HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY
ASIFA created the International Animation Day (IAD) in 2002, honoring the birth of animation, recognized as the first public performance of projected moving images: Emile Reynaud’s Theatre Optique in Paris, on the 28th October 1892.
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ASIFA coordinates and helps promote the free exchange of films with IAD celebrations all over the world, putting the art of animation in the limelight in a global celebration of animation.
ASIFA, founded in 1960, and chartered under UNESCO, strives to unite the world in peace and mutual understanding across all borders by celebrating our uniqueness and shared humanity through the art of animation. For more information see ASIFA.net
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Animation includes an impressive range of approaches, techniques and goals. Created by drawing, painting, animating puppets and objects, using clay, sand, paper and computer, working with multiple narratives and non-narratives, reflecting a diversity of themes and performances, presented on a variety of platforms. All of this confirms that ANIMATION is an extraordinary and powerful medium of art, cultural expression and communication. And, as a visual storytelling medium, animation can communicate across cultures without verbal language. It truly is a means for cultural connection.​​​
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Each year, ASIFA calls upon an important animator to create the poster for International Animation Day. It is then adapted for each country in order to guarantee a worldwide view of the event. The 2025 IAD poster was generously created by Lucija Mrzljak.
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Comments about the inspiration for the poster:
For my ASIFA World Animation Day poster, I embraced a classical approach, working with graphite and colour pencil on paper to create a tangible, hand-drawn aesthetic. The central inspiration behind the poster is the concept of animation as “light in the dark,” a creative force that illuminates and brings life to the unseen. I also drew inspiration from the visionary pioneers of animation, such as Émile Reynaud, Eadweard Muybridge, Joseph Plateau, and Simon Stampfer. The poster pays homage to their legacy while celebrating the timeless artistry of animation. Animation continues to evolve as a powerful medium for storytelling and self-expression, inspiring new generations to push creative boundaries and keep the light shining.
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Short Bio about the creator:
Lucija Mrzljak is a Croatian animation film director based in Estonia, teaching at the Estonian Academy of Fine Arts. Since 2016, Lucija directed several acclaimed animated short films, produced at the Eesti Joonisfilm studio in Tallinn and Adriatic Animation studio in Zagreb. Film “Eeva” (2022) premiered at the Berlinale 2023 and went on to be screened and awarded at numerous film festivals, earning a place on the shortlist for the 2024 Academy Awards and Emile Awards for best character and background design.
In addition to her film work, Lucija collaborated with Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard in 2019, directing the music video for “The Closing Door. In 2024 she worked with a renowned Estonian musician Mari Kalkun directing a music video for her song Maaimä (Mother Earth). As an illustration artist Lucija has published several children’s books and created posters for many film festivals.