The ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival returns to Syros from 21 to 27 September 2026 with 280 films from 50 countries, seven competition sections and an extensive programme of screenings, workshops and professional events. Its 19th edition celebrates 200 years of Hermoupolis and turns the spotlight on Ireland’s internationally acclaimed animation industry.
The ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival brings filmmakers, students, families and industry professionals to the capital of the Cyclades for seven days. Alongside the screenings, visitors can attend discussions, educational activities, the Agora professional programme, a Pitching Forum, a VR Lounge and events at historic locations across Hermoupolis.
Beyond Hermoupolis, festival activities will take place in Ano Syros, Finikas and Posidonia, while the programme will also travel to seven other Cycladic islands: Andros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini and Tinos.
ANIMASYROS 2026 at a glance
Dates: 21–27 September 2026
Location: Hermoupolis and other locations on Syros
Programme: 280 films from 50 countries
Competition: Seven sections
Central theme: “200 Years of Hermoupolis”
Focus country: Ireland
Celebrating 200 years of Hermoupolis
The festival’s central theme marks 200 years since the naming and founding of Hermoupolis in 1826. The programme uses the historical form “Hermoupolis”, while Ermoupolis is the spelling most familiar to English-speaking visitors today.
The city was named after Hermes, the ancient Greek god associated with commerce, communication and eloquence. The choice reflected the importance of the port and the commercial identity of the new city that was developing on Syros.
During the festival, screenings and educational activities will examine the historical and social changes that shaped Hermoupolis. Animation will also be used to revisit the city through its architecture, music, archival photographs and the memories of its residents.
Hermes becomes an animator
The anniversary inspired the visual identity of ANIMASYROS 2026. Illustrator, comics creator and author Petros Christoulias has transformed Animaspyros, the festival’s familiar mascot, into Hermes.
In the illustration, the winged character flies through a playful version of Hermoupolis, connecting its buildings and people. Christoulias describes Hermes as a figure in constant motion who moves through the city and activates the imagination.
A graduate of the School of Fine Arts in Thessaloniki, Christoulias has worked in illustration, storytelling and animation for more than 15 years. He has collaborated with ANIMASYROS since its early editions and originally created the festival’s mascot.
Ireland in Focus
Ireland is the festival’s Focus Country for 2026. The tribute recognises an animation industry that has achieved international success through distinctive visual styles, strong storytelling and the growth of independent studios.
Presented in collaboration with Animation Ireland and supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Greece and Culture Ireland, the programme brings together feature films, short animations and student work by contemporary Irish creators.
Among the selected films are Vincent Gallagher’s Second to None, Aidan McAteer’s Deadly and Louise Bagnall’s Oscar-nominated Late Afternoon, produced by Cartoon Saloon. Together, the films introduce audiences to established filmmakers and a new generation of Irish animators.
The Irish animation story
The Irish focus also forms part of the festival’s professional programme. Andrew FitzPatrick, an influential figure in the development of Ireland’s animation sector, will discuss its history and future with producer Moe Honan during Cycladic Chat: The Irish Animation Journey.
Meanwhile, From Greece to Ireland: Building Animation Ecosystems will bring Greek and Irish representatives together to consider the role of funding, professional organisations and institutional support in smaller European animation markets.
Five feature films to look out for
The feature-film competition includes five productions from across Europe. Their subjects range from social satire and folklore to childhood, displacement and personal ambition.
- A Magnificent Life by Sylvain Chomet brings the life of French writer and pioneering filmmaker Marcel Pagnol to the screen. Chomet, the director of The Triplets of Belleville, returns with a hand-drawn feature that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Decorado by Spanish director Alberto Vázquez receives its Greek premiere at ANIMASYROS. The film combines dark humour with macabre imagery in a satire about contemporary life and the structures that shape it.
- Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake by Irene Iborra is a stop-motion film that examines the loss of a home through the experience of a child.
- Dog of God by Latvian filmmakers Lauris and Raitis Ābele draws on folklore, mysticism and pagan legends to create an intense animated world intended for adult audiences.
- Unstoppable by Norwegian director Martin Lund completes the 2026 feature competition.
More than 280 films from 50 countries
Short and feature-length films appear across seven competition sections. The International Competition presents work by established filmmakers, while the International Student Competition introduces films from animation schools around the world.
The International Panorama is devoted to work distinguished by its technique or artistic direction. Recent Greek productions compete in the Greek Competition, whose award is sponsored by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center.
The K.ID.S section is intended for children and families, while Animapride presents films exploring LGBTQI+ lives and experiences. Together, the sections show animation as a form capable of addressing humour, memory, identity, family relationships and social change.
International tributes and familiar classics
Further programmes introduce Armenian animation, work from the Royal College of Art in London and emerging filmmakers presented with the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film.
The Royal College of Art tribute includes work connected with internationally recognised creators such as Emma Calder, Maryam Mohajer, Julia Pott and Greek animator Anna Mantzaris, who will attend the festival in Syros.
A collaboration with Beirut Animation Nights presents 12 selected films for younger audiences. Curated by festival founder and director Nicolas Fattouh, the programme brings together short animations from Lebanon and several other countries.
The Freedom 250 programme returns to several well-known American animated films, including Disney’s Fantasia, Pixar’s Toy Story and The Good Dinosaur, and Zootopia.
When sound tells the story
One of the festival’s principal international guests is Canadian sound designer Olivier Calvert. His animation credits include Theodore Ushev’s Oscar-nominated Blind Vaysha, Joanna Quinn’s Affairs of the Art and the Oscar-winning short The Girl Who Cried Pearls.
Calvert was also part of the Academy Award-winning sound team behind Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival. At ANIMASYROS, he will lead the masterclass When Sound Tells the Story: Image Is the Body of a Film, Sound Is Its Soul, examining how sound creates atmosphere, emotion and meaning.
An accompanying selection of animated films will introduce audiences to different aspects of his work and his contribution to the relationship between sound and image.
Art direction, movement and animated documentary
Spanish creative director José Luis Ágreda will discuss how art direction helps shape a story’s visual identity. British animator Joanna Quinn and writer Les Mills will also take part in the programme, which includes a screening tribute and book signing.
Other discussions will explore music and movement, animated documentary, distribution, audience development and the relationship between European cinema, democracy and cultural identity.
An educational programme for all ages
ANIMASYROS extends beyond film screenings through an educational programme created for children, families, teenagers, adults, senior citizens and people with disabilities. This year’s workshops use animation to explore the buildings, music, archives, memories and everyday sounds of Hermoupolis.
Filmmaker and educator Maria Leonida joins the festival as Head of Educational Programmes. She has worked in film education for more than 20 years and is the co-founder and director of Karpos, the Centre for Audiovisual Education.
Workshops for families, teenagers and adults
Echoes of Apollon invites families with children aged seven and over to create animated worlds in which images move to music. Led by Thomas Künstler and Manos Mastorakis, the workshop takes inspiration from the Apollon Theatre and the opera and European classical music heard in Hermoupolis over almost two centuries.
Animated Light, led by Spanish animator Coke Riobóo Cortés, introduces teenagers and young adults to stop-motion animation through light painting. Participants will animate lines, shapes and visual sequences frame by frame.
Exploring Collective Memories and Imaginings is a three-day workshop for adults led by Joseph Coveney and John O’Connell of Ireland’s Studio 9. Participants will use personal memories, local stories and historical photographs to create a cut-paper stop-motion film inspired by Manos Eleftheriou’s In Hermoupolis.
Animating Memory: Archival Material as Living Design is intended for adults and teenagers aged 15 and over. Aliki Kakoulidou and Marina Emmanouil of Deree – The American College of Greece will help participants transform photographs, posters and other visual records from Syros into short animated stories.
For children aged four to eight, Yuki and the Forest Union combines theatrical storytelling with role play. Created by the Experience Europe team, it introduces children to cooperation, shared decision-making and the way the European Union works.
Participation in the public educational workshops is free, but advance registration is required and places may be limited. Anyone interested should check current availability directly with the festival.
Working with the local community
Other workshops involve groups from the local community. In Animated Collage, senior citizens from the Open Care Centre for the Elderly (KAPI) of Syros-Hermoupolis will combine archival photographs, drawings, text and sound to create their own animated interpretation of the city.
A Journey Through Time: The Sounds of Hermoupolis is organised with the Creative Activity Centre for People with Disabilities (K.D.A.P.-M.E.A.) of Syros-Hermoupolis. Participants will animate figures drawn from historical images and use voices and everyday objects to recreate the sounds of the sea, ships and the city’s marketplace.
Students from the Special Primary School of Hermoupolis will take part in Dancing Through Hermoupolis. The two-day workshop brings animation and dance together in a collaborative work inspired by the city’s 200-year history.
These activities place local participation at the heart of the anniversary programme, allowing different generations and communities to tell stories about Hermoupolis through images, movement and sound.
Agora: where animation professionals meet
The ANIMASYROS Agora has developed into an important meeting point for animation professionals in the Eastern Mediterranean. It brings filmmakers, producers, distributors, students, funders and representatives of international festivals together in Hermoupolis.
The 2026 programme includes a Pitching Forum for projects in development, an animation producer workshop, Greek Animation Talks and sessions addressing funding, distribution, art direction, audience development and international cooperation.
Animation Speed Dating, powered by Enterprise Greece, gives Greek creators an opportunity to hold a series of short meetings with professionals from the international industry. Meanwhile, Meet the Studios: Inside Today’s Greek Animation Scene introduces audiences to companies and creators currently working in Greece.
For students and professionals interested in how animated films move from an initial idea to production and international distribution, the Agora provides a second festival experience alongside the public screenings.
VR, parallel events and festival nights
The programme is completed by a VR Lounge powered by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, school screenings, parallel events and informal opportunities for filmmakers and audiences to meet.
Screenings and discussions take place during the day and evening, while networking events and festival parties continue the programme beyond the cinemas and conference rooms.
Planning your visit
ANIMASYROS takes place from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026. Events are held at cultural and historic locations around Hermoupolis, including the Apollon Theatre, the Cultural Centre of Hermoupolis, the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce and buildings used by the University of the Aegean.
Activities also take place elsewhere on Syros, including the Tsiropina Mansion in Poseidonia. Visitors should therefore check the location of each event before setting out.
Screening times, venues and entry arrangements vary across the programme. Workshops and some professional activities require advance registration. Visitors should consult the festival website for the latest information and any programme changes.
ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival 2026
21–27 September 2026
Syros, Cyclades
