the perspectives that Animest.21 proposes for exploration through a vast program of screenings, special events, meetings with guests from all over the world, and programs dedicated to the artists. You will discover spectacular feature films, multi-award-winning movies from major international festivals, as well as numerous short-films that explore nature from unexpected angles, featuring vibrant landscapes, fantastic creatures, and an important ecological message.
Don't miss Animest.21! The Ten Stops and Full Trip passes are available now, offering unlimited access to the festival experience.
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The Animest International Animation Film Festival is the largest and longest-running festival in Romania dedicated exclusively to animated film. Founded in 2006, the festival brings hundreds of films from all over the world to the big screen, across multiple competition categories, retrospectives, and programs dedicated to famous animation schools, animation festivals, and major industry names. Every year in October, Bucharest hosts film directors, producers, students, curators, and journalists, who take part in discussions with the audience, hold workshops and masterclasses, and present their new animated film projects.
The winners of the Animest Trophy and the Romanian competition automatically become eligible for the Academy Awards®, with Animest being the only festival in Romania holding this status.
Full Trip Pass: guarantees a comprehensive festival experience, allowing access to any and all screenings, concerts, and special events during Animest.20. Pass and badge owners may reserve seats for festival events on the Eventbook platform, using the barcode on their document. Reserving a seat is not compulsory, but recommended, as seats are limited....See more details
Ten Stops Pass: provides access to screenings during Animest.20 (not including Opening Night and special events). Perfect for animation lovers who might be busy, but wouldn’t miss animation’s crème de la crème for the world. Pass and badge owners may reserve seats for festival events on the Eventbook platform, using the barcode on their document....See more details
The Family Pass turns the joy of watching a great animation into a shared experience! Valid for three people at any screening in the Minimest selection, the pass is designed to bring people together. To clarify, "family" can mean whatever you want it to – parents and kids, grandparents and grandchildren, cousins, close friends, or even coworkers....See more details
During late 1950s in Venezuela, nine-year-old Elizabeth’s summer break takes a wild turn when her little brother Leo vanishes into the jungle. She must swap her books for bravery not only to find her brother but also to rescue a mystical furry animal from captivity and bring him back up to the legendary Tepui mountain....See more details
1845, Seville, a pulsating town of sailors and small-time crooks. Teenage Salvador, assistant to the gifted knife grinder Antonio, encounters a captivating young gypsy woman, Carmen. Her stunning beauty and independent spirit set the town abuzz, but Antonio’s mystical ability to glimpse the future in sharpened blades foretells a tragic fate for Carmen at the hands of a soldier, José....See more details
Ce s-ar întâmpla dacă natura din jurul tău ar ascunde o misiune secretă, doar pentru tine? La acest atelier, fiecare copil va culege materiale reciclate și elemente din natură (frunze, crenguțe, scoarță, fructe uscate etc.) chiar din împrejurimile locației, pe care le va transforma în personaje și decoruri pentru propria poveste animată....See more details
Lucie, în vârstă de 9 ani, își petrece vacanța de vară în orașul în care a copilărit mama sa, arheolog. Aventurile încep în ruinele castelului din oraș, care ascund un secret de familie, pe care Lucie îl va descoperi cu ajutorul noului său prieten Yann și a doi pițigoi....See more details
The ticket guarantees one hour of VR experiences from the festival's selection, chosen at the venue. A LONG GOODBYE, Belgium 2025 - Kate Voet, Victor Maes - 25’ FALLAX, Iceland, United Kingdom 2025 - Owen Hindley - 23’ IF YOU SEE A CAT, Japan 2026- Atsushi Wada - 37’ LESBIAN SIMULATOR, The Netherlands 2025- Iris van der Meule - 40’ LESS THAN 5GR OF SAFFRON, France 2025 - Négar Motevalymeidanshah - 7’ RETSU (THE LINE), Japan 2026 - Naho Kamimura - 30’ SENSE OF NOWHERE, Taiwan 2025 - Hsin Hsuan Yeh - 30’ THE BIG CUBE, Finland, China, Belgium, Portugal 2025 - Menghui Huang - 6’45 THE SAD STORY OF THE LITTLE MOUSE WHO WANTED TO BECOME SOMEBODY, France, Germany, Belgium 2025 - Nicolas Bourniquel - 29’
During late 1950s in Venezuela, nine-year-old Elizabeth’s summer break takes a wild turn when her little brother Leo vanishes into the jungle. She must swap her books for bravery not only to find her brother but also to rescue a mystical furry animal from captivity and bring him back up to the legendary Tepui mountain.
The ticket guarantees one hour of VR experiences from the festival's selection, chosen at the venue. A LONG GOODBYE, Belgium 2025 - Kate Voet, Victor Maes - 25’ FALLAX, Iceland, United Kingdom 2025 - Owen Hindley - 23’ IF YOU SEE A CAT, Japan 2026- Atsushi Wada - 37’ LESBIAN SIMULATOR, The Netherlands 2025- Iris van der Meule - 40’ LESS THAN 5GR OF SAFFRON, France 2025 - Négar Motevalymeidanshah - 7’ RETSU (THE LINE), Japan 2026 - Naho Kamimura - 30’ SENSE OF NOWHERE, Taiwan 2025 - Hsin Hsuan Yeh - 30’ THE BIG CUBE, Finland, China, Belgium, Portugal 2025 - Menghui Huang - 6’45 THE SAD STORY OF THE LITTLE MOUSE WHO WANTED TO BECOME SOMEBODY, France, Germany, Belgium 2025 - Nicolas Bourniquel - 29’