Animafest Cyprus marks 25th edition with August festival in Koilani

Films festivalsfilmsLimassolTop News Animafest Cyprus marks 25th edition with August festival in Koilani Poster Animafest Relevant News Animafest Cyprus marks 25th edition with August festival in Koilani 22 July 2026 Igor Tsvirko: I dream of the absolute sense of freedom 22 July 2026 Betting on quality 22 July 2026 newsroom 22 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Animafest Cyprus turns 25 this year, with the festival running from August 7 to 9 in Koilani, a village in the Limassol district, the festival said in its announcement. One of the longest-running animation events in Southern Europe, the festival has been held every year since 2002, bringing author animated films to Cyprus for their national premieres, many of which have already screened and won awards at major international festivals, according to the announcement. It began 25 years ago in the courtyard of a village with a population of fewer than 30 residents, at a time when independent animation was largely unknown in Cyprus, according to a companion feature on the festival’s history. The festival’s goal from the outset was to bring the art form beyond urban audiences and into rural communities, the feature said. This year’s festival poster was designed by German animation filmmaker Andreas Hykade, the festival said. Hykade has previously served on the festival’s international jury, and his films have competed at earlier editions. International and Cypriot competitions The international competition will feature 30 films from 17 countries, selected from hundreds of submissions, according to the announcement. A separate International Competition for Young Audiences will show 15 films from seven countries, with winners chosen by two three-member juries made up of children and teenagers, the festival said. The national competition includes seven Cypriot animated films. A new “second stage,” dedicated to experimental films and audiovisual performances by emerging Cypriot and international artists, will also launch this year, according to the announcement. For the fourth year running, the festival is collaborating with the Cyprus Association of Graphic Designers and Illustrators on a collective project, the festival said, with participating teams this year designing posters and animated visuals for the Fairy Tale Museum in Koilani. International jury The festival’s main prizes, the Dimitris Eipides Awards for Best Narrative Film and Best Non-Narrative Film, along with the Best Cypriot Film Award and special mentions in both competitions, will be presented by an international jury comprising Roberto Panganelly of Italy, Jakob Schuh of Germany and Kaiti Papadima of Cyprus, according to the announcement. Workshops and events A hands-on animation workshop for children and families will take place as a pre-festival event on Thursday, August 6, at the Environmental Centre in Koilani, the festival said. Participants can try traditional handmade animation techniques with professional animators and educators. The Young Audience Competition will be screened outdoors in the village that evening. The fourth Animation Film Camp, organised with the World Festival of First Animations PRIMANIMA in Budapest, will focus on animated documentary, according to the announcement. Cypriot academic and animation filmmaker Anna Mouyi will mentor this year’s camp. For the fifth consecutive year, the festival is running a workshop on collecting oral histories with the Cyprus Music Archive, from August 6 to 8 in Koilani, the festival said. The workshop will be led by ethnomusicologist and Cyprus Music Archive director Dr Nikoletta Demetriou. Five live concerts by Cypriot bands and solo musicians will also feature, according to the announcement. Pricing and tickets Workshops are free of charge, while an evening screening ticket costs €5 and a three-day festival pass costs €10, according to the announcement. The full programme is available at www.animafest.com.cy. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Igor Tsvirko: I dream of the absolute sense of freedom Betting on quality Will Greece derail the EU’s latest Russia sanctions? They want it all before talks even start From connection to isolation Turkey issues NAVTEX for seismic surveys tied to occupied north gas pipeline Erdogan’s accidental gestures of goodwill, that he doesn’t even know about Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.