The Animest Association is an independent cultural organization that supports and develops Romanian animation through a coherent set of cultural events, educational programs, professional initiatives and international projects, with a constant focus on education, inclusion, and sustainability.

The association’s main and most visible project is the Animest International Animation Film Festival, founded in 2006 and held annually in Bucharest. Animest is the first and most important festival in Romania dedicated entirely to animated film and enjoys strong international recognition. Each year, the festival presents international and national competitions, curated sections, special events, animation workshops, and professional training activities. 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 to hold this status.

Beyond the festival, the Animest Association develops recurring projects that extend its activity throughout the year and address the needs of diverse audiences and professional groups. These include Minimest, the section dedicated to children; the Animation Incubator, aimed at high school students interested in pursuing a career in animation; pitching programs for animation filmmakers (Pitch, Please! and Toon Scripts); Sisterhood of Young Animation Auteurs, a program dedicated to supporting women active in animation; as well as Animest Together, an initiative focused on improving accessibility across the association’s events for audiences with diverse abilities.

The association’s international activity includes Animest Chișinău, a festival held in the Moldova, which reached its 11th edition in 2025, as well as active participation in European networks and partnerships. The Animest Association is a founding member of the Animation Festival Network, contributing to joint projects in education, professional mobility, and the exchange of best practices at the European level.

Mission

The Animest Association has the mission to develop and support Romanian animation, to promote high-quality international animated content and to create active connections between the two. The association builds artistic, educational, social and civic projects that use animation as a tool for access to culture, inclusion, and the development of an active community.

Vision

We aim to strengthen Animest’s role as an aggregator of animation in Romania and as a key reference point at the European level. We create contexts in which artists, professionals, young audiences, and local communities can meet, collaborate, and innovate. Our vision is to foster a society connected to culture, in which animation is recognized as an active part of the local cultural landscape and as a driver of positive long-term change.

Values

1. Positive impact on animation - we actively contribute to the development of the Romanian animation scene, in dialogue with the international one, by creating opportunities and promoting a healthy ecosystem.

2. Education and development - we use animation as an educational tool and build learning and mentoring contexts.

3. Diversity and inclusion - we create welcoming and safe spaces that embrace diversity and promote inclusion.

4. Community – we build and support an active community around animation.

5. Collaboration and healthy work culture – we encourage growth through learning, listening and autonomy, within a coherent and transparent organizational framework supported by open communication.

6. Integrity – we work responsibly, honor our commitments, and cultivate trust in our relationships with audiences, partners and the community.

7. Access to culture and audience orientation – we strive to make animation accessible to a wide and diverse audience and take into account audience needs and perspectives when designing our projects.

8. Sustainability – we promote environmentally responsible practices and decisions across all our activities.

9. Perseverance and adaptability – we continuously adapt to our surroundings, persevere in achieving our goals and build our work on continuity, experience and the ability to move forward year after year.