The Animest International Animation Film Festival returns to Bucharest’s big screens with its 20th anniversary edition. From October 3–12, the event marks two decades of exploring the fascinating universe of animation, shared with an extraordinary community — the Animest audience.

What does it mean to travel? Is it about discovering new horizons and unknown worlds — or the people and stories that transform you? Where does the journey begin, and where does it end? On a map, on a screen, in a photo album, or within oneself? These are just a few of the questions posed by the theme of this 20th edition, explored through a wide program of screenings, special events, international guests, and dedicated sessions for artists.

Animest.20 Passes

The Animest.20 Ten Stops and Full Trip passes are available on the Eventbook platform. The Full Trip Pass guarantees full access to all screenings, concerts, and special events, offering a complete festival experience. Only 50 passes are available.

A Festival of Journeys — Real and Imagined

At Animest.20, the idea of travel takes on many forms and invites the public to rediscover them through the power of storytelling and animated art. Some journeys turn steps into kilometers, others transform words into scripts, and some convert ideas into reality — and eventually, into history.

 “Twenty editions have passed, but I still remember the emotion of that first independent animation film screened in a packed cinema in 2006,” says Mihai Mitrică, Festival Director. “Animest has always been a soulful journey, shared with an audience that grew with us and constantly inspired us to improve. We built more than a film festival — we created a space where stories come alive. Every laugh and reaction in the theater gave us the courage to move forward. Our festival was never just about films — but about the connections formed in the dark, the shared wonder, and laughter.” 

This year’s theme isn’t just a metaphor for Animest’s own 20-year journey — it’s also an invitation to cinephiles to embark on a new adventure, discovering films that will transport them to the most unexpected places.

Among them is the classic animation “Gulliver's Travels” (dir. Dave Fleischer, 1939), a timeless odyssey that transcends the boundaries of imagination, nominated for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (“Faithful Forever”) at the Oscars.

Another classic, the cult film “An American Tail” (dir. Don Bluth, 1986), also Oscar-nominated for Best Original Song (“Somewhere Out There”), offers a touching journey through migration, the search for a better life, family loss and reunion, cultural adaptation, and solidarity.

Short Films That Redefine the Journey

The thematic selection includes numerous short films exploring the diversity of what “a journey” can mean. From the dreamlike, enigmatic world of “Rosto in Reruns” (2018) to the cultural and visual travel diary from Madagascar in “Journey Diary” (2010) by Bastien Dubois, each film is a destination in itself. Audiences are invited to lose themselves in the subtle narrative of “Somewhere Down the Line” (dir. Julien Regnard, 2014), and to explore the clever humor and unique aesthetic of Nicolas Menard’s “Wednesday with Goddard” (2016).

As in previous years, the thematic short film blocks curated by Festival Director Mihai Mitrică and French journalist and film historian Alexis Hunot come with their own soundtrack. This year’s travel-themed playlist includes:

• “Where is My Mind” – Pixies
• “Around the World” – Daft Punk
• “Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland
• “The Passenger” – Iggy Pop

 “What better way to celebrate an anniversary than with a journey?” says Alexis Hunot. “This year’s selection is an invitation to experience all kinds of journeys. Sometimes all you need is your imagination — just put your feet in the air and your head on the ground and take a psychedelic stroll through Felix Colgrave’s ‘The Elephant’s Garden’, or escape daily chaos in Anikó Takács’ cosmic Jacuzzi. Take Marko Meštrović’s raft to the edge of the world, or gently lift off like the abstract shapes in Hideki Inaba’s music video Slowly Rising. You might prefer to travel the world by bike, like in Tom Schroeder’s Bike Ride, by boat in Piet Kroon’s T.R.A.N.S.I.T., or wear out your shoes like in Opinci, the film by Anton and Damian Groves. If you’re drawn to exotic lands, we offer a Journey to Japan with Dante Zaballa, or to the wild places of Planet Z by Momoko Seto. And then there are journeys you take because you have no other choice, like in the documentary They Gave Me Nothing by Elise Kelly, or in The Last Bus by Ivana Laučíková and Martin Snopek.” 

The Animest.20 Visual — A Quilt of Memories

The visual identity for Animest.20 was created by Saddo, a contemporary Romanian artist known for his eclectic style and ability to move fluidly between large-scale murals, canvas painting, and commercial illustration. His work draws from a wide spectrum of influences — from Rousseau and Matisse to Iranian miniatures and urban culture.

Designed with the support of Sorin Trăistaru (graphic design and typography), the Animest.20 visual is imagined as a “quilt” — a vibrant mosaic that stitches together graphic elements and references from past editions of the festival. It includes contributions from illustrators such as Tuan Nini, Irina Șelaru, and Oksana Kurmaz, as well as suggestions from organizers, collaborators, and volunteers.

 “The scariest briefs are the ones where I’m told to do whatever I want,” Saddo admits. “I was really excited when Filip [Mănișor, Executive Director] invited me to design the official visual for the anniversary edition of Animest, but when he told me I had total freedom, I said, ‘No, no, no — give me as many keywords, suggestions, and references as you can.’Since this is an anniversary edition, I tried to include elements from as many past visuals and trailers as possible, as well as behind-the-scenes details from the festival. For instance, the word ‘ANIMEST’ is written in the same font used by Britney Spears on one of her albums — because one of the curators always plays her music when presenting certain sections of the festival.The core idea is that of a quilt or spider-web, with the iconic Animest sheep at the center. From there, stories, rhythms, and memories grow — all organized in a way that allows the visual to be rearranged or cropped into different formats while still making sense.” 

Written by News.ro|  5 august 2025, 08:58