Festivalul Internațional de Film de Animație Animest
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.
Program Festivalul Internațional de Film de Animație Animest
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
14:00
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 14:00
Atelier de animație stop-motion – Micul ecosistem
Animest.21
Cum ar fi dacă piesele tale Lego ar prinde viață în mijlocul naturii, construindu-și propria lume din frunze, crenguțe și materiale reciclate? La acest atelier, fiecare copil își va construi propria lume, combinând piese Lego cu elemente naturale și materiale reciclate puse la dispoziție....See more details
location_on Sediul Groupama, București info
Atelier de animație stop-motion – Micul ecosistem
Animest.21
location_on Sediul Groupama, București info
price: 120 lei
Atelier de animație stop-motion – Micul ecosistem
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
15:00
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 15:00
Animest VR Experience 16+
Animest.21
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’
location_on CINETic, București info
Animest VR Experience
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
16:30
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 16:30
Animest VR Experience 16+
Animest.21
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’
location_on CINETic, București info
Animest VR Experience
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
17:00
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 17:00
The Songbirds' Secret 6+
Animest.21
volume_up FRLucie, 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
location_on Cinemateca Eforie, București info
The Songbirds' Secret
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
18:00
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 18:00
Animest VR Experience 16+
Animest.21
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’
location_on CINETic, București info
Animest VR Experience
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
18:30
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 18:30
Watership Down 14+
Animest.21
volume_up ENUn iepure pe nume Fiver are o viziune profetică, se apropie sfârșitul coloniei sale. El îi convinge pe alți șapte iepuri să plece împreună în căutarea unui nou cămin. Au de înfruntat multe obstacole, prădători, un cimitir plin de șobolani, un râu năvalnic....See more details
location_on Cinema Muzeul Țăranului - Studioul Horia Bernea, București info
Watership Down 14+
Animest.21
location_on Cinema Muzeul Țăranului - Studioul Horia Bernea, București info
price: 28 lei
Watership Down
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
18:30
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 18:30
Glitches in the (Eco)system 9+
Animest.21
La acest eveniment vor fi proiectate filmele Papaya (Brazilia, 2026, 76’) și The Snails (Franța, 1966, 10’). Evenimentul a fost curatoriat de Diana Voinea şi Anda Duțescu, în cadrul Rezidenței F-SIDES Wildcards 2026. "În vâltoarea unor avansuri tehnologice fără precedent de la Revoluția Industrială încoace, natura rămâne, în mod ambivalent, una dintre ultimele redute asupra căreia se exercită constant presiunea exploatării și a subjugării în logica profitului capitalist....See more details
location_on Cinema Elvire Popesco, București info
Glitches in the (Eco)system 9+
Animest.21
location_on Cinema Elvire Popesco, București info
price: 28 lei
Glitches in the (Eco)system
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
19:00
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 19:00
Award Winners 2026 14+
Animest.21
Best Short Films / Scurtmetrajele premiate
location_on Cinemateca Eforie, București info
Award Winners 2026
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
19:30
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 19:30
Animest VR Experience 16+
Animest.21
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’
location_on CINETic, București info
Animest VR Experience
calendar_month
11 Oct 2026
schedule
20:30
calendar_month 11 Oct 2026 schedule 20:30
Pom Poko 12+
Animest.21
volume_up JPUn film despre ciocnirea dintre civilizația modernă și lumea naturii. Ratonii de pe Dealurile Tama sunt alungați de urbanizarea rapidă. Pe măsură ce le devine tot mai greu să găsească hrană și adăpost, decid să se unească și să se opună....See more details
location_on Cinema Muzeul Țăranului - Studioul Horia Bernea, București info
Pom Poko 12+
Animest.21
location_on Cinema Muzeul Țăranului - Studioul Horia Bernea, București info
price: 28 lei
Pom Poko