ANIMASYROS 2025: A Cosmic Celebration of Animation on Syros Island

From September 22 to 28, 2025, the island of Syros became the beating heart of global animation. The 18th edition of ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival unfolded with a bold and expansive programme, uniting cinema, art, technology, and education under its central theme: “Animated Cosmos.” With international guests, nationwide premieres, tributes to pioneers, and the Agora industry forum, ANIMASYROS 2025 confirmed its status as one of Europe’s most vital animation events.

Bill Plympton: The Legend Arrives at Animasyros

The headline guest of this year’s festival was none other than Bill Plympton, the American indie animation icon. A two-time Academy Award nominee and Cannes award winner, Plympton is revered for his surreal, hand-drawn style and uncompromising independence. At ANIMASYROS 2025, he presented ten of his films, including Cheatin’ and Your Face, and delivered an inspiring masterclass as part of the Agora. Festival-goers even walked away with original sketches — a gift from the master himself.

Exploring the Animated Cosmos

This year’s central theme, “Animated Cosmos”, highlighted more than 25 films reflecting on humanity’s fascination with space. From Pixar’s WALL-E and Lightyear to acclaimed European shorts such as Cosmonaut (Kaspar Jancis) and Solar Walk (Réka Bucsi), the programme demonstrated animation’s ability to blend imagination with cosmic wonder. Beyond the screen, Astrowalker Constellation, a land art installation by Katerina Kotsala, lit up the islet of Didymi with celestial patterns visible from Ermoupoli.

Premieres that Pushed Boundaries

Three nationwide premieres stood out:

• Hola Frida, a luminous portrayal of Frida Kahlo’s childhood.

• Olivia & The Clouds (Olivia & Las Nubes), a Dominican-Spanish co-production exploring love and memory.

• Memory Hotel, a German-French drama set in the ruins of World War II.

Spotlight on Croatia and Greece

The festival honored the Croatian animation scene with a retrospective curated by Daniel Šuljić of Animafest Zagreb, while Greek animation shone in The Great Greek Masters, celebrating pioneers such as Iordanis Ananiadis and Yiannis Koutsouris.

Competitions and Global Reach

With over 3,000 entries from 115 countries, the competitions once again highlighted the diversity and vitality of animation worldwide. International, student, Greek, children’s (K.ID.S), Animapride, and Panorama programmes gave audiences a rich sample of global creativity.

Agora: Industry and Inspiration

The Agora hosted masterclasses, networking events, and panels on AI, financing, and storytelling. Key figures included Plympton, Pixar editor Bill Kinder, and Armenian director Tigran Arakelyan. The Artist’s Corner with Gary Thomas and a workshop for Greek producers by Ivan Zuber reinforced ANIMASYROS as a bridge between the Mediterranean and the international industry.

Education and Community

Workshops inspired by the “Animated Cosmos” brought animation to children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Guided by international artists and beloved Greek educators, participants created planets, cosmic soups, and alien adventures.

ANIMASYROS 2025 Awards

• Grand Prize – International Competition: Hurikán (Jan Saska, BA / CZ / FR / SK, 13’07”, 2024)

• Special Mention: Dog Alone (Marta Reis Andrade, PT, 13’02”, 2025)

• Best Greek Film Award: Holy Shit (Taxiarchis Deligiannis – Vasilis Tsiouvaras, GR, 4’37”, 2025)

• Students Section Award: The Last Drop (Anna Tőkés, HU, 10’43”, 2024)

• Special Mention: Urban Duo (Hongyu Yue, CN, 6’20”, 2024)

• TV & Commissioned Films Award: Maaimä (Lucija Mrzljak, EE / HR, 5′, 2024)

• Animapride Award: Kabuki (Tiago Minamisawa, BR / FR, 12’47”, 2025)

• K.ID.S Award: Grandpa Has A Broken Eye And Mom Is An Adventure (Marita Mayer, NO, 8’13”, 2024)

• Audience Feature Award: Hola Frida (André Kadi & Karine Vézina, FR / CA, 82′, 2024)