Celebrating the 23rd International Animation Day (IAD)

The organisation Association Internationale du Film d'Animation (ASIFA) officially declared October 28 as International Animation Day in 2002, inviting chapters worldwide to celebrate animation’s creative and technical achievements annually.

It was October 28, 1892, when French artist and inventor Charles‑Émile Reynaud unveiled his pioneering Théâtre Optique at the Musée Grévin in Paris, presenting the first public screenings of projected animated films. That debut was an immediate success and is now recognized as the spark that ignited the animation medium.

Though Reynaud’s innovation was quickly overshadowed by the work of the Lumière brothers — which ultimately drove Reynaud into bankruptcy, his show remains historically significant as it so nearly pre-dated the first live-action films.

Every year, ASIFA commissions an artist to design the original poster for the grand event. This year, the important task was entrusted to Croatian illustrator Lucija Mrzljak. Her artwork reimagines animation as “light in the dark,” positioning creativity as an illumination of the imagination. The visual metaphor underscores how animation transforms stillness into movement and imagination into shared experience.

Through exhibitions, screenings, workshops and online showcases, International Animation Day 2025 provides hindsight on how the art of animation continues to evolve, inspire and illuminate our world.

In Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas is hosting a special screening of the Best Shorts from the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

The ASIFA‑South chapter is holding an all-day creative mixer featuring animation film screenings, costume parties, and networking for creators and fans alike.

At the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, an international selection of animation films will be screened in celebration of IAD.