AGIF 2025: Celebrating our Animation Community
There’s something quietly magical about a room full of animators. Sketchbooks peek out of backpacks, laptops hum softly, and conversations flow from favourite childhood cartoons to late-night render struggles. AGIF 2025 (Animators Guild India Fest) felt exactly like that - not just a festival, but a heartfelt coming together of people who believe in the power of animated storytelling.
Held over two vibrant days on 5th and 6th December at Mukkti Cultural Hub, Mumbai, AGIF 2025 welcomed students, independent filmmakers, motion designers, studio professionals, educators, and animation lovers into a space that felt open, curious, and deeply human. Spread across multiple floors- from the Mukkti Main Hall and Nirvana Hall to the AniMela Zone and the bustling Bazaar- the festival unfolded into spaces; each offering a different kind of energy.
Spanning 15 unique categories and over 100 shortlisted films, AGIF 2025 unfolded a sweeping view of animation today - from intimate student stories to ambitious features, from motion branding to immersive worlds.
From the first screening to the final applause, AGIF carried an energy that was warm and welcoming. Across categories like Best Student Animated Film, Best Animated Short (Professionals), Animated Series (Web/TV), Animated Feature Film, Animated Advertisement, Animated Music Video, Motion Design, Motion Branding, Sound Design, Innovative Technical Contribution, Title Sequences, and Immersive Media, the programming reflected both craft and courage.
The programming moved between Indian and international works, student showcases and professional selections, feature films and immersive media. Whether it was a tightly crafted short, a music video bursting with visual identity, or a feature screening that invited stillness, the audience watched with care.
Between screenings, the corridors buzzed - people exchanging Instagram handles, discussing techniques, debating story choices, and nervously asking,“Can I show you my work?”
One of the most cherished parts of AGIF 2025 was its hands-on workshops, which brought learning and practice right into the heart of the festival. Led by industry professionals and experienced creators, these sessions offered attendees a rare chance to step behind the curtain.
Raman Djafari’s “Set the Scene” workshop became a highlight- a rare opportunity to watch an award-winning director break down mood, space, rhythm, and emotional logic in real time. Raman’s presence extended beyond the workshop, culminating in their Day Two keynote, Building Utopian Worlds, which felt like stepping inside a creative universe shaped by feeling rather than formula.
In the AniMela Zone, transmedia workshops led by Cyril-Vincent Michaud and Tarana Reddy encouraged creators to imagine stories beyond a single screen - exploring how one narrative could unfold across film, interactive experiences, and emerging media formats.
Pitching workshops led by Kiyomi Mehta, alongside speed-pitching sessions with Krishna Chandran and Tulsea, helped creators find confidence in presenting their ideas - turning nervous energy into clarity and opportunity.
Meanwhile, Divya Tak’s “Playtesting Story” workshop transformed storytelling into something tactile and playful, allowing participants to explore how narratives change through choice, interaction, and experimentation.
The workshops went beyond technical instruction. They became spaces for honest conversations about process - how ideas take shape, how projects fall apart and come together again, and how personal voice can survive within client briefs and studio pipelines. From animation workflows and motion design thinking to storytelling, visual development, and career insights, each session felt intimate and approachable.
Students especially found these workshops invaluable. Sitting across from artists they admired, asking questions freely, and seeing real-world breakdowns helped demystify the industry and made creative paths feel more achievable.
AGIF 2025 was enriched by the presence of renowned animators, designers, filmmakers, educators, and creative leaders - not just as speakers or jury members, but as active participants.
Day One opened with Ashish Thapar’s keynote who took audiences behind Kurukshetra- Netflix’s first Indian mythological anime. Followed by Rupali Gatti, whose session Explore Story Spaces highlighted how environments and previsualisation shape storytelling.
Keynotes by Lola Lefèvre (Womanhood, Anxiety & Animals), Prakash Moorthy (Persistence of Disbelief), Pooja Inamdar (From Script to Screen in Record Time), and Suresh Eriyat (The Desi Oon Story), along with the tender screening and conversation around by Vinnie Ann Bose, opened up deeply personal reflections on storytelling - touching on doubt and urgency, memory and reinvention, and the quiet care that shapes meaningful work.
Panel discussions at AGIF 2025 became spaces where experience met reflection. “Made for India, Made by India”, moderated by Prateek Sethi, brought together Uttam Pal Singh, Atisha Penjore Bhutia, Sanjay Jangid, and Saraswathi Vani Balgam into a conversation that traced the journey of Indian animation - pausing to acknowledge how far it has come, questioning where it stands today, and imagining where it might go next.
In “Thriving in Chaos- The Indian Creative Studios”, moderated by Rituparna Sarkar, featuring Azeem Kattali, Aditya Tawde, Nikitha Prabhudesai, and Varun Ramanna spoke with refreshing honesty about the beautiful disorder of creative life- deadlines, pipelines, reinvention, and the resilience it takes to keep going.
The dialogue widened with the WIA panel on “Future-Proofing Youth in AVGC: Skills, Technology, and Mindsets for the Next Decade”, thoughtfully moderated by Kunjal Dedhia, where Shweta Marathe, Navya Palliprath, and Yashoda Parthasarthy reflected on what the next generation will need - not just tools and technology, but confidence, care, and community- to build sustainable, inclusive futures in animation, VFX, and gaming.
What stood out most was accessibility - the willingness to listen, to mentor, and to speak honestly about uncertainty and growth.
This openness created moments that felt rare and special - first-time filmmakers receiving encouragement from seasoned professionals, students gaining clarity about their next steps, and peers discovering potential collaborators over casual chats over chai.
True to its spirit, AGIF continued to spotlight emerging talent. Student films and independent projects were celebrated with as much enthusiasm as established work. Awards, special mentions, and Rising Star recognitions felt less like competition and more like collective acknowledgment - a way of saying,“Your voice matters.”
For many creators, simply seeing their work projected on a large screen - surrounded by a supportive, attentive audience - became a milestone in itself. The applause felt earned, personal, and deeply affirming.
What lingered most were the quieter moments - laughter over chai, impromptu portfolio reviews, last-minute notes scribbled after a workshop, and heartfelt conversations about why people chose animation in the first place.
AGIF 2025 reaffirmed the importance of spaces that nurture creativity with care. In an industry often driven by speed, deadlines, and output, the festival created room for reflection, connection, and learning. It reminded everyone that animation is not just about keyframes and software, but about people, patience, and purpose.
Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their work, asked questions, applauded generously, and brought their curiosity and kindness into the space. AGIF 2025 was what it was because of you. We hope the conversations continue, the ideas grow, and that we meet again next year- with more stories to tell and more frames to share.
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