Participation is free, with accommodation, lunch, and the equipment provided by us. A selection process is in place, based on a short portfolio.

The Animate the Festival! Experience

We will select 10 participants from Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova who will spend a week working on a collaborative animation under the guidance of animation directors Laura Pop and Iva Tokmakchieva. Participants will learn the full animation production process — from concept and story development to animation, sound, and final delivery. We will explore themes such as the human relationship with nature and the environment. The result will be a collaborative animated film, created by the group and distributed internationally through festivals, screenings, and partner initiatives.

The workshop schedule runs from 9am to 5pm with a lunch break. The workshop will take place in English, but the team will speak both Romanian and Bulgarian. We will provide participation certificates which upon agreement with your school can be used to excuse you from your classes that week.

Outside workshop hours, participants will follow a schedule curated by the Incubator team which will include animation screenings, industry talks and other festival activities.

You can explore animations produced in previous editions on Our Productions page.

Past participants have seen their films selected at international festivals, won awards, and gone on to access further opportunities in animation, film, and creative education as a result of their participation.

To apply, join the Animation Incubator Community here and follow us on Instagram @theanimationincubator to stay up to date with upcoming calls.

Attention! If you are from Romania or Moldova you can apply to both the Animate the Festival! workshop and the Teen Jury (Juriul Adolescenților @Animest). Unfortunately, the Teen Jury workshop is not open to Bulgarians.

A project by The Animation Incubator, in partnership with Compote Collective, KinoKlas and UNATC I. L. Caragiale. Co-financed by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.