The 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival has Concluded
The 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival took place from May 13–17, 2026, at the Nizami Cinema Center and the Fluxus Space gallery.
The festival was organized by the Azerbaijan Animation Association and ANIMAFILM LLC, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Science and Education Republic of Azerbaijan, the Cinema Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ARKA), and the Creative Center.
More than 1,000 viewers attended the international festival, whose main theme was “Sea,” and watched over 40 films from 20 countries. At this festival, where creativity met compassion, all proceeds from ticket sales will be used for the publication of the children’s book Isi, Piti and the Seal, intended for young readers.
Within the framework of the festival, the ANIMAFILM animation magazine was published. The first issue featured engaging interviews, announcements of new projects, information about new Azerbaijani animated films representing the country at international festivals, comics, as well as the program and information about the films included in the 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival.
The festival consisted of four sections: Competition, Out-of-Competition, Professional, and Observer programs.
A total of 437 animated films from more than 60 countries were submitted to the festival. A selection committee consisting of nine members chose 31 films representing 20 different countries for the official competition program. The international jury members — Aynur Zarrintaj (Azerbaijan), Anna Bára Stejskalová (Czech Republic), Elene Tavadze (Georgia), Elnara Nasirli (Azerbaijan), Masud Alisoy (Azerbaijan), and Nandan Gautam (India/Azerbaijan) — selected the winners of the competition program. The winners were announced during the Closing Ceremony.
On May 13, the opening ceremony of the 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival took place at the Nizami Cinema Center. The main event of the opening ceremony was the premiere screenings of three episodes of the animated series Izzy and Piti (dir. Rashid Aghamaliyev) and the animated film Porridge Monster (dir. Izabela Plucińska). The festival’s official trailer Sea (dir. Petre Tomadze), as well as the short animated films Sea Voyage (dir. Elchin Akhundov), Boom-Boom (dirs. Nazrin Aghamaliyeva and Rashid Aghamaliyev), and Earth and Moon (dir. Pavel Kim), were also screened.
Speakers at the opening ceremony included festival director, director-producer, and Chairman of the Azerbaijan Animation Association Rashid Aghamaliyev; Director General of the Cinema Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ARKA) Rashad Azizov; festival executive director Sarkhan Najiyev; Honored Cultural Worker, animation director, and Presidential Scholarship recipient Elchin Akhundov; Teoman Sultan, the voice actor of Izzy in the Izzy and Piti animated series; ecologist Zulfu Farajli; and the Naz Girls vocal ensemble.
More than 20 events were held during the following days of the festival. Participants included Baku residents, international guests, children from the DOST Inclusive Development and Creativity Center, the Thalassemia Center, Educational Complex No. 132–134, Secondary Schools No. 31, 41, and 43, and students of Baku Oxford School.
As part of the competition program, screenings and discussions with filmmakers were held at the Nizami Cinema Center in the categories “Best Short Animated Film – GRAND PRIX,” “Best Short Animated Film for Children,” “Best TV Animated Series,” and “Best Azerbaijani Short Animated Film.”
The Professional Program included the 2nd ANIMAFILM International Pitching Competition and the “ANIMAFILM School: Stop Motion” workshops. Jury members of the pitching competition — Polina Kniazeva (screenwriter, producer), Orkhan Behbid (OB FILM LLC), Shahin Aliyev (Dynamic Box Studio LLC), and Ramil Alakbarov (KINOBIZ LLC) — watched presentations of local and international projects together with the audience.
Within the workshop program, stop-motion animation directors Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic), Elene Tavadze (Georgia), Irida Zongha (Netherlands), Ilkin Zafarli (Azerbaijan), and Galib Baghirov (Azerbaijan) introduced students to the fundamentals of stop-motion animation, and participants created their own puppets.
The Out-of-Competition Program featured screenings of the Iszzy and Piti animated series episodes Divers, Painters, and Chefs; OSCAR and BAFTA films presented with the support of the Embassy of Canada in Azerbaijan and the British Council; as well as animated films by stop-motion directors Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic), Elene Tavadze (Georgia), Irida Zongha (Netherlands), and Ilkin Zafarli (Azerbaijan).
As part of the Accompanying Program, Dilazbar Huseynzada held the masterclass “Create Yourself: Draw Isi and Piti on an Eco Bag,” while creative meetings with local and international animation filmmakers were organized at Şekerci Cafer Erol and Almond Cake & Bakery cafés.
On May 17, the closing ceremony of the 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival took place at the Nizami Cinema Center. Speakers included festival director, director-producer, and Chairman of the Azerbaijan Animation Association Rashid Aghamaliyev; Director General of the Azerbaijan Republic Cinema Agency (ARKA) Rashad Azizov; festival executive director Sarkhan Najiyev; and Teoman Sultan, the voice actor of Isi in the Izzy and Piti animated series.
At the award ceremony, jury members Anna Bára Stejskalová (Czech Republic), Elene Tavadze (Georgia), Lesli Grey (curator of the Var Yox platform), Johannes Kirpestein (Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), Turan Mammadli (Acting Director of the Nizami Cinema Center), as well as pitching competition jury members Polina Kniazeva, Orkhan Behbid, Shahin Aliyev, and Ramil Alakbarov announced the winners.
The ceremony was attended by animation professionals, representatives of the film industry, and Jędrzej Jakubowski (Attaché of the Political and Economic Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland). At the end of the event, the Chefs episode of the Izzy and Piti animated series was screened, and the audience applauded the festival team members — Gulyaz Ismayil (Education Programs and Guest Manager), Tati Sattar (PR Manager), Zumrud Ismayil (Project Manager), Nazrin Akhundova (Festival Designer), Jale Hajiyeva (Graphic Designer), Firuza Mahmudova (SMM Manager), Deniz Mustafazade (Festival Assistant), Chichek Bayramli (Videographer), and Kseniya Shirini (Photographer), Bahar Zeynalli (moderator), Marat Khairov (film technician), Gulshan Huseynova (text editor), Faig Aliyev (ANIMAFILM Magazine’s designer), Vamig Babayev (accountant).
The winners of the 9th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival are as follows:
- In the “Best Short Animated Film – GRAND PRIX” category: Because Today is Saturday, directed by Alice Eça Guimarães, Portugal.
- In the “Best Short Animated Film for Children” category: Beetles, directed by Piotr Chmielewski, Poland.
- Special Mention Award: Line 12, directed by Sarah Schulz and Christopher Schmier, Germany.
- In the “Best Animated TV Series” category: How Smart are Crows?, directed by Irida Zhonga, the Netherlands, Greece, USA.
- In the “Best Azerbaijani Short Animated Film” category (ARKA’s Annecy Festival Travel Award): Swan Loyalty (Qu sədaqəti), directed by Rüqəyyə Rəhimli, Azerbaijan.
Winners of the 2nd ANIMAFILM Pitching Competition:
- ARKA’s Annecy Festival Travel Award: Old City Paws (İçərişəhərin pəncələri), directed by Aytac Mikailova, Azerbaijan.
- ANIMAFILM Studio Award (500 AZN): Tiago: A Tiger with No Stripes, directed by Raul “Robin” Morales, Mexico.
- KINOBIZ Studio Award (500 AZN): The Road to Oneself (Özünə Gedən Yol), directed by Aygün Baxşı, Azerbaijan.
- DYNAMIC BOX Studio Award (500 AZN): Harun & Mamun, directed by Jihane Jaypaul, Morocco.
- OB FILM Studio Award (500 AZN): Bobby Light, directed by Naina Vilçinskaya, Azerbaijan.
