Festival of Animation Berlin (FAB) — International Animation Film Festival

Berlin's Most Important Animation Film Festival

Founded in 2018, the Festival of Animation Berlin (FAB) has established itself in just a few years as Germany's most important festival for animation film beyond the Stuttgart Animation Film Festival. It fills a gap: where other festivals (Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale Talents, Achtung Berlin) treat animation as a secondary category, FAB consistently places the genre at the center — from universities to studio productions to experimental art.

9th Edition — October 8 to 11, 2026

The 2026 edition runs from Thursday, October 8, to Sunday, October 11, 2026. Four days of programming at two venues, plus industry and networking formats.

Competition in Five Categories

The heart of the festival is the competition, featuring five categories:

• German Animated Film — German productions
• International Animated Film — international competition section
• New Talents (Young Filmmakers) — university and newcomer works
• Pink Panda — animations for children
• Animated Commissioned Film — commercial and commissioned animations

FAB Dimensional and FAB Pitch

In addition to the competition, there are two important special formats: FAB Dimensional is the second edition of a section for spatial/immersive animations (XR, AR, VR, installation, mapping) — a trend that detaches animation from the screen. FAB Pitch is a pitching format where animators present their projects to producers and funders.

Berlin Animation Hub — The Industry Track

Running parallel to the film program is the Berlin Animation Hub: workshops, meet-the-expert sessions, industry talks, networking events. FAB sees itself not only as a festival for the public but also as an annual meeting point for the German animation industry. A residency opportunity through IFB Maison de création (application window January/February 2026) complements the offerings.

Venues: silent green and City Kino Wedding

The festival center is the silent green Kulturquartier (Gerichtstraße 35, Wedding) — the repurposed Berlin crematorium from 1909, which has been a cultural center with a dome hall, studios, and garden hall since 2013. Screenings will also be held at the City Kino Wedding (Müllerstraße 74, approx. 800 m away). Both venues are located in the Wedding district (Mitte borough) — a neighborhood that has experienced a radical cultural upswing in the last 15 years.