From Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October 2026, Gandia’s Teatre Serrano hosts the 22nd edition of Cortoons, the International Animated Short Film Festival. Three days of competition shorts, feature films, Valencian, Argentinian and Ukrainian animation, a meet-and-greet with dubbing actors and the awards gala.
Contents
When, where and how much
- Dates: Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026.
- Venue: Teatre Serrano (Sala A and Sala B), Passeig de les Germanies, 29, Gandia.
- Tickets: €8 for a day ticket and €20 for a pass covering all three days.
- Where to buy them: the festival’s online ticket sales, the Cortoons kiosk on the Paseo, opposite the Casa de la Marquesa, and the Teatre Serrano box office during the festival.
- Little ones: children aged 0 to 6 do not need a ticket, but must always be accompanied by an adult.
Day-by-day programme
The main sessions take place in Sala A. On all three days, the theatre foyer has a free-play video game area and tournaments.
Friday 23 October
- 17:00 Cortoons animated classics.
- 17:15 Official competition shorts, programme 1.
- 18:30 Special screening: Argentinian animation.
- 19:15 Masterclass by Pangur Animation.
- 20:00 Feature film: Little Amelie.
- 21:20 Official competition shorts, programme 2.
Saturday 24 October
- 11:00 Hama beads workshop for the whole family.
- 17:00 Cortoons animated classics.
- 17:15 Official competition shorts, programme 3.
- 18:00 The best of Valencian animation, part 1.
- 19:00 Meet the dubbing actors Mireia López, Álex Moreno, José Luis Siurana and Carles Teruel.
- 20:00 Cortoons Festival 2026 awards ceremony.
- 20:30 Feature film: Mariposas negras.
- 22:10 Official competition shorts, programme 4.
Sunday 25 October
- 17:30 Cortoons animated classics.
- 17:45 Official competition shorts, programme 5.
- 18:45 The best of Valencian animation, part 2.
- 19:45 Argentinian animation: feature film Metegol.
The three feature films in Sala A
- Little Amelie (Friday, 20:00): the world through the eyes of a little girl who, between the ages of two and a half and three, discovers language, family, water and Japan.
- Mariposas negras (Saturday, 20:30): three women from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia lose everything to global warming and are forced to migrate.
- Metegol (Sunday, 19:45): Juan José Campanella’s film about a shy boy who, with the help of a team of table-football players, takes on a rival nicknamed “El Crack” on the pitch. It is the first Argentinian animated film made in 3D.
Ukrainian animation in Sala B
This year Sala B is devoted to Ukrainian animation, with a feature film in the original language every afternoon: Hechizados on Friday, Mavka on Saturday and Viktor Robot on Sunday. A Sala B ticket also gives access to the Sala A programme, and for every ticket sold for this screen the festival donates €1 to the association Ucrania une corazones.
Competition sections and awards
The short films compete in five sections:
- International competition for animated short films of 1 to 4 minutes.
- International competition for animated short films of 4 to 20 minutes.
- Competition for Spanish animated short films.
- Competition for animated short films produced in the Valencian Community.
- International competition for animated short films made by schools.
Alongside the awards for the best short in each section, the festival presents a Cortoons special mention for best short film, the award for the best European woman director of animated short films and the Moll Motor award for creativity in motion. The awards gala is on Saturday 24 at 20:00.
What is Cortoons?
Cortoons is an international festival devoted to animated short films and a meeting point for new artists, professionals, schools, production companies, distributors and fans. It began in Rome and, after eleven years there, moved to Gandia. It is organised by Cortoons Festival, Ajuntament de Gandia (the town council) and the Generalitat Valenciana, through the Institut Valencià de Cultura, with the participation of the UPV’s Gandia Campus.
Getting to the Teatre Serrano
The Teatre Serrano stands on Passeig de les Germanies, 29, Gandia’s central promenade, just a short walk from the Casa de la Marquesa, where the festival kiosk is set up. You can check the full programme on the official Cortoons website.