FEINAKI BEIJING ANIMATION WEEK 2025
Event Date: 2025.11.14 - 11.17
Director: Lei Lei
Animation & Background: Lei Lei
In-Between: Lei Lei, XiaoMeng
Color: Lei Lei, XiaoMeng
Music: Jing
Sound: Jingyu Jiang, Jing
Font Design: Dandelion
Jian Liu
Director. Professor at the China Academy of Art. His animated films "Piercing I", "Have a Nice Day", and "Art College 1994" have won numerous international and domestic awards, including nominations for Golden Bear for Best Film at the 67th and 73rd Berlin International Film Festivals, Best Animated Feature at the 54th Golden Horse Awards, and Best Director at the 1st Pingyao International Film Festival.
Nienke Deutz
Director and animator based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In her films, she explores the narrative and visual possibilities of animated film and strives to combine different animation techniques and storytelling methods. Her work often revolves around human experiences, with alienation and discomfort being recurring themes. Her films "Bloeistraat 11" (2018) and "The Miracle" (2023) received global recognition, winning numerous awards, including the Cristal for best short film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Grand Prix at Animafest Zagreb. In 2023, Deutz, in collaboration with filmmakers Alice Saey and Wiep Teeuwisse, established Tinsel Studio—a collective dedicated to directing and producing independent animation films. She is currently finishing her newest film "This is Your Captain Speaking", an animated documentary co-directed with Digna van der Put.
Nobuaki Doi
As a founder of New Deer, Nobuaki Doi is active as a distributor and producer for international indie animation films. While focusing on international co-productions, he not only produces films for Japanese directors but has recently expanded his scope to produce films by international directors as well. He has also been a driving force behind well-known Japanese animation festivals, serving as an artistic director for the New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival until 2021, and since 2022, as a producer for Hiroshima Animation Season. Doi has authored four books on animation, covering subjects from Yuri Norstein to Makoto Shinkai.
Max Hattler
A German abstract and experimental animation artist living in Hong Kong. After studying at Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art, he completed a Doctorate in Fine Art at the University of East London.
Max Hattler's work has been showcased at festivals and exhibitions worldwide, garnering awards and mentions from notable institutions such as the Annecy Animation Festival, Ars Electronica, Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Punto y Raya Festival, Cannes Lions, London International Animation Festival, and many others. He has presented his audiovisual live performances around the world, including at Fest Anca, Anifilm Festival, Playgrounds Festival, Animafest Zagreb, Seoul Museum of Art and the European Media Art Festival. Max Hattler is a Professor at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. He's also the co-founder and curator of Relentless Melt, a society for abstract moving image which regularly presents screenings of Hong Kong experimental animation around the world.
Dian
Artist, musician, director. Born in Beijing and shaped by a multicultural upbringing, she graduated from the Animation Department of the Communication University of China before moving to Tokyo, where she founded the art collective "XL-UNIVERSE" and the gallery and creative label "SOMSOC GALLERY". Her art style, filled with Eastern imagination, weaves together painting, installation, music, and animation into a singular narrative world. She directs and designs all of her own music videos, fusing sound and image into a poetic expression of self. Her works have been exhibited at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, and she has performed at international music festivals, continually expanding the boundaries between art and music.
Jasmine Cai
Animation teacher and curator, teaching at the School of Fine Arts, South China Normal University. Co-founder of animation media named "AT!". She was previously responsible for content editing, management, and operations at AT!, as well as planning and hosting animation salons. Over the years, she has consistently focused on Chinese independent animation and its creators, dedicated to promoting outstanding works and fostering exchanges among domestic and international animators. Her academic research areas include independent animation creation, animation art theory, and animation history.
Yishu Wang
Programmer, film festival professional, and founder of CineFun Studio. She previously served as Head of Competition and Screenings at
the FIRST International Film Festival and as Director of the Minute International Short Film Festival. Through co-founding CineFun Studio, she has established a platform dedicated to programming and creative production for film festivals and cultural events, including Aranya Waves Film Festival, Silk Road IFF, Pingyao IFF, and Italian Screens. Films represented by CineFun Studio have been selected for and honored at Sundance, IFFR, IDFA, Clermont-Ferrand, Moscow, FIRST, Pingyao, among other renowned festivals worldwide.
Sijia Luo
Born in China and currently resides in Tokyo. She received her master's degree from the Tokyo University of the Arts. Her practice centers on animated short films, video, and installation works, and also extends
to sound-related formats such as music videos, sound design, and VJ performance. By getting inspiration from other art forms, she develops her films through experiments and seeks liberation from visual language. Her animation works have been selected and awarded by film festivals around the world, including Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Hiroshima Animation Season, Animest, Feinaki Animation Week, and New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival.
Yunyi Zhu
Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University and Le Fresnoy - National Studio for Contemporary Art. He lives and works in Shanghai, and his practice explores memory and perception primarily through the media of video and installation. His films have been shortlisted and awarded for national festivals such as Cinéma du Réel, the Berlinale, and the Golden Horse Awards.
Xi Chen
An Animation Filmmaker and a Comics Writer. He is currently a lecturer in Beijing Film Academy. His animation works have been selected in renowned animation festivals and won awards; he has been invited to France, Japan and Canada for art residency program; his Animation films retrospective were held in Japan, France and Russia; His films include the series of animated short films "Solar Terms", "Yao-Ship Down the Well", etc. He is one of the founders of Feinaki Beijing Animation Week.
Yantong Zhu
Festival director and one of the founders of Feinaki Beijing Animation Week, an animation filmmaker, and picture book author. Her animated film "My Milk Cup Cow" won numerous prizes worldwide, such as the Grand Prix of KROK and the Young Animation Award of Stuttgart, etc. She was invited as a jury member, and curated Chinese animation programs for many international festivals such as Hiroshima, Big Cartoon, Animateka, New Chitose, Tricky Women, BIAF, StopTrik, etc. She is the executive producer of the animated omnibus film "To the Bright Side", which won the Grand Prize feature film at the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival.
Winter in MarchNatalia Mirzoyan
Estonia, Armenia, France, Belgium丨16'23''丨2025
A young Russian couple, feeling helplessness and sadness over the war, decides to leave their home for good. Their journey to Georgia becomes a surrealist nightmare. Their greatest fear - being separated at the border - catches up with them from an unexpected angle.
Jury's Statement: The documentation of reality and the abstract narrative beyond it combine to create this touching and profound work.
A Taste of BeerLi Xie
China丨05'30''丨2024
A son came home and told his father that he had won the school football game, so his father wanted his son's glory to be seen by everyone.
Jury's Statement: The boldly distilled forms of the characters merge with a similarly daringly sparse composition, depicting the entangled, stupefying emotions that pass between family members.
The Shyness of TreesSofiia Chuikovska, Loïck du Plessis d'Argentré, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras, Bingqing Shu
France, Ukraine, China丨08'56''丨2024
Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the french countryside. But her mother isn't being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden...
ShQi Duan
China丨07'51''丨2024
In this era of collective anxiety, in this silent era of self-identity crisis arises, I often feel that I am suspended above the world, everything is tasteless at the same time, but also want to do whatever I want. If we are isolated from reality, what would we do?
Jury's Statement: Painted in striking imagery and beautiful light, this film presents a bleak reflection on modern life. Beginning in an intimate apartment setting before guiding us through a cold, nameless city, the story finally turns inward again, leaving us with a surprising ending that is both dark and subtly humorous.
FilanteMarion Jamault
France丨08'49''丨2024
Every night, Paulette observes the same shooting star in the sky. She makes her deepest wish: to find her mysteriously missing pet rat. The days go by, but the animal doesn't return. Paulette wants to understand what's wrong with her star.
This film received 64 votes from the audience, including children and parents, at the all-age screening of Feinaki Beijing Animation Week.
Desi OonSuresh Eriyat
India丨07'07''丨2025
The film explores the deep connection between Deccani wool, the land, and its people. Through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock, the film contrasts a rich heritage with the modern neglect of India's native sheep and wool industry. In the face of this decline, it raises a poignant question: can the wisdom of the past inspire a future where shepherding and pastoral traditions are valued once again?
Jury's Statement: This is a stop-motion advocacy short animation that uses traditional Indian epic chant to narrate the story of rescuing an endangered Deccan sheep breed and the current plight of local wool waste in India. The characters, crafted from wool, are rustic yet spirited. The minimalist scenes, combined with exquisite lighting, sound design, and transitions, masterfully evoke the varied atmosphere of the Deccan region. The delicate, fluffy texture of the wool infuses the animation with warmth and healing. The language of the medium is striking, the narrative is richly layered, and emotion flows seamlessly through its chants and melodies. It celebrates the traditional wisdom of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, possessing the unique expressive power and emotional impact characteristic of animation.
There is A WolfSaerom Seo
South Korea丨04'12''丨2025
In a world where ordinary people are called wolves, persecuted as useless and dangerous beings. But in reality, they are just adorable cats living their everyday lives.
Jury's Statement: Using a scroll-like narrative, the film expands animation's potential across the XYZ axes. Like an unfolding mandala, it transforms the "Six Realms" into a flowing timeline. Its cute surface hides details that suggest deeper orders and energies, quietly echoing the theme's "hidden mysteries". Rather than a grand spectacle, it relies on subtle structure and detail to reveal unexpected depth.
USA, China丨08'10''丨2025
In a rule bound boarding school, MiaoMiao receives a box of chocolate balls, a rare treat. As she clings to this small treasure, a mix of curiosity, doubt, and quiet rebellion begins to blur the boundaries between order and desire.
Jury's Statement: A little girl's chocolate childhood and the ritual with lines.
France, Luxembourg丨16'15''丨2025
After a long absence, Stasya returns to her hometown. She missed her father's funeral and had hard time meeting her elder sister. While sorting out family issues, Stasya meets a different local strangers on the way, they take her on a strange night trip.
Jury's Statement: An animation that is just the right amount of decadent and bizarre.
China丨16'54''丨2025
Every day, I peep at my neighbor, Kankan, through a small hole in my room. I enjoy this harmless hobby, as if he is living a life for me. However, after an unexpected nightmare, the reality around me starts to crumble. What's more frightening is the haunting truth that I now have to confront.
Jury's Statement: Watching this film felt like peering through a crack into someone's feverdream, though a gentle one. In this dream, lonely characters live isolated lives, surrounded by hoover robots, cockroaches, and fragments of memory. Its imagery, the voice, sound, and pacing create an atmosphere so tangible that I will not soon forget this world.
Poland丨15'00''丨2025
Nastia’s Zoom lessons on using a laptop for her mom are disrupted by unstable internet—and resurfacing family traumas.
Jury's Statement: The authentic portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship shaped by distance, distraction, and the desire to connect moved me deeply. It's a personal story that captures the scattered, media-filtered way we navigate each other and the world. What's unsaid between the two characters is as powerful as what is spoken, opening up our imagination to their larger story.
Estonia丨09'56''丨2025
To tame phenomena, you’re required to relinquish your control of chaos. A film on discussion and conversation, with animation, shifting between the paradigms of animation and ideas.
Jury's Statement: The film itself is like a primal scream about human impulse and emotion, unleashed through the powerful combination and metamorphosis of graphics, animation, and text.
France, the Netherlands, Portugal丨15'06''丨2025
Mia has spent her whole life freediving, fishing and gliding through seaweed and rocks. Time has passed, tracing its lines on her body, and shaping the landscapes around her. Loved ones have vanished. Tonight, Mia remembers.
Jury's Statement: As the film's unhurried pace gradually empties the viewer's consciousness, the complex, cascading memories of a single woman's life unfold, ultimately illuminating the essence of human dignity.
The Room in My Mind (non-AI)Weier Zhang
Magic HorseJinhan Guo, Yichun Xia