Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2026 to welcome FIPRESCI’s first official Critics’ Jury

Fredrikstad Animation Festival is pleased to announce a new collaboration with International Federation of Film Critics, welcoming the first official FIPRESCI critics’ jury at the 30th edition of the festival, taking place October 21–25, 2026.

This collaboration marks the first FIPRESCI critics’ jury at an international animation festival since the launch of the federation’s “Animation Call”, paving the way for further partnerships with festivals around the world and highlighting animated cinema for global audiences.

A three-member international jury—including one representative from FIPRESCI’s Norwegian national section, Norsk Filmkritikerlag—will present the FIPRESCI Award to a short film selected from the festival’s main competitive program, the Nordic–Baltic Competition.

Founded in 1925 as a global network of critics from more than 50 countries, FIPRESCI promotes film art in all its forms, supports emerging cinema, and fosters critical discourse through around 80 juries annually, with a presence at major events such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival, among many others. Fredrikstad Animation Festival marks the first animation festival to host a FIPRESCI critics’ jury after the federation’s collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival was put on hold in 2022.

“In 2026, animated cinema can no longer be considered ‘niche’ or ‘children’s content’. Animated features such as Flee, Arco, The Siren, or Flow have proven that the medium is limitless in the stories it can tell, and these productions are now regularly showcased in Cannes, Venice, and many other major events. To have FIPRESCI acknowledge this medium by establishing new jury collaborations feels like a legitimate move in the wake of this new era of the federation,” says Ahmed Shawky, President of FIPRESCI.

“As the leading festival for animation in the Nordics and a festival that has experienced strong growth in recent years, it is with pride that Fredrikstad Animation Festival can expand our competition program with a FIPRESCI prize,” says Anders Narverud Moen, Festival Director. “Internationally recognized film critics will have the opportunity to discover our film program, and the increased presence of journalists and critics will in turn give greater recognition to the films and filmmakers presented at the festival. Fredrikstad Animation Festival actively works to promote filmmakers in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and the collaboration with FIPRESCI will provide greater opportunities to elevate these filmmakers onto the international animation scene.”

The honorary FIPRESCI jury will be announced together with the juries of the other competition sections when the festival program is unveiled ahead of the 2026 edition, including the Global Short Film Competition and the Nordic–Baltic Feature Film Competition.

©FIPRESCI 2026