ReA Fest will cross the threshold of coming of age

ArmInfo. The ReA Fest International Animated Film and Comic Art Festival is celebrating its 18th anniversary this year, symbolically crossing the threshold of its coming of age. It's worth noting that ReA Fest has already established its traditions and earned international recognition.

As Tigran Virabyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, stated during a press conference, approximately 500 filmmakers from 70 countries are interested in the festival, which speaks volumes. He also noted that, in a time when the animation industry is evolving by the minute, ReA Fest has managed to develop its own unique style, becoming recognizable not only in Armenia but also beyond its borders.

Thanks to the festival, Armenian film lovers will have the opportunity to see approximately 100 films this year. This is also a wonderful opportunity to showcase Armenia's creative potential in animation. Thanks to its versatility and multifunctionality, the festival is becoming one of the best platforms for bringing together representatives of the film industry. I am confident that next year we will be able to further expand the festival's geography, make our country even more interesting, and implement even more ambitious projects," noted Virabyan.

Director of the Cinema Fund, David Banuchyan, expressed gratitude to the festival's founder, Vrezh Kasuni, and his team for the tremendous work carried out over 18 years and noted that Rea Fest helps Armenian filmmakers abroad establish contacts and collaborate.

Participating in film markets at prestigious international film festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, and others, the Cinema Fund always mentions Rea Fest during meetings with animation filmmakers. "You can't imagine how much easier it is to work abroad when your country is recognized through festivals," Banuchyan emphasized.

He also announced two Cinema Fund programs that will be implemented as part of the festival: a retrospective of Armenian animated films from the 1970s and 1980s, including "Mouse Council," "Echo," "Axe," "Corridor," "Happy End," and others, as well as a program dedicated to the 70th birthday of French actor, director, and screenwriter of Armenian descent, Serge Avedikian. According to the head of the Cinema Fund, Avedikian is better known to the general public as an actor, but he has directed three animated films, one of which, "Chien d'histoire" (A Dog's Purpose, also known as Barking Island, 2010), was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Short Film. The program's opening ceremony will take place on November 9 at 5:00 PM at the Nairi Cinema. Serge Avedikian will be present at the ceremony.

As Vrezh Kasouni noted during the press conference, the film festival will open on November 7 at the Cinema House with a screening of French director Sébastien Laudenbach's "Viva Carmen," in which the leading character is voiced by the famous French singer and actress of Algerian descent, Camélia Jordana. He regretted that the actress would not make it to the festival opening, but the following day, Jordana would be in Armenia and performing for the Yerevan audience.

This year's official festival poster was designed by renowned French animation director and illustrator of Lebanese descent, Zaven Najjar. The poster's central figure is one of the most magical characters in Armenian mythology, the winged dog Aralez.

The festival program can be found at the following link: https://www.reanimania.com/festival-2026 We also note that starting on the first day of the festival, the ReAComics comics exhibition will open in the exhibition hall of the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia, featuring works by both experienced and emerging authors participating in the fourth national ReA comics competition. The program will also feature a book presentation by last year's national competition winner, Sofia Mirzoyan, titled "Jasmine and Bimbim," a poster exhibition featuring Jordan Mechner's comic book "Survival," featuring the author himself, a book presentation by Paco Roca, titled "Wrinkles," a poster exhibition featuring Art Spiegelman's comic book "Maus," and an exhibition of graduate works by students studying comics at the Academy of Arts. A key component of the festival will be the MarAni (Market of Animation) forum, designed for industry representatives. It is the region's largest professional platform and marketplace for animation, comics, games, and visual art. The forum will be held from November 9th to 11th at the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

This year, the CoReAct platform features 12 projects by Armenian animators, who will present their work to an international jury and participate in professional and conceptual discussions. This year, the ReA festival is supported by the Family Foundation for the first time.

Hovnanian is organizing the ReA Academy Lab for producers, screenwriters, and visual artists. The goal of the lab is to deepen professional competencies, introduce international production and co-production practices, and establish connections between the Armenian professional community and the international animation industry.

From November 8th to 28th, the ReA Festival, in collaboration with Rambalkoshe, will present the ARCANE - League of Legends exhibition in Armenia for the first time.

On November 14th, the Cinema House will host the JAZZ for KIDS concert. The project was implemented by the ReA Festival and ReAct Production with the sponsorship of the Yerevan Municipality and the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia. Cartoons will be shown on the big screen during the live musical performance. The project's creator is jazz musician Karen Grigoryan.

The main sponsor of the 18th International Animated Film and Comic Art Festival is the Yerevan Municipality, with additional support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Armenia.

The festival is also supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, the Embassy of France in Armenia, the French Institute in Armenia, the Eurimages Foundation of the Council of Europe, the Goethe-Institut in Yerevan, the Hovnanian Family Foundation, the Representation of the Kingdom of Spain in Armenia, and the Spanish Agency for Cultural Activities (AC/E).