06.08.2025

TAFF PRO 2025 looks to the future and the arts

This year’s festival program for professionals focuses on the future of animation and visual arts. TAFF Pro, held on August 21–22, brings together Finnish and international animation artists, and its program consists of speeches, presentations, panels, and film screenings. TAFF Pro aims to promote the vitality of the animation industry and provide new ideas and contacts for industry professionals and students.

INTRODUCING THE PROS OF THE FUTURE 

This year, TAFF Pro will focus on the future of animation and the visual arts. Media artists with a close relationship with animation or those who challenge artistic expression through different technologies have been invited to the festival in particular.

On Thursday, the Turku-based studio Pyjama Films will present the making of an animation series based on the Belzebubs comics and  introduces the world of making animation for international distribution. Media artist Jukka Hautamäki will talk about artificial intelligence as a tool for art, and its ethical challenges. Filmverkstaden ry will present a lecture on analogue film art, reflecting on the past and the future through performative means. Thursday’s TAFF Pro section will conclude with an exhibition of VR art curated by MUU ry in the Media Studio of the Art House Turku, titled States of Nature – Virtual Experiments. At the same time, you can visit the exhibition of visual artist Juhana Moisander, SERMON at Gallery Aski in the Art House Turku.

On Friday, TAFF Pro will deepen the theme with a lecture on experimental animation by this year’s TAFF jury member, director Michaela Müller. Director Leena Jääskeläinen, who specialises in VR animation, will present her work and introduce the use of VR technology in animation. A panel discussion moderated by animation director Mika Koskinen, with Leena Jääskeläinen, visual artist Vappu Rossi and film director Eesu Lehtola, will explore the different elements of animation art. TAFF Pro will conclude with a classic TAFF Pro special screening.

All professionals and students in the fields of animation, film and the arts in general can apply for accreditation to the festival. As an accredited member, you can purchase our accreditation pass, which grants you access to all screenings and the TAFF Pro program.

Take a look at the 2025 TAFF Pro schedule here and apply for accreditation »

MEET OUR GUESTS

Jukka Hautamäki, Media and sound artist, educator 

Media artist Jukka Hautamäki presents artificial intelligence as a tool for visual arts in his lecture Syntactic Sorcery from the Data Abyss and reflects on its ethical challenges.

Mika Koskinen, animation director and producer 

Animation director and producer Mika Koskinen will moderate a panel discussion exploring various aspects of animation art, with participants including director Leena Jääskeläinen, visual artist Vappu Rossi, and creative designer Eesu Lehtola.

Michaela Müller, animation director

This year’s festival jury member, internationally acclaimed Swiss animation artist Michaela Müller, will give a lecture on experimental animation: Eliminating the Stop in Stop Motion – Animation in a live Performance Setting.

Leena Jääskeläinen, director

Leena Jääskeläinen, a director specializing in VR animation, will present the use of VR technology in animation in her lecture Neverending Story – Narrative In Virtual Reality.

Vappu Rossi, visual artist

Helsinki-based visual artist Vappu Rossi, known for pushing the boundaries of drawing and for her multidisciplinary collaboration with various fields of art and science, will participate in Friday’s panel discussion.

This year’s striking TAFF festival trailer and visual identity are based on Rossi’s works Tree of Life and Generatio spontanea. Watch Rossi’s interview about the TAFF 2025 trailer and visual identity here »

Eesu Lehtola, animator and creative designer

Animator, director, and creative designer Eesu Lehtola will participate in a panel discussion exploring various aspects of animation art, alongside Mika Koskinen, Leena Jääskeläinen, and Vappu Rossi.

Britt Al-Busultan & Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäki, Filmverkstaden ry

Filmverkstaden presents a performance on expanded cinema, Fragmented Light: Cinema Expanded by Britt Al-Busultan and Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäki. The lecture will showcase two expanded cinema performances, WARM DATA by Koziel-Kalliomäki and what comes around goes around by Al-Busultan.

Samppa Kukkonen, director, Pyjama Films

Samppa Kukkonen, director of Belzebubs animated series, presents the making of the comic-based animated series and explains what it is like to make animation for international distribution.