The forth edition of the Sisterhood of Young Animation Auteurs (SYAA) took place in Bucharest, at the Goethe Institut, during August 17-23. 10 animators from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic reunited for mentorship sessions and best practices workshops facilitated by field experts, who guided the participants as they went through the most important steps in developing an animated film.

The programme consisted of lectures, presentations, visits to local studios, workshops, one-on-one meetings, screenings, and networking events, all meant to support the participants’ work on in-development or future animated short films, which they pitched in a new and improved manner during a dedicated session on the last day of the training program. Topics discussed during SYAA included artistic portfolio development, tools for brainstorming ideas, the pillars of an independent artistic career, how to open an animation studio. Throughout the week, the participants were coordinated by five animation experts: Sara Gunnarsdóttir (director of My Year of Dicks, an animation nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Short Film), Mariam Kandelaki (producer, founding member of Saqanima – the association of animation producers in Georgia – and of the Emile Awards), Ana Branea (lecturer at UNATC – The “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theater and Film in the Multimedia Department, editor of Turn Off the Lights, Elbow, etc.), Damian Groves (alongside brother Anton, director of many films, including the internationally-awarded Sandals), and Ana Covalciuc (actress at multiple prominent Bucharest theaters – Bulandra, National, Metropolis, Comedia, Godot, and ArCuB – and co-founder of the Acting Works Association). 

The programme is aimed at artists from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Ukraine and Bulgaria and is free of charge.