The ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival returns for its 18th edition in the capital of the Cyclades, from September 22 to 28, 2025, with a rich programme that includes 7 competitive sections, special tributes, the Agora – a key reference point for the animation industry in the Eastern Mediterranean – educational workshops, VR lounge, parallel events, and new collaborations.
In its coming-of-age year, ANIMASYROS welcomes the leading figure of independent American animation, the legendary director Bill Plympton. Renowned for his unmistakably personal style, Plympton is a two-time Academy Award nominee (Your Face, Guard Dog), and a Cannes award winner, with collaborations ranging from Madonna and Kanye West to The Simpsons and iconic publications, such as The New Yorker. This September, he comes to Syros to immerse the audience in his magical, surreal universe through ten of his films – including Cheatin’ and Your Face – and to lead an inspiring creative masterclass as part of the Agora.
The main theme of this year’s ANIMASYROS edition, titled “Animated Cosmos”, is dedicated to space and runs through all pillars of the Festival. It aims to highlight how the art of animation approaches, explores, and portrays this vast and mysterious realm of human curiosity. As part of the tribute, 25 feature and short films will be screened – from Disney blockbusters like WALL-E and Lightyear, to acclaimed independent European shorts such as Cosmonaut by Kaspar Jancis (Estonia) and Solar Walk by Reka Busci (Hungary).
In addition, both Festival visitors and island residents will have the opportunity to experience the Astrowalker Constellation, a striking night-time, environmental land art installation by visual artist Katerina Kotsala, situated on the islet of Didymi, just across from Ermoupoli.
Among the highlights of ANIMASYROS 2025 screenings are three feature films premiering nationwide. Hola Frida invites audiences on a journey into the childhood of the iconic Frida Kahlo, portraying her as a lively, curious little girl whose boundless imagination helps her escape a painful and mundane reality. A beautiful, moving, and luminous adventure of a child destined to change the world, this screening is presented in collaboration with and supported by Rosebud.21.
Olivia & The Clouds (Olivia & Las Nubes), by the gifted storyteller Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, is a co-production between the Dominican Republic and Spain that had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Festival. The film explores the complexities of love through the Rashomon effect, following Olivia as she exchanges flowers with the ghost of a lost love in return for comforting rain clouds.
Lastly, Memory Hotel by Heinrich Sabl – a German-French co-production – is set in 1945, as the Red Army advances into Germany. A child, a Soviet soldier, a Nazi officer, and a Hitler Youth member become trapped in a hotel, bound together over the years in strange and unpredictable ways.
ANIMASYROS 2025 also presents an extensive tribute to the vibrant and ever-evolving Croatian animation scene, curated by Daniel Šuljić, director and artistic director of ANIMAFEST ZAGREB. This curated programme traces the evolution of Croatian animation from the Zagreb School of the 1950s – when Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia and animation production was centered around the legendary Zagreb Film studio – to the present day. The tribute features 28 landmark films from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, alongside contemporary works that continue to inspire cinephiles. Highlights include Surogat (The Substitute), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962; the Oscar-nominated Tup Tup (1972); and the space-themed short We Used to Call It: Moon (2011).
Greek animation holds a special place at the festival every year. In 2025, a dedicated tribute and exhibition titled The Great Greek Masters will honour the pioneering figures of Greek animation. Curated by director and animator Kleopatra Korai and filmmaker Dimitris Bellos, the programme invites audiences to discover historic films that shaped the genre in Greece. The tribute will also welcome four legendary Greek animators – Iordanis Ananiadis, Yiannis Koutsouris, Yiorgos Sifianos, and Anta Ganosi – as honored guests of the Festival.
This year, the International Competition Programme of ANIMASYROS 2025 features films that have garnered acclaim at prestigious international festivals, alongside timeless works by globally renowned professionals.
The International Student Programme showcases the best student films from internationally recognized schools, while the International Panorama highlights original and groundbreaking works – both technically and artistically – from around the world. As every year, the finest Greek films compete in the Greek Competition Programme, with an award sponsored by the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece. Additionally, the rich competition lineup includes K.ID.S films, presenting animation works for children and families, as well as the Animapride section, featuring films with LGBTQI+ themes.
The selections for the Competition Sections will be announced in early September on the Festival’s official website: animasyros.gr
