AniMela 2026 Brings Oscar Animation and XR to Mumbai

From Feb 19–22, Whistling Woods hosts AniMela 2026 with Oscar-nominated films, global creators, and India’s first Titanic and Colosseum LBVR experiences.

In Mumbai, from February 19 to 22, 2026, Whistling Woods International will host AniMela 2026; an international festival devoted to animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR). Oscar nominated animation, international creative leadership and historic experiences will all be featured during the festival.

The showing of Oscar®-nominated animated films, such as the feature films Arco and Little Amélie, or The Character of Rain, along with the animated shorts Forever Green and The Girl Who Cried Pearls, is a major highlight of AniMela 2026. Also, Titanic LBVR and Colosseum LBVR will make their first appearances in India at the festival.

According to Anne Doshi, artistic director and co-founder, in connection to the festival's mission, at AniMela, they celebrate not just skill and polish, but curiosity, risk, chaos, strength, and the need to create simply because one must.

The campus is happy to host a festival that supports young voices, supports innovation, and centers learning and community, according to Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President & Business Head, CTO & Head of Emerging Media, Whistling Woods International.

An international advisory council comprising members from the animation and immersive media communities in India and throughout the world is shaping the 2026 edition. Among the advisory leadership are filmmaker Kiran Rao, executive producer Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, Aneta Ozorek, Munjal Shroff, Arjun Madhavan, and Mickaël Marin of MIFA and the Annecy Festival.