Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF 2025) Archive
The 2025 edition of the Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF) took place in Fredrikstad, Norway, from 23–26 October. Marking another milestone for the largest animation industry event in the Nordic region, the festival combined international film screenings, regional industry development, academic conversation, and broad public engagement. FAF 2025 maintained a strong professional profile while expanding access for families and students.
Programming & Participation
FAF 2025 showcased a rich slate of curated programming. In total, 123 films appeared across the festival. Shorts were presented through seven competition programmes, covering global work, Nordic-Baltic professional, student films, commissioned works, and dedicated children’s and young audiences’ programs. The feature competition further elevated Nordic-Baltic storytelling by highlighting work from Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Latvia.
The audience-count hit a new record of 7,516 total attendees across screenings, workshops, exhibitions, and digital festival activities, demonstrating continued enthusiasm and strong community participation. These figures underscore FAF’s dual identity as both a major cultural destination for animation lovers and an important gathering place for the animation industry in the Nordic-Baltic region.
Industry, Regional & Academic Focus
FAF 2025 continued to deepen the industry offerings. The festival introduced new features, the Producers Lounge and a digital Industry Directory to support networking among producers, distributors, and artists. A major development was the inauguration of the Østfold Film Mini-Market, designed to bolster opportunities specifically for the Eastern Norway region while strengthening collaborations across the Nordic-Baltic network.
Conversations around the future of animation were brought to the forefront during the symposium “From Algorithms to Imagination,” addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence and its creative implications in the animated arts. The festival also hosted Production Day, in collaboration with Virke Producers Association, a professional development program focusing on narrative design and adaptation workflows in animated film and series production.
Audience & Participant Feedback
Post event survey responses indicate high overall satisfaction with FAF 2025, with many respondents rating the festival a 5/5 and praising the strong quality of programming. Attendees reported particular enthusiasm for the film programmes, talks, and the industry seminar line-up, noting their relevance, variety, and usefulness.
Participants cited multiple sessions as especially valuable, including:
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New Nordic Animation
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Breakfast with Funders
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Tech Talk: Houdini
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Production Day: Better Scripts, Stronger Films (Part I)
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Masterclass: Liane-Cho Han
The favorite programs highlight the range of programming offered by FAF 2025.
Overall, feedback conveyed that festivalgoers had a highly positive experience and that many plan to return next year. Several respondents commented that extending the festival’s duration, which will occur in 2026, would help alleviate scheduling pressure and facilitate more balanced participation between screenings, talks, and networking events.
Education, Youth & Family Engagement
FAF 2025 placed significant emphasis on engaging young audiences. Free children’s screenings, hands-on workshops, and school-linked programming brought students and families into the festival scene. Dedicated jury roles for children and young audiences continued FAF’s tradition of including the next generation in meaningful festival participation. A full family-day program on Sunday, 26 October, along with relaxed screenings and Moomin 80 themed events, offered accessible entry points for viewers of all ages.
Masterclasses & Creative Perspectives
The festival hosted masterclasses led by major figures in contemporary animation. Liane-Cho Han’s session explored professional storyboarding and workflow methodologies, while Nikita Diakur’s masterclass focused on his experimental practice. Together, these sessions showcased a spectrum of creative identities.
Awards & Recognition
The FAF 2025 Awards Ceremony took place Saturday, 25 October, celebrating excellence across all competition categories. The festival’s top honor, the Grand Prix, was awarded to The Night Boots (directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon; France, 2024), while the Audience Award went to Voi and Destroy (directed by William Picot, Simen Hindenes, Magnus Myren & William Opdal; Norway, 2025).
In the Nordic–Baltic categories, Best Nordic–Baltic Feature Film went to Dog of God (directed by Lauris Abele & Raitis Abele; Latvia/USA, 2025), with a Special Mention awarded to Fleak (directed by Jens Møller; Finland, 2025). The Best Nordic–Baltic Short Film prize was presented to Kafka. In Love (directed by Zane Oborenko; Czech Republic/Latvia, 2024).
Additional juried awards recognized artistic excellence across the short-film spectrum:
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Best Global Short Film — Papillon (directed by Florence Miailhe; France, 2024)
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Best Nordic–Baltic Student Film — Cycle of Violence: Puppy Please! (directed by Felicia Anna Aurora Bergström; Germany, 2024)
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Best Nordic–Baltic Young Audience Film — Ballad of Halima (directed by Mikkel Mainz; Denmark, 2025)
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Special Mention – Young Audience Film — Panorama (directed by Nicolaj Larsson; Denmark, 2025)
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Best Nordic–Baltic Children’s Film — Simon Small (directed by Yaprak Morali & Are Austnes; Norway/Sweden/Denmark, 2024)
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Special Mention – Children’s Film — Service Bus (directed by Elmer Mikael Lødemel; Denmark, 2024)
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Best Nordic–Baltic Commissioned Film — What We Leave Unsaid (directed by Tord Theodor Olsen; Norway, 2025)
The festival’s highest honorary recognition, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Swedish animator, director, and illustrator Olof Landström, acknowledging his longstanding contributions to animated storytelling.
Atmosphere, Direction & Takeaways
104 events reflect strong public presence and active community engagement. The combination of newly strengthened industry offerings, expanded regional focus, and innovative programming themes underscores FAF’s growing role as both cultural institution and industry engine. The strong representation of Nordic-Baltic animation in competition, along with a substantial international short-film presence, positions the festival as both a regional anchor and an outward-looking showcase.
FAF 2025’s integration of AI-themed discourse, production training, and extensive screenings showcase a forward-thinking festival. Meanwhile, the family initiatives, relaxed screenings, and children’s events ensured accessibility and generational continuity.