ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival

***IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CURRENT SUBMISSIONS***

ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora Pitching Forum – Call for Projects

The ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival invites animation directors, producers and creative teams from across the Mediterranean and Balkan regions to submit their projects in development for the ANIMASYROS 2026 Agora Pitching Forum.

The Agora Pitching Forum is one of the flagship industry initiatives of ANIMASYROS, designed to support emerging and established animation professionals by providing project development opportunities, expert mentorship, international exposure and access to potential partners, producers, broadcasters, distributors and investors.

Selected participants will take part in a three-day Pitching Coaching Workshop during ANIMASYROS 2026 (September 23–25, 2026) in Syros, Greece. Under the guidance of internationally acclaimed industry experts Tünde Vollenbroek (The Netherlands), Elliott Palmer (United Kingdom) and Viviane Vanfleteren (Belgium), participants will refine their projects, strengthen their pitching skills and gain valuable insights into international co-production and financing opportunities.

The programme will conclude with the public Pitching Sessions, where participants will present their projects to an international jury and a professional audience of animation industry representatives.

Six (6) projects will be selected through this open call.

Why Apply?
• Professional pitching coaching and project development support
• One-to-one feedback from leading international animation professionals
• Networking opportunities with producers, broadcasters, distributors and investors
• Access to the ANIMASYROS Agora industry programme, including masterclasses, presentations, roundtables and networking events
• Opportunity to present your project to an international jury and industry audience
• Increased visibility within the European and Mediterranean animation community

Eligibility
Applications are open to animation creators, directors and producers from countries across the wider Mediterranean and Balkan regions.
Projects may be submitted by the director and/or producer and can include short films, feature films, TV series, animated documentaries or cross-media animation projects currently in development.

Application Requirements
Applicants must submit a PDF dossier including:

• CV / short biography
• Project logline and concept
• Visual material (stills, sketches, character designs, moodboards, etc.)
• Additional supporting material, if available (script excerpts, storyboard, treatment, teaser, etc.)

Important Dates

📅 Submission Deadline: July 1, 2026
📅 Selection Results Announcement: July 15, 2026
📅 Agora Pitching Workshop: September 23–25, 2026
📅 Pitching Sessions & Festival: September 21–27, 2026

ANIMASYROS is the largest international animation festival in Greece and one of the leading animation events in the Mediterranean, bringing together creators, producers, artists, educators and industry professionals from around the world.

We look forward to discovering your next animation project in Syros.

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ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival is the largest festival and animation market of its kind in Greece and one of the 20 most significant worldwide. Founded in 2008, it takes place annually on the island of Syros, the capital of the Cyclades, in the neoclassical town of Hermoupolis and various other locations across the island.

The festival features a rich program, including screenings in competitve sections, special tributes and curatorial screening events, as well as media literacy workshops for children, young people, adults, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. It also hosts parties and numerous parallel events.

The ANIMASYROS Agora, is the festival’s animation market, which has steadily grown into a key international hub for creative professional networking. The Agora fosters collaborations among animation professionals through pitching sessions, presentations, and masterclasses led by distinguished figures from the global animation industry.

All screening events and media literacy activities are free to the public and take place at iconic venues such as the historic Apollon Theatre, the Hermoupolis Cultural Centre, the University of the Aegean, Miaouli Square, and other locations across Syros.

ANIMASYROS 2026 will be held from September 21 to 27, 2026, with its main theme dedicated to the 200th year anniversary of Hermoupolis, the capital of Syros.

The visual identity of the 19th edition of ANIMASYROS is designed by illustrator, author, and creator of the Animasyros mascot, Petros Christoulias.

Petros Christoulias is an illustrator, comics creator, and writer. A graduate of the School of Fine Arts of Thessaloniki, he has been active for more than 15 years in the fields of illustration, storytelling, and animation. His work moves between literature and visual narrative, with a strong focus on the creative dissemination of cultural content. He has received distinctions in Greece and internationally, including the White Ravens List 2024, the Readers' Award 2025, EBGE, and Comicdom Awards.

He has collaborated closely with ANIMASYROS since its early years, having designed the Festival's mascot and contributing consistently to the shaping of its visual identity over time.

More information about Petros Christoulias can be found here (https://www.christoulias.com/) .

Speaking about his inspiration, the creator notes:

"The idea behind this year's use of the ANIMASYROS mascot was to transform it into Hermes, as a way of honoring the 200 years of Hermoupolis and its historic role as a port and a hub of commerce. I thus created an image that brings together a slightly transformed vision of the city with the idea of the character's flight among its emblematic buildings. In the joyful universe I imagined, Hermes becomes a kind of animator— a figure in constant motion, moving through the city, connecting places and people, and activating the imagination."