Philippines positions itself as rising global animation hub

The Philippines’ animation industry has grown significantly since Filipino cartoonist Larry Alcala produced a short black-and-white animated clip featuring a girl jumping rope and a boy playing with a yo-yo on 8mm film in 1953.

According to the Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI), the Philippines generated about USD 60 million in revenue for the USD 413 billion global animation market in 2024 and employed more than 7,500 professionals nationwide.

ACPI projects the domestic animation industry to reach USD 141 million and employ more than 15,000 professionals by 2028, highlighting its increasing importance to the country’s economic activity and job creation.

The sector’s promising growth shows its readiness to scale globally, and Animahenasyon aims to drive this push by elevating Filipino animation talent and fostering international collaboration.

Organized by ACPI, Animahenasyon—the country’s premier annual animation festival—will partner with the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions’ CREATEPhilippines for its 19th edition from Nov. 24–26 at multiple venues across Metro Manila.

Since its inception in 2007, the festival has provided emerging and veteran animators a platform to showcase their work and stay updated on international industry trends.

Its signature events return this year to champion Filipino talent and bring independent locally made titles closer to the public.

Animahenasyon 2025 opens on Nov. 24 with AniSine, a film screening ceremony at the Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema.

On Nov. 25, the festival will host AniTalk, a conference on global animation trends and developments, at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier in Taguig.

Immediately after the conference, the annual AniKompetisyon Awarding will recognize Filipino animators who combine storytelling, artistry, and technical excellence.

This year’s competition received more than 100 entries, with participants vying to be among the top 10 finalists for the Animahenasyon Audience Choice Award, the Toon City Choice Award, and the Grand Prize in the student and professional divisions.

Animahenasyon’s newly introduced trade component is expected to become a major industry catalyst.

The festival seeks to expand the Philippines’ role from a trusted outsourcing destination for animation services into a global hub capable of producing original world-class content.

With CREATEPhilippines as co-presenter, the event will gather international and local buyers, producers, and publishers who may collaborate with Filipino creatives.

AniBusiness, a B2B convention set for Nov. 26 at Seda BGC, will serve as the culminating activity of the festival.

The trade component—introduced for the first time—aims to unlock opportunities for international partnerships, outsourcing solutions, and co-production ventures across the local animation ecosystem.

The initiative also aims to boost the visibility of original Filipino content among potential investors and distributors to strengthen the Philippines’ positioning as an emerging animation intellectual property generator.

CREATEPhilippines will lead the festival’s trade efforts by inviting foreign buyers and prospective investors with support from various Philippine Trade and Investment Centers.

The agency will also promote the event internationally, offer incentives to participants, and provide business-matching and networking opportunities enriched by Filipino hospitality.

A bleisure program, AniXperience, will be offered to foreign buyers to complement these efforts, giving participants the chance to visit key Philippine destinations while meeting animation studios and creatives.

The first stop is a tour of Intramuros on Nov. 27 hosted by the Intramuros Administration, followed by trips to San Fernando and Bacnotan in La Union on Nov. 28.

The partnership between CREATEPhilippines and ACPI was formalized during a memorandum of agreement signing on Oct. 13.

ACPI Executive Director Daniel Enriquez, ACPI President Marlyn Montano, and ACPI Project and Administration Officer Micah Ronquillo met with CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo and the CREATEPhilippines team to discuss efforts to elevate the Philippine animation industry and expand its global presence.

“Filipino animators and creatives have long been key players in bringing some of the most favorite animated titles to life on the web and in film and television,” Ocampo says.

“It’s high time that the local industry gets the recognition it deserves as a major force in the global animation scene,” she says.

“Through this partnership with ACPI, we hope that this year’s Animahenasyon is the start of the country making that leap toward the next stage of the Philippine animation industry’s evolution.”