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AniMates festival & forum

The Media Department of Sapientia EMU Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Arts organizes an animation film festival in collaboration with Beanbag Animation Studio between 26-28 September, 2025.

The aim of the festival is to bring together animation workshops and animation enthusiasts (with a special focus on Hungarian and Romanian animation) and to promote the expressive potential of animation among the general audience.

Festival venue: Calea Turzii nr. 4, Cluj-Napoca

Call for entries - animation contest

PROGRAM

FRIDAY (26th of SEPTEMBER)

10:00 - 13:00 - Children’s Programme Screening: Best of Primanima 2024 selection; Exhibition of the children’s drawings; Behind the scenes of stop motion animation: tricks on the stage - interactive presentation. Location: Sapientia University, Aula (limited number of places, registration: animatesfesztival@gmail.com)

14:00 - 15:30 - That’s What She Said 2: selection of Animation Festival Network from short audiovisual works by female and female-identifying filmmakers. Location: Sapientia University, Aula

16:00 - 18:00 - Opening Event: Presentation and exchange of experiences with representatives of the participating animation schools. Location: Sapientia University, Aula

19:30 - 21:00 - Dialogue. Selection of the films submitted to the AniMates online contest. Location: Sapientia University, Aula

SATURDAY (27th of SEPTEMBER)

10:00-12:00 - Masterclass Piotrek Chmielewski: How to make a no-budget stop motion animation? Location: Studio

15:00 - 17:00 - AniMates short film selection:

1. Crab (Piotr Chmielewski, 2022 | PL | 8')
2. Grandpa is Sleeping (Matei Branea | 2025 | RO | 7')
3. Dog Ear (Vácz Péter | 2025 | HU | 20')
4. Paddle Boat (Samppa Kukkonen | 2023 | FL | 16')
5. HeadRest (Heta Okkonen | 2024 | FL | 3')
6. Simply Divine (Mélody Boulissière & Bogdan Stamatin | 2024 | FR, RO | 15')
7. Bernády goes America (Buzási Gyopár-Orsolya | 2023 | HU | 5')

All films will have English subtitles.

At the end of the screening we will have a discussion with 3 of the directors: Piotr Chmielewski, Bogdan Stamatin and Buzási Gyopár-Orsolya.

Host: Szucher Ágnes.

Location: Cinema ARTA

FACEBOOK EVENT

17:30 - 19:05 Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot | 2024 | Aus | 95')

Language: EN, Sub: RO

Stop-motion animation about a lonely Australian woman, a misfit who collects snails and books and recounts her story to a snail. A bittersweet film about loss, memory and hope. Winner of the Cristal for Best Feature at Annecy 2024, Best Animated Feature at Sitges, and Best Film at BFI London.

First screening in Cluj-Napoca

Location: Cinema Arta

FACEBOOK EVENT

21:00 - 22:00 Afterparty: Animation Jam with the Hangló Band

Host of animation screening: Buzási Gyopár-Orsolya

Location: Planetarium

SUNDAY (28th of SEPTEMBER)

15:00 - 16:30 - Marona’s Fantastic Tale (Anca Damian | 2020 | Fr, Be, Ro | 92')

Language: RO, Sub: EN

A story about life and death and everything in between, told entirely through the eyes of a dog with breathtaking visuals and unmatched empathy. Awarded at Bucheon and Tokyo Anime Award Festival, and nominated for the European Film Awards.

Location: Cinema Arta

FACEBOOK EVENT

17:00 - 19:00 - Crulic - the Path to Beyond (r: Anca Damian | 2011 | Ro, Pl | 73')

Language: RO, Sub: EN

Animated biographical docudrama film starring Vlad Ivanov, narrated from beyond the grave by Crulic, a Romanian who died in a Polish prison while on a hunger strike. Winner of the Cristal at Annecy 2012 and over 25 international awards.

After the screening we will have a QA with the director of the film.

Host: Böjthe Alex

Location: Cinema Arta

FACEBOOK EVENT