ANIMAC 2026 CELEBRATES 30 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 230 TITLES AND AN OPEN LOOK TO CHANGE
febrer 10nd 2026
Ron Dyens, producer of “Flow”, among the illustrious guests of an edition marked by the motto “Things Change”
More than 40 school shorts and 59 top-level operas consolidate the commitment to emerging talent
The school days will bring together more than 11,000 students from more than 80 educational centers
The programming of l’Animac 2026, the International Animated Film Festival of Catalonia organized by the Lleida City Council, was presented today at a press conference in Lleida. The 30th edition will be held from February 19 to 22, 2026 and will revolve around the motto “Things change”, the axis that structures a large part of the sections, monographs and activities of the Exhibition.
The event was attended by the mayor of Lleida, Fèlix Larrosa; the Councilor for Culture, Pilar Bosch; the vice president of the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs, Estefanía Rufach; the subdelegate of the Government in Lleida, José Crespín; the director of Animac, Carolina López, and the artists from Hamill Industries, who were present at the press conference.
Carolina López explained that this year’s motto, “Things Change,” “is based on the idea that animation has always been a privileged space to observe and think about change, not only technological, but also social and political.” The director of Animac highlighted that the programming reflects “a very humanistic perspective, with films that address themes such as armed conflicts, identity, memory or motherhood, especially present in the works of this edition”, and also highlighted the importance of feature films, with premieres and outstanding titles that broaden the perspective of the Mostra and reinforce the dialogue between author animation, diverse audiences and new ways of narrating.
Larrosa highlighted that “Animac is a sum of talent, training and industry, and a showcase that projects us to the world.” He also highlighted the sustained work of the Paeria over the years to consolidate a cultural and creative ecosystem in the city, recalling that “in Lleida there are more than 50 audiovisual companies, an emerging market in Catalonia that represents close to 3% of the GDP, and 200 people in Casa de Fusta who want to make a career in the audiovisual and video game sector.”
Bosch stressed that “collaborations and networking with institutions, sponsors, entities and city facilities are key for Animac to continue growing, and create and retain new audiences, highlighting the collective dimension of the project and its ability to take root in the territory“.
For his part, Rufach has reiterated the support of the IEI and the Lleida Provincial Council for Animac, which he has defined as “an event that is committed to values such as quality, education and artistic sensitivity, and that connects local talent with the international panorama, placing Lleida on the cultural map of the world“.
Crespín has defined l’Animac as “one of the singularities of our city, an exhibition that from here has built an international prestige and that allows creators from all over the world to connect.” In this sense, he highlighted “the symbolic value of animation in a fast-paced world, where time and patience are valued, and where a stroke becomes movement.”
Animac 2026 has received 759 films from 85 countries, with a notable presence of productions and co-productions from France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal and Hungary. The Mostra will program more than 230 titles, with 12 world premieres, 11 international premieres, 55 premieres in Spain and 39 premieres in Catalonia, in addition to 59 debut works. Of the total programming, around 110 works are without dialogue and around 75 can be seen in Catalan or in the original version with Catalan subtitles, with 13 titles of Catalan production.
Official sections and featured titles
The Official Shorts Section presents an international selection marked by auteur animated cinema and with a strong presence of 2D, with titles such as “Une fugue” (2025, France), by Agnès Patron; “The Body of Christ” (2025, Spain), by Bea Lema; “Kutyafül (Dog Ear)” (2025, Hungary), by Péter Vácz; “Porque Hoje É Sábado” (2025, Portugal, France and Spain), by Alice Eça Guimarães; or “A round of applause for death” (2024, United Kingdom), by Stephen Irwin.
The Future Talent section, dedicated to short films from animation schools around the world, includes more than 40 school short films and focuses on new voices and emerging languages. Animac Talent.cat brings together a selection of works from schools in the Catalan Countries and recognizes young talent with awards and mentions.
The Petit Animac offers careful programming aimed at children and family audiences, with titles such as “Birds of Paradise” (2025, Poland and France), by Tomek Ducki; “A Clayful Adventure” (2025, UK), by Florrie Macleod; “Kugelfisch (Blowfish)” (2023, Germany), by Julia Ocker; or “Mono” (2025, Spain), by Almudena Monzú.
Guests, monographs and special activities
Numerous top-level international creators and professionals will attend Animac 2026. Among the notable guests is the French producer Ron Dyens, founder of Sacrebleu Productions and producer of the feature film Flow, one of the most recognized European animation works of recent years, who will share the film’s production process in a conference open to the public. The Exhibition will also host prominent figures of contemporary animation such as Joanna Quinn, an international leader in independent animation; the Grangel brothers, who celebrate the 40-year career of Grangel Studio; Julia Ocker; Sébastien Laudenbach; Eva Pérez Misa; or Bea Lema, among other creators who will participate in screenings, conferences, monographs and professional meetings throughout the program.
The Exhibition includes several monographs linked to the motto “Things change”, among which Animated Palestine stands out, a session dedicated to animation as a tool for denunciation and reflection, with the participation of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia.
Awards, inauguration and professional field
Animac 2026 will recognize three outstanding careers with its institutional awards. The Honorary Award of this 30th edition goes to Nora Twomey, Irish director, screenwriter and producer, co-founder of Cartoon Saloon. The Animation Master Award goes to Andreas Hykade, a German director and animator with a consolidated career in European auteur animation. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Montxo Algora, artist, curator and founder of ArtFutura, a reference for digital culture in Spain. The winners will be present at the Exhibition and will participate in activities, retrospectives and meetings with the public.
The inauguration of Animac 2026 will take place with LOCUS, a live audiovisual show created expressly by Hamill Industries for the opening of the Exhibition. The collective also presents GRASP, an audiovisual installation that can be visited in MORERA. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Lleida from February 10 to 22.
In the professional field, the Incubator consolidates its role as a space to support animation projects in development. This year 111 international projects have been presented, of which twelve have been selected, and the Incubator Prize is included, endowed with 2,000 euros.
School and public educational sessions
Animac maintains a notable commitment to the educational public with the school days, which will take place from February 16 to 20, 2026. In total, 11,241 students of early childhood, primary, secondary, artistic baccalaureate, training cycles and university will be invited, coming from more than 80 educational centers in Lleida and the territory, including special education centers, rural schools and centers at risk of social exclusion.
The Mostra also celebrates its 30th anniversary with educational activities and the school competition e-Motion, with an awards gala scheduled for February 18 at La Llotja de Lleida.
The exhibition has the support of CaixaForum Lleida, the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, the Ministry of Culture (ICAA), the Provincial Council of Lleida (IEI) and the ICEC of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
