Overview
The World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb is the second-oldest animation festival in the world, founded in 1972. The 36th edition ran June 8-13, 2026, across multiple venues in Zagreb, screening six days of competition films, retrospectives, masterclasses, exhibitions, and industry events. The 37th edition is scheduled for June 7-12, 2027. Animafest is one of the "Big Four" animation festivals alongside Annecy (France), Ottawa (Canada), and Hiroshima (Japan), and it holds FIAPF Competitive Specialised accreditation.
The festival's Grand Prix winners automatically qualify for the Academy Awards, Annie Awards, BAFTA Film Awards, and European Animation Awards (Emile Awards). This makes Animafest one of the most consequential animation festivals for filmmakers seeking industry recognition and award eligibility. There is no submission fee, which removes a financial barrier that exists at most other festivals.
The 2026 edition awarded the Short Film Grand Prix to Winter in March (Lumi saadab meid) by Natalia Mirzoyan (Armenia/Estonia), and the Feature Film Grand Prix to Death Does Not Exist (La mort n'existe pas) by Felix Dufour-Laperriere (Canada/France). British animator Joanna Quinn received the Lifetime Achievement Award, honored with a retrospective, exhibition, and masterclass. The 2026 short film jury consisted of Jan Pinkava, Nina Gantz, Sawako Kabuki, Maarten van Gageldonk, and Paola Orlic.
For submission details, visit the Animafest Zagreb website or the FilmFreeway page. The full rules and regulations are published on the festival website.
Submission Details
Submissions are free. There is no entry fee for any category. Films are submitted via the online entry form on the Animafest website.
2026/2027 Submission Deadlines:
| Category | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short Films (all categories) | February 1, 2026 | Max runtime 40 minutes |
| Feature Films | March 15, 2026 | Min runtime 40 minutes |
| VR Projects | March 15, 2026 | Separate VR section |
Eligibility:
- All animated short and feature films completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible for the 2026 edition
- Short films: maximum running time 40 minutes
- Feature films: minimum running time 40 minutes
- Films must be submitted via the online entry form on the Animafest website
- No premiere requirement stated in the rules
Ticket Prices (2026 edition):
- Grand Competition, WTF OFF, Best of 2026 screenings: EUR 5
- Other film programs: EUR 4
- Student Film Competition, Films for Children and Youth Competition, and specially marked programs: free admission
Competition Categories
Short Film Categories (max 40 minutes):
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Short Film Competition | International competition for animated short films |
| Student Film Competition | Films produced in an educational institution (art schools and film schools) |
| Films for Children and Youth Competition | Animated films made for young audiences |
| Croatian Film Competition | Films whose majority producer is Croatian and/or films by Croatian directors |
Feature Film Category (min 40 minutes):
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Feature Film Competition | International competition for animated feature films |
Additional Categories:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| VR Competition | Best VR Project |
| Video Game Competition | Best Video Game Art Direction |
Awards and Cash Prizes
All categories are judged by international juries. Cash prizes are awarded in EUR.
Short Film Competition:
- Grand Prix - Short Film - best short film of the festival, EUR 2,500. Academy Award-qualifying.
- Golden Zagreb - creativity and innovative artistic achievement, EUR 2,000
- Zlatko Grgic Award - best first production made outside an educational institution, EUR 1,500
- Mr. M - Short Film - audience award for best short film
- Special Jury Prizes - individual jury members may award special mentions
Feature Film Competition:
- Grand Prix - Feature Film - best feature film of the festival, EUR 2,500
- Mr. M - Feature Film - audience award for best feature film
Croatian Film Competition:
- Best Croatian Film - EUR 1,000, sponsored by the Croatian Film Directors' Guild
Student Film Competition:
- Dusan Vukotic Award - best student film, EUR 1,000. Named after the Yugoslav animator who won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1961 for Surogat (The Substitute), the first non-American film to win that category.
Films for Children Competition:
- Best Film for Children - jury award
- Best Film for Youth - jury award
Additional Awards:
- Lifetime Achievement Award - for contributions to animation. 2026 recipient: Joanna Quinn.
- Best VR Project
- Best Video Game Art Direction
2026 Award Winners
Grand Competition Short Film:
- Grand Prix: Winter in March (Lumi saadab meid), dir. Natalia Mirzoyan (Armenia/Estonia)
- Golden Zagreb Award: A Pint of Bitter, dir. Conor Kehelly (Ireland)
- Zlatko Grgic Award: The Shy God (Dieu est timide), dir. Jocelyn Charles (France)
Grand Competition Feature Film:
- Grand Prix: Death Does Not Exist (La mort n'existe pas), dir. Felix Dufour-Laperriere (Canada/France)
Student Film Competition:
- Dusan Vukotic Award: So He Grabbed the Knife, dir. Sam Kuwa (Japan)
Croatian Film Competition:
- Best Croatian Film: School Show, dir. Ana Horvat (Croatia)
Audience Awards:
- Best Short Film: Please, dir. Anna Mantzaris (Sweden/France/Czech Republic/Norway/Finland)
- Best Feature Film: Samurai Ballerina: L'etoile de Paris en fleur, dir. Goro Taniguchi (Japan)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Joanna Quinn (UK)
Past Winners
2025 Short Film Grand Prix: Dull Spots of Greenish Colours, dir. Sasha Svirsky (Germany). Golden Zagreb: On Weary Wings Go By, dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (Estonia/Lithuania). Audience Award: Hurikan, dir. Jan Saska (Czech Republic/France/Slovakia/Bosnia and Herzegovina).
2025 Feature Film Grand Prix: Memoir of a Snail, dir. Adam Elliot (Australia).
2024 Short Film Grand Prix: The Miracle, dir. Nienke Deutz (Belgium/Netherlands/France).
2024 Feature Film Grand Prix: Sultana's Dream, dir. Isabel Herguera (Spain/Germany).
2023 Short Film Grand Prix: Oneluv, dir. Varya Yakovleva (Russia). Audience Award: Ice Merchants, dir. João Gonzalez (Portugal/France/UK).
2023 Feature Film Grand Prix: My Love Affair with Marriage, dir. Signe Baumane (Latvia/US/Luxembourg).
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Memoir of a Snail (2025 Feature Film Grand Prix): Adam Elliot's stop-motion feature also won the Cristal Award at Annecy 2024 and was distributed by IFC Films in the U.S. Elliot is an Oscar winner for Harvie Krumpet (2003).
Ice Merchants (2023 Audience Award): João Gonzalez's short premiered at Cannes Critics' Week, won the Gold Hugo at Chicago, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 95th Oscars. It was the first Portuguese animation to win at Cannes.
Father and Daughter (2001 Grand Prix): Michaël Dudok de Wit's short won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2001 and the BAFTA for Best Short Animation. Dudok de Wit later directed the Oscar-nominated The Red Turtle (2016), produced by Studio Ghibli.
Affairs of the Art (2021, Joanna Quinn): Quinn's Oscar-nominated short won 26 international awards. Quinn received the Animafest Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
- Take advantage of the free submission. Animafest does not charge a submission fee, making it accessible to independent animators and students. Ensure your work meets the quality bar of a Big Four animation festival.
- Strategize your Big Four circuit. Animafest is part of the obligatory circuit alongside Annecy (June), Ottawa (September), and Hiroshima (biennial). A film that premieres at Annecy may still be eligible for Animafest. Annecy is the largest and most industry-focused; Ottawa has a strong independent focus; Zagreb balances artistic competition with Central European traditions; Hiroshima focuses on peace and cross-cultural exchange.
- Target the student competition. The Student Film Competition offers the Dusan Vukotic Award (EUR 1,000) for emerging animators. Animation students should consider Animafest alongside Annecy and Ottawa.
- Consider thematic resonance. Work engaging with social or political themes through innovative animation techniques may find particular resonance with Animafest juries, reflecting the Zagreb School heritage.
- Mind the runtime limits. Short films must be 40 minutes or shorter. Feature films must be 40 minutes or longer. Films completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible for the 2026 edition.
Industry Reputation Notes
Animafest Zagreb holds FIAPF Competitive Specialised accreditation. The Grand Prix winners automatically qualify for Academy Award consideration, the Annie Awards, BAFTA Film Awards, and European Animation Awards (Emile Awards). This Oscar qualification is one of the most valuable benefits of an Animafest selection.
The festival is part of the "Big Four" animation festivals alongside Annecy, Ottawa, and Hiroshima. While Annecy has its MIFA co-production market, Animafest does not have a market on the same scale. However, it hosts masterclasses, presentations, exhibitions, and professional meetings. The 2026 edition featured a retrospective and masterclass with Joanna Quinn, a Focus on Slovenia program, and a Music in Animation theme.
The festival's identity is inseparable from the Zagreb School of Animation, the mid-20th century movement that pioneered limited animation. Dusan Vukotic's Surogat (1961) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, establishing a tradition of politically engaged, formally innovative animation.
Screenings take place at multiple venues across Zagreb, including Kino SC, Kinoteka, MSU, and outdoor locations. The festival transforms the city with free outdoor screenings and the Animacycle urban bike ride.
Festival History
Animafest Zagreb was founded in 1972, making it the second-oldest animation festival after Annecy (1960). It emerged from the Zagreb School of Animation, whose key figures included Dusan Vukotic, Vatroslav Mimica, and Nedeljko Dragic. The school pioneered limited animation with strong graphic design and socially engaged themes.
Originally biennial, the festival transitioned to an annual format in 2005, eventually consolidating both short and feature competitions into a single edition. Its history spans Croatia's independence (1991), the Croatian War (1991-1995), and EU accession (2013).
The Dusan Vukotic Award is named after the animator who won the 1961 Oscar for Surogat (The Substitute), the first non-American film to win Best Animated Short. The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Joanna Quinn, is a British animator whose career spans four decades, including the Oscar-nominated Affairs of the Art (2021).
Watch
See Also
For animation techniques and careers, visit the Filmmaker Glossary. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To evaluate festival submission decisions, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (the other major European animation festival), see Annecy. For independent filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking. Submit via the Animafest website or FilmFreeway.
