Anima, the Brussels International Animation Film Festival, shows animated films exclusively – hand-drawn, stop-motion with puppets or clay, and digital work – from shorts to features, with programmes for young children, families, adults and industry professionals. Organised by the non-profit Folioscope, it takes place every year at the end of February at Flagey and, since 2024, also at the Marni theatre, with decentralised screenings in Wallonia and Flanders. Its competitions cover feature films, features and shorts for children, international professional and student shorts, Belgian short films and virtual reality.
The festival began in 1982 at the Riches Claires in Brussels as the Rencontres du cinéma d’animation and has been called Anima since 2003. The Grand Prix of the international short film competition qualifies for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and British shorts selected in competition are eligible for the BAFTA. The dates for the 46th edition are 19–28 February 2027.
Awards and prizes
Winners in the main competition categories receive an Anima trophy, the Uō, a unique piece made by an artist, in addition to cash prizes. The official prize list is published every January; recent editions award:
International competition, feature films: Award for Best Animated Feature; Award for Best Animated Feature for Children; Audience Awards for Best Animated Feature and for Best Animated Feature for Children; partner awards from Be tv and MOUV CinéTeens.
International competition, short films: Grand Prix for Best International Short Film; Special Jury Award; Award for Best Student Short Film; Award for Best Short Film for Children; Audience Awards for Best Short Film, Best Animated Night Short Film and Best Short Film for Children; Press Award (UPCB and UCC).
National competition, short films: Award for Best Belgian Short Film; Grand Prix for Best Short Film of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles; Sabam Award for Best Animation; SACD Author Award; Award for Best Student Short Film; partner awards from Be tv and Cinergie.
The Grand Prix for Best International Short Film qualifies the film for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, subject to the Academy's rules. British short films selected in Anima's competitions are eligible for the BAFTA for Best Short Animation.
Festival rules
Anima accepts animated films of any format, origin or technique, including films that mix animation with live action. Entry is free: the producer or director fills in the online entry form and sends HD stills (JPEG, 300 dpi) to selection@folioscope.be. The eligibility period for completed films is set in each edition's regulations.
Competition categories: feature films; international professional short films; international student films; international short films for children; national short films; short films in virtual reality. A selection committee appointed by Folioscope decides the category of each film. Selected films compete automatically unless the producer or director asks in writing for an out-of-competition screening.
The national competition is open to Belgian animated short films: the producer or main director is Belgian or has lived in Belgium for at least two years, and co-productions must be predominantly Belgian. Only predominantly French Community productions compete for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Grand Prix. Schools may enter up to 20 films in the international student competition.
Selected short films are delivered as ProRes or DNxHR files (2K preferred), with subtitles and dialogue lists in French, Dutch or English as separate files. Feature films may be screened up to three times and short films up to six times; films in the official selection may also be shown on a secure online platform for accredited professionals during the festival.
