Animest.20: 6th Edition of the Animation Incubator Now Open for Teen Applicants

The Animation Incubator is just entering its sixth “station”: since 2019, the largest community for teens who love animation and digital art has grown organically in membership and programs. Now, you can apply for the Animate the Festival! Workshop as well as the Teen Jury @ Animest. The deadline is September 7; applications are free and exclusively online. Full details in Romanian at incubatoruldeanimatie.ro.

The Animation Incubator, Animest’s program dedicated to the imaginative youth in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, started its journey with a clear purpose: create safe, diverse, and inclusive spaces for animation and digital art non-formal education programs. The over 300-strong community has catalyzed multiple animated films selected, screened and awarded at international film festivals in Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, the UK and USA; Animation Incubator alumni are currently students at universities such as UNATC – The National University of Theater and Film Bucharest as well as Gobelins Paris.

“We grew the Animation Incubator Community to offer a safe space for young artists to develop – a space that soon became much more: educational platform, animation studio, cineclub, and even research lab. Here, teens lead their own projects, support other emerging artists, and create together. This past year, the Community grew by 50% and the teen animations resulting from our workshops continue to garner interest around the globe, with screenings in Romania and internationally, from Canada to Costa Rica.

We’ve reached the point where the first bigger group of teens to join – as they started high school – is getting ready to graduate and preparing for university admission. We’ve watched them grow and are incredibly proud of them. We want to make new tech and digital art accessible to up-and-coming generations, irrespective of background, through a mix of online and in-person initiatives,” explains Kar Bălan, the Animation Incubator’s coordinator.

Animate the Festival! Five-day Bucharest Workshop for High School Animators

Between October 5-12, ten high schoolers from Romania and the Republic of Moldova will level up their skills through an intense animation workshop and professional development program complete with screenings, masterclasses, industry talks, and many other activities, all curated by the Animation Incubator team.

High schooler members of the Animation Incubator from Romania and the Republic of Moldova may apply by September 7. Yes, you need to be an Animation Incubator Community member, which you can do by filling out an online application; afterwards, you’ll get access to the Animate the Festival! application form, as well. Your application will include a portfolio with four representative projects using techniques of your choice – one does need to be an animation of at least three seconds. Another important eligibility criterion is availability: only apply if you are able to take part in all of the five-day workshop activities in person. Workshop participation is free of charge and includes lunch as well as access to all the technical equipment necessary. If selected, however, you will have to arrange accommodation in Bucharest, travel, breakfast, and dinner during October 5-12, 2025.

The workshop trainers: Laura Pop and Anna Florea, multi-awarded animation directors. Laura’s films propose philosophical perspectives on oneself, the cycle of life and death: Monster, The Lute. Anna is a co-founder of the RIVULET Studio and co-author of two animated shorts – Mr. Anxiety Goes on a Date (2016) and The Invisibles (2020), created alongside the 4inaroom collective. Laura and Anna will guide the ten participants’ work on a collective project, an animation that will be screened at the Animest.20 Closing Gala. This year’s Animest theme is Travel, viewed through the lens of solidarity. Thus, the workshop participants will explore subjects such as culture, tradition, emmigration, and belonging, through animation.

Bonus: last year’s Animate the Festival! resulting animation was selected and screened at ten international festivals in the UK, Italy, Croatia, Canada, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. More details here.

Animest.20 Teen Jury: Apply Now

Are you a teen interested in animation and film critique? Consider applying to become one of the three jurors to select the Teen Award winner during the International Feature Film Competition at Animest – the most prominent animation festival and only Oscar-qualifying film festival in Romania. As a Teen Juror, you’ll also get to talk to industry professionals and meet the directors of several of the films you’re evaluating. Details here.

Apply by September 7 for the chance to work under the mentorship of Ligia Soare and Alexis Hunot. Ligia is a co-founder and co-organiser of Animest Festival ever since our first edition. She coordinates the festival’s international relations and educational projects while also programming Animest sections dedicated to our youngest audiences (think Minimest). Year round, Ligia leads national and European programs meant to make film more culturally accessible and inclusive. She is also an expert audiovisual translator who works with film producers and distributors and manages the translation departments for multiple film festivals in Romania. Alexis is one of the Animest programmers thanks to his background as a film critic, curator, and founder of an animation festival in France – the Paris International Animation Film Festival. He has also taught within multiple international animation university programs.

To apply, become a member of the Animation Incubator Community and then fill out the application form, which centers around two questions:

• Why do you think you’re a good fit for the Animest.20 Teen Jury?

• Pick a film you enjoyed and pitch it to others. You may reference themes, characters, social impact, artwork, visuals, etc.

Last year’s Teen Jury served as this year’s curating team for Fresh Frames – a section consisting of short films created by animators in high school or foundation year, submitted this summer during an open call. This tradition will carry on next year.

Important: you may apply to both opportunities – Animate the Festival! and Teen Jury @ Animest – but, if selected, you’ll only be admitted to one of them, as organizers see fit.

The Animation Incubator Community is open to teens irrespective of financial means, location, or educational background; all of its projects are free of charge.

***

The Animest Festival is a project of the Animest Association, co-financed by AFCN–the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.

This project does not officially represent the AFCN’s stance, nor may AFCN be held responsible for the festival’s content or outcomes – these are fully under the beneficiary’s responsibility.

Presented by: ING Bank

Partners: Groupama, TVPaint, MyAirBridge, Romanian Cultural Institute

Main Media Partner: PRO TV, VOYO

As Heard On: Radio Guerrilla

Media Partners: Radio România Cultural, Zile și Nopți, Observator Cultural, Revista BIZ, Haute Culture, IQAds, Revista FILM, Mindcraft Stories, LiterNet, Movie News, CineFAN, Cinefilia, HAPP.ro, MunteanuRecomandă, AndreeaVerde.ro, SuntPărinte.ro

Monitoring Partner: mediaTRUST