To Gaza With Love: A Global Anijam To Release Over 300 Shorts From 50+ Countries On Sept. 21

Global animation has long depended on international collaboration and has also never shied away from fighting for a cause. Rarely, though, has the community been mobilized with such urgency and collective force as it has this year with the To Gaza with Love: A Global Anijam.

On September 21, the movement’s organizers will debut a collection of 329 short films from over 50 countries, an unprecedented gesture of artistic solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Origins

The initiative was spearheaded by AC4Pal (Animation Community for Palestine), a collective co-founded by Oscar-nominated British animator Joanna Quinn alongside Canadian animators Thérèse Simard and Sam Decoste. Their inspiration came from the work of Gaza-based animator Haneen Koraz, who, despite the nearly unceasing violence around her, has continued to run stop-motion workshops for displaced children and women. Over the past year, Koraz has delivered 51 workshops across camps in Gaza, reaching more than 1,500 children and training 80 women to carry the practice forward.

According to Koraz:

For me, the To Gaza with Love films are a powerful act of solidarity. They show that artists around the world care deeply about Gaza – about our children, our art, and our future. These films give us strength and remind us that we are not forgotten. The children feel this too. They told me, ‘These films are like gifts from the world to us. They make us feel seen, like people care, and that our love for art is shared by many others.’ Even in the midst of hardship, these stories spark hope. They remind us that through imagination and creativity, our voices can travel where we cannot.

Animation as a Global Language

Quinn, whose own contribution to the Anijam, This Land is a Woman, was featured by Cartoon Brew earlier this month, sees the project as proof of animation’s ability to transcend borders:

Discovering the work of Haneen and her courageous team of talented women animators has been life-changing for me. In a world overwhelmed by hate, fear, and violence, their strength of spirit and selflessness offer a profound sense of hope – not only to the children they work with, but to the thousands who watch their films around the globe.

Animation is a beautiful way to show solidarity with the people of Gaza – a universal language that speaks beyond borders, cultures, and languages. Our Global Anijam is a unified collection of over 300 powerful messages of love and support for Haneen, her talented young animators, and the wider community of suffering Palestinians in Gaza.

Industry Heavyweights Among Contributors

The roster of participants reads like a cross-section of the contemporary animation landscape, from student collectives to globally recognized filmmakers: Joanna Quinn (U.K.); Sam Fell (U.K.), Oscar-nominated director (Aardman, Laika); Raman Djafari (Germany), celebrated for collaborations with Billie Eilish and Adult Swim; Jin (Sonnye Lim) (U.S.), a rising talent whose piece has quickly gained traction online; Mohammed Hosam (Gaza), whose animation, produced entirely on his phone from inside a tent, has captured audiences worldwide; Royal College of Art students (U.K.), their collaborative work has already drawn more than four million views.

An Interactive Experience

To mark the launch, Bristol-based Australian animator Jane Abernethy has designed an interactive map where viewers can explore the films geographically. Clicking playful watermelon icons reveals contributions from around the world, including works made from within Gaza itself.

Screening and Support

To Gaza with Love: A Global Anijam premieres online Sunday, September 21 at 12 pm Gaza Time / 9 am GMT via AC4Pal’s YouTube channel.