15.07.2025

MUU & TAFF: States of Nature – Virtual Experiments

22 – 24 August 2025
Art House Turku, Mediastudio (Factory-building)
Nunnankatu 4, Turku
Fri 12-18, Sat-Sun 12-16
Free entry

Opening of the exhibition Thursday 21 August at 17:00-19:00

Featured artists are:
Soile Mottisenkangas
Juha Mustonen (Dos Robots)
Pauliina Salminen
Reetta Neittaanmäki and Kaisa Penttilä (Ambulance)

As part of the future theme of TAFF’s 10th anniversary year, an exhibition of VR art, produced by Artists’ Association MUU, will be on display in the Factory Building of the Art House Turku. The collective exhibition will showcase the potentials and the edges of VR as a medium through virtual installations and narrative-driven miniature worlds. The artists have utilised various techniques including 3D scanning, video-implementation, animation and soundscapes.

Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience using 3D near‑eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world.

The VR-based experiments open a space to reflect on our relationship with the environment through a virtual lens. The exhibition brings together a diverse array of artists exploring similar themes from different perspectives.

The works were developed in a workshop on VR animation and VR art, organised by MUU and the Finnish Animation Guild in November 2023. The works have previously been exhibited at MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre in September 2024 and at the Supermarket art fair in Stockholm in April 2025. The workshop was supported by the Promotion Centre For Audiovisual Culture (AVEK).

ARTISTS AND ARTWORKS

The Grouch (Marisija)

Ambulance / Reetta Neittaanmäki and Kaisa Penttilä

What do berries discuss in the clearing of a Nordic forest?

Ambulance group takes the viewer into a berry perspective to follow a pair therapy of a blueberry and a raspberry, which exposes the effects of forestry on familiar berries.

Ambulance is an artist duo formed by Kaisa Penttilä (b.1975) and Reetta Neittaanmäki (b.1974), whose works aim to raise issues related to the environment and society in a playful way. Ambulance’s previous work “The Plastic Godzilla of the Baltic Sea” (2018) toured festivals around the world, won an EU award and is currently being used as school book material.

Penttilä and Neittaanmäki have backgrounds in animation. They have studied at the Turku Academy of Arts and Aalto University and have had a long career in animation.

Lush urban pasture (Vehmas kaupunkilaidun)

Soile Mottisenkangas 2024

If the pasture were returned to the city environments, would the highly endangered bird ortolan bunting return too?

The artist integrates a pasture into the city to revive the endangered ortolan bunting. In the virtual gallery, the viewer can observe and feel a densely built suburban summer night under harsh artificial lighting.

Soile Mottisenkangas (b. 1971) explores virtual environments as a tool that allows residents to design the kind of biotope they wish to live in, coexisting with other species. In her first VR work, the artist is fascinated by three-dimensionality. Soile Mottisenkangas (MA in Film) is a media artist/film director, with documentary work being her forte.

House of Tales (Tarinatalo)

Dos Robots / Juha Mustonen

A tale of a house, its inhabitants, and the origin of a book.

The work will place the viewer in an idyllic neighborhood where the birth of a story and a book is in focus. At the same time, it is a statement to support the existence of traditional books.

Juha Mustonen (b. 1979) is an artist whose day job is in the IT world. For him, art allows creative self-expression and works as a platform to explore various styles, techniques, and technologies. This creation was largely created within the VR environment.

In a bubble (Kuplassa)

Pauliina Salminen

The piece is set in an underwater environment where gravity and points of view change. In this reversed world, the action occurs beneath the surface, and reality out of water is just a distant reflection.

Choreography by Scheherazade Zambrano and music by Erik M enhance the immersive experience.

Pauliina Salminen (b. 1975) is a media artist whose work looks at themes like identity and memory in relation to environment, border areas and intermediate spaces. She is particularly interested in underwater filming and the use of dance elements in storytelling.With the support of the Promotion Centre For Audiovisual Culture (AVEK).

Artist’s Association MUU

Artist’s Association MUU is a national association for artists working in non-traditional media and new media. Membership is open to practitioners that are Finnish citizens or reside in Finland.

@muu_helsinki
www.muu.fi/en

Turku Animated Film Festival

TAFF organises the exhibitions as part of the City of Turku’s pop-up art programme. TAFF is organised in cooperation with the City of Turku Cultural Spearhead project. Other partners include the Arts Promotion Centre TAIKE, the Promotion Centre For Audiovisual Culture (AVEK), the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Southwest Finland Fund and Scene Turku.

The actual festival will take place on 20-24 August 2025 at the Manilla Cultural Factory and the Art House Turku. TAFF’s competition series will present boldly original, uncompromising and inventive short animated films. In addition to the competition series, the festival’s programme consists of carefully curated thematic screenings and a selected supporting programme.

04.07.2025

The Films in the competition series have been selected!

Exciting news, animators and animation lovers: the TAFF Competition Series films have now been selected! A total of 62 high quality films have been selected for the festival’s competition series, and a total of 39 films for the main international competition series. The selection includes a high calibre of technically diverse works representing a wide range of genres.

Top animations from around the world

The official selection this year showcases the best of narrative animation as well as abstract and experimental expression. This year’s line-up includes a host of top new names whose films will be screened at TAFF for the first time. The programme also includes some familiar directors whose work has been featured at the festival in the past. Films from the international competition compete for the Grand Prix and the Tough Eye award.

In addition to the main competition series, the competition programme also includes series reserved for Finnish animators and films suitable for the younger audience. The films in the national competition will compete for the Best Finnish Film award. The films selected for the TAFF Junior series will also have their own award.

Both student films and works by experienced animators are competing for awards, and the festival will award prizes for the Best Professional Film and Best Student Film. The audience will also decide the winner of the Audience Award.

Congratulations to all the selected films!

International competition:

Sweeter is the night | Fabienne Wagenaar | 2024 | France

Veils of Landscape | Chihiro Yamanaka | 2025

Not Satisfied, Redo | Shui Yuan | 2025 | China

Magic Gulyás | Áron Farkas | 2024 | Germany

My Good Boy | Sara Priorelli | 2025 | Hungary

Cubit | Mattia Bioli | 2024 | Italy

Stone of Destiny | Julie Černá | 2025 | Czech Republic

The Night Boots | Pierre-Luc Granjon | 2024

Murmuration | Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger | 2025 | Netherlands

Dull Spots of Greenish Colours | Sasha Svirsky | 2024 | Germany

States of Matter | Marvin Hauck | 2024 | Netherlands

Sapan | Kerem Yoruk, Yasir Atis | 2025 | Turkey

Little Saints | Clémence Taveau | 2024 | France

Poppy Flowers | Evridiki Papaiakovou | 2024 | Estonia

Freeride in C | Edmunds Jansons | 2024 | Latvia

Pubert Jimbob | Quirijn Dees | 2024 | Belgium

STAMPFER DREAMS | Thomas Renoldner | 2024 | Austria

How A River Is Born | Luma Flôres | 2025 | Brazil

Caries | Aline Höchli | 2025 | Switzerland

The Shyness of Trees | Bingqing Shu, Maud Le Bras, Jiaxin Huang, Simin He, Lina Han, Loïck du Plessis d’Argentré, Sofiia Chuikovska | 2024

Where the Car Flew | Emmaclaire sardoni | 2024 | Belgium, Italy

Esca | Felice Ronzon | 2024 | France

Psychonauts | Niko Radas | 2025 | Croatia

Aferrado | Esteban Azuela | 2024

Voiceless | Samuel Patthey | 2024 | Switzerland

Fačuk | Maida Srabovic | 2025 | Croatia, Slovenia

FRIED! | Lizzie Watts | 2025 | United Kingdom

Long Distance | Iulia Voitova | 2025 | France

Wandering dot and the blank square page universe | Ieva Lība Ratniece | 2024 | Belgium

Dog Alone | Marta Reis Andrade | 2025 | France, Portugal

The Golden Donkey | Anne Verbeure | 2024 | Belgium

Hello, Headquarters | Zuzanna Zofia Heller | 2025 | Poland

Where Blue Meets Red | Tamás Patrovits | 2024 | Hungary

The One Who Knows | Eglė Davidavičė | 2024 | Lithuania

IMMATURE | Eddy Wu | 2024 | Taiwan

Moving Mountains | Jessica Poon | 2024 | Germany

Can you hear me? | Anastazja Naumenko | 2025 | Poland

In the belly of a snake | Ivan Khanzhin | 2025 | Russian Federation

TAFF Junior:

Tuu Tuu Til | Veronica Solomon | 2024 | Germany

Robot Leo | Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu | 2025 | Estonia

The Night tunnel | 2024 | Belgium

Once Upon a Time in Dragonville | Marika Herz | 2024 | France, Switzerland

A Pain in the Butt | Elena Walf | 2025 | Germany |

Tied Down | Jadwiga Ligeza | 2024 | United Kingdom

Sparrows | Rémi Durin | 2024 | France

TIN TUNE | Carolyn Gair | 2025 | United States

Freak of Nature | Alexandra Lermer | 2024 | Germany

The Carp and the Child | Morgane Simon, Arnaud Demuynck | 2024 | France

Capybaras | Alfredo Soderguit | 2024 | France

NRUT | Sophia Schönborn| 2025 | Germany

The drifting guitar | Sophie Roze | 2024 | France

National competition:

Drawn in Water | Heta Jokinen | 2025 | Finland

The Peel | Nan Tung Lin | 2025 | Taiwan

Diabolus ex Machina | Niina Suominen | 2024 | Finland

Speeding, of Course | Anni Sairio, Joonatan Turkki | 2025 | Finland

Dollhouse Elephant | Jenny Jokela | 2025 | Finland

Contact | Lau Rämö | 2025 | Finland

Sauna People | Sanna Taikina | 2024 | Finland

Lights, Haze | Tata Managadze | 2024 | Finland

Photographs Not Taken | Hanneriina Moisseinen | 2025 | Finland

Fish River Anthology | Veera Lamminpää | 2024 | Finland

The full festival schedule will be published later. Early Bird passes are on sale now, giving you unlimited access to all screenings. Professionals and students can apply for accreditation to the festival on our Professionals page. See you in Turku!

24.06.2025

Become a TAFF volunteer!

TAFF is looking for enthusiastic volunteers for the tenth edition of the festival at the Manilla Cultural Factory & Turku Art House from 20.-24.8.2025!

We need people helping us during the festival and a few hands even before that. The shifts are about 5 hours and we would wish you to make at least 3 shifts, but we are open to work around your schedule. In this application form you can choose the days and times that suit you. We offer you a festival pass, one (1) vegan meal per work day and insurance for the duration of the shift.

A wide range of people and skills are needed for the festival, but you don’t need any special skills or previous experience – we provide all the guidance you need to get the job done. There’s a wide range of jobs on offer, so there’s sure to be a job to suit every applicant. You can choose just one volunteering role or take part in more than one if you wish. However, the aim is to keep the shifts relaxed – no one has to work through gritted teeth and sweat! You can also use the form to let us know if you’d like to join a friend on the same shifts, for example. Read more about volunteering below!

APPLICATION FORM

Please note that with this form, TAFF (Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry) gathers information about volunteer applicants. The information is only accessible to festival employees and is kept only for as long as necessary. Information is not given out to third parties.

If you have any questions about volunteering and applying, please contact info@taff.fi

DESCRIPTIONS OF TASKS:

• Setting up, closing down, cleaning, decorating:

On the day before the festival, the festival will be built and the Manilla and Kino Kilta will be decorated. After the event, the place will be cleaned up.

• Technical support:

Technicians are responsible for the technical aspects of the screenings, i.e. making sure that the image is visible and the sound is audible.

• Runner:

A runner does what is needed: takes, imports, manages and adjusts, when needed.

• Driver:

The drivers will have a car to transport all kinds of supplies during the event. A B licence is required.

• Info, ticket sales:

The information desk sells tickets for film screenings and answers all sorts of tricky questions.

• Exhibition guard:

Guidance and supervision of the TAFF exhibitions at the House of Arts.

• Door manager, screening presenter:

Door staff check visitors’ tickets and take care of the practicalities at the beginning and end of the screenings. The role of the show host is to introduce any artists who may be present.

• Security:

The stewards monitor the smooth running and safety of the side events and respond to concerns raised by customers. A steward card is required.

• Distribution (before festival):

Distributors will help distribute marketing materials across the city before the festival.

APPLICATION FORM

Welcome to be part of the 10th TAFF!

30.05.2025

The animation buzz will take over Turku again in August, when the Turku Animated Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. This year’s impressive festival trailer and visual look is based on artist Vappu Rossi’s work Tree of life. Watch the trailer below:

“The power of change overcomes existential fear, as the similarity in the growth of tree branches, leaf veins or human blood vessels is revealed in all its beauty”

Vappu Rossi (b. 1976) is an award-winning visual artist based in Helsinki, known for pushing the boundaries of drawing and multidisciplinary collaboration with different artistic and scientific disciplines. Rossi’s work, which oscillates between drawing, animation, installation and media art, deals with issues such as human emotions, movement, the passage of time and change. Rossi has collaborated extensively with dancers, musicians, scientists and cultural institutions both in Finland and internationally. She is also the first female Drawing Master of the University of Helsinki Art Room in the room’s more than 300-year history.

“I’m fascinated by making slow change visible in art. I work with very different mediums and methods, such as light boxes, paintings or giant wall drawings. However, I always find similar themes of presence, embodiment, transience and ephemerality underlining my art. The power of change overcomes existential fear, as the similarity in the growth of tree branches, leaf veins or human blood vessels is revealed in all its beauty,” says Rossi of her work. Watch the full interview below:

“Charcoal is one of the first things people used to draw with. Because you can erase and redraw it for as long as the paper lasts, it’s an interesting technique for creating metamorphoses”

Rossi is shortlisted for the The 2025 Below Zero art award, an annual British contemporary art prize for an internationally emerging Finnish artist, presented by the Beaconsfield Gallery, the Finnish Institute in Britain and Ireland in association with Serlachius. This year’s TAFF will also feature Rossi’s media piece Generatio spontanea, which has toured international film festivals. See you at TAFF!

Turku Animated Film Festival 20.-24.8. | taff.fi

07.01.2025

The 10th jubileum edition of the Turku Animated Film Festival will be held in Turku, Finland, August 20-24, 2025. TAFF will celebrate creativity and the art of animation with screenings during five days.

Submissions for TAFF 2025 are open until March 31. Submit your work via the link below.TAFF offers a wide range of competitions for animated shorts. For the International Competition, International Student Film Competition, TAFF Junior Competition and National Competition we are looking for original, bold, uncompromising & inventive animated shorts under 30 minutes to compete for Grand Prix, Best Professional Film, Best Student Film, Tough Eye award, TAFF Junior Award, Main Prize in National Competition and Audience award in International Competition. In addition, the festival programme consists of a seductive selection of carefully selected special programme.

The Competition is open for short animated films that have been completed after 1st of January 2024.

TAFF takes place in Turku, a city dedicated to art, culture and festivals. Our venues are a beautifully restored old factory milieu Manilla and the freshly-opened Arthouse Turku in the Old town. Both are situated by the River Aura in Turku, Finland. TAFF is organized by the non-profit Association Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry.

26.08.2024

TAFF 2024 was full of big emotions and celebrating animation!

The 2024 Turku Animated Film Festival has now come to an end. It’s time to take off our festival passes and store the newly-made memories in a safe place.

Once again, TAFF brought together many old friends, but also new acquaintances in the animation world. Not only the invited guests but also the public enjoyed the festival, and TAFF set a new attendance record again this year.

“This year’s TAFF was all about people and encounters. In addition to many of the visiting directors, the festival saw a happy mix of other guests and artists. One of the best aspects of TAFF has always been the conversations, and this year I had the privilege of interviewing several great guests”, says Annika Dahlsten, Festival Director at TAFF for the second year.

Our popular TAFF Junior programme was again welcomed with open arms. The school screenings on Thursday and Friday were attended by an enthusiastic young audience who enjoyed a cultural experience in a safe atmosphere.

Ten films were awarded this year. The level of international competition was high, but the winner of the top prize was quickly made clear to our jury: this year’s Grand Prix went to Gianluigi Toccafondo’s vibrantly atmospheric La Voix des Sirènes that took advantage of cleverly mixing techniques. The overall picture of the TAFF programme was highlighted by puppet animation: every screening of the year saw the use of this challenging and expensive animation technique.

Our thanks go to our professional and charismatic jury, which this year consisted of Pernille Kjaer, Katariina Lillqvist and Slave Lukarov. Thanks also go to our TAFF Junior jury, the arts-oriented eighth class at Luostarinvuori School, who selected My Name is Edgar and I Have a Cow, directed by Filip Diviak, as the winner of the TAFF Junior Award.

You can read about all the films awarded at the festival here.

Special milestones were also commemorated at the 9th edition of TAFF. Animation education in Turku is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, TAFF featured a couple of screenings with gems from the Academy’s archives. The 20th anniversary of the cooperative Animaatiokopla was also celebrated with a special screening.

This summer, TAFF offered a record number of free pop-up events open to all, which we arranged in locations easily accessible to the citizens, such as libraries. The events were part of the pop-up art programme organised by the city of Turku’s Cultural spearhead project.

We were happy to offer a space at Vanha viinatehdas in Manilla for an exhibition of some students from the Turku Arts Academy. We also opened our own exhibition in Galleria Aski, Art House Turku just before the festival week. The exhibition, which features a wide range of animation art, will be on display until Sunday 1 September.

TAFF’s professional programme TAFF Pro once again attracted a large number of animation and film professionals. Thanks to Leo Viirret, Katariina Lillqvist, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, CHRZU, Katja Kettu and Mika Koskinen for providing a high quality programme for our guests!

Thank you to the hard-working production team, volunteers and everyone who has been involved in building TAFF. Thank you, our dear audience and guests, for making our work especially meaningful!

In her speech at the opening of TAFF, Elina Rantanen, Deputy Mayor of the City of Turku, pointed out that cities and their inhabitants would be almost nothing without culture. We cannot but agree with this.

Thank you TAIKE, City of Turku, AVEK, Liedon Säästöpankkisäätiö, SES, Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse, Pro Manilla Foundation, Finnish-Swedish Cultural Foundation and Finnish-Danish Cultural Foundation for supporting our festival and animation culture.

A big thank you also to TAFF’s sponsors Scene Turku, Yle, SET, Pyjama, Rajupaja and Animaatiokilta.

Thank you to Panimoyhtiö X, ship hostel S/S Bore and Bagelhouse for keeping our production team and guests going!

Have a happy and colourful autumn everyone – and see you again next year!

24.08.2024

Here are the awarded films at Turku Animated Film Festival 2024

Here they are – the winning films at this year’s TAFF! We were happy to present a total of 10 awards to films at tonight’s Award Ceremony. The winning films enchanted both our jury and audience, thanks to their breathtaking visuals and bold, innovative storytelling.

Grand Prix

La Voix des Sirènes – Gianluigi Toccafondo

…and because of the purposeful combination of techniques, and because of the colorfully rich image, and because of the gentle use of sound, and because of the story, and because of the atmosphere, but mostly because all the members of the jury at the same time said “jo, jo, jo, jo, that’s it”, the Gran Prix goes to the film La Voix des Sirènes.

Best National Film

Flower Show – Elli Vuorinen

The Best National Film award goes to a film with an overflowing, flourishing visual style. The film reveals the constraints of womanhood in a baroque garden of Eden.

The Best National Award is kindly sponsored by SET ry.

Special Mention – Best National Film

I Smell a Mouse – Iiti Yli-Harja

The jury gave a special mention to Iiti Yli-Harja’s surrealistic puppet animation “I smell a Mouse”. It moves cleverly between the agony of everyday life and the grim horror tales of childhood, inviting the audience into a deep dive to the dungeons of the subconscious mind.

Best Professional Film

Zima – Tomek Popakul / Kasumi Ozeki

In this film, the author deprived us of any romance with a rough and realistic depiction of the atmosphere of a small town, combining strong graphics and sound, taking us through loneliness and closeness at the same time. Because of all that, the award for the Best Professional Film goes to the film Zima by Tomek Popakul.

Special Mention – Best Professional Film

A Kind of Testament – Stephen Vuillemin

This high concept film is about surviving your own death.

The Special Mention for Professional Animation goes to “A Kind of Testament” by Stephen Vuillemin.

And remember: always buy the shoes!

Best Student Film

Red Meat – Eleni Aerts

The best student film award goes to a film that really gets into the meat of its subject matter; living is suffering! The author of this film has created a little piece of cinematic poetry.

Special Mention – Best Student Film

Keep Out – Tan Lui Chan

The jury gave an honorary mention in the student competition to Tan Lui Chan’s animation “Keep out”. It is a witty, sad but funny satire about desperate social media addicts who are overdosing on junk food and sex but can’t find a way out from their labyrinths.

TAFF Junior Award

My Name is Edgar and I Have a Cow – Filip Diviak

The best TAFF Junior film has been chosen by eighth-grade students from Martti school. Every year, a class from Martti school makes us a great favour by watching every TAFF Junior screening and carefully choosing the winner. This year the award goes to a funny and animal-friendly film.

Tough Eye Reward

The Mole – Alexey Sukhov

Goes to a very tough film, with a daring graphic style, a surreal and yet  – to a filmmaker – a strangely familiar narrative; it’s tough to be an artist! The Tough Eye Award goes to “The Mole” by Alexey Sukhov.

Audience Award

Beautiful Men – Nicolas Keppens

Our audience has voted, and they voted eagerly. The award was a tough choice between several excellent films.

22.08.2024

TAFF 2024 has begun!

The ninth round of the Turku Animated Film Festival kicked off yesterday! We had the pleasure to screen “Twisted Impact”, the first of our screenings with films taking part in the international competition as well as “Finnish Gems”, presenting the films in the national competition. Our audience came in big numbers, and we can’t wait to show you more!

We also loved to see many people showing up for our outdoor screening of Junk Head, organised together with Turun Elokuvakerho and Kirjakahvila in the late hours at Brinkkala courtyard. The weather played along and the atmosphere was filled with animation joy.

Turku Arts Academy’s “Behind the Scenes” exhibition started simultaneously at Viinatehdas. The exhibition will be on display until Saturday 24.8.

Today, on Thursday, our highly awaited TAFF Junior school screenings began. We once again opened the doors of Manilla-teatteri for preschool and primary school students as well as daycare groups from the Turku area. During the weekend, we welcome all families and those young at heart to enjoy the same screenings! The screenings are free for children under 16 years.

Thank you all for coming and making this year’s TAFF start this strong! There is much more to come. Get to know the complete festival timetable here and follow us on social media @turkuanimatedfilmfestival to learn even more!

Featured Image by Jussi Virkkumaa

16.08.2024

Meet our jury for Turku Animated Film Festival 2024!

We proudly present the esteemed members of our jury for Turku Animated Film Festival 2024! All of our jury members have extensive experience in the animation industry. Their professional and critical approach will highlight the most innovative and insightful films in our competition and ensure that the Grand Prix finds the right address again this year.

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Katariina Lillqvist is an award-winning Finnish-born director and scriptwriter who lives and works in Czech Republic and also in Sweden. She is the chairperson of film co-operative Camera Cagliostro (FI/CZ) and curator of the Mikulandska Art Recidency in Prague. Lillqvist has been working over 30 years with Czech animation artists, creating 20 stop-motion animations and also documents, radio features and installations. 

Lillqvist will hold a lecture at TAFF’s professional program TAFF Pro. There will also be a special screening of her work shown at TAFF.

Pernille Kjaer is a Danish independent animation filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. Former student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Aarhus, she completed her studies with a BA in character animation from The Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark. Her work includes animated films, prints, painting and ceramics.

Still prints of Kjaers works will be shown at TAFF’s exhibition at Galleria Aski in Taiteen talo. What’s more, her most recent film Spring (2023) will be shown at the opening of TAFF.

Slave Lukarov is the vice-president of ASIFA Croatia, founder and artistic director of the International Festival of Animated Film and Comics SUPERTOON; organizer and leader of clubbing events, as well as international animation, visual arts and comics workshops; producer of short animated films, curator of the exhibitions and publisher of comics editions; author of 25 short and animated films and 33 multimedia exhibitions. During all that time he was successfully unemployed.

02.08.2024

Meet the people behind this year’s TAFF!

Our team consists of a vibrant mix of artists, curators, and enthusiasts, all united by a shared love for the art of animation. Together we strive to showcase the very best in animated short films from around the world as well as our Finnish gems. We work to ensure a safe, warm and unforgettable festival experience for all our visitors – we are here for you!

Annika Dahlsten, Festival Director

I am now in my second year as Festival Director of TAFF. My job involves planning the festival, applying for funding and brainstorming content together with the board of the underlying association, Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry. I also act as the production team’s front person and keep in contact with our partners. This year, I have planned our pop-up collaborations with libraries and Taiteen talo, and I am responsible for curating two of the festival’s exhibitions. The closer we get to the festival, the more concrete production work I’ll be doing. Meanwhile, my thoughts are already on planning next year’s TAFF festival.

I have experience in art productions and projects from both TAIKE and the Finnish Cultural Foundation. I graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts as an animation director and visual artist, and my work has been shown both in Finland and abroad, in exhibitions and festivals. TAFF is a festival I love and have participated in every year since its beginning in 2016. It’s great to be involved in TAFF and to be part of the international animation scene!

Joni Männistö, Artistic Director

My name is Joni Männistö and I got my animation studies at the Turku Arts Academy. My short animations have been shown at numerous festivals around the world. Since 2016, I have been the Artistic Director of TAFF. In addition to that, I am also part of the curation team for the animation programme of the PÖFF Shorts festival in Tallinn. Over the years, I have had the honour to be invited to several award ceremonies at international film festivals. I currently live and work in Tallinn.

Veronika Sekne, Programmer

I have been working as a programmer for TAFF since 2019. I got introduced to independent animation at festivals which eventually led me to obtaining a master in stop motion in Spain. My strong desire to explore the world results in a very nomadic lifestyle, moving between my hometown Ljubljana, my beloved Barcelona and living out of a backpack every remaining moment.

I’m currently working in Berlin and saving money for my next trip. I love feeding people, warm summer nights, good coffee, long breakfasts and I’m totally incapable of making decisions. I’m also passionate about intersectionality and work as an accessible yoga facilitator.

Anton Perttu, Festival Producer

I’m Anton, Festival Producer at TAFF for the second year running. My expertise lies in event production and audience work, and although I have no background in animation or film, working at TAFF alone has taught me a lot about the industry and given me a whole new perspective on animated films. These new perspectives are the best thing I have gotten from TAFF!

Roos Hekkens, Festival Producer

I’m Roos Hekkens, Festival Producer at TAFF. My main responsibilities are the screenings and contacting the guests and directors who make our festival possible!

TAFF started when I just moved to Turku and that has created a bond between me and the festival. I really like how events such as TAFF bring like minded people together and present great films to audiences in a lovely small town such as Turku. Film has definitely been a medium for me to meet amazing new people and I have very dear animator friends as well! 

Anna-Erika Nurmi, Communications Assistant

I’m Anna-Erika, and I work as a Communications Assistant at TAFF. My job involves a wide range of tasks from communications to marketing. For example, I produce a lot of TAFF’s social media publications, but I also write newsletters, update the website and help our festival team where I can!

My previous work experience in communications lies mainly in the field of linguistics and environmental sciences. TAFF has introduced me to the film industry, which I’m truly grateful for! Animation is an art form I adore, and I’m so happy with everything I’ve already experienced and learned at TAFF.

Ylva-Lii Wahlström, Volunteer Coordinator

My name is Ylva-Lii, but you can call me Ylva, and I am the festival’s Volunteer Coordinator. I moved to Turku to study animation in the autumn of 2017, and my relationship with TAFF has continued in one way or another ever since. I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s volunteers and seeing the brand new animations.

Matti Luukko, Production Intern

I am doing an internship at TAFF as part of my animation studies at Turku University of Applied Sciences. During the festival I work as a technical assistant and before and after the festival I assist in various tasks from film transport to hanging exhibitions.

Jaani Kekäläinen, Technical Officer

My name is Jaani and I am responsible for the technology and technical performance of animation shows. I discovered the technical and narrative richness of animation by chance at the Turku Animated Film Festival. It is great that I can now play my part in promoting this art form, especially here in Turku. It’s exciting to see what kind of work this year will bring! 🙂

Check out the timetable for TAFF 2024 »

09.07.2024

TAFF Pro 2024 focuses on adaptations and animation

TAFF Pro brings together Finnish and international animators and strives to promote the vitality of the animation field by offering new ideas and contacts to industry players and students. We are excited to announce this year’s professional program taking place on 22 and 23 August, this time focused on adaptations!

Check the program of TAFF Pro here »

Presenting a truly phenomenal lineup

On Thursday 22, Leo Viirret holds a lecture and a workshop about storytelling. Viirret will especially look into revealing both personal and universal truths in art. We are seeking answers to questions like: How does the writer find a truth to reveal? How can they ensure that their personal truth is recognized as a universal truth that will resonate with the audience? Register to the workshop here!

On Friday 23, TAFF Pro deepens the theme with keynotes from Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Katariina Lillqvist. In the afternoon, we invite you to take a comfortable position as we will be diving into a scriptwriting-oriented panel discussion with Lindroth von Bahr, CHRZU and Katja Kettu, moderated by Mika Koskinen. (We’re sure that we can’t avoid talking a bit about AI, as well..!) The day and TAFF Pro comes to an end with the much anticipated screening Adapted Classics – a screening of classic stories adapted to animation films.

We have now opened the accreditation application for animation & film professionals and students! Once accredited, you can purchase our accreditation pass which gets you into all of our screenings and the TAFF Pro program.

Check the program of TAFF Pro here and apply for accreditation »

Get to know our guests

Leo Viirret is a versatile screenwriter with a career spanning various genres and formats since the late 1990s. His portfolio encompasses short films, feature films, and TV series produced using live action, 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and motion capture animation techniques. While diverse, much of Viirret’s work is characterized by a comedic touch. In addition to his creative endeavors, Viirret has been invited to lecture at numerous universities and universities of applied sciences.

Niki Lindroth von Bahr is an artist and animation director based in Stockholm. Her award winning short films Something to Remember (2019), The Burden (2017), Bath House (2014) and Tord and Tord (2010) have been screened at festivals like Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto and Sundance. The Burden has since its premiere in 2017 won 82 awards, including the Cristal for Best Short Film in Annecy, Best International Short Film in Toronto and Guldbaggen for Best Short Film. Niki got her master’s degree in fine arts from The Royal Institute of Art in 2016. As of 2024, Lindroth von Bahr is a member of the Oscars Academy.

Katariina Lillqvist is a Finnish director and scriptwriter who lives and works in Czech Republic and also in Sweden. She is the chairperson of film co-operative Camera Cagliostro (FI/CZ) and curator of the Mikulandska Art Residency in Prague. Lillqvist has been working over 30 years with Czech animation artists, creating 20 stop-motion animations and also documents, radio features and installations. Her works have won numerous prizes and awards from major film festivals world-wide, including the Silver Bear of Berlin Film Festival, Special Prize of Annecy Animation Festival and Master of Animation-award from Lleida Animation Festival.

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice. Originally from Rovaniemi, Lapland, she graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2001 as an animation director and has also studied in the University of Tampere and in the National Film and Television School in the UK. Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal, and was adapted into a film in 2015.

Christer CHRZU Lindström (b.1977) is a director of both animation and live action films. He also produces, acts, designs costumes, does makeup, designs sets, composes, edits and writes screenplays. Lindström’s filmography consists of award winning short films, which range from animation, documentaries to live action films. His first feature film was released last year. Lindström is also known for teaching narration for the animation students of the Turku Arts Academy.

Mika Koskinen is an animation director, producer, and animation artist. Koskinen has directed and produced several short animations that have screened in several festivals in Finland and around the world. In addition, Koskinen has made animation projections for museums and public spaces, such as the Moomin Museum in Tampere and the Rakastajat Theater in Pori. Koskinen uses 2D drawn animation in his work, but he is also interested in combining different techniques into a whole that supports the storytelling. Koskinen has also taught animation and has been active in the animation organizations.

Check the whole timetable for TAFF »

01.07.2024

The program of the 9th edition of TAFF has been published!

Get inspired by the latest world-class short animation, discuss the films with new and old friends and enjoy the last summer days in a great setting from 21 to 25 August at the Manilla Culture Factory! You can already start to get excited about all this, as the program for TAFF 2024 has now been published!

Our program consists of three competition series plus panorama and themed screenings. During the festival week, animation lovers will also be offered free admission to screenings and workshops around the city as part of the pop-up art programme by the city of Turku’s Cultural spearhead project.

We have kept our younger audience in mind again this year, as a selection of this year’s films is also suitable for children of different ages. On Thursday and Friday, there will also be a programme for animation and film professionals, as TAFF Pro brings together animators and filmmakers. Find out more about this later!

As Joni Männistö, the Artistic Director of TAFF, sums up this year’s program: “Animators still don’t disappoint. Imagination has not been neglected in the making of films. The scale ranges from serious to absurd, and the techniques used are varied and skilful. The screenings have been put together to suit a wide range of tastes, and you can easily choose from them, whether you are a fan of narrative or more experimental animation.”

For the program, timetable and tickets, visit taff.fi/timetable. In addition to the screening tickets, you can also buy a festival pass with unlimited access to all of our screenings or a 6-ticket screening card.

Stills in the banner from left to right: Las Voix de Sirenes (dir. Gianluigi Toccafondo), I Smell a Mouse (dir. Iiti Yli-Harja), Yuck! (dir. Loïc Espuche), Hurikan (dir. Jan Saska), Meatseller (dir. Margherita Giusti) and Boy Blue (dir. CIANG, Matteo Dang Minh, Francesca Colombara).

17.06.2024

Discover the Official Selection of TAFF 2024!

We are excited to announce the official selection of this year’s TAFF!

This year, TAFF got a record number of submissions from over 100 countries. Out of all the great films submitted, we have now selected the most captivating ones for our audience to see.

We will publish the film titles gradually (click the link to see the list):

Mon 17 June: International Competition

Tue 18 June: National Competition

Wed 19 June: Junior Competition

Thu 20 June: Panorama program

This year’s films were selected by the festival’s Artistic Director Joni Männistö, Programmer Veronika Sekne and Turun Anikistit ry.

• International Competition, International Panorama and Documentary Panorama: Joni Männistö & Veronika Sekne
• Junior Competition: Joni Männistö
• National Competition and Music Video Panorama: Turun Anikistit ry.

11.06.2024

TAFF Pro offers high quality program for professionals and students

TAFF will take place for the ninth time at the charming Manilla Cultural Factory in Turku from 21 to 25 August 2024, and the industry-favourite TAFF Pro will be back, too! The two-day event during the festival week offers program for animation and filmmaking professionals and students.

On Thursday, 22 August, and Friday, 23 August, TAFF Pro will feature lectures on various relevant themes. Prominent speakers are expected and include the Finnish screenwriter Leo Viirret, the Swedish animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr and the animation director Katariina Lillqvist.. There will also be a unique screenwriting workshop organised by Viirret as well as a panel discussion with Lindroth von Bahr, writer-director Katja Kettu and filmmaker CHRZU. The cherry on top will be a special curated TAFF Pro screening devoted to adaptation!

The exact TAFF Pro program will be published in July.

The program is being funded by AVEK, Finnish Animation Guild, Finnish Film Foundation and Suomalais-ruotsalainen kulttuurirahasto.

What, where and when?

WHAT: Professional lectures, a screenwriting workshop & more fun for animation and filmmaking professionals and students

WHERE: Manilla cultural factory (Itäinen Rantakatu 64b, 20810 Turku)

WHEN: Thu 22 August and Fri 23 August 2024

Accreditation

Professionals and students in animation, film and the arts can apply for accreditation. Once accredited, you can get a TAFF festival pass for the reduced price of 30 €. The pass must be purchased on site at the festival ticket office, where your accreditation status will be checked. The festival pass gives you access to all screenings and the versatile TAFF Pro programme! The accreditation will open here in July.

Come and spend an inspiring summer’s day in a charming environment with fellow animation devotees! 

29.05.2024

Finnish animation master to visit Turku this summer

Katariina Lillqvist, a respected Finnish film and animation artist, will be visiting Turku in August to delight animation lovers at TAFF. Based in the Czech Republic, Lillqvist has worked in animation for more than 30 years and enjoys international renown. During her career, she has directed twenty short animations, as well as several documentaries and radio programmes.

Lillqvist is particularly known for her puppet animations and enjoys a reputation of skillfully fusing literary art and animation. She has won numerous awards during her career, including the Silver Bear at the Berlinale and the main prize at the Tampere Film Festival.

In addition to a special screening of Lillqvist’s film during the festival week, the animator will be a member of the international jury to award the best films in this year’s festival’s competition and will lecture at TAFF Pro, an event for professionals in the field. In his lecture, Lillqvist will present his animation trilogy based on short stories by Franz Kafka.

To read the press release in Finnish, click here!

24.05.2024

Presale for TAFF 2024 has begun!

You can now purchase festival passes to this year’s festival! Secure your seats in advance or give as a gift to a graduating art and culture aficionado. Don’t miss out on the most luminous event of the year!

TAFF features more than 20 different series of programmes and nearly 200 films. In addition to the screenings of the international and national competitions, the festival has a variety of special screenings, exhibitions and workshops to offer.

This year’s festival will take place from 21st to 25th of August 2024 at the idyllic Manilla Culture Factory (Itäinen Rantakatu 64b, 20810 Turku).

Buy your festival pass here!

15.05.2024

Volunteer at TAFF!

Turku Animated Film Festival is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us at the 9th edition of the festival at Manillan Kulttuuritehdas & Taiteen talo, taking place from 21st to 25th of August 2024!

As a TAFF volunteer, you’ll be part of an amazing community in a great atmosphere, and you have the opportunity to see many animated films! Our aim is to create a relaxed, cosy, and safe event for everyone, both our beloved visitors and our incredible volunteers. 

What you will get:

• a festival pass that will give you free access to the screenings when you’re off-duty, if not sold out. 
• We offer one (1) vegan meal per workday and insurance for the duration of the shift for each volunteer. 
• At the end of the festival we celebrate the success and hard work with an afterparty and our volunteers are more than welcome to join! 
• Plus, if you want, we’ll be happy to provide you with a reference letter!

What we ask from you:

• We wish for you to commit to a minimum of 3 shifts, together approximately 15 hours of your time, but we are open to work around your schedule!
• A hands-on attitude to make the festival happen together!

You don’t need any specific qualifications or previous experience – we’ll give you all the guidance you need. There are different tasks we need help with and you may help with one or more roles during the festival. Check out the roles available below!

Don’t forget to mention in the application if you’d like to be paired up with a friend and double the fun!

If you have any questions, please drop us an email at talkoo@taff.fi

Welcome to be part of the TAFF magic this summer. Apply now and let’s make this year’s festival an unforgettable experience!

 

FILL THE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HERE!

Please note that with this form TAFF (Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry) gathers information about volunteer applicants. The information is only accessible to festival employees and is kept only for as long as necessary. Information is not given out to third parties.

 

Job descriptions:

• Setting up / closing down / cleaning / decorating

Setting up the venue, bringing the festival atmosphere with decorations, cleaning up and breaking down at the venue.

• ​​Ticket sales / info

Selling tickets and merchandise, answering questions and providing customer service.

• Door manager / Screening presenter

Checking tickets at the door, making sure everything is in order at the venue, presenting the screening.

• Exhibition guard

Guiding and guarding the TAFF exhibition at Taiteen talo.

• Runner

Runner does whatever is needed at the moment.

• Technical support

Making sure the films are running smoothly, assisting the responsible technician.

• Security

Securing the evening events and helping our guests with issues that arise. Official licence required.

• Driver

Driving things and people around the city. B-licence required.

• Distribution

Handing out marketing materials around the city before the festival in August.

 

FILL THE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HERE!

25.04.2024

The multi award winner and internationally acclaimed animation artist Heta Jäälinoja has created the festival identity for TAFF 2024. The festival poster and trailer presents an odd couple in a whirlwind of a passionate dance.

TAFF’s festival director Annika Dahlsten interviewed Heta.

A: Heta, where did you get the idea for the visual identity?

H: I thought it would be fun to draw dancing. I was listening to music at the studio and I rediscovered the album called “Kimaltavia unelmia” by Ville Leinonen. It’s shamelessly romantic and grandiose with pathos, diamond boots and all… It delighted me a lot while working with the identity. Probably it even inspired me. The appearance of the woman who’s reading is inspired by the pantsuit style of Meg Ryan in ”When Harry Met Sally”.

A: I admire your fluent and skillfully drawn line. How would you describe your style?

H: I like lively drawings and that’s the style I aim for. The sketchy drawing style is very forgiving when drawing the inbetweens for animation and it suits me well because I’m pretty lazy.

A: You mostly make drawn films, why is that so?

H: I make drawn animations because tinkering with puppets isn’t really my thing. Nevertheless I’m still fascinated by frame-by-frame masochism.

A: In addition to animated films, you do illustrations. How do these jobs differ from each other? How is the work process different?

H: This TAFF identity is my first illustration job in years and it’s nice that I was free to do whatever I wanted. On the other hand, making this took forever because I couldn’t clearly figure out how to transfer an analogue image and text into a digital format. Animation workflow comes more from muscle memory.

A: Your latest film “Nun or Never!” was awarded as the audience’s favourite at TAFF last year. It has been touring around the world and has won 24 awards and nominations. That’s quite an achievement! What does success feel like?

H: The success gives me confidence that I can continue in my chosen path as an animation filmmaker. When I start a new project, the gained arrogance unfortunately disappears fast and I find myself facing the same insecurity as always when making a film. This is why I try to sunbathe in the glow of the previous film’s fame as long as possible. I’m also a bit disappointed that the glorious success hasn’t made me rich yet. I still have to gather money for living from here and there.

A: What’s your relationship with TAFF?

H: TAFF means a warm-hearted place for animators to meet and well curated high level screenings to me. I truly hope that more and more audiences from in- and outside of the animation industry find their way to TAFF and to enjoy the warm August days in Turku.

A: Send greetings to TAFF guests!

H: Enjoy the films and the company of each other!

 

Heta Jäälinoja (b.1989) studied animation at Turku Arts Academy and finished her MA at Estonian Academy of Arts in 2016. Her graduation film “Penelope” won multiple awards in festivals, for example best national short film at Tampere Film Festival 2017. The film was also nominated for best short film in the Finnish film awards 2018.

Heta’s film “Nun or Never!” (2023, Böhle Studios) is an internationally awarded animation that has won e.g. in Annecy, both the audience award and the France TV Prize. The 11-minute film tells the story of a nun whose underground discovery breaks the harmony of the monastery and disturbs the main character’s peace of mind.

Heta likes romantic comedies and salty liquorice ice cream.

12.01.2024

The 9th edition of the Turku Animated Film Festival will be held again in Turku, Finland, August 21-25, 2024, presenting dozens of screenings during five days.

Submissions for TAFF 2024 are open until March 31.  Submit your work via the link below.

The competitions for animated shorts will be held again in 2024. For the International Competition, International Student Film Competition, TAFF Junior Competition and National Competition we are looking for original, bold, uncompromising & inventive animated shorts under 30 minutes to compete for Grand Prix, Best Professional Film, Best Student Film, Tough Eye award, TAFF Junior Award, Main Prize in National Competition and Audience award in International Competition. In addition, the festival programme consists of a seductive selection of carefully selected special programme.

The Competition is open for short animated films that have been completed after 1st of January 2023.

TAFF takes place in the hometown of the renowned Turku Arts Academy. Our venues are a beautifully restored old factory milieu Manilla and the freshly-opened Arthouse Turku in the Old town. Both are situated by the River Aura in Turku, Finland. TAFF is organized by the non-profit Association Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry.

 

06.01.2023

Call for Entries!

The 8th edition of the Turku Animated Film Festival will be held again in Turku, Finland, August 23-27, 2023, presenting dozens of screenings during five days.

Submissions for TAFF 2023 are open until March 31.  Submit your work via the link below.

The competitions for animated shorts will be held again in 2023. For the International Competition, International Student Film Competition, TAFF Junior Competition and National Competition we are looking for original, bold, uncompromising & inventive animated shorts under 30 minutes to compete for Grand Prix, Best Professional Film, Best Student Film, Tough Eye award, TAFF Junior Award, Main Prize in National Competition and Audience award in International Competition. In addition, the festival programme consists of a seductive selection of carefully selected special programme.

The Competition is open for short animated films that have been completed after 1st of January 2022.

TAFF takes place in the hometown of the renowned Turku Arts Academy. Our venue is a beautifully restored old factory milieu by the River Aura in Turku, Finland. TAFF is organized by the non-profit Association Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry.