International Animation Day is celebrated every year on October 28. However, due to Greece’s National Holiday, our events traditionally take place a few days later.
As part of the celebration of International Animation Day 2025, ASIFA HELLAS organized two special events.
A Special Celebration at the French Institute of Greece in Athens
This year, as we celebrate 80 years of Greek animation, we collaborated with the French Institute of Greece in Athens for a joint event held on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Amphitheatre of the French Institute of Athens.
The event featured special screenings for primary school students from Athens.
ASIFA HELLAS proposed the screening of the multi-award-winning Greek short film “Ethnophobia”, directed by Giannis Zhonga and written by Petros Koskinas.
The film has participated in numerous prestigious international festivals, including Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, earning an impressive total of 32 awards.
Both the director and the screenwriter attended the event, spoke to the children about the creative process behind the film, and answered their questions.
Giannis Zhonga and Petros Koskinas
The program continued with the screening of the French animated feature film “Ernest et Célestine : Voyage en Charabie”, directed by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger, based on an original idea by Agnès Bidaud and Didier Brunner.
The students thoroughly enjoyed both films and returned to their schools inspired and full of joy.
Continuing Our Collaboration with the University of West Attica
Following last year’s highly successful collaboration, ASIFA HELLAS once again partnered with the Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication of the University of West Attica.
The event took place on Monday, November 3, at 13:30, at the K8 001 Amphitheatre.
Ms. Lambrini Trivella, Assistant Professor of the Department and Board Member of ASIFA HELLAS, curated a special selection of short animated films from around the world, drawn from ASIFA International’s film database. The program included a wide range of genres and techniques — from 2D and 3D animation to stop motion.
A discussion followed between the students, their professor Dr. Spyridon Siakas, Professor of the Department and Founding Member of the General Assembly of ASIFA HELLAS, Ms. Lambrini Trivella, Assistant Professor of the Department and board member of ASIFA HELLAS, Rossetos Metzitakos, the new Head of the Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication, University of West Attica and Konstantinos P. Kakarountas the President of ASIFA HELLAS.
Lambrini Trivella, Spyridon Siakas, and Rossetos Metzitakos of the Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication, University of West Attica.
We hope that this event served as inspiration and motivation for more young creators to engage in the art of animation.
Maria Mavroeidi, Spyridon Siakas, Konstantinos P. Kakarountas, Lambrini Trivella and Rossetos Metzitakos.