Animest.20: Travel Deeper into Imagination with the 15 Short Films in the Romanian Competition

Animest.20’s Romanian Competition: a diverse and vibrant selection of 15 short films reflecting the growing creativity and depth of local animation directors and producers. From intimate explorations of identity to supernatural worlds and personal lore, the entries focused on universally-relevant themes. Thus, animation becomes a canvas on which to depict internal struggles, social criticism, or reflect on Romania’s recent history. This stylistic and narrative variety is proof of the exponential growth of the Romanian animation space and artists’ creative solutions to switching between genres, techniques, and heavy subjects.

This year’s selection is a fascinating view into both emerging and famous voices on the Romanian animation stage: internal dilemmas, nostalgic memories mingle with funny fantastical narratives. Each short film stands proof of the author’s courage and talent, working as an open invitation beyond the limits of imagination and human perception. Between October 3-12, the films in the Romanian Competition will compete for the section trophy and the RON 5,000 prize, offered by the Romanian Cultural Institute. Teaser trailer:

Emy Mirel Ivașcă, who won this section during Animest.18 with Zidane Roulette, is back in the Animest competition with On Saint Nicolas' Eve, an emotional story about the father-son relationship as perceived by a boy as he remembers a Saint Nicholas Eve spent with his dad.

Then: after their Animest.17 success (and the Audience Award for Suruaika), Worksheep Studios return with Nephilim (directed by Vlad Ilicevici, Radu Pop and Bogdan Lazar). Frederick, an Arctic explorer, finds salvation as well as a companion in the last living member of a long-gone species.

Two alumnae of the Sisterhood of Young Animation Auteurs (SYAA), Animest’s intensive educational program for female-identifying filmmakers in Central and Eastern Romania, are also competing in the Romanian Competition. First, we have Iulia Turcianu, whose short Triassic Cuddle was presented this year in the Student Film section at Annecy, the most prestigious animation festival. Second, Alina Gheorghe, already a returning presence during Animest and author of Glass Fingers (2022), Dirty Paradise (2024), is competing this year with Speechless Exchange, a visual analysis of emotional conflict where the female character is disintegrating in answer to their partner’s rage. Alina created this short film alongside Bianca Preda and Ruxandra Socor, during their UNATC Master’s program.

This year’s winner of the Gopo Award for Best Romanian Short Film, White Noise (directed by Alexia-Ioana Badea) is also competing in the Animest.20 Romanian Competition. An emotionally poignant metaphor about self-knowledge, the film follows a child whose unique nature (symbolized by horns) is constantly reprimanded by an abusive parent who would prefer conformism.

Outside the competition, on October 8, Animest.20 will screen three short films: Grandpa Is Sleeping, Matei Branea’s latest film and winner of the SIGNIS Award at TIFF; Kobza (directed by Laura Pop) – a 70-year-old cobbler in historic Botoșani uses his lute to steal people’s memories; and The Magician, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu and selected for competition at the Annecy Festival – where a prestidigitator from another time, tries to play his last card as the first power plant opens in Sulina, a Romanian port town.

TOON SCRIPTS: Extended Deadline for the Animated Series Competition

TOON SCRIPTS, the animated series scriptwriting competition organized by the Animest Association with support from PRO TV, has a new application deadline: September 14.

The contest is open to screenwriters (who may find an animator partner during the process) as well screenwriter-animator teams, be they experienced or making their debut. Applying auteurs should be aged 18 or over and hold Romanian nationality or work in Romania. Submit your script ideas in Romanian for an animated TV miniseries of six or eight 20 to 25-minute episodes for your preferred target audience using this form.

The TOON SCRIPTS winner will sign a development contract worth EUR 5000 before tax for the pilot episode and the show bible, with mentoring from experienced TV producers, and a 12-month exclusivity contract with PRO TV for the entire project. Full details in Romanian here.

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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.

The Animest Cultural Center project is co-funded by the Bucharest Municipality through ARCUB through the Bucharest.Together 2025 program.

This material does not necessarily reflect the official position of the Bucharest Municipality or ARCUB.

Presented by: ING Bank

Partners: Groupama, Freshful, TVPaint, MyAirBridge, Oglivy

Institutional Partners: The Romanian Cultural Institute, French Institute and French Embassy, Instituto Cervantes, Petőfi Sándor Cultural Center, Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center in Bucharest

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

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