About SYAA
Sisterhood of Young Animation Auteurs - SYAA was created after the realization of the gender imbalance in the Romanian animation film industry, and aims to offer support to the female animation film auteurs.
Our consultations with the I.L. Caragiale University of Film and Television in Bucharest revealed that, between 2016 and 2020, although 70% of the animation students were female, according to the results published by the National Film Fund (CNC), only 14.44% of the projects were submitted by female auteurs. Moreover, 15 years of experience in organizing Animest Festival confirmed that in our national film industry, women in leading creative positions are notable exceptions, not the norm. We think that the gender imbalance is not something related to a lack of talent or interest, but a systemic issue.
Our research is backed up on a European level by numerous studies conducted by cultural institutes, and gathered by the European Commission.
The main goal of SYAA is to increase the number of female filmmakers leading their own animation projects. We are determined to achieve this by offering them complex study program, meant to encourage them to further develop their knowledge on animation film production, distribution and direction
The program is free of charge and this year welcomes artists from Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Ukraine together with Romania and Republic of Moldova.
The 6th edition of SYAA will take place from the 8th untill the 14th of March 2026 in Bucharest.
More information on eligibility and conditions of participation are to be found in the Rules&Regulations.
Applications are currently closed.
Content
The program consists in a series of events: lectures, presentations, practical workshops, screenings and networking events structured in the span of 7 days, with up to 4 events daily, and it will provide the participants with coaching on a variety of topics related to animation films:
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Scriptwriting techniques for various target audiences
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How to create a portfolio;
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Project development opportunities accross Europe;
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Financing an independent film: understanding the financial mechanisms in Romania and Europe, introduction to budgeting, practical advice on financing opportunities;
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Making it in the film industry as an independent artist;
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How to found your own studio;
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Copyright law
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Film distribution and promotion;
The worksessions will be conducted by two group leaders; several European film professionals will join them as guest speakers.
The study programme will be complemented by individual consultations, case studies, film screenings, studio visits and networking activities.
SYAA is a project based workshop, a study program meant to encourage and support female auteurs to further develop their knowledge on animation film production, distribution and direction.
Eligibility and conditions of participation are detailed in the Rules&Regulations.
MENTORS
Raluca Mănescu graduated from the National University of Theater and Cinema in Romania, screenwriting and film critic section. She wrote and produced a few short films which received high praise and awards at international film festivals like Cottbus IFF, Sarajevo IFF, Thessaloniki IFF, Namur IFF. Her debut in scriptwriting for the feature film ”The world is mine”, directed by Nicolae Constantin Tănase received the special mention of the jury at the Karlovy Vary IFF and also the debut award at TIFF, both in 2015. Presently, Raluca works as a screenwriter and story designer in national and international projects for various action films, documentaries and series.
Katarzyna started her professional career as a production manager and set manager in commercials and music videos production, as well as working for numerous film festivals. In 2010 she joined Se-ma-for as events coordinator and production assistant. From 2012 to 2015 she worked as production manager and line producer in Se-ma-for. Co-founder of Momakin and co-organizer of Animarkt Stopmotion Market, she is currently acting as an executive producer, coordinating work of stop motion artists from all around the world. She is a member of Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP) and Polish Animation Producers Association (SPPA).
Karin Fisslthaler works in the fields of fine art, experimental film/video, music (under the alias Cherry Sunkist), and as a university lecturer. Her artistic focus primarily revolves around the utilization of found footage, such as cinematic and pop-cultural artifacts. The artistic works have been showcased at international festivals, museums, galleries, and exhibitions, and are included in renowned public and private collections in Austria and abroad. She holds a degree in Experimental Design from the Department of Fine Arts and a Ph.D. in Artistic Research, both from the University of Arts in Linz, Austria.
Damian Groves is a director, writer and producer. Interested in the art of storytelling from an early age, Damian found his voice in cinema and his passion took him to Romania, where he and his brother Anton Groves and other filmmakers founded the Studioset production company. Together they have over the years told stories through commercials, music videos and films, winning a selection of international awards including at the Cannes Film Festival and London BFI. His latest short animated film, Opinci, won the grand prize at the Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival in 2020. Currently working on post production on their first feature film.
Mélody Boulissière is a French animation filmmaker. Her work often blends traditional techniques such as animated painting, oil pastel, and collage. Her graduation film Somewhere, which explores the theme of travel, was selected at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 in the Cinéfondation section and screened at over 50 international festivals.
In 2024, she co-directed the animated documentary Simply Divine with Bogdan Stamatin. The film received a Special Mention in the IDFA Amsterdam, the world’s largest documentary film festival, and won the Mephisto 97.6 Award at DOK Leipzig. It continues its festival journey with over 80 selections to date, and has earned more than 15 awards.
She is co-writing and co-directing Patouille & Momo, a 26-episode children’s series (6 minutes each) created with Inès Bernard Espina and Clémentine Campos. Each humorous and poetic episode introduces a new plant making botany accessible and engaging for young audiences. The pilot episode won the CICLIC Award at Annecy and was selected at over 50 festivals worldwide. The entire season will set to air on France Télévisions in 2026.
https://melodyboulissiere.com
Lawyer, partner at SCPA Pârvu și Asociații
Theo's main area of expertise is intellectual property. He provides legal assistance in the field of copyright, advertising production, and music, with extensive experience in the field of cinema, confirmed by his participation in award-winning projects and high-budget films.
https://www.parvusiasociatii.ro/