Fredrikstad Animation Festival Announces Animated Network Days For October 2026 (EXCLUSIVE)

The Fredrikstad Animation Festival (FAF), the Nordic-Baltic region’s leading animation platform, is introducing Animated Network Days (October 21–23) to its 2026 edition.

A dedicated industry program bringing together animation professionals, producers, buyers, distributors, sales agents, and financiers from across the Nordic-Baltic region and beyond, the Network Days represent the next step in elevating FAF, whose full festival — encompassing film screenings, evening social events, and the FAF Masterclass Series — will run October 21–25, 2026.

Fredrikstad Animation Festival has served as the professional meeting point for Nordic-Baltic animation for over 30 years, attracting international guests and renowned artists. In 2025, it drew more than 350 professional accreditations from 18 European countries and 157 companies, and hosted two in-depth masterclasses by indie filmmaker Nikita Diakur and Oscar-nominated director Liane-Cho Han, both attended by CB.

According to the FAF team, the new Animated Network Days will clarify and amplify the reach of FAF’s professional arm, creating infrastructure to support what was already happening: the rise of the only Northern European market designed to structurally include all Nordic and Baltic countries, a space where all eight Nordic-Baltic countries meet on equal footing.

Why Now?

In 2025, FAF tested the market concept with a mini-market pilot, which received an overwhelmingly positive response from producers, investors, and sales agents. The reaction exceeded expectations: strong turnout, genuine producer interest, and active participation from funders and sales agents.

Furthermore, Fredrikstad was a key player in the 2025 Animation Collaboration year-long focus organized by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, as highlighted by CEO Liselott Forsman.

“During the past year, it became evident what an important role the Fredrikstad Animation Festival plays in connecting and inspiring professionals and companies in our region and beyond,” she said. “It is a special pleasure to see international guests and delegates share challenges, solutions, and co-production opportunities in such a friendly atmosphere.”

FAF recognized the same potential and is now expanding on it.

Learning from these insights, the festival is evolving with a dual focus and implementing structural changes in 2026. Clara Sætren, who has worked at FAF for six years as festival producer, increasingly facilitating industry activities during that time, is moving into the newly created role of Director of Business Operations, leading Animated Network Days.

Anders Narverud Moen will remain Festival Director, focused on artistic programming and curation of FAF’s public-facing activities.

Filling the Gap, Bridging Two Worlds

“Animated Network Days isn’t replacing the Fredrikstad Animation Festival,” Moen emphasized. “It’s functioning alongside it, as part of it. The festival continues its core mission: programming the best Nordic-Baltic animated films, hosting masterclass speakers from leading studios, and creating the intimate experience that reminds creators why they fell in love with animation.”

At the same time, the market will provide professional infrastructure for new projects to shine: structured pitching, financing sessions, curated meetings, and support systems that help producers secure partnerships and funding.

Two sides of the same coin: One celebrates animation as an art form; the other recognizes animation as an industry.

“They can and should coexist,” reflected Sætren. “And to make that work, we realized we had to serve two completely different audiences at once. One wanted the film experience, the artistic dialogue, the celebration of animation as art. The other needed market infrastructure. Both are important, but they need to be cared for differently.”

Beyond the Nordics

The initiative aligns with the already thriving Nordic animation industry, but it could also help the region reach the next level, according to Tonje Skar Reiersen, producer and chairperson of the Nordic Animation Association.

“Until now, the industry has lacked a truly professional event focused on the business side of the sector,” she said. “Our studios and producers are ambitious and increasingly eager to break into international markets, but they face persistent challenges at home: small domestic markets, a limited number of distributors, broadcasters with varying levels of engagement with local animated projects, and funding bodies that differ widely in their understanding of animation production.”

For Reiersen, whose Mikrofilm studio is one of the Nordic region’s standout animation companies, the initiative sounds like exactly what the industry needs.

What to Expect

From October 21–23, Animated Network Days will feature a packed slate of pitching sessions, roundtable discussions, seminars, and one-to-one meeting opportunities.

Here’s a glimpse at what the first edition will offer:

• Storyline Production Pitch (Wednesday, October 21): A pitching session in which up to five selected Nordic/Baltic projects in production or development will pitch live to a jury of producers, sales agents, distributors, and funders. Each selected project will receive curated one-to-one meetings with decision-makers during the following two days, while the winning project will receive a 100,000 NOK (approx. $10,000 USD) grant from Storyline AS. Submissions open May 11 for any Nordic or Baltic main or co-producer with a feature-length animated project in development or production. More info here.
• “Meet the Distributors” and “Meet the Sales Agents”: Two panel sessions and structured networking opportunities with leading European sales agents and distributors.
• Co-Production Seminars and Roundtables: Led by the Nordic Animation Association, these sessions will bring together producers, funders, and policymakers to discuss co-production strategies, sustainability in animation production, and cross-border collaboration models. These closed roundtables are open to Nordic Animation Association members and invited guests, providing an intimate space for strategic conversations.
• Work-in-Progress Sessions: Directors and producers will be able to present projects in early stages of development. The 2026 edition will expand FAF’s already strong lineup of WIP sessions to include both Nordic and Baltic projects.
• Sustainability Panel: Green Producers Club Takeover: Forget dry lectures. The Green Producers Club is bringing its signature Club Meeting energy to FAF in an unfiltered, peer-to-peer session exploring case studies from studios that have successfully integrated sustainability into their DNA. Green Producers Club representative Brita Synnøve Holt Vistnes said: “We partner with FAF because they don’t just talk about change — they’ve been part of it for years. Their commitment to sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s a constant evolution that we are proud to support.” Echoing the FAF team, Vistnes added that FAF occupies a unique and vital space, bridging the gap between the international film festival circuit and the animation industry. “It makes them the perfect partner to lead the green transition.”

Beyond these dedicated events, the full Fredrikstad Animation Festival will run across five days, combining the Animated Network Days industry program with film screenings, evening social events, and the FAF Masterclass Series.

The FAF Masterclass Series will offer participants in-depth sessions led by industry practitioners covering craft, production, financing, and the evolving landscape of animation and immersive storytelling, available to all accreditation categories.

Evening social events throughout the festival week will also create informal spaces for the connections that drive the industry forward, complementing the structured programming of Animated Network Days.

Early-bird accreditations are available through August 1 at 1,000 kr (approx. $110 USD).