Anima, the Brussels International Animation Film Festival, will celebrate its 45th edition from 20th February to 1st March across various venues in Brussels and other cities in Belgium.
Around 300 films will be screened over ten days at Flagey, Marni, and the Cinematek in Brussels, with additional screenings in ten cities nationwide.
Online platforms like Auvio Kids, Sooner, and Benshi will also spotlight animation as part of the festival programme.
Festival co-director Nicolas Moins announced on Tuesday that the 2026 programme will include premieres, re-screenings, and, for the first time, a surprise screening.
The closing film will be All You Need Is Kill, the latest feature from Japanese director Ken’ichirô Akimoto and Studio 4°C.
A total of 289 films from 42 countries will be showcased, including 15 premieres.
Highlights include national and international competitions for shorts and features, a focus on Irish animation, and special activities such as the first-ever poster exchange.
An exhibition exploring the festival’s 45-year history will be displayed at Marni.
It will include archived video materials from Sonuma and the VRT, tracing how the festival evolved from its origins in 1982 as the Rencontres du cinéma d’animation.
At Flagey, another exhibition will give insight into the making of Antoine Lanciaux’s film Le Secret des mésanges, which has been hailed as a favourite of the festival team.
