We know Estonia
16.8.2023 | Culture

International animation festival begins today in Tallinn

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Lucija Mrzljakin, Morten Tšinakov, 
Irina Rubina, Wan-Ling Liu

International animation festival begins today in Tallinn"Eeva" by Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Činakov.

 

The four-day-long international animation festival, Animist, will start this evening in Tallinn. During the festival, dozens of Estonian and international animated shorts will be shown at Kino Sõprus and Kinomaja in the city.

This year, 564 films from 65 countries applied for Animist’s competition programme. Of those, 37 of the best films made it to festival’s competition programme. The short animations will compete in five different categories, which are “Justice”, “Untold Story”, “Inner Beast”, “Not That Funny”, “Floating World”. In addition, more than 30 shorts will be shown in festival’s the special programme.

On the last day of the festival (August 19), the winning animations in each competition category will be shown again on the big screen at Kino Sõprus.

This evening at 5 pm, the festival will begin with a talk from respected British illustrator and author Dave McKean, who will discuss his works and answer questions from the audience at the Estonian Children’s Literature Center. McKean has written and illustrated more than 80 award-winning and ground-breaking books.

On Saturday, six of Izabela Plucinska’s best animated films will be shown on the Kinomaja screen. Born in Poland and currently living in Germany, Plucińska has made around thirty films, including her 2005 film “Jam Session”, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

You can learn more about the festival and the programme on the official website here. Tickets and festival passes are available at Fienta

 

“What’s love got to do with it” by Irina Rubina.
“The Egret River” by Wan-Ling Liu.

 

 

To learn more about this and similar topics
Animated Short Animation Festival Animist Dave McKean Izabela Plucinska Kinomaja Kino Sõprus

5.6.2026 | Culture

Stencibility Once Again Creates New Urban Art for Tartu’s Streets

Stencibility Once Again Creates New Urban Art for Tartu’s Streets

Tartu will once again become an international hub of street art when the Stencibility Festival takes place in the university … Read more

5.6.2026 | Culture

Estonian Fashion Festival 2026

Estonian Fashion Festival 2026

The Estonian Fashion Festival is Estonia’s largest annual event dedicated to sustainable fashion. This year it will take place from … Read more

4.6.2026 | Culture

Jewels of the Serlachius Art Collection at the Magnificent Kadriorg Palace

Jewels of the Serlachius Art Collection at the Magnificent Kadriorg Palace

This summer, visitors strolling through Tallinn’s Kadriorg Park may be delighted to see Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s painting “Spring” fluttering on the … Read more

3.6.2026 | Culture

Kings of Leon Live in Tallinn

Kings of Leon Live in Tallinn

Kings of Leon are one of the biggest bands to come out of the early 21st century music scene in … Read more

2.6.2026 | Culture

Joy From Related Languages Across Borders

Joy From Related Languages Across Borders

  “Rõõmu sugulaskeeltest—Sukukielistä riemua”, or in English “Joy From Related Languages”, is a popular non-fiction book published in 2025 about … Read more

1.6.2026 | Culture

Exciting events in Estonia this week

Exciting events in Estonia this week

  1–7 June Baltic Pride 2026, Tallinn A full week of events celebrating Pride Week in the Baltics, with most … Read more

31.5.2026 | Culture

Summer Start Festival 2026

Summer Start Festival 2026

Tartu’s Summer Start Festival is in essence a double festival on 6 June in Tartu’s Song Festival Grounds. During the … Read more

30.5.2026 | Culture

Celebrating Midsummer in Estonia

Celebrating Midsummer in Estonia

Midsummer, known in Estonia as Jaanipäev, is celebrated in remarkably similar ways on both sides of the Gulf of Finland. … Read more