MONSTRA 2026 begins on March 12 with a film concert of ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and films from Latvia, whose animation is among the most distinctive and innovative in Europe.

The 25th edition takes place in Lisbon until 22 March and showcases the best of world animation.

 

Wings and Oars, Vladimir Leschiov

  • The 25th edition of MONSTRA | Lisbon Animation Festival will take place from 12 to 22 March in Lisbon;
  • The opening ceremony at Cinema São Jorge will feature films from Latvia and the film-concert ‘Peter and the Wolf’;
  • Latvia is this year’s invited country and will have an exhibition at the Museu a Marioneta in Lisbon;
  • Masterclass by award-winning directors Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves;
  • MONSTRINHA for schools with open registration.

The 25th edition of MONSTRA | Lisbon Animation Festival begins on 12 March. For the opening ceremony, which will take place at Cinema São Jorge, the festival will celebrate the 90th anniversary of ‘Peter and the Wolf’, a story told through music, composed by Serge Prokofiev in 1936, with the screening of the film made in 2006 by Suzie Templeton accompanied by music performed live by the Wind Orchestra of the Santa Cecília Music Academy.

The opening ceremony will also feature animated films from Latvia, a country whose cinema will be the subject of a retrospective throughout this edition of the festival: ‘The Kiosk’ by Anete Melece and ‘Wings and Oars’, a short film directed by Vladimir Leschiov. Both directors will be in Lisbon during the festival, where they will give masterclasses and be part of the official MONSTRA jury.

“The Kiosk”, Anete Melece

Latvian animation is widely recognised as one of the most distinctive and innovative in Europe, characterised by a wide variety of techniques, strong artistic freedom and a predominance of auteur cinema. Latvian animation combines a strong tradition of short films with an increasing production of features, and its global recognition was achieved with Gints Zilbalodis’ “Flow“(2024), which received the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2025. This programme is made possible through the support of Mission Latvia and the National Film Centre of Latvia.

Exhibition “60 Years of Animation Puppets from Latvia – Film Studio Animācijas Brigāde” at Museu da Marioneta
MONSTRA, in partnership with the Museu da Marioneta, opens the exhibition “60 Years of Animation Puppets’ from Latvia – Film Studio Animācijas Brigāde“, a behind-the-scenes look at one of Latvia’s largest animation film studios, dedicated to stop-motion animation, which has produced more than 140 films since its inception in 1966 by master Arnolds Burovs. The public will be able to see puppets and sets from some of the studio’s 12 films until 19 April. This exhibition is supported by Museu da Marioneta, Mission Latvia and the National Film Centre of Latvia.

Masterclass Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, directors of ‘Água Mole’ (2017) and more recently ‘Percebes’ (2024), a film that has won 47 awards at festivals around the world, including the Cristal Award for Best Short Film at the Annecy Festival, one of the most respected animation festivals in the world, will be attending the festival on 18 March. Entitled ‘The power of collaboration in the films of Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves’, this masterclass is aimed at students from art schools in Lisbon (secondary and university) and aims to address the creative and technical processes that bring the directors’ films to life. Registration is now open and can be done via this link.

MONSTRINHA is back!
Registration is now open for Monstrinha school sessions, with a programme specially designed for each age group: pre-school (3 to 5 years old), 1st cycle (6 to 9 years old), 2nd and 3rd cycles (10 to 14 years old) and Generation M (secondary education). At the last edition of the festival, MONSTRINHA reached around 35,000 people through films that address current issues, spark the imagination and promote debate within the school community.

MONSTRA | Lisbon Animation Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual, Creative Europe MEDIA and Lisbon City Council.