Your Guide to the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s 50th Anniversary

One of the world’s largest animation festivals is returning to Ottawa’s Original Downtown September 23-27 for its landmark 50th anniversary! The Ottawa International Animation Festival brings together filmmakers, industry experts, students, and cinephiles for a five day celebration of all things animation. Though there are endless events, screenings and parties to discover, here are just a few we are most looking forward to.

50 in 50 — Our Favourite Canadian Animation Shorts

The OIAF have done Grand Prize films, trailers, and poster exhibitions, but this time they thought to turn the spotlight on themselves, at least a little. So they have looked back at all the Canadian animated films screened at the OIAF since 1976 and chose, not necessarily the best (what the hell does that even mean? Who could possibly decide that?), but the ones that stayed with audiences the most — the ones you can watch again and again and still feel inspired by, still feel shaken by. The OIAF programming team went through more than 700 films and narrowed the list down to the Top 50.

During the OIAF, they will unveil their Top 10 picks from the last 50 years and include mini-essays on each one. You’ll find old favourites, forgotten gems and, in true OIAF fashion, a few head-scratchers and oddities.

Presented in partnership with Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund.

When: September 23-27, 2026

Where: Multiple locations

Welcome to the Future: The Making of Ray Gunn, presented by Netflix

Join two-time Academy Award winner Brad Bird for an in-depth look at his long-awaited passion project, Ray Gunn, from Netflix and Skydance Animation. Alongside key collaborators Adel Abada (VFX Supervisor, Cinesite), Jason Ryan (Head of Character Animation, Cinesite), and Neysa Bové (Costume Designer, Skydance Animation), Brad will explore the film’s creative journey, the artistic influences behind its distinctive retro-futuristic aesthetic, and the technical craftsmanship that brought the vibrant world and unforgettable characters of Metropia to life.

Presented by Netflix.

When: September 26, 2026

Where: National Arts Centre

Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent

Nine months after banishing the deadly ashes of rage, the anonymous Medicine Seller returns a final time to the Ōoku. He must exorcise the fiercest Mononoke yet: a snake god summoned by the Emperor’s wife’s grief over the loss of her newborn son. However, the Shape, Truth, and Reason required to activate the sacred sword prove to be more challenging than ever to find, as the Medicine Seller becomes embroiled in a 150-year-old imperial scandal. Set across claustrophobic fantastical settings, The Curse of the Serpent pushes the cool and collected Medicine Seller to his limits for a climactic interdimensional battle. 

The third and final installment of the Mononoke movie trilogy is full of hard-hitting reveals for longtime fans of the cult series that will undoubtedly shock newcomers to the story. The Curse of the Serpent proves to be a technicolour visual feast for all to surrender to.

When: September 25 & 27, 2026

Where: ByTowne Cinema

O-Town Animated

O-Town Animated is a free, outdoor public art and animation initiative presented as part of Bytown’s 200th Anniversary celebrations in 2026, supported by the Ottawa Tourism Animation Fund. The project will showcase original animated works that reinterpret Ottawa’s early Bytown history while also celebrating contemporary local animation. It will run for six months as part of the downtown Public Art Trail, activating multiple high-traffic sites and encouraging visitor movement through the city core.

Presented in partnership with Ottawa 200, Ottawa Tourism, Bytown Museum, Downtown Rideau BIA, and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

When: Installation starts September 19, 2026 and runs until March 14, 2027

Where: Downtown Rideau as a part of the Public Art Trail

Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa

Shaped by artists, filmmakers, researchers and studios, animation in Ottawa has evolved through a dynamic exchange of creativity, experimentation and innovation. 

The exhibition is presented in partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) and the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Spanning more than 80 years, the exhibition reveals how artists, institutions and communities have contributed to Ottawa’s rich animation history. It also highlights the festival’s vital role in connecting local creators with global animation culture. Through a variety of stories, techniques and creative approaches, the works on view reveal the remarkable possibilities of animation: a medium capable of bringing imagined worlds to life, expanding the boundaries of abstraction and giving shape to the strange, the wonderful and the deeply human.

This exhibition is presented in partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery and the Ottawa International Animation Festival, in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada.

When: Exhibit starts September 19, 2026 and runs until  March 14, 2027

Where: Ottawa Art Gallery: Spencerville Gallery