Mumbai to host AniMela 2026, featuring global animation and XR

MUMBAI: Mumbai will host AniMela 2026, an international festival dedicated to animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality, from February 19 to 22 at Whistling Woods International.

Positioned as a cross-disciplinary platform, the four-day event will bring together creators, studios, students and industry leaders through curated screenings, immersive showcases and industry-led programmes reflecting the convergence of storytelling and technology.

A major draw this year will be screenings of Oscar-nominated animated films, including feature titles Arco and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, alongside shortlisted shorts Forever Green and The Girl Who Cried Pearls.

The festival will also mark the India debut of large-scale immersive experiences Titanic LBVR and Colosseum LBVR, allowing audiences to explore historical moments through extended reality environments.

AniMela artistic director and co-founder Anne Doshi , said the festival celebrates creative risk, experimentation and the drive to tell stories across emerging media formats.

Whistling Woods International vice president and business head, chief technology officer and head of emerging media Chaitanya Chinchlikar, said hosting AniMela aligned with the institute’s focus on nurturing young talent and building creative communities.

The 2026 edition is being guided by an international advisory board drawn from the global animation and immersive media space, including Mickaël Marin of the Annecy Festival and Mifa, Munjal Shroff, Arjun Madhavan, executive producer Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, Aneta Ozorek and filmmaker Kiran Rao.