Dissemination

ANIMAGORIA 2026: Algarve Animation Film Festival Celebrates 5th Anniversary with a Journey into the Future

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ANIMAGORIA – Algarve Animation Film Festival returns between September 24 and 27, 2026, for its 5th edition. Organized by Cineclube de Faro and featuring CIAC – Research Centre for Arts and Communication among its institutional partners, this year’s festival adopts the theme “Express to the Future” (Expresso para o Futuro), proposing a collective reflection on how to continue cultivating sensitivity, imagination, and critical thinking in an era heavily marked by the mass deployment of artificial intelligence tools.

With a program distributed across the municipalities of Faro, Olhão, and Castro Marim, the festival celebrates its first five years with a diverse itinerary that includes short and feature film screenings, director Q&A sessions, workshops, a collective exhibition, and immersive experiences.

A Plural and Decentralized Program

The official opening took place on September 24 at the Castro Marim Municipal Library, featuring sessions aimed at school audiences promoted in partnership with Casa da Animação and the Cinanima Festival (represented by Cristina Novo). The initiative also extended to the Olhão Municipal Auditorium with the screening of the short film session “Horizontes” and a talk with the Algarve-based production company Fly Moustache, as well as to the IPDJ Auditorium in Faro with the screening of the feature film Mars Express.

The program in Faro continues at the IPDJ Auditorium with the short film cycle “Aurora” — focused on intimate and everyday perspectives of the future —, in addition to the screening of the feature film Robot Dreams (on the 27th) and the Virtual Reality experience Lúcido, featuring director Vier and producer Susana M. António, at the Sociedade Recreativa “Os Artistas”.

Another highlight is the return of Cinema Insuflável (Inflatable Cinema), an itinerant screening room dedicated to children led by Catarina Perez, hosting the “Make Animation, Not War” program by Cinanima’s Educational Service.

Training, Young Creators, and Celebration

On September 26, the Werk Room space in Faro hosts the Analogue Rotoscopy and Embroidered Animation workshops (guided by Violena Ampudia and Violeta Mora).

One of the central moments of the event remains the Sessão Futuro (Future Session), dedicated to short films by Portuguese students and young filmmakers, promoting and valuing new voices in national animation. The celebration of Animagoria’s 5th anniversary culminates on the night of September 26 at S.R.A.F. “Os Artistas” with an Animation Quiz hosted by Fly Moustache, accompanied by music and social gatherings.

This year’s edition also features the collective exhibition Palíndromo, bringing together works by artists David Bastos, Dina Guerreiro, Dora Vieira, and Gustavo de Jesus.

Credits and Contacts

• Partnership: CIAC – Research Centre for Arts and Communication
• Graphic Identity: Ibon Adarne
• Animation: Catarina Calvinho Gil, Mariana Ferreira, and Rúben Ricardo
• Official Spot Soundtrack: Sara Marita
• Contact E-mail: festivalanimagoria@gmail.com

Full detailed programming, ticketing, and venue information can be consulted on the official event website (animagoria.com).

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