The Animasyros International Animation Festival returns for its 14th year at the Syros, from September 22 to 26. The largest festival of its kind in Greece and one of the 20 most important in the world, marking the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, draws inspiration this year from his famous quote Theodoros Kolokotronis, in the speech he delivered at the Pnyx, «Like rain, the desire for our freedom fell upon us all […], and we carried out the Revolution,» dedicating its annual theme to «Freedom.».
This year's Festival includes a themed tribute featuring film screenings animation short and feature-length films from around the world, focusing on personal freedom and revolution. At the same time, it will host the «MEDAnima», a tribute to animators and animated films from the wider region of Mediterranean, such as North Africa, Israel, France, Italy, Malta, and selected Balkan countries. Animasyros’s rich program will be presented, conditions permitting, in outdoor venues on the island of Syros, while part of it will be streamed via a dedicated digital platform.
Animasyros’s artistic program is expanding its competition categories, adding to the existing ones (international competition section, student competition section, feature-length film competition section/Audience Award, competition section for the best Greek-language film, and section for television and on-demand films) two new awards: «K.ID.S» for films aimed at children and «Animapride» for the best LGBTQI+ animation film. In addition to the competition sections, Animasyros’s artistic program is complemented by the informational section, the International Panorama, which showcases the little-known «gems» of the global animation scene.
Alongside the artistic program, the Market is also being organized, which is aimed at animation professionals and includes the Pitching Forum, as well as presentations on current topics relevant to the Market. In conjunction with the «MEDAnima» tribute, this year’s Market will place special emphasis on countries in the broader Mediterranean region. The opening of applications for the Market’s Pitching Forum will be announced shortly.
Finally, there is no shortage of established educational programs aimed at children, teenagers, young professionals, people with disabilities, and seniors. In keeping with this year’s theme, the educational workshops at Animasyros 2021 draw inspiration from poetry, literature, and visual art created in response to the Greek Revolution of 1821.
Call for Submissions
Applications to participate in the competitive sections of this year’s event must be submitted exclusively through the page maintained by Animasyros on the Film Freeway platform:
https://filmfreeway.com/AnimaSyrosInternationalAnimationFestivalAgora-949575.
The deadline for applications is June 30, 2021.
Visual Identity
The visual identity for Animasyros 2021 was designed by the Italian visual artist, illustrator, and animator Luca de Salvia (lucadesalvia.com). His professional career began at the Gucci, under the artistic direction of Tom Ford and included advertising campaigns for YSL and Gucci, the corporate identity for Bottega Veneta in collaboration with Thomas Meir, and more. His work reflects his passion for painting, film, graphic design, and sound. He has created numerous award-winning animated films, as well as commissioned commercials for companies such as Ferrari and the BBC. He works as an illustrator for *Zeit* magazine, *La Repubblica* newspaper, and others.
Regarding the visual identity of Animasyros 2021, Luca says: «My design for the Animasyros 2021 poster is an ode to the emotion and excitement sparked by newly gained freedom. It is a graphic design created with quick brushstrokes combined with a pair of color palettes.».
The trailer for the new visual identity was created by the Cypriot studio Zedem Media (www.zedemanimations.com). Watch the trailer for the new visual identity here: https://vimeo.com/511478222
«Places of Hellenism: Ermoupoli»
The animated docudrama is currently in production «Places of Hellenism: Ermoupoli», based on the original concept of bringing to life the history of Ermoupoli, which emerged from the waters of the Aegean Sea, in the heart of the Cyclades archipelago, on the island of Syros. The film’s director is Cypriot Charalambos Margaritis, the original designs and characters were developed by designers Vasilis Evdokias and Lefteris Faidas, the screenplay was edited by historian Maria Sabatakaki, and the narration is provided by actor Simos Patiéridis. The film is funded by the Ministry of Culture’s special program to support animation film production, in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, is being produced under the auspices of the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli, and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021. Watch the film’s trailer here: https://vimeo.com/510626697.
Masks everywhere! Animated masks from Syros!
This Carnival season, the festive spirit begins in Syros, as part of the «Georgios Souris 2021» Online Syros Carnival. The traditions and spirit of the Syros Carnival come together in an online stop-motion and cut-out animation workshop, led by the young Greek animator Polyxeni Katsari. Children are invited to create their own pop-up carnival mask remotely using simple materials and a smart digital device (phone or tablet), with the beautiful island of Syros as the backdrop. After the workshop concludes, the children’s final videos will be compiled into an animated film. The workshop is organized and funded by the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli. The National Center for Audiovisual Media & Communication (EKOME) is a long-standing supporter of Animasyros’ educational activities.
Information about the online workshop:
-When: Sunday, March 7, 2020, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
-Where: Zoom platform with a live stream on Animasyros' Facebook page
-Number of active participants: Up to 15 students
-Age of participants: Students aged 9 to 13.
-Free registration: By February 28, 2021, at education2@animasyros.gr. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
