CEE Animation Forum 2026 Crowns Winners
Skwigly
Hungarian How to Become a Landlord wins the audience award, while Polish Dancing Bears is named best feature film at the leading regional pitching, financing, and co-production market for European animated projects. Ukrainian-Czech Illogical Adult World wins the Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award.
The winners of the 14th CEE Animation Forum were announced on Thursday in Pilsen (CZ), bringing three days of pitching, networking, market and industry activities to a close. A total of €100,000 in cash and non-monetary awards was presented to outstanding projects, recognising the creativity and potential of this year’s selection.
The Pitching Competition brought together 33 projects across four categories: 10 short films, 6 student short films, 10 series and TV specials, and 7 feature films. More than 70% of the lineup involved CEE production partners. With a combined estimated budget of more than €48 million, the selected projects span a broad range of formats and audiences, with over half targeting young adults and adults, alongside projects for tweens, teens, children and preschoolers.
Complementing the pitching competition, the Market showcased more than 60 animated projects at various stages of development and production seeking co-production partners.
This year’s edition placed a particular focus on animated series, highlighted by the presentation of the Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award, worth €50,000 at CEE Animation Forum, recognising one outstanding project.
The programme also featured industry presentations by Clementine Trolong-Bailly (Council of Europe), Emmanuèle Pétry-Sirvin (Dandelooo, France), and Søren Fleng (FLENG Entertainment, Denmark), alongside representatives of national broadcasters Jonas Kryger Hansen (DR, Denmark), Martina Peštaj (RTV Slovenia) and Jarmo Lampela (Yle, Finland).
Topics ranged from European co-production opportunities and international collaborations to young audiences and the growing potential of adult animation.
The IP in Animation Lab, organised in collaboration with CEE Animation Workshop, explored key aspects of intellectual property in animation, from development and protection to licensing and commercial potential.
Winners were announced across the four main competition categories, alongside the recipients of the Audience Award, CEE Animation Workshop Award, four partner awards and the Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award.
CEE Animation Forum 2026 Winners
Audience Award
- Winner: How to Become a Landlord – Directed by Abigél Dérczy; produced by MOME Anim – Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (Hungary).
Feature Film Category
- Winner: Dancing Bears – Directed by Anna Błaszczyk and Marta Pajek; produced by Maja Tokaj, Animoon (Poland).
- Special Mention: Back to Tomioka – Directed by François-Marc Baillet; producers Ilan Urroz, Anna Mroczek and Reka Temple; Foliascope, WJTeam, Cinemon Entertainment and Wrong Men (France, Poland, Hungary, Belgium).
Jury statement: “The award goes to a work whose original design and exceptional artistic quality make it truly remarkable.”
Feature Film Jury: Edmunds Jansons (Atom Art), Mathieu Rolin (Amopix), Yutong Yu (Magic Fair).
Series and TV Specials Category
- Winner: Lussekatt – Directed by Roxane Campoy and Camille Pipet Pham; produced by Sacha Mirski and Vladimir Kokh, Les Films de l’Arlequin (France).
- Special Mention: Finding Home – Directed by Maria Stanisheva; produced by Manon Messiant and Paul Campagnet, Animadocs and Iliade et Films (Bulgaria, France).
The jury praised Lussekatt for its complex storytelling, poetic artistic style and female-led creative team, highlighting its potential to become a series of modern tales with multilayered, universal narratives.
Finding Home was recognised for its authentic and visually impressive portrayal of the effects of climate change, giving a voice to those who might otherwise go unheard.
Series and TV Specials Jury: Lucille Janvier (MIAM! Animation), Gennarino Romano (Dandelooo), Bara Chaberova (Bionaut).
Short Film Category
- Winner: Trois-Fois-Rien – Directed by Titouan Tillier; produced by Sylvain Debretagne, Frigo Films (France).
- Special Mention: Half Open Half Pose – Directed by Fábián Balogh; produced by Barnabás Tóth-Justh and Manon Messiant, Boddah and Iliade et Films (Hungary, France).
- Special Mention: Family Recipe – Directed by Lou-Anne Gérard; produced by Titouan Tillier, Frigo Films (France).
The jury praised Trois-Fois-Rien for its artistic ambition and mockumentary approach to a community facing the apocalypse with humour and absurdity.
Half Open Half Pose was recognised for its imagination, absurd humour and distinctive artistic approach, while Family Recipe was commended for exploring family communication through dark humour and sophisticated visual design.
Short Film Jury: Shanti Bourse (Autour de minuit), Mykyta Lyskov (director), Stavros Markoulakis (Leiden Shorts).
Student Short Film Category
- Winner: Ita Turns 30 – Directed by Živa Divjak; produced by Gala Kebakoska, FAMU Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (Czechia).
- Special Mention: Redefining Island – Directed by Julie Černá; produced by Kristina Husová, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague UMPRUM (Czechia).
Ita Turns 30 was recognised for its powerful personal story about overcoming social pressures faced by women, while Redefining Island received a special mention for its satirical and critical approach to body image in reality pop culture.
Student Short Film Jury: Tina Smrekar (Finta Film), Maria Stanisheva (Animadocs), Ola Staszel (DOK Leipzig).
Additional Awards
Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award
- Winner: Illogical Adult World – Directed by Iryna Sosimovych; produced by Mira Oyetoro and Kristina Husova, Salt Cinema Productions and Pure Shore (Ukraine, Czech Republic).
CEE Animation Workshop Award
- Winner: In the Workfield – Directed by Toma Alexandru and Horia Manolache; produced by Anca Manolache, VANA (Romania).
CICLIC Residency
- Recipient: Trois-Fois-Rien – Directed by Titouan Tillier; produced by Sylvain Debretagne, Frigo Films (France).
Travelling Distribution Award
- Winner: Redefining Island – Directed by Julie Černá; produced by Kristina Husová, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague UMPRUM (Czechia).
The project was recognised for its singular world, wild sense of humour and unconventional storytelling, embracing animation as a medium for creative experimentation.
Cartoon Movie – Direct Access
- Recipient: Dancing Bears – Written by Aleksandra Świerk and Witek Szabłowski; directed by Anna Błaszczyk and Marta Pajek; produced by Maja Tokaj, Animoon (Poland).
Cartoon Forum – Direct Access
- Recipient: Pebbi – Directed by Sofiya Gorokh; produced by Matěj Šak, Pirogy Studios (Czechia).
TVPaint Animation Licence
- Recipient: How to Become a Landlord – Directed by Abigél Dérczy; produced by MOME Anim – Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (Hungary).
The project was recognised for its one-woman creative approach, establishing a unique universe of humour and characters.