Animasyros has strengthened its position as one of Europe’s leading animation festivals after presenting more than 280 films from 50 countries at its 19th edition in Ermoupoli, Greece. The programme combined international competition, Irish animation, industry events and masterclasses exploring how sound, technology and cross-border collaboration are reshaping animated storytelling.
Held on the island of Syros, the festival brought together established filmmakers, students and emerging creators from across the world. Its 2026 programme also marked 200 years of Ermoupoli and looked ahead to Animasyros’ 20th anniversary next year.
Animasyros expands its role in European animation
Animasyros has developed from a national cultural event into an important meeting point for animation professionals in Greece, the Mediterranean and the wider European industry. Its programme included seven competition sections covering international, student, children’s, LGBTQI+, Greek, television and commissioned films, as well as feature animation.
The festival also hosted educational workshops, parallel events, international partnerships and the Animasyros Market. The market has become a significant industry platform for the Eastern Mediterranean, connecting creators, producers and other audiovisual professionals.
Vassilis Karamitssanis, president of the Animasyros International Festival, said the event aims to promote Greek and European animation internationally while encouraging the use of new techniques and technologies. He described innovation as essential to the long-term development of the audiovisual sector.
Why sound matters in animated storytelling
One of the festival’s central guests was Montreal-based sound designer Olivier Calvert, whose work includes the Oscar-nominated short The Girl Who Cried Pearls and the Oscar-winning film Arrival.
Calvert presented a masterclass on sound design as a storytelling tool. His central argument was that sound does more than accompany an image: it changes how audiences interpret and emotionally experience what they see.
In animation, the creative possibilities are especially broad because every element of the world is constructed. Unlike live-action filmmaking, where sound often begins with a recognisable physical environment, animation can use sound to invent an entirely new reality.
Calvert explained that sound designers can create tension through realistic effects such as traffic, birds or waves, but can also work subconsciously by adding, layering or removing sounds beneath dialogue and music. This approach allows sound to establish mood, suggest danger or make an apparently cheerful scene feel unsettling.
A collaborative role behind the scenes
Calvert also described sound design as a collaborative process involving the director, composer and sound designer. In some projects, he becomes involved at an early stage, helping shape the story before production is complete.
The collaboration is particularly important in animation, where music and sound effects are often designed together as part of one complete soundtrack. The director provides the wider creative vision, the composer develops the music and the sound designer builds the surrounding sonic world.
- Sound can establish the emotional atmosphere of a scene.
- Silence and the removal of sound can create suspense.
- Animation allows filmmakers to move beyond realistic audio.
- Early cooperation between directors, composers and sound designers can influence the entire film.
Spanish-Greek links showcase cross-border production
Animasyros opened with the Greek premiere of Decorado, directed by Spanish filmmaker Alberto Vásquez. The screening was supported by the Embassy of Spain in Greece and the Cervantes Institute, underlining the festival’s role in encouraging European cultural exchange.
The film, which received the Paul Grimault award at the Annecy animation festival, is presented as a dark and surreal parable about modern society. Its story follows Arnold, an unemployed man who begins to question the strange world around him. The film combines humour, animal characters and a colourful visual style with themes of social control, dehumanisation and manufactured reality.
José Luis Ágreda, the film’s creative director, said Decorado examines how people can feel surrounded by appearances while losing sight of what is real. Its visual language draws on classic American animation but changes familiar conventions through unusual colour combinations and an increasingly disturbing atmosphere.
The production reflects the importance of international cooperation in European animation. Festivals such as Animasyros provide space for films to travel between countries, for creators to meet potential partners and for audiences to encounter work that may otherwise have limited distribution.
Animasyros 2026 award winners
The festival recognised films across a range of categories, from international and student work to children’s animation and LGBTQI+ storytelling.
- International Competition: Please by Anna Mantzaris.
- Greek Competition: The Dog by Konstantinos Demis.
- Student Competition: Gauze, created by a five-person team from GOBELINS Paris.
- Television and Commissioned Films: Saltwater by Eilidh Nicoll of the United Kingdom.
- AnimaPride: Eyeliner by Aisha Boujilouli.
- K.ID.S: The Eagle and the Kinglet by Paul Jadoul of the Czech Republic.
- Audience Award: Unstoppable by Martin Lund.
What comes next for the festival?
Animasyros will now begin preparing for its 20th anniversary edition. Its growing international programme, industry market and emphasis on education suggest that the festival will continue to serve both cultural and professional purposes.
For European animation, the event offers more than a screening programme. It creates opportunities for emerging artists, supports dialogue between national film communities and highlights how animation can address social, political and technological questions through imaginative forms.
Conclusion
Animasyros has become an important part of the European animation landscape by connecting filmmakers, educators and audiences from different countries. Its latest edition showed how sound design, visual experimentation and international cooperation can expand the possibilities of animation. The festival’s next milestone will be its 20th anniversary, but its wider achievement is already clear: it has established Syros as a significant creative hub for animation in the Mediterranean.
