Wild and wonderful films will be shown at AniNation, the international animated film festival, which returns to the Jerusalem Cinematheque for its ninth edition November 4-8.
It will present a slate of the best recent animated features and shorts from leading international festivals alongside new Israeli works, student films, exhibitions, a VR room, gaming, talks, meet-the-filmmaker sessions and a late-night rave. The full program can be found at https://jer-cin.org.il/en/lobby/anination-2025
The opening event features a screening of Arco, winner of the best film award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Natalie Portman was one of the producers of this film, which is about a time traveler from the future who uses rainbows to move through different eras, and a little girl who lives in an era where children are raised by robots, who helps him.
International features
International features slated to screen include Jinsei, Living Large, Tales from the Enchanted Garden, Dandelion Odyssey, Mad God, The Old Man Movie, Savages, The Extraordinary Adventures of Marona, Blue Pelikan, Sultana’s Dreams, and Diplo in Wonderland. A new restoration of the space opera Time Masters by René Laloux will be shown.
It’s been a long time since the 2007 movie The Simpsons was released, and it will be shown again here, which should help fans bide their time while waiting for the new Simpsons film to be released in 2027.
Israeli short-film programs
Israeli short-film programs include movies inspired by dreams, hassidic tales, trauma, and Japanese-tinged fantasies. A public exhibition on animation includes video art by Ilya Kraynes and Yotam Manda-Levy; interactive works by Ori Izraillov and Eden Koller; a VR room featuring pieces by Roy Kimchi, Shaul Levy and Daniel Swed, Ori Tzaiger, and Nir Saar and Ido Mizrahi; and a gaming showcase from graduates of the Bezalel Academy’s visual communication department.
Special events
Special events feature Frame Rave 6, the festival’s signature animation party by the Tohu collective; an Animation Stand-Up Night with Guy Eldar, Tal Hashiloni, Carmel Zeig and Shachar Kaplan; a Karaoke Rave; and a full professional Animation Day run with the Israeli Animation Guild and the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund.
Founded with the support of the Jerusalem Foundation, AniNation has become one of the capital’s most anticipated cinema events.
This year’s program is the festival’s largest to date, and includes films from Japan, the US, the Czech Republic, and Poland. A professional animation conference, held with the support of the Israeli Animation Guild and the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, will include preview showcases, works in progress, and master classes with directors Gur Bentwich and Shahaf Ram.
Festival director Shlomi Steiner Yosef said, “Animation can move audiences to their core, bend reality, and even conjure alternate worlds....
“A truly international festival is the right platform to spotlight Israeli culture, represent bold local creations, and connect the public with global innovation, with the goal of making AniNation a hub for international exchange.”
Arik Grebelsky, president of the Jerusalem Foundation, said, “The festival is a clear expression of Israeli creativity and of Jerusalem’s status as a dynamic cultural capital....
“AniNation is a platform that gives voice to a new generation of local animators, while connecting Jerusalem audiences with leading works from around the world.”
AniNation is supported by the Jerusalem Media Initiative, the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Heritage Ministry, the Jerusalem Foundation, and the Jerusalem Municipality.