At the beginning of March, the 56th Tampere Film Festival will present a wonderful selection of national and international short animations.
This year’s domestic competition series includes a record-breaking eleven short animated films. The screening will feature Bodyrave, directed by Harri Connell, Felix Järvenpää, and Leo Lindgren (Aalto University); Dollhouse Elephant, directed by Jenny Jokela (Böhle Studios); Things That I Was Gathering, directed by Ekaterina Zhuzhleva (Aalto University); Kutkuttaja, directed by Jenni Koljonen, Elina Mikkola, Juulia Niiranen, and Anna Rohesalu (Turku University of Applied Sciences); Letters From Little Jimmy, directed by David John Graham; Naisväki, directed by Sofia Liukonen (Turku University of Applied Sciences); Noita, directed by Malakias; The Other Side of the Coin, directed by Sanjay Shrestha; The Rock Tension, directed by Markus Lehtokumpu (Turku University of Applied Sciences); Valokuvat, joita ei otettu (“Photographs That Were Never Taken”), directed by Hanneriina Moisseinen; and Drawn in Water, directed by Heta Jokinen (Aalto University).
Drawn in Water, Heta Jokinen
Animation is also prominently featured elsewhere in the festival’s programme. On Friday, March 6, the Turku-based Böhle Studio will present itself through a free screening and discussion event. The screening will include Böhle Studio’s internationally acclaimed and award‑winning short animations: Nun or Never! (2022) by Heta Jäälinoja, Flower Show (2024) by Elli Vuorinen, and Dollhouse Elephant (2025) by Jenny Jokela.
Böhle Studios: Animations – Films & Discussion will take place on Friday, March 6 at 15:00 in Cine Atlas 3. Please note: a free ticket must be reserved in advance for the screening.
Flower Show, Elli Vuorinen
You can also dive into the magic of animation in other festival screenings. In the joint pitching event of five Finnish film schools, the curated PITCH screenings—featuring award‑winning thesis films from over the years—will include Katariina Haukka’s stop‑motion animation The Paper (Turku University of Applied Sciences, 2022) and Sanna Taikina’s hand‑drawn animation Saunojat (Turku University of Applied Sciences, 2025).
In the European Short Film Audience Award screening, audiences will get to see last year’s most successful Finnish short animation, Veera Lamminpää’s charming stop‑motion film Fish River Anthology (Aalto University, 2025). The programme consists of films that received the highest audience votes at eight European short film festivals over the past year.
Fish River Anthology, Veera Lamminpää
ANIMATION AROUND THE WORLD
The Tampere Film Festival’s international competition series has long showcased high‑quality animation, and this year is no exception.
International Competition 8 is dedicated entirely to animation. The screening features Ajasööja, directed by Mari Kivi (Estonia, 2025); Safo, directed by Rosana Urbes (Brazil, 2025); Soixante-sept millisecondes, directed by fleuryfontaine (France, 2025); Avant de Rentrer.., directed by Arthur Bonneau (France, 2025); Balloonerism, directed by Samuel Jerome Mason (United States, France, 2025); and Winter in March, directed by Natalia Mirzoyan (Armenia, Belgium, Estonia, France, 2025).
Ajasööja, Mari Kivi
In other competition series, audiences will see Bloody Mess, directed by Megan Wennberg (Canada, 2025, International Competition 2), Interlude, directed by Taiyo Nobata (Japan, 2025, International Competition 3), Core Dump, directed by Alona Rodeh (Germany, 2025, International Competition 4), K’uchu: Rincón de la infancia, directed by Alessio Del Pozo Temoche (Peru, 2025, International Competition 5), Unanimated Strangers, directed by Róisín Kelly (Ireland, 2025, International Competition 5), Desdoblándome, directed by Natalia Pájaro (Mexico, 2025, International Competition 6), Gaïa, directed by Gwenola Heck (Germany, 2025, International Competition 7), and Klonter, directed by Levi Stoops (Belgium, 2025, International Competition 10).
In the Suudelmilla screening—curated in honor of Raimo “Rake” Silius, one of the most influential figures behind the Tampere Film Festival—viewers will see some of the most significant classics of short animation: Jan Švankmajer’s Dimensions of Dialogue (Možnosti dialogu, Czechoslovakia, 1982), Nick Park’s Creature Comforts (United Kingdom, 1989), and Tomek Popakul’s Ziegenort (Poland, 2013).
The Tampere Film Festival will take place on 4–8 March 2026. Explore the festival and its programme here.
